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2015 MileagePlus Change-No more inherited benefits from higher status accounts

Old Aug 26, 2013, 3:52 am
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Effective April 15, 2015, the "carry-over" benefit where a lower/non-status passengers inherited the benefits of a higher status passenger who booked an award ticket booked and/or sponsored an upgrade for them will be ending.

This DOES apply to:
  • Upgrade status: Will now be the status of the traveler as opposed to that of the redeeming account
  • Baggage fees (but elites on the same flight can still check non-elite companions' baggage as their own)
  • E+ seating (but elites on the same flight can still call in to get free E+ for non-elite companions)
  • boarding priority (but elites on the same flight can still bring non-elite companions along when boarding)
  • IRROPS priority
  • CPU (not day of departure) if the account holder has a Chase Mileage Plus credit card.
  • United Club Access (did seem to retain for awhile but no longer)

This does NOT apply to:
  • TSA Pre-Check (as this did not transfer anyway)
  • *Alliance & Non-UA Lounge Access



The CPU benefit only seems to occur if there is only a single person (and one companion for GS) on the PNR.

Separating the PNR produces inconsistent results so it is best to book each person on a separate record should you desire to have the person you booked the ticket for inherit the benefits.

Questions
Will this affect/change the award fees for changes/deposits if the miles came from an elite?
Award changes are based on the account from which the miles came. As it was before this change.

Known Website CPU Glitch (pre 4-15-2015)
The pre-change thread as been archived as Inherited status benefit of award tickets archive (pre-2015 MP program change)

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2015 MileagePlus Change-No more inherited benefits from higher status accounts

Old Nov 19, 2014, 9:22 pm
  #106  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by qisu
this thread has documented that for international lounges operated by partner airlines, access when traveling on someone else (a Premier Gold)'s miles is hit & miss.
in my experience, domestic travel of family members (no status) on my miles have inherited access to united clubs due to my paid UC membership.
FWIW, family and I never had problems getting into LH lounges, provided the LH BPs had UA*G on them
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Old Nov 19, 2014, 9:48 pm
  #107  
 
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So here's something I don't understand about this -- if I book a trip for myself, my wife and 2 kids on my miles (like we did recently for a trip to Hawaii), they do not get E+? Or free checked bags? or does this only apply to passengers not travelling with the miles sponsor?
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Old Nov 19, 2014, 9:52 pm
  #108  
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Originally Posted by harryhood
So here's something I don't understand about this -- if I book a trip for myself, my wife and 2 kids on my miles (like we did recently for a trip to Hawaii), they do not get E+? Or free checked bags? or does this only apply to passengers not travelling with the miles sponsor?
Companions continue to get the benefits that come with your status. The new rule applies when you gift a ticket to someone with whom you're not traveling. From the website:
As of April 15, 2015, when traveling on an award ticket for United- and United Express®-operated flights, benefits including but not limited to complimentary Economy Plus seating, Premier priority travel services (such as Premier Access check-in and priority boarding), and checked baggage service charge waivers are determined by the traveler's own Premier status, even if another member's miles were used to purchase the award ticket. Customers traveling on the same reservation as a Premier member may receive the applicable companion benefits. Please visit the pages relating to specific Premier benefits for more information.
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Old Nov 19, 2014, 9:56 pm
  #109  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Companions continue to get the benefits that come with your status. The new rule applies when you gift a ticket to someone with whom you're not traveling. From the website:
As of April 15, 2015, when traveling on an award ticket for United- and United Express®-operated flights, benefits including but not limited to complimentary Economy Plus seating, Premier priority travel services (such as Premier Access check-in and priority boarding), and checked baggage service charge waivers are determined by the traveler's own Premier status, even if another member's miles were used to purchase the award ticket. Customers traveling on the same reservation as a Premier member may receive the applicable companion benefits. Please visit the pages relating to specific Premier benefits for more information.
If you gift a ticket and the non-elite traveler has to cancel, is the cancellation fee still waived?
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Old Nov 19, 2014, 9:58 pm
  #110  
 
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2015 MileagePlus Change-No more inherited benefits from higher status accounts

My question- what happens if I book a paid ticket for myself and an award ticket for someone traveling with me. They're not sharing the same locater number so I assume they won't get E+. This is NOT a change I like. Could be $1k/year in E+ charges. This may cause a significant reduction in my flying.
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Old Nov 19, 2014, 10:08 pm
  #111  
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Originally Posted by cova
If you gift a ticket and the non-elite traveler has to cancel, is the cancellation fee still waived?
The belief is that change and cancel rules will still be based on the issuing account, but that is not confirmed.

