[Archived] Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here...

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Apr 4, 2013, 11:59 am

#3646

Jobst

Join Date: Apr 2013

Posts: 21

I was recently awarded United Airlines Gold class. Do I need to book a ticket using my United MileagePlus number in order to receive the benefits of the status? E.g. will they let me board early, use the lounge etc if I use another Star Alliance airline's FF number on my United tickets?

Apr 4, 2013, 2:37 pm

#3647

Duke787

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2013

Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 10,130

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobst

Yes you have to book a ticket using your United MP number to get the United MP benefits. The only exception would be if your FF status on the other *A airline grants you *G privileges in which case you could receive *G benefits and have your miles credit to the other *A FF number. Otherwise if you book with the other airline's FF number on your ticket the system will recognize the status from that FF program, not the united FF program

Apr 4, 2013, 4:33 pm

#3648

kraftdinner_

Join Date: Dec 2010

Location: YYT, YVR, BNE, LON

Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold

Posts: 320

Anyone know what's happened to udustats.com? Just trying to gauge the likelihood of an upgrade.

Apr 5, 2013, 12:44 am

#3649

jackal

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: SGF

Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)

Posts: 23,194

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraftdinner_

Anyone know what's happened to udustats.com? Just trying to gauge the likelihood of an upgrade.

Not sure about that one, but an FTer just launched a new stats site that may help: http://www.diditclear.com/

More on the site in the associated discussion thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...king-site.html

Apr 5, 2013, 6:17 am

#3650

Chris1000

Join Date: Jan 2013

Posts: 87

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyerdude88

You can book it as a multi-city. United.com will let you specify what cabin (economy, businessfirst, globalfirst) to book each segment on the multi-city. I just did a dummy booking for August which booked into L class (economy) for IAD - LAX and then C (business) for LAX - SYD pricing out ~8300.

If I do this as multi-city, will I be able to check a bag all the way through? Seems also like I might have to clear security again in LAX?

Apr 5, 2013, 10:00 am

#3651

jackal

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: SGF

Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)

Posts: 23,194

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris1000

If I do this as multi-city, will I be able to check a bag all the way through? Seems also like I might have to clear security again in LAX?

You can check your bag all the way through.

I took a quick look and the UA LAX-SYD flight appears to normally leave out of Terminal 7. Not sure why you think you'd have to re-clear security, since your IAD-LAX flight will arrive in either T6, T7, or T8, all of which are connected to each other behind security.

If you were doing the same route back (SYD-LAX-IAD), then yes, you would need to reclear security in LAX as part of the customs and immigration process.

Apr 5, 2013, 1:47 pm

#3652

love_to_travel

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: HNL

Programs: United Gold

Posts: 1,581

I need to cancel two award itineraries that I booked last month. I see that I can do it online, but would it be safer to call? Would I get my miles back faster one way or the other?

Apr 5, 2013, 1:59 pm

#3653

jackal

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: SGF

Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)

Posts: 23,194

Quote:

Originally Posted by love_to_travel

I need to cancel two award itineraries that I booked last month. I see that I can do it online, but would it be safer to call? Would I get my miles back faster one way or the other?

IME, canceling online actually results in a faster refund. I get the impression that when an agent initiates it, the accounting department wants to review the agent's actions, submitting it in a queue for manual review. If the website allows the refund, though, it seems to happen faster, as I think it goes straight into the refunds system without the need for a human to review anything.

Apr 5, 2013, 5:29 pm

#3654

love_to_travel

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: HNL

Programs: United Gold

Posts: 1,581

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackal

IME, canceling online actually results in a faster refund.

Thanks! I did it online and it took less than an hour for the miles to be refunded. Now that I have my miles back, I have another question.

I'm trying to book HNL-HKG-stop-TYO-stop-HNL. UA.com is not always able to handle such a request (I did it last year, but I haven't been able to make it work since). I can find availability if I look for one-ways: HNL-HKG, HKG-TYO, TYO-HNL.

Added together the one way mileage amounts are greater than what I would usually get charged if I was able to book it as one itinerary instead of three. If I were to call UA and ask them to piece it together, will they charge me the one itinerary amount or the three itinerary one?

Apr 5, 2013, 5:44 pm

#3655

jackal

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: SGF

Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)

Posts: 23,194

Quote:

Originally Posted by love_to_travel

I'm still learning the ins and outs of booking fancy itineraries with UA miles. I'll have to defer to someone else with more experience. That said, I would think that a stopover would be allowed, but maybe because TYO isn't "on the way" from HKG to HNL, it's not considering a stopover but rather an extra leg or something?

Apr 6, 2013, 8:17 am

#3656

GDaoV

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: IAH

Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plt, Hilton Gold, BA Silver, GE

Posts: 347

I often fly with an employee of mine. I'm elite and she's 'not' - silver. We book separately through our company's travel site. I get to book E+ seats at booking while she can't assign E+ until t-24. Can I add her some how so she's a traveling companion and grab a E+ seat prior to t-24? And if I can does that affect my upgrade chances?

Apr 6, 2013, 8:21 am

#3657

sbm12

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: PSM

Posts: 69,232

Quote:

Originally Posted by love_to_travel

...If I were to call UA and ask them to piece it together, will they charge me the one itinerary amount or the three itinerary one?

Likely the single itinerary rate. Just call.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDaoV

You can ask to have her seated next to you. It isn't officially a benefit but the agents might do it for you. It will not affect the CPU process for either of you.

Apr 7, 2013, 6:06 am

#3658

referencelib

Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: NJ

Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, etc

Posts: 69

Elite 1K qualifying Q

Thanks to United presidential plus card I have many points which can be used toward Elite Status levels. I note that the points cannot be used for 1K. My Q is, could one use the points to become a Platinum member @75,000 and then earn the remaining 25,000 on my own to qualify for 1K?