I had an interesting experience with the United Airlines iPhone app on our return from the east coast.
I was using my iPhone to check whether our departing flight from Dulles was on schedule. You click on a “flight status” button and it gives you the basics. The flight appeared to be on time. Then I noticed another button which said something like “where is this aircraft coming from?” I couldn’t resist. I clicked.
That brought up a screen showing that the plane was coming in from Albuquerque and was delayed over 90 minutes on the ground there. Since we had to make a connecting flight in San Francisco, and we had just under an hour between the two flights, a 90-minute delay on the first leg would have left us stranded.
So I got on the phone to United reservations and explained what I had found, intending to seek an alternate route if indeed the flight was delayed. That’s where I learned that United’s reservation agents don’t have access to the same info that you get from the iPhone app. The person assisting me could not check the incoming aircraft. She had to ask me the flight number out of ABQ to confirm its status. She found that the incoming flight was indeed late, but that our flight was still listed as “on schedule.”
Then she disappeared to “check with a supervisor,” which took another 25 minutes, while I waited. Finally, she came back and said that although the incoming flight was delayed, their system still showed our flight on time.
“My best advice,” she said in sort of a resigned voice, “is to just go to the airport.”
It seemed good advice, one way or the other.
As it turned out, United brought in a different aircraft and all was well. By the time we were at the airport, the new plane showed up in the iPhone status report.
I just thought it was an interesting example of how much info is now available via our phones. In this case, we had more info than the official reservation system could provide.
It’s a whole new digital world.
As someone who works in the industry (although not in reservations) and has some knowledge of how this stuff works, I’ll throw in my two cents.
The reservations agents don’t have access to that information at their terminals because they don’t need it. In fact, it would be less than helpful for exactly the reason you noted: If an aircraft en route to pick up passengers (in this case, you and Meda) has a mechanic problem or is very late for some other reason, the airline will try to substitute a different aircraft or move things around so that the next leg (e.g., your flight) isn’t affected.
This all goes on behind the scenes and, to be blunt, is none of the reservations agent’s business. She doesn’t know or care specifically *which* aircraft is going to a particular airport, anyway — just like she doesn’t know if they put air in the tires in Houston, who the captain is, or what movies will be available in flight.
If the reservations agent told customers, “Looks like your flight is 90 minutes late!” the passengers would freak out for no reason and clog up the system with worried phone calls to customer service, as you did, or show up late for the flight under the erroneous assumption that “it’s late, anyway, why should I get there on time?”
In short (yeah, too late!), it would be pointless, and likely detrimental, for reservations agents to have that information.
Interestingly enough, there is more info on the app than on the website. For example, if you want to know where you are on the upgrade list, only the app has that information not the website.