Just when I thought I mastered the US/UA relationship!

I want to fly United on a paid Business Class ticket and use my Mileage Plus miles to upgrade to First Class (since I know for an absolute fact that I can't use Dividend Miles to upgrade a paid ticket).

However, I was told that if I do this, I cannot earn miles to my Dividend Miles account. Basically, it's all-or-nothing. If I upgrade with United miles, then my Mileage Plus number is in the account and stays there. If I want to put my US Airways Dividend Miles number in there to earn miles, I can't upgrade with United miles.

Is this correct??

In July my friend and I were able to upgrade to Business class with miles from his Mileage Plus account( I don't even have a United MP account) and have the miles earned credited to our US account. Additionally, we were 1 and 2 on the DM list thanks to our US1 status.

[This message has been edited by dknn (edited Dec 18, 2003).]

I upgraded a PHL-SEA flight for myself and my wife in August using the last of my UA miles and was able to have the miles post to my US account.

Then I got bad information. Thanks.

Not sure if it's the same but I have purchased a UA international ticket, upgraded with UA SWU's, and then added my DM # upon check-in. All the flights posted to my DM account like clockwork. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BizJet:
Then I got bad information. Thanks.</font>

You did, but...

Four of us flew to HNL for Thanksgiving, UA ticket and metal, U/G with UA miles, and asked for credit to US (in fact, Mrs PhillyFive reached CP and both kids made SP with these miles).

We did have posting problems however, so check with the desk agent at every check-in to be sure the record is set up correctly (ours was not initially) and watch your account to be sure credits post promptly. I had to send documents since only two of the four legs posted at first.

You can certainly do this and you were given wrong info. It's simply like a mileage award you're giving to "someone else" the someone else being you the Dividend Miles member.

HOWEVER, note that it's your US status that will drive where you are on the DM list for waitlists, and your seating (i.e. you cannot get the exit rows even if you're a 1K or 1P, though I've had a UA service director override this on occasion when I wanted US miles for my flights).

Maybe it's obvious, but you cannot upgrade using your UA 500-milers either (though you can be a companion of someone else on their 500 milers). HK-50s and SWUs are fully transferrable, like mileage awards so that's not an issue.

To ensure you're getting credit, just check your BP to make sure it says US Chairman's, Gold, or whatever on it.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kv99:
To ensure you're getting credit, just check your BP to make sure it says US Chairman's, Gold, or whatever on it.</font>

VERY, VERY, VERY good advice. The bottom line is that unless your UA boarding pass has your US DM number and status printed on it, you will not get the credit.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1005:
VERY, VERY, VERY good advice. The bottom line is that unless your UA boarding pass has your US DM number and status printed on it, you will not get the credit.

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Agreed, but on the HNL flights referred to above, all four BP had the right info, yet two of them didn't post until I followed up. It did help that the BP had the right info - the posting was done the same day I faxed the docs to the DM SC.

Bottom line- Be sure to watch your account....

[This message has been edited by PhillyFive (edited Dec 19, 2003).]