US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-2005 America West merger) - CP companion upgrades

As a CP, I have flown with a Silver Preferred companion three times in the last two months. Each time I have flown with them, I've called the CP desk and asked that they be upgraded as my companion at the seven day window along with me. In each case (travelling off-peak times) this has been accomidated and seats for both of us have been assigned. In each case, upon return, my Silver companion has had e-upgrades deducted from their account. This has resulted in numerous e-mails back and forth to try and rectify the situation. So far no luck. Am I alone in this situation? Have others experienced the same?

Yes. I upgraded a US3 co-worker, and he had upgraded deducted. Took several e-mails and phone calls to get the situation resolved.

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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

Did you check-in by a rep or e-ticket machine? 3/9-14 I was flying PHL-TPA with my daughter, who has no status. The e-ticket machine could not print her boarding pass because there is no e-upgrade balance in her account. Both legs, I had to ask a rep to print the boarding pass, and they had to put my CP number into her reservation in order to print the boarding pass.

I used an expiring DMUPSYS last December to fly LAX-CLT-DCA, and 6 e-upgrades were still deducted from my account. I e-mailed the DMSC and the 6 were quickly reposted as "complimentary".

David

[This message has been edited by IndyDavid (edited 03-25-2003).]

I remember reading something from US saying if you are using a paper upgrade (ie DMUPSYS02) to remind the agent not to deduct the miles from the account. They may have some override they can do.

This may be available when flying with a CP. We shouldn't have to remind them, but if they get it right it saves you time in the long run.

Also, you could have the companion book the flight without using a FF number and add it later, after checking-in for the inbound.

Yes, Geo, this has happened to me. Hubby(CP) booked a trip BWI-CLT-NAS and return with me as a companion with my DM# entered (Gold). They deducted both the outbound and return upgrades. Cust Serv desk indicated that "whoever took the reservation did it wrong". Don't know about that. It took a phone call plus an email to get it straightened it out. All is well now.

I had the same problem ...

GSO-PHX and back... Mrs. GSO is Silver, Confirmed upgrades at booking (B fares), and the strange thing is that on the outbound, they deducted 1 for GSO-CLT and 3 for CLT-PHX. On the return, 4 for PHX-CLT and 1 for CLT-GSO. We checked in at the counter both times. Explain that one ( other than the obvious... Agent in CLT was being nice)

Thought I would bump this since its still happening to us.

My wife and I have been flying a bit lately (me CP, her GP as my companion) and no matter how we check in, the e-upgrades keep getting deducted from her account.

How is it they havent figured this out yet? I find it funny that there is no problem when I bump into a friend with no US status and make them my companion. They have none to deduct!

Kiosk check-in deducts it, normal checkin desk does it, etc.

Is there something I should be asking them to do specifically?

I feel lame requesting 1 e-upgrade credits for flights, but I also make a point of specifying what is broken when I ask.

Same thing happened to my wife last May after she traveled on a flight with me, using my CP status to upgrade. I just assumed it was a one time glitch. She had so many upgrades in her account, I didn't bother calling, but this indicates the problem is widespread.

actually, i have had pretty good luck with this. my fiancee (gp) has only had e-upgrades deducted once when we've flown together (out of maybe 12 trips together). on that specific itinerary, we were on different pnr's, as we weren't sure she was going to be able to go at the time i purchased my ticket.

when i called the cp desk, they fixed it right away (although the phone call itself took about 15 minutes, most of which was hold-time while they looked up the records) and the appropriate number of e-upgrades was redepostied into her account.

the rep suggested that the problem was probably that we were on different pnr's, but i don't buy this as a universal explanation to what has obviously been a pretty pervasive problem. for one thing, she was upgraded automatically with me at the 7-day window (so our records were certainly linked somehow), and we've also traveled on separate records before and had no problem.

that said, trying to book your tickets together on the same record may help minimize your chances of being victimized.

-- he who slacks

[This message has been edited by OverpaidSlacker (edited 08-20-2003).]

I just had a friend (GP) who was traveling with 2 companions. He used 3 20K awards to upgrade the three of them.

After the flights he checked his account and they took out e-upgrades for all 3 of them.

You have to monitor your account if you upgrade with anything but an e-upgrade.

I echo deelmakur's comments that while not a big deal on a case-by-case basis, this is likely widespread and going unnoticed. And it goes beyond CPs and companions as evidenced in the 'used miles to upgrade, but they deducted e-upgrades anyway'.

Almost have to wonder, with other things, if this is something they arent in a hurry to fix because it benefits them.

Keep an eye on those upgrade accounts!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
Almost have to wonder, with other things, if this is something they arent in a hurry to fix because it benefits them.
</font>


I don't think there is any conspiracy theory here. I think the bare bones version of Sabre that the TA and GA's use on a daily basis probably defaults to an auto-deduct of the e-upgrades from the upgraded members account. There are probably so many little inputs that have to be made that one little slip by the agent and the default is the auto-deduct. And with all the pecking of the keyboard that the agents have to do just to check you in, is there any wonder this happens?

