So you book a holiday of a lifetime, London to Orlando via Newark and home from Miami to London via Newark to experience Disney. You book via a Travel Agent and through a US tour operator and flying with United Airline. You have tickets so what can go wrong. Well unknown to me if you travel with United a lot!

11 of our family aged 18 to 80 arrived at Heathrow and were given boarding passes for London to Newark with seat numbers. We were given boarding passes for Newark to Orlando but no seat numbers on 7 of our party just said see agent. We were told not to worry we would be given our seats when we arrive for our connection. The first time we were lied to. See agent means you do not have a seat and he knew it! We arrived for our connection to collect our tickets and were told the plane was overbooked and only four could travel. The four were aged 79,80 as assisted passengers and two girls aged 22 and 18. We were told they can travel but the rest of us not. We had two hire cars waiting in Orlando and both drivers could not travel. They were not bothered about the group of four being stuck in Orlando. We waited ages trying to sort things out. Another family from Spain had tickets for two under 18 children but not the parents. They tried to bribe people off the plane offering first class flights the next day and compensation. We managed to negotiate swapping a driver for the 22 year girl so they could get to the villa. They boarded in floods of tears. Eventually others took the bribes and three others could travel. Four of us were left to wave as the flight took off about two hours late. We stayed negotiating for about three hours trying to get a hotel, transfers and flights on. Eventually we were offered a hotel and transfer and some compensation and put on standby for the next flight and a booked seat 24 hours later. We were sent to a hotel as the next flight had over 20 on standby and we were last on the list. We came back the next day and travelled but had to pay 75 dollars to get back to the airport. They said we could claim it back. We are trying but no luck yet. Eventually after over 36 hours and just six hours sleep we arrived on holiday. It is difficult to explain the considerable stress, anguish and upset this all caused which took days to settle whilst on holiday.

So time to return, we checked in to our flight two days before returning. No email, notification or anything just find out when checking in that our flight home from Miami is cancelled due to technical issues, lack of planes. We are rebooked in the afternoon and spend several hours trying to check in but the bookings are all over the place, some login some not, flights to Washington made then cancelled so a mess. Our Travel Agent got involved and were assured by United all Is fine just turn up. We arrive nervous as anything to check in. Went ok although now we have baggage to pay for as they were not transferred. Can't fix, have to pay and reclaim, we are awaiting a refund! We board the plane late due to a storm approaching and then sit on the runway for nearly two hours, told due to storm problems ahead. Eventually we are returned to the gate and taken off the flight as the crew do not have the hours to legally work and told come back at 9am the next morning. We are told that it is weather related so on your own! We are advised to go and collect our luggage so most people go off to do this. We send a few from our party to collect. We then get a call to say they have gone through security and so cannot return. Good trick to move grumpy passengers away from the desk! They negotiate a return but have to go through full security checks again and leave all luggage. We start the negotiations again and are told to go away. Knowing the system now we made it clear that the issue was not weather related but they had cancelled our initial flight and we would have travelled if not. They eventually agree to rebook for the next day and are given hotel vouchers and meal tickets. They book us on to a new London flight the day after and next lie assure us we definitely have seats on the plane.

We go to the hotel along with loads of passengers and stand in a long line to check in. Four hours sleep and we head back for our flight at 9am. We arrive check in and wait. The flight time comes and goes then eventually the captain advises there will be a delay as the flight crew have not had enough rest. They arrive about an hour later. They are the same crew that was on the flight the night before so why schedule the flight for a time they cannot work. They must have know surely. We fly about 3 hours late to Newark.

Nervous of the problems we go straight to the kiosks and check in. Yes no surprise only five have seats and two on a later flight. They others including the 79 and 80 are on standby likely to travel late next day or day after. We go to customer services and wait about 2 hours in line to sort it out. We make it very clear that the issues are related to a cancelled flight, not weather so they have to help. They sort out flights thankfully with 9 travelling and 2 on a flight a couple of hours later. I am a 49 year old man that generally holds it together but I have to admit sobbing in a corner of the airport with relief. Hours of negotiating, arguing and lack of food and sleep. We fly with both flights delayed due to a medical emergency.

So in summary:
If you fly United think long and hard about doing so. They routinely overbook flights especially in hub airports like Newark. You are just a number and they will tell you anything to get you away from their desk. They care little about the impacts on your holiday.
America is not like Europe. There is little or no regulation of airlines. It's a wild frontier and you have to play the game and be prepared to front up for your rights. A ticket does not mean a seat on the plane and there is no requirement to get you to your destination on any other carriers so they don't.
United tickets have a clause that means bad weather removes all your rights. They will use this as a first excuse at all times to try and get out of helping, do not let them do this.
If you are denied a seat on a plane in America you are entitled to a hotel, transfer, food and compensation in cash or flight vouchers. They will not admit this but it is your only chance of getting help. We found this out on the way there and it was why they helped us on return with fewer issues. Know your rights. You can get compensation.
If you have a problem, stand your ground. We got hotels because we did but many travelling with us just accepted the situation and had to sort and pay for their own hotel and transfers.

I will probably never fly United again. If you plan to then think hard and plan ahead. Totally destroyed our 17 day holiday of a lifetime.

From what I see in the British Newspapers, of how they treat their customers.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/united-airlines-overbooked-flight-incident-*******?ptnr_rid=*******&icid=EM_Mirror_Nletter_DailyNews_News_smallteaser_Text_Story7

Bagge prices suck

Always delay, horrible airlines

1 star