US Airways Dividend Miles - E Ticket Documentation for Star Alliance Award

Today I booked an award on LX and Spanair to various destinations in Spain using US miles, but no US metal is involved on the trip. In the past, when I booked a similar award using UAL miles, United emailed my e ticket documentation as well as a copy of my itinerary. I received no emails whatsoever from US. I tried to view my itinerary online using the US record locator, and received an error message. I also tried checkmytrip.com using either the LX or US locators and no luck. So, I called US back, and the agent said that it is normal not to receive any confirmation documentation when no US metal is involved because "our system is not sophisticated enough to generate that documentation for partner awards". He did request a email be sent, but warned it would be very cryptic, and he wasn't kidding. It appears to be a listing of the flights, but no e-ticket # or standard information that I feel comfortable utilizing as reliable documentation.

He recommended I call LX and have them email me their portion of the itinerary, and then to call Spanair to request similar documentation for their flights. So, I called LX and they say they will email documentation for their portion of the trip. Will do the same with Spanair when their US office opens on Monday.

But is the agent I talked getting his facts right? It seems very odd to me that US doesn't email a confirmation and e-ticket as a normal matter of course, and even when requested to do so cannot comply.

But is the agent I talked getting his facts right? It seems very odd to me that US doesn't email a confirmation and e-ticket as a normal matter of course, and even when requested to do so cannot comply.

More or less, yes. Most of my *A award tickets booked on US will read something to the effect of "Terms & Conditions cannot be displayed at this time" when I retrieve the reservation. Typically though, I'm able to see all of the segments and the eticket number. Every once in a while the T&Cs will show up, but at some point in the life of the reservation they will disappear again. I wish I was kidding about this.

I find it odd that you're not able to retrieve the reservation on the website. But I've never flown LX or JK, so there may be something about those carriers that causes it to not display.

I assume that US must have some sort of legal obligation to provide you with the info that you're seeking. If you're not comfortable with the documents that you've got, you could try using the email form (http://www2.usairways.com/en-US/contact/customer_relations.html) to request that customer relations transmit the reservation details to you. They might be able to do more for you than the reservations agent.

It seems strange that US couldn't provide the eticket# they should have that information at least, of course that seems logical to me, so its probably not going to be the case.

But is the agent I talked getting his facts right? It seems very odd to me that US doesn't email a confirmation and e-ticket as a normal matter of course.

Unfortunately, the answer seems to be "yes." I, too, have never received a confirmation email on any of the *A award tix I have booked over the past year or so. But then I have never had any trouble pulling up the reservations on the US website using my confirmation #. Most of my award tix though have been on US, OS, and LH.

LX flights are not displayed on the ANA tool either so maybe it has something to do with how their systems interface with the systems of the other *A carriers.

I would call US and obtain the 2 other record locators (1 for LX & 1 for JK), go to their respective websites, and try printing your flight info from there. I've also been able to do that with the 3 *A carriers I mentioned. Good luck.

Whenever I've booked *A reward flights all the information appears on the website, and I get a confirmation email just like the one I'd get if it was a US flight, except it has the respective carrier code in a little blue circle. This includes flights on LX, TG, and LH. Didn't have to ask, it just came. Try calling back and asking for another agent. They should issue you the confirmation number and all the details, including seat assignment.
Good luck!