o mikros

I tried searching before posting this, but couldn't find what I was looking for. If I missed it, feel free to point me in the right direction:

As I think most of us are aware, PMUA credited "direct" flights as actual miles flown, so if you flew IAD-SFO-LAX on a single flight number you got two segments and all the miles. Sure, UDU was a problem, but you at least got credit for both. On the PMCO side, however, flights were credited as the equivalent non-stop; the "upside" was that you didn't have to pay the extra $3 in segment taxes and fees.

Does anyone know how the new program will treat direct-marketed flights with stops?

100countrygoal

I hope it's actual miles flown, as I've been looking at a similar issue, flying ORD to BKK via NRT. It seems that UA gives the truncated mileage when on the same flight number, but most of what I've read on this question is rather dated. . . so hopefully someone has more up-to-date and good news.

o mikros

At some point, UA changed their stance and awarded actual flight miles, but CO never did. That's why I'm wondering what the new policy will be.

WineCountryUA

2 years ago
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...l-mileage.html

o mikros

Thanks, WineCountryUA, I couldn't remember exactly when the switch was made, only that it had been. And that CO (along with other airlines, I believe US among them), has not adopted this policy. Which one are we going to get post 3/3?

mherdeg

There has been no evidence that we'll use anything but the CO system going forward.

People did report that in the CO reservations system, phone agents are often able to split a direct flight into two segments, which if I understand correctly causes them to post separately, and that you often only have to pay the tax difference (an extra ~$10 segment tax).

This same task is often REALLY HARD under UA fare rules, where direct flights are often used in fare constructions that don't actually allow connections and splitting the flights out causes a reprice and a huge fare difference that UA agents have to collect. (Because mileage credit was per-segment, it wasn't a huge deal these past two years, but direct flights do wreak havoc on upgrades...)

FlyerChrisK

The UA and CO fare rules are identical at this point. There are plenty of "must be nonstop only" routing rules these days.

mecabq

Good to hear that they changed it. They just started (or will soon start) serving DOH via DXB -- ironically, IAD-DOH is less mileage than IAD-DXB, so I was wondering how they'd handle it.

100countrygoal

Thanks for the link to the thread. According to posts there, it looks like UA often still books the lower mileage by default and one has to contact them to get it correct.

nova08

While annoying I had no issue spliting a CO onestop flt into two individual flts using CO's multi destination search function.

WineCountryUA

The last post in that thread was a year ago.

o mikros

FWIW, I booked another one of these tickets today on PMUA metal for 2/28 with a phone rep in order to use some VDB vouchers. While chatting, I asked what the official new policy will be. She put me on hold, checked with the MP desk, and came back and said,

"Credit for direct flights will be given as if they are non-stop. So it doesn't matter if you connect in DEN, ORD, IAD, or all three. It will continue to be as it has always been."

I pointed out that there was a contradiction: this may be the new policy but it is not how things have been recently. She apologized for not knowing definitively and repeated what the MP desk (not the integration desk) had told her. According to the CSR, "The woman at MP told me she's been entering credit for 20+ years and that's how it's always been."

If UA doesn't even know what its own current policy is, how are they going to sort out what the future policy will be?

unavaca

Anyone have any post-merger experience with direct flights?

WineCountryUA

An significant change is the increased use of direct flights (beleive they are running out of flight numbers and need to re-use flight numbers).

unavaca

Why does this result in more direct flight? They can use UA838 for ORD-IAD and SFO-NRT. Since none of the airports are in common, that shouldn't ever result in a direct flight, right?