LPDAL

All flights that can be booked through United's system that can also be booked through Silver's system are eligible for PQD and PQM.\/

Premier benefits apply ONLY within the IAD route network. In the Floridian and Bahamian route network, you will not receive any Premier status benefits.

One way you can get free bags on 3M flights to/from Florida and/or the Bahamas, is to purchase a first class reservation through United that contains a Silver Airways flight. Let's just say for the purpose of discussion that you want to take the family for a trip to Marsh Harbor, The Bahamas. You decide to treat the wife and kids to discount first class (P/Z inventory on UA) and a segment would be operated by Silver.

EWR-FLL-MHH, where EWR-FLL is the first class flight and FLL-MHH is the Silver Airways hop to the islands.

In this case, you would receive free bags ONLY because 1) You purchased first class 2) you purchased a first class itinerary involving Silver Airways. If you only flew FLL-MHH, you would NOT get any free bags or Premier Access, etcetera.

Hah, no I do not work for Silver. I am just very knowledgeable on their operation.

The above is correct, all 3M flights must be manually submitted to United around a week after you fly the flight. After a few business days, you should see the PQD and PQM posted to your account.

Hope I helped,

-LPDAL

dukesantos

The codeshare is great for me.

I got PQM's last November which fulfilled my requirements to get Silver status.

I had been considering an MR, but had a job pop-up in MIA. My client booked me through the UA site from MCO to FLL and bingo, I get my Silver status.

I actually like the turbo props. It's a great way to fly.

LPDAL

As an update to this post, MIA-EYW-MIA will also be seeing more and more Republic (IATA: YX) d/b/a American Eagle ERJ-175s as the Envoy ERJ-145 operation is drawn down.

This is correct, I'm a frequent 3M (IATA code for Silver Airways) flyer and it is necessary to manually request credit every time you fly on them. The reason is, purportedly, that 3M's SabreSonic reservations system has a tough time communicating with UA's own proprietary in house mainframe.

Also; if your last or connecting flight is on 3M, say, for example, you're flying CLE-MCO-FLL, where CLE-MCO is the UA flight and MCO-FLL is the Silver Airways flight, you'll be able to get a UA partner boarding pass, like these examples that I received from my TPA-FLL flight on February 1st:


LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing


LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing


LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing

Top: 8.5'' x 11'' Printer Paper; Middle: United Cardstock, Bottom: Silver Airways Cardstock

I have an upcoming FLL-MCO-IAH-CMH-EWR-FLL trip and it was booked in first class through United, and according to 3M, as it is a first class itinerary on UA, I'll be getting free bags. EDIT: Screenshot of itinerary, issued from UA:


LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing

-LPDAL

Chukiechz

I finally got credit for a flight I took from MCO to PNS a couple weeks ago. I didn't receive any PQM or PQS, but I did get reward miles and PQD. Does this sound about right? I booked the flight on united's website

WineCountryUA

As a non-*A carrier, 3M flights do not earn PQMs/PQSs -- but when booked on 016 stock will earn RDMs and PQDs.

Earning PQM, PQS and PQD when you fly

nall

As a datapoint, during recent IRROPs I was able to get re-booked on a flight including Silver, although it took the agents some time to do.

Unrelated to that, supposedly you can RDM on bookings made with Silver Airways directly (http://www.silverairways.com/united-airlines-ff). But at what rate? Anybody know?

BamaVol

I don't know if this was posted somewhere upstream or not.

I have been increasingly frustrated by Silver Airways. I live in Panama City and United and Silver are new this year to our market. I do not have status but I have a load of miles with UA.

I tried last week to book a couple award seats ECP-BCN as soon as they became available online. Even though there is an ECP-IAH flight, every award route requires me to fly ECP-MCO, then LH to BCN through FRA. I tried booking a couple seats and got an error (no specific message). I called UA and an unfriendly agent told me there was no availability ECP-MCO, it would only let me book MCO-BCN. I finally figured out that Silver releases seats about a week behind United. So, I have waited for those seats to open up. Guess what, as soon as ECP-MCO opens up on Silver, the routes disappear from United.com. This sucks. Any advice?

BamaVol

For anyone who was interested, I sucked it up and booked MCO-BCN on LH. This means a 6 hour drive each way, but I prefer that to sitting 7 hours at IAH between flights. 6 hour drive + 13 hours flying = 3 hours less than leaving from my home airport. Also, I can sleep about 6 hours later: the ECP-IAH flight is at 6:10 AM.

