cbn42

Chase probably outsources the UR travel bookings to some loyalty program management company that uses a corporate AMEX.

arollins

What I find interesting is that OP spent 2 hours in order to potentially save $100, 2 tickets might equal 2 checked luggage round trip @ $25 per luggage. At what point will one give up and realize is not worth it to argue? For me, I would take it up with Chase, realize the error and see if they give me a credit as a customer service benefit. Having a card does not instantly grant benefits, you actually have to use it as well.

morelegroom

Folks

Is anyone going to claim that VW purchasers did not buy "from" VW since they bought it from a "dealer" and therefore VW is not responsible ? Airline tickets are even more specific, they cannot be sold or resold except by specific individual authorization from the airline. Strict Control over the ticket distribution system means that passengers are always buying "from "an authorized agent with the full knowledge of the principal, in accordance with contractual terms set by the principal , which is the same as buying from the principal.. Otherwise the contract of carriage would not apply and the two entities coudl be conspiring in restraint of trade by enforcing resale price maintenance. . United also acts as the authorized agent for other airlines when selling tickets.

undSim

educational thread matching my understanding how the specific card reward program worked - to be eligible you have to use that specific card when buying ticket from United.

In my case, since all of my travel was for work, and had to be booked through corporate travel agency using corporate card, me having United MP Explorer on file meant nothing (as it was not a card used for purchase). So I cancelled it as I could not leverage the benefit, same advice everyone else gave OP

to the OP - now you know. talk to Chase (you did connect bonus miles when signing up , correct? bonus miles that worth way more than tiny luggage charges) , see if/what they are willing to do, close the account if needed.

cmn.jcs

Wouldn't the bag fee been waived because you were in F anyway?

airplanegod

They need to pay for those dark 739's somehow, adding conditions like "must be booked directly on UA.com" is part of that.

fumje

That was my thought too, at least if 'cheap upgrade' meant upgrade to First. (First also has a more generous allowance than the card would anyway, right?) If it was an 'upgrade' to E+, I don't think that would come with any allowance.

Often1

OP was neither "flicked" nor insulted by UA. The charges for his bags are provided on his e-ticket receipts and were known to him from the time he received his e-ticket receipts (and can be looked up on .com and reprinted at any time.

What OP saw on his e-ticket receipts is what the UA agent saw on his screen. There really wasn't anything more to say besides what the agent apparently said, e.g., "pay the fee if you want the bag to travel." I know it sounds blunt, but there comes a time in every customer-facing discussion at which further discussion is a waste of time and is holding up the line, presumably with other customers waiting.

Whether OP's overall deal and use of his UR points was a good deal is unknown because we don't know where he traveled, what tickets would have cost in cash, whether there was a way not to check bags and so on.

But, it is fair to remember that unless you are purchase full YY or F seats at eye-popping fares, there are going to be restrictions which need to be carefully reviewed. Whether those have to do with the method of payment, cancellations, changes, seat selection or whatever else is really up to the passenger.

BOSTransplant

Just out of curiosity, are you trying to argue that airlines shouldn't be allowed to impose restrictions on tickets purchased through a third party, because, by your logic, "buying from an authorized agent... is the same as buying from the principal [UA]"? I don't want to get the thread off topic, but I strongly disagree with that line of thinking. Your logic would also have some pretty drastic ramifications on things like codeshares and joint ventures.

Back to the OP's situation though, there's really no valid complaint. If your primary reason for having the credit card is just to get the free checked bag, then you have to purchase directly from United. It's unfortunate that you had to find this out the hard way, but that doesn't mean UA did anything wrong or treated you unfairly.

skimple

Actually that is incorrect. From my receipts

"Additional Baggage Information

The above amounts represent an estimate of the first and second checked baggage service charges that may apply to your itinerary.
If your itinerary contains multiple travelers, the service charges may vary by traveler, depending on status or memberships.
"

I can and have had differing results. I've had receipts which showed bag fees due - and haven't had to pay them. And I had receipts that show $0 due where I've had to fight with the GA to get them waived.

krazykanuck

Yes it was an upgrade to F only for the outbound, but it applied the free bag waiver to the return leg of my trip, which was in Y. Should have made that more clear. So basically I paid $13 for a TOD upgrade to F on a 787 and didn't pay $50 in checked bag fees that I would have been reimbursed anyway since it was a work trip.

PTahCha

How is this sleazy? Ticket plating has nothing to do with where the transaction take place. A ticket can be issued by a TA with 016 plating with 6 different airlines on the ticket. But that ticket would be considered as purchased from the TA, not United.

mduell

I think that's actually a pretty reasonable analogy, and yes, I would say you're not buying a car from VW, you're buying from the dealership. VW cannot sell you a car in Texas, so clearly if you buy a VW in Texas you're clearly buying from a dealership. This is exactly the issue Tesla is having in a few states including Texas where the car manufacturer can't sell you a car, only dealerships can.

And those authorized agents charge UA fees, so UA is and should be free to treat tickets sold though them differently to encourage ticketing through UA.

Nonsense conclusion. The CoC of the operating airline applies. Credit card perks aren't anywhere close to a CoC issue.

morelegroom

The issue is simply the word and concept of buying "from" someone. Ordinary goods or tickets under the UCC are purchased from the person you do business with, who sets the terms and conditions of the contract e.g. bookstores.

Alternatively the principal may employ agents who solicit customers who then do business directly with the principal e.g. Travel agents. .

The key is whether the agent or the principal sets the terms and conditions of the contract. Unless United contracts with the purchaser the Contract of carriage does not apply. If you have a contract with a party for a service it boggles the mind to suggest you did not purchase the service from them , whatever system they use to get you to the agreement.



You cant have it both ways. if VW sets the conditions of contract e.g. price for a dealer
then they are a mere agent and not an independent party .

pdx1M

This no different than most hotel chains. If you want the benefits of status or to collect credit towards status you need to book through the hotel website or a small number of "business class" agents. If you book through some other 3rd party - no benefits. Nothing wrong with this. The benefit is part of the purchasing channel not the base product. There are all sorts of things where how you purchase something impacts attributes of what you get. I don't see that you have any basis here to be upset - the language it pretty clear.