Ok, here's a topic that I discussed in the United forum, but it got way too confused as many people thought partner miles must mean Star-Alliance (hey maybe if we had a GLBT travel forum it would be easier! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif ).

I regularly have had the problem since I fly a lot and William (my partner) doesn't that I need to use my miles to upgrade him, etc. The problem is that the airline requires me to sign over the award physically at the ticket counter (since we're not married).

That's hassle enough (more for me, I live 100 miles from a UA ticket counter!), but even worse is that if they forget to note that you'll come in and sign at a later date then your reservation can get cancelled without notice. (Happened to us last year)

Has anyone figured out a way to get your airline to recognize same-sex partners and remove this extra hassle? Or is there an airline that handles this without a lot of special fanfare?

Thanks

I'm not really familiar with UA's procedures, but with AA you can make a reservation for anyone - the person whose name is on the reservation just has to show up with a certificate in their name on the date of travel.

So, I can request that an upgrade cert. be sent out with your name on it, and on your travel date you'll just have to present it. No signing over, but the name has to be specified when you claim the cert.

d

UA may offer domestic partner benefits to it's employees, it does not recognize them for it's passengers. Unless you have the same last name, you will continue to have to sign a release form.

I love AS and AA for these reasons.

My partner can use my VIPOWs without me there to vouch for her. She used my miles and her cc to upgrade me when I was in London, no problem.

AA AAdmirals Club allows us to get her a spouse card. We'll do that as soon as her TWA Ambassador card expires.

AS- No problem getting me a bereavement fare when her father died suddenly.

Allows me to remove miles from her account for free tickets. I just needed her secret passwords etc.

lala

[b]robb], are you travelling together when you use the miles?

With UA is as long as we are travelling together, I've never had to sign over the miles. I have even booked us both and used miles from each of our accounts over the phone.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by slumgoddess:
UA may offer domestic partner benefits to it's employees, it does not recognize them for it's passengers. Unless you have the same last name, you will continue to have to sign a release form.</font>

Do you recall reading something (perhaps in the UA forum) about domestic parters who have the same mailing address being exempt from this "sign-in-person" requirement? It seems vaguely familiar to me.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Flexible Flyer:
Do you recall reading something (perhaps in the UA forum) about domestic parters who have the same mailing address being exempt from this "sign-in-person" requirement? It seems vaguely familiar to me. </font>
No. Nothing that I recall. Even straight married couples with different last names have problems in this area.

Great info about AA, I know I'll end up considering them again one day and policies like that will help.

As for the UA question. No, same address gets you nothing as far as I've been told from a number of UA sources.

The bad experience I had was when I used my miles to upgrade me IAH-LHR and also used my miles to buy William's ticket in C. We were on separate PNR's since I had a revenue ticket, but I don't even think same PNR would have helped.

They said I had to sign over the award, and I told them I wouldn't be able to until the day of the trip. She said that was fine, and I just happened to check my MP balance online a week later to see that 80000 miles had been returned to my account when they cancelled his ticket for not having been signed over.

So, UA has a lot of work to be done in this area (although it is true that you can buy a Red Carpet Club Spousal Membership for a DP, but he doesn't travel enough alone to make it worthwhile).

Air Canada's rules for tickets for other people seem to be much more relaxed that what you all are describing. I get award tickets for other people on a regular basis (my parents, friends). The most recent one they offered to fax my friend his electronic ticket; since he doesn't have a fax machine all he had to do was go to the airport, show ID, and pick it up. They also mailed me a copy of the receipt.

If I had a partner (*sigh*) it would have been the same thing. No hassles at all.

islandcub

Adding my two cents worth on Air Canada's policies, you may will your miles to your partner too. No hassels whatsoever.

This is why I want my job at Mileage Plus back. I always thought I could help make changes like these. Hmmm... maybe that's why they got rid of me!

I've upgraded myself with miles and used miles to get a free F ticket for my partner when we flew SAN-FRA on AA, and also on a trip tp Sweden and Vienna a couple of years ago. There were no certificates of any kind, it was all electronic. No hassles either.

Qantas is quite good too: EVERYONE is referred to as partners (spouses, de facto couples, domestic partners, etc.). Works without a blink for club memberships, mileage transfers, upgrades, etc.

With Lufthansa, it is also quite easy. You can book award flights for people other than yourself, either by phone or online. No need to have the same last name, address etc. Also you can use upgrade vouchers for other people, provided you are on the same flight as them. You can even do that at the gate (may come in handy when you have chatted up this really gorgeous college guy...).

With Lufthansa, it is also quite easy. You can book award flights for people other than yourself, either by phone or online. No need to have the same last name, address etc. Also you can use upgrade vouchers for other people, provided you are on the same flight as them. You can even do that at the gate (may come in handy when you have chatted up this really gorgeous college guy...).


This thread was started several years ago. Things have changed. ^ For many reasons. :)

For what it is worth, I recently "discovered" that you can now upgrade someone on United, using miles or certicates, electronically via ual.com:

Go to the "Mileage Plus" tab; then to the "E-Upgrades" prompt and then to "Sponsor Upgrade" prompt.

All you need is the last name and confirmation number of the passenger you are requesting an upgrading. It's really quite painless now.