I plan to avoid Silver Air in the future and hope they disappear from this market and are replaced by something a little better connected. I expect UA to suffer the same fate here eventually if they can't offer more than 2 flights a day to a single destination (already served by another carrier).

LPDAL

Hi everyone,

First of all, I have to clarify that the above statement stating that 3M flights do not earn PQM / PQS is incorrect--in fact, the PQS and PQM I received from 3M flights that were requested credit allowed me to get United Silver status. And, as previously stated, all 3M flights must have their credit manually requested. For this reason, it is recommended that Silver Airways reservations be booked directly through United Airlines' website, not Silver Airways' website, if one wishes to receive frequent flyer credit.

Anyway, as above, I'll be flying FLL-MCO on a first class-coded reservation (not first class on Silver Airways) :


LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing

1) When I go to check in, United's website will tell me to check in with Silver Airways at the airport, in this case, FLL.

2) When I check in at FLL, not only will I receive a Silver Airways paper boarding pass for FLL-MCO, but also MCO-IAH and IAH-CMH issued on Silver Airways paper cardstock as well. These boarding passes can be used to access the United Club, as I have a United Club membership. As an example, previously I flew FLL-MCO-IAH-IAD. When I landed in IAH, I used my "Silver Airways operated by United Airlines" MCO-IAH boarding pass to get into the Terminal E United Club, and the agent's scanner "saw" my club membership attached to the Silver Airways stock.

3) This is coded as a first class reservation, so Silver Airways' website denotes that bags "are included" at no charge, as with most United domestic first class reservations. A quick call to their res center confirmed this, my bags are free even though the first flight segment, FLL-MCO, is not in first class. Even if they ask me to pay the fee, I'll just do it anyway. $25 is nothing to get into a fight over.

If anyone has any other questions, ask away. I'll post pictures in this thread when I'm in the FLL United Club on Friday.

-LPDAL / Colby

LPDAL

I'm back!

When attempting to check in for my United First Class reservation (that's why the Premier Access logo is there) it displays the following error message which erroneously lists "Silver AirWAYS" as "Silver AirLINES":

LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing
Silver Airways incorrectly listed as "Silver Airlines".




LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing
Attempting to check in through 3M (IATA two - character code for Silver Airways) garners a similar result.




LPDAL's Photostream on Flickr - Photo Sharing
And to conclude, Silver Airways partner confirmation codes are still listed, to this exact time that I'm typing this post, under "Continental Connection dba Gulfstream International Airlines".



My next flight on the BusinessFirst / RB.211 757-200 departs at 11:55 AM EST, which means I'll have to wait until 12:55 PM EST to see if I can get my boarding passes for my mainline UA / S5 flights, as United's system goes by CST. Also note that United doesn't seem to be able to give flight status for 3M flights in their iPhone app.

No promises, but I may go to FLL to spot this afternoon. While there, I'll nab my boarding passes and scan them for everyone to see. Again, not guaranteed, but I'll see if I am able to if I do indeed go to the airport.

-LPDAL

LPDAL

Hi everyone, again!

I managed to get down to FLL for a little spotting trip and get the boarding passes. I will, however, have to pay the baggage fee. Oh well, it's only $25, nothing to get into a fight over.

{images deleted to protect member's privacy}

-LPDAL

rynpilot

I am going to be flying Silver Airways next week and their baggage policy is a little confusing. I am going to be bringing a 20 inch rollerboard with me and know I am going to have to gate check it. They wont charge me for that right? Looking at their site it says that 1 personal bag and 1 carry on bag but if it doesnt fit then it will have to be gate checked.

sbm12

You will not be charged to gate-check the bag.

LPDAL

Trip report for these boarding passes here: Last trip report of High School (27) United First Class to a Night in Portland, Maine

Posts 16-18

-LPDAL

CruiserCLE

Hi all,

Just want to confirm a few things to make sure they are still accurate (I may have my first booking involving Silver coming up, since they have flights out of my home airport - TPA)

1. If I understand, you need to check in with Silver on their website, with their confirmation number, and they do not have precheck available?

2. If I want to assign seats for that short segment in advance, can I do that on their website or do I need to call in?

3. With regards to bags, if my traveling companion and I both have our (legal) 20" carryons and laptop bags, we can gate check the carryon free of charge and get it back planeside in FLL? (like we would on UAX) Their website is confusing about baggage...

Last, does anyone have any recent experiences with them out of TPA or other Florida cities? The flight that I'm considering taking would be a 7:45am TPA-FLL but am a little hesitant given I know nothing about them. I would then have 1hr 50min to connect to my UA mainline flight in FLL.

Thanks!