Can I book award ticket for someone else?
Jun 22, 2011, 8:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 143
Can I book award ticket for someone else?
Does Mileage Plus allow me to book an award ticket using my miles for someone else? I mean the traveler is not me, and I won't be traveling at all.
At least a few years back, I know this could be done on AA. Wondering if I can do this on United now? Appreciate any quick answers. Thanks.
At least a few years back, I know this could be done on AA. Wondering if I can do this on United now? Appreciate any quick answers. Thanks.
Jun 22, 2011, 8:08 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: AA ExPlat,EX-UA 1K, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat,
Posts: 12,212
Does Mileage Plus allow me to book an award ticket using my miles for someone else? I mean the traveler is not me, and I won't be traveling at all.
At least a few years back, I know this could be done on AA. Wondering if I can do this on United now? Appreciate any quick answers. Thanks.
At least a few years back, I know this could be done on AA. Wondering if I can do this on United now? Appreciate any quick answers. Thanks.
Jun 22, 2011, 10:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: United 2P, AA Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 173
Jun 23, 2011, 12:53 am
#7
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
No -- this seems to work only for CO elites with CO miles on CO flights. This is technically a bug in the system but we perceive it as a benefit. If you have your accounts linked and status matched, you can transfer miles and use your Gold/Plat status to get the tix. The family members would have elite privs then.
Jun 23, 2011, 8:14 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: 1P, AA EXP, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,491
I just booked a trip for a friend right before June 15. I was a 1P at the time and there was no fee, and never have heard of any fee for an online booking (other than taxes/fuel surcharges). I'm not aware of any change to this part of the fee structure with the most recent changes to the award fee rules.
May 3, 2012, 10:41 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 19
Book award tickets for family members?
What's the new UA policy on booking award tickets for family members? I was told my account could get suspended if I booked award tickets for anyone other than myself.
I did some google search on flyertalk.com, this is the closest question that i could find:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eone-else.html
Not sure if this is still true on the new UA. I couldn't seem to find an answer on UA's website.
I did some google search on flyertalk.com, this is the closest question that i could find:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eone-else.html
Not sure if this is still true on the new UA. I couldn't seem to find an answer on UA's website.
May 3, 2012, 10:50 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
You can book an award ticket for anyone else.
They audit things from time to time, but booking for someone with a same last name or same address or on the same trip as you is not likely to trigger anything.
They audit things from time to time, but booking for someone with a same last name or same address or on the same trip as you is not likely to trigger anything.
Oct 31, 2012, 9:51 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,524
United NOOB here, but just to recap since I saw conflicting info between here and some other posts, but this thread seems newer...
Wife and I are planning to go to Palau and we've setup an account for my grandmother and also earned her some Ultimate Reward points under a card in her name to transfer to her united account too. There should not be an issue booking my ticket for this trip using her united account, correct? There will be other airlines besides United themselves involved I have a feeling (or at least airlines "operated" by United). Some other threads mentioned having to get a waiver at AIRPORT (???) if you book for someone else and flights are not all United. Crazy....
Thanks.
Wife and I are planning to go to Palau and we've setup an account for my grandmother and also earned her some Ultimate Reward points under a card in her name to transfer to her united account too. There should not be an issue booking my ticket for this trip using her united account, correct? There will be other airlines besides United themselves involved I have a feeling (or at least airlines "operated" by United). Some other threads mentioned having to get a waiver at AIRPORT (???) if you book for someone else and flights are not all United. Crazy....
Thanks.
Oct 31, 2012, 9:57 am
#12
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
United NOOB here, but just to recap since I saw conflicting info between here and some other posts, but this thread seems newer...
Wife and I are planning to go to Palau and we've setup an account for my grandmother and also earned her some Ultimate Reward points under a card in her name to transfer to her united account too. There should not be an issue booking my ticket for this trip using her united account, correct? There will be other airlines besides United themselves involved I have a feeling (or at least airlines "operated" by United). Some other threads mentioned having to get a waiver at AIRPORT (???) if you book for someone else and flights are not all United. Crazy....
Thanks.
Wife and I are planning to go to Palau and we've setup an account for my grandmother and also earned her some Ultimate Reward points under a card in her name to transfer to her united account too. There should not be an issue booking my ticket for this trip using her united account, correct? There will be other airlines besides United themselves involved I have a feeling (or at least airlines "operated" by United). Some other threads mentioned having to get a waiver at AIRPORT (???) if you book for someone else and flights are not all United. Crazy....
Thanks.
However, IIRC you can't use miles from different accounts to book award tickets on the same PNR, although phone agents might be able to do this. (Service charge might apply for phone bookings of award tickets.) A phone agent should be able to "link" two PNRs for free, but this doesn't do much.
Oct 31, 2012, 10:04 am
#14
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
Oct 31, 2012, 10:10 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA 1MM Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,524
Perfect, thanks guys. I will have to transfer about 20k UR points to her UA account for the full 120k required for business class down there. Don't want to bother with trying to combine miles.
Now, trying to find biz flights down there with very limited schedules in the first place is the bigger challenge!
Now, trying to find biz flights down there with very limited schedules in the first place is the bigger challenge!