Yeah, I've had this happen when traveling with my husband (CP)......I am Gold.....very annoying....of course I totally forgot to do anything about it when I got home and this was 5 months ago.......

KIM

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by OverpaidSlacker:
that said, trying to book your tickets together on the same record may help minimize your chances of being victimized.</font>

Yeah, but then one of the people will miss the online booking bonus (or so I thought).



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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

This is a continual structural problem for which US doesn't yet seem to have a fix. The cost in time to correct errors must exceed the "benefit" of burning e-upgrades, so I really doubt that's it...

My bride (GP) travels almost always with me (CP) on the same record. Both upgrades come at 7 days, her as my companion. Nonetheless, there are very often e-upgrades taken from her account. We've had to call multiple times. Since we plan to use them for the 500 miles conversion, and she has well over 100 in her bank, this is actually not such a small matter for us.

SO - I call CP or the DM SC, and they fix. They say "we know it's a problem - we're working on it." BUT - why do it in the first place ??? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

BTW - there is a way to avoid this mess if the person checking you in is willing - just tell them to check that the record is correctly showing your number for your companion's upgrade. Usually they have to take out what the computer has put in and correct the record, but that avoids the "fix it later" waste of time. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

If you use web or kiosk, I think the problem may just have to be fixed later.

(edit for typos - as usual...)

[This message has been edited by PhillyFive (edited 08-20-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1005:

I don't think there is any conspiracy theory here. I think the bare bones version of Sabre that the TA and GA's use on a daily basis probably defaults to an auto-deduct of the e-upgrades from the upgraded members account. There are probably so many little inputs that have to be made that one little slip by the agent and the default is the auto-deduct. And with all the pecking of the keyboard that the agents have to do just to check you in, is there any wonder this happens?

</font>

Explains agent-initiated check in, whats the excuse for kiosk check-ins? Uh oh, I am starting to sound like PineyBob. Someone stop me if I use the F word ;-)

Bump for Problem solved!

Thanks to Mark M at the SFO check-in counter for explaining how the false deductions happen, and how it can be avoided. Below is a generally useful story for anyone who upgrades companions - not just CP companions.

First off, if you have status and then list/etc a companion, the system is going to keep the two of you linked with your DM number for the upgrade list. Most of us know this already. The hitch is when the companion is also a DM member - when the upgrade is processed in the computer, unless anything else is done, the e-upgrades will try to come out of that person's account (even if status-linked to you). If the second person isnt a DM member, apparently things get figured out automatically or manually as its more obvious to see what to do.

If you use kiosks, or web check-in, etc, you 'should' have the false deduction situation - even if you want them to come out of your account. The system is dumb this way. Check-in agents are smarter, but would otherwise follow the path of least resistance to get you checked in - ie not look for problems like this (not a knock on them, just a fact that they wouldnt notice it).

To make sure there is no deduction, you should check in at the counter. Mark suggested he couldnt think of a way that the problem can be solved otherwise.

Tell the agent "I would like to check in, and use my upgrades for {companion's name} as my companion". - This is again especially true if the companion is a spouse that might obviously be a companion. And the agent wouldnt think twice about. Checking in with a business associate, girlfriend with different last name, etc might set off the alarms needed to get what you want to happen below..

The agent should then check the primary (lead status person) first, with your account number, etc. Then the companion second, after you are already checked in. They can then see your DM number on your boarding pass and know what to do on the computer with it to make sure the e-upgrade is done to the right account.

Mark did all of this, and for the first flight together this year, my wife had no upgrades deducted. If you're in SFO, please thank him for us.

Its an extra 5 seconds up front that should always work. Yes, agents can still screw it up, but they all know how to do this. The reason they dont otherwise is because the system doesnt warn them about it. If you dont help, they cant help you.

So learn the magic words "upgrade as my companion"..

100% of the time I travel with Mrs. Dingo who is a GP she has the upgrades deducted. I've just got a form email that I send immediately after the miles post/ugprades are deducted. I've had this happen even after asking the CP rep, the ticket agent and the gate agent to make sure it doesn't happen...100% of the time.

dingo

we had the exact same problem (down to the form email). the process above should always work if done as you ask. if the agent is lazy and doesnt change anything, it will keep happening.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
dingo

we had the exact same problem (down to the form email). the process above should always work if done as you ask. if the agent is lazy and doesnt change anything, it will keep happening.</font>

As I posted a couple of months back - this is an easily fixable problem that US just doesn't seem to want to repair. The GP MRS Five has had to have about 10 errors like this corrected this year since she usually travels with me. We want to convert her EUGs to miles, not waste them.

The majority of Club and TC agents seem to be able to correct this as boarding passes are issued, but why everyone has to go to these extra lengths to correct dumb computer programming is beyond me.