Originally Posted by Mike Jacoubowsky
My question- what happens if I book a paid ticket for myself and an award ticket for someone traveling with me. They're not sharing the same locater number so I assume they won't get E+. This is NOT a change I like. Could be $1k/year in E+ charges. This may cause a significant reduction in my flying.
Currently, you can get E+ for your companions even if they're not on the same PNR. Whether agents will continue to extend this courtesy is unknown.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 1:39 am
  #112  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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This has already been going on for at least a week-I had a post-4/15 award ticket booked for me from a 1K account last friday, and it already had my MP# at booking, so it seems like they've been trailing this already. I was initially concerned when there was no eligible for CPU icon on the reservation, though I was still able to select E+ (I am a silver). With the announcement I finally put 2 and 2 together

For gifted post-4/15 tickets already booked my guess is that the MP# would revert to that of the traveler if the traveler information (including MP#) was stored in the gifter's account, otherwise the MP# would drop entirely. Can anyone confirm/has anyone checked a gifted post-4/15 booking that was made prior to the past few weeks?

Edit: The reservation is still showing the 3 free checked bags, so UA may not have completed this IT thing yet
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 7:58 am
  #113  
 
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Originally Posted by bob_the_d
and the fact that status doesn't carry over to sponsored upgrades i think is fine too. i mean that just makes sense to me. the status is with the flyer.
No, this sucks.

I usually spend my miles for free tickets for friends/family.

This means I can no longer get my friends/family free tickets if they want to check a bag as they will have to pay the bag check fee.

This may be the straw for me.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 8:19 am
  #114  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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I totally agree

Originally Posted by ACVBear
1. Ugh but not unexpected. everything else about this route is international and frankly make sense to improve the product. but still ugh. Going to thin out people like me for sure so I guess makes sense.

2. This one actually bothers me if I'm going out of the way to buy a ticket for a family member or close friend with my miles I am getting them the whole experience, including the luggage, seating, etc. Big from me on this one.
I totally agree. Point 2 stinks. It is one more major downgrade. I don't use my miles for myself.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 9:26 am
  #115  
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Originally Posted by SF1K

2. Award travel will no longer carry the status of the person whose miles where used, instead status of person actually traveling. (I think this is a good thing).
I wonder if this glitch fix will carry over to partner airlines where *G status was carried over from the booking.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 10:08 am
  #116  
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Sigh, well I guess that was fun while it lasted. Can't say I'm too surprised though. One less reason not to shoot for elite on United I guess.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 10:31 am
  #117  
 
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Originally Posted by Mike Jacoubowsky
My question- what happens if I book a paid ticket for myself and an award ticket for someone traveling with me. They're not sharing the same locater number so I assume they won't get E+. This is NOT a change I like. Could be $1k/year in E+ charges. This may cause a significant reduction in my flying.
I wonder if you can book yourself an award ticket on same PNR, get E+, and then cancel award and buy ticket. Of course, this works only for plats and above who can cancel for free.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 10:33 am
  #118  
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Originally Posted by drewguy
I wonder if you can book yourself an award ticket on same PNR, get E+, and then cancel award and buy ticket. Of course, this works only for plats and above who can cancel for free.
Of course one could. But that could impact the pricing of your revenue ticket, if RM is super-fast.
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 10:37 am
  #119  
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Originally Posted by drewguy
I wonder if you can book yourself an award ticket on same PNR, get E+, and then cancel award and buy ticket. Of course, this works only for plats and above who can cancel for free.
Why would you do that when you can just call UA, tell them you are flying with family, and get everyone assigned E+?
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Old Nov 20, 2014, 10:44 am
  #120  
 
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Originally Posted by entropy
A few of the changes are up, and I think you'll like them :

Removing the mileage "donor" status from tickets purchased with their miles, and elimination of the Global entry payment code benefit.
With this change does it mean the award ticket I issue for my family on a SPLIT PRN , no longer is eligible for a CPU?

I noticed for my trip in November w/ my Family (3 tickets) is CPU'able
While the trip in January 2015 is not.

On the UA site it says that this benefit will be reaped in 4/15 though not 1/15.
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