chavala

This is news to me!
The PQM/PQD stated on a ticket is not actually what you will receive?
I was just shorted $77 PQD.
True, the ticket (Z class to SYD), included a domestic QF segment. But that was already shown as ineligible for PQM on the original ticket breakdown.

Wrote to 1K voice -- honestly just expecting them to apologize for the error and credit my account.

Reply:
"The information on the eTicket receipt is only an estimate, and is for informational purposes. Once the flights are posted to your account those figures are deemed finalize."

It's not easy for me, as a leisure traveller, to cough up that $12,000+ a year. All my tickets are purchased for 2017 and I made it...
or so I thought!

notquiteaff

It seems bizarre that they don't (can't?) use the same algorithm to calculate PQM and PQD in all places.

fumje

If your net PQD for all segments of the itinerary is more than a dollar different from the 'Airfare' line of the eticket receipt, you should push harder for correct credit.

chavala

You bet I am pushing!
What's odd is my PQM # is correct. If one is short, shouldn't they both be?

fumje

There's less chance that PQM goes wrong, because any flight from AAA-BBB can be checked against a distance table.

However, there are all kinds of different fares filed with correspondingly different prices, so the PQD (and therefore RDM) can go awry much more easily.

exerda

I have found that in general, when there are segments on an itin ineligible for PQD, they seem to be designated a larger share of the potential PQD than the e-ticket receipt and .bomb indicated. Had that happen with EI and with IIRC Great Lakes and a few others.

It's not a huge difference and typically doesn't impact me as I am a couple of grand over the spend threshold anyway, but it's annoying nonetheless.

emcampbe

I've seen the individual segments on an eticket be different once it posted, but in the end, all added up properly. i.e. segment 1 +2 both show as 100 PQD, but in the end, segment 1 posts as 125 and 2 as 75. Aside from 1 ticket which was a single PQD off, but likely a rounding thing (though usually, they are the same or rounded up to the higher $).

THe only time I've seen a major difference was in IRROPS that involve a day-of flight change, and even then, a quick call has solved it. I've also flown on a UA ticket with a CX segment, and the amount on the eticket was the same as I ended up getting.

chavala

Yes, the breakdown on my account is completely different than the ticket's. In the past my experience has been exactly the same as yours. It's always right on, if not $1 more, and with non partners.

This just doesn't sound right. If I was well over my PQDs I wouldn't go through so much trouble for $77. But if I have to do a MR, or give UA 1 more cent to make 1K which I already thought I had?
Nope.

I haven't called yet. Waiting for a response to my second email.

Kacee

This really sounds like an agent making stuff up rather than just fixing the error.

chavala

I agree. But in an email? That's ballsy.


Dear xxx,
Thank you for writing.
The figures are correct and accurate. The fare of $4,970 included a Qantas segment from Sydney to Brisbane at a fare of $202.32.If you subtract these figures you get $4,768,and you earned $4,770. The Qantas portion is not eligible for Premier qualifying dollars. The information on the eTicket receipt is only an estimate, and is for informational purposes. Once the flights are posted to your account those figures are deemed finalize included a link below that explains all aspects of earning PQM's and PQD's.

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...alify.aspx#pqd

Regards,

findark

I'm slightly confused.. how was the ticket constructed? Unless there was a fare break in SYD, is there any basis for arguing what the "correct" allocation for XXX-SYD should be? Every time I have had a fare component across multiple flights (albeit always both PQD earning), the PQD were split pro rata by distance never mind, I looked again and this isn't true. Not sure why I thought so (seems true for domestic).

chavala

Here are the breakdowns:

Eticket: PQM PQD
DFW-LAX 2,470 $335
LAX-SYD 14,974 $2026
SYD-BNE Ineligible to accrue mileage or Premier qualifying credit
SYD-LAX 14,974 $2134
LAX-DFW 2,470 $352
Accrual totals: 34,888 $4847


MP Account:

DFW-LAX 2,470 $467
LAX-SYD 14,974 $1,817
SYD-LAX 14,974 $1,978
LAX-DFW 2,470 $508

Total: 34,888 $4770

emcampbe

It's probably tough to argue. Not sure what the formula is for dividing up revenue for non-partner flights, seems fairly reasonable it's whatever chunk of revenue goes to the other carrier. That info. Isn't necessarily easy to find, and certainly isn't on the e-ticket receipt.

The best option in the past was to look at the fare breakdown on the Saudia site. I don't think there is any confirmation if this info. can be found there anymore since the interline agreement ended, and even if it is, not sure how long that remains there after all segments are flown. Furthermore, not sure if the breakdown goes to specific segments unless there is a fare break. I guess the only way to find out is to try - OP can attempt to go to Saidia.com and try to bring up the ticket there (using ticket number (PNR definitely doesn't work) and last name). If OP doesn't understand the lines there, near the bottom below the actual itinerary, then someone can probably decipher if it gets posted here. Again, only if it's still available, but certainly worth a shot.

findark

So the problem, then, is that as you can see the segment allocation of the PQDs is all messed up. The only known thing based on your ticket is that some amount (I believe 2,484) of base fare was allocated to a fare component DFW-BNE. (This is assuming your ticket is symmetrically fared, which it probably is, and shoving some $1 rounding errors under the rug.)

How much of that 2,484 UA chooses to assign to the SYD-BNE segment is pretty arbitrary, and I don't think that "it was printed on my receipt" is an argument which will work. UA has already stated that the numbers on the receipt for mileage earning are not accurate, and that their system has generated the numbers seen on your MP statement. For all I know it depends on the AUD/USD exchange rate, among other things. This is the problem with splitting a fare component like that.

chavala

Well, if this is true then thanks for saving me a lot of headaches trying to fight with them.
HOWEVER, I think they should have figured this all out ahead of time when they were quoting me PQDs. That is how I choose which ticket to buy. Believe it or not, it was actually cheaper to add that BNE segment on. (It would have been even cheaper if I flew R/T BNE!). Under $5200 for the entire ticket. Great, but I would have paid more if I had known at time of booking.

Could not pull up on Saudia