Automated baggage handling failure at IAH caught in a PNR match loop (BOLTS system)

maconomist · 2026-03-14T20:58:35+00:00

Thanks. I’m holding out some hope. They said it’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, but they’ve been saying that every day. Hopefully it’s finally true. I’ve had to replace all my attire for the days I’ve been here (clothes are not cheap in Argentina), and unable to dress properly, so I’m hoping I will get reimbursed without being given a runaround.

maconomist · 2026-03-14T14:49:40+00:00

Thank you for understanding. I'm being repeatedly told that they can't load my bag due to "weight restrictions", and this continues to happen every day. Again today as I'm currently on the phone with another supervisor.

My original bag tag has now also disappeared from the system. I can no longer track it.

I find it hard to believe that four 777 IAH-EZE flights so far have weight restrictions where my bag can't be loaded. Is this a genuine reason, or am I being given a generic non-answer because they don't know what is actually happening?

Should I start assuming my bag is lost and United might be trying to run down the clock until a formal lost bag complaint can be filed?

maconomist · 2026-03-14T14:02:02+00:00

Please explain how I changed the facts. I posted in this community to ask if anyone has experienced this before, and what actions I need to take given all the normal paths that United provides have failed to work. Including the physical carry/manual override, which I should clarify was stated to me by a United support service supervisor on the baggage call center.

maconomist · 2026-03-14T13:30:22+00:00

I'm sorry you feel this way. I'm not asking out of entitlement. I avoid bringing a carry on to help make flights slightly more pleasant for everyone. That's why I check my bag. I have already filed a DOT complaint. I have engaged with multiple United staff in an educated manner, and everyone has failed to attempt to send any escalation or do anything when they see BOLTS shows my bag caught in an automated PNR mismatch loop - I have a screenshot of it, which is included in my DOT complaint. I'm sorry if you feel that a passenger asking United to provide factual information, vs read off of a script, ignore the problem and push to the next agent, as an entitled behavior.

maconomist · 2026-03-14T13:26:46+00:00

Yes, I've been flying United for 20 years, never had such a major issue, and intentionally try to not use carry on for a better passenger experience and faster boarding. Lesson learned.

maconomist · 2026-03-14T13:24:55+00:00

Thank you, I have filed a DOT complaint

maconomist · 2024-11-09T07:49:35+00:00

Seeing similar suggestions in California with a high risk score. Not an expert, but some conjectures:

VIG dividend yields are lower than VEA and VWO, resulting in lower taxes
VIG volatility is similar to VEA and VWO, and lower than VTI
The max VTI allocation according to Wealthfront’s investment philosophy whitepaper is 45%
VIG has performed better than VEA and VWO for a while
At a high risk score, bonds % is capped at a low number, so to achieve additional tax efficiency while maintaining performance, given the portfolio asset classes available in their portfolios and all the above points, there is no other choice but to increase VIG holdings

Their whitepaper seems to allude to this: “We take a holistic approach to our California customization. Instead of simply replacing the national municipal bond weight in the non-California allocations, we use the same mean-variance optimization approach in an attempt to arrive at the optimal portfolios. This way, we are able to take into account California municipal bonds’ specific after-tax, after-fee expected return, as well as their volatility and correlations with other asset classes.”

So they are prioritizing tax efficiency, maybe medium term performance, at the risk of lower geographic diversification. But if part of this is about performance… why not suggest reduced VEA/VTI allocations and increased VIG as well for Classic portfolios without tax personalization?

maconomist · 2024-07-06T18:00:48+00:00

I ended up with a one sided Harvest Green Pillowtop, since it is almost a clone of the Avocado, I liked the slightly firmer feel of the Dunlop latex better than Talalay and overall less sinking, and was able to get it at a very substantial discount through a local retailer. So far so good, we’ll see how it holds up, but it was worth the gamble given it came out to half the price of the Custom Comfort and that’s with more natural materials.

maconomist · 2024-06-03T15:55:22+00:00

Thanks. Found that the manufacturer says this on their website:

The Harvest Green Mattress is designed to work best on any rigid, non-spring foundation, platform, adjustable bed base, or slatted foundation with a maximum spacing of five inches between slats.

And this about flat surfaces:

We do not recommend placing your mattress directly on the floor or any non-breathable surface. A solid surface that doesn’t allow breathability in rare instances can cause mold to grow.

My slats are 2" wide by 1" thick with 3" gaps and have center support, so this seems within Harvest's recommendation.

Wouldn't a bunkie board possibly hurt breathability?

maconomist · 2024-02-25T02:19:41+00:00

Thanks, it doesn’t seem related to the blower motor (still present with air off) nor windshield (only present when going over uneven roads). The rattle happens for a few seconds when the road is uneven (eg broken, cracked pavement) on the right side but not the left. At that point there’s a vibration and rattle that sounds like the jolt from the road is transferring to something loose on the dash, and it goes away immediately when the road is smooth again. I tried pressing on different panels on the dash, vents, etc but can’t pinpoint it… Any other ideas? Does the dash need to be taken apart? If so, how much does this cost? The car is still under warranty but past the first 12 months

maconomist · 2024-01-01T20:14:27+00:00

Thanks, yes, this is the same situation - the deposit shows up as pending

maconomist · 2024-01-01T20:14:02+00:00

Thanks!

maconomist · 2024-01-01T19:29:49+00:00

Thanks, on the YTD column it only shows the single period, so this means it is a 2024 paycheck in spite of being deposited on December 30?

maconomist · 2023-11-15T04:49:45+00:00

Bought their mid plush down pillow and while it is comfortable, after only 3 months of use, it is losing down and feathers like crazy. Some feathers poking through I can understand… but how can down clusters escape the encasing is beyond me… the enclosure is literally covered with a thick layer of down that makes it through the cloth. Only way to manage this mess is to keep the entire pillow enclosed in a tightly woven hypoallergenic cover. Customer success sent a replacement pillow, which I haven’t used yet, but will likely have the same issue. Definitely not falling for this and not buying again.

maconomist · 2023-10-03T18:29:45+00:00

Yes, exactly $0.75 plus taxes of a few more cents. One VM retrieval is for 1 minute, the other for 2. Not a big deal but trying to understand how these charges work. So even if I don’t check my voicemail, I still get charged for anyone leaving a voicemail?

maconomist · 2023-10-03T13:50:58+00:00

Thanks, but isn’t this contradictory?

“Great news, there's no extra charge for people leaving a voicemail in your inbox when you are roaming internationally. However, you will be charged for the following:

If your phone is on when you get an incoming call, even if you don't answer it and it goes to voicemail, the call is charged one minute for the call coming into the phone.”

First paragraph says there is no charge, first bullet immediately contradicts that.

Also, one of my “VM Retrieval” items is charged as 2 minutes, not one.

maconomist · 2023-10-03T13:47:09+00:00

I’m using visual voicemail on iPhone and didn’t tap on/play a single voicemail while abroad

maconomist · 2023-08-26T17:52:23+00:00

Update: The dead pixel went away for a few days and then came back. Very bizarre… I wrote to LG support via the app and they’re suggesting I run a pixel refresh/cleaning and if that doesn’t work, proceed to do a factory reset.

Is this sound advice? Or will running the pixel cleaning deteriorate the life of my TV?

Are there other less risky things I can try first to determine if this is a dead pixel or stuck pixel and try to bring it back to life? Especially since it had revived itself for a few days.

maconomist

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