1KChinito

You can combine one type A (discount) voucher with up to three type B (cash) vouchers. Your 4 VDB type B vouchers can be used to buy up to four different tickets in anyone`s name. Your VDB type B vouchers do not have residual value. If your ticket is $125, one of your VDB is $150, you do not get a voucher for the $25 difference.

It is rare for UA to offer you VDB type B vouchers instead of a free domestic ticket in the U.S. UA must be very desperate for your seat! Most of us wish for VDB type B vouchers when we volunteer since free domestic ticket does not earn miles.

WindFlyer

UA was desperate this morning... a lot of regional flights were zeroed out!

Hiro32

They also offered a free tickets (48 continental). Actually the other guy got a free ticket. The GA tried to give me a free ticket, but their announcement said "$600 voucher", so I insisted and somehow I got the $600 voucher. I think she told me I had to wait for the last flight which was 10pm (about 10 hours wait) if I want the $600 voucher, but anyhow after she confirmed the 10pm flight for me she rebooked me via LAX which was only two hours wait, so that means I got extra 500 miles, too

WindFlyer

The amount is based on the time of delay... so generally, it takes a six-hour plus delay to get $600. Very fortunate for you to be taken care of like this! As I say, somedays one's the dog, other days one's the hydrant.

Today, you were definitely the dog!

WindFlyer

I found that workaround accidentally, and I wasn't sure whether the agent didn't clue in, or if it was a real workaround. Thanks for confirming ^

zrudeboyz

Was the OP on an international itin?

I got bumped off of IAD-LAX back in Feb and was ready to take the free roundtrip when I inquired at the desk if I could get money vouchers instead as I mostly fly international. She said no and I mentioned I was coming back from EZE and she then said, "oh, yeah, you get money vouchers then." She gave me $400 for a 4 hr delay.

WindFlyer

Very good point! A VDB on an international itinerary should always result in vouchers.

Hiro32

No, I wasn't. It was just a simple SBA-SFO round trip for the weekend.

thecmg

I knew you could do code shares thru this method but flights on other airlines? Does UA have to part of the itinerary?

LIH Prem

You can use 1, 2, 3 or all 4 of them at the same time on the same ticket.

They break them up into four coupons for your convenience, in case you want to purchase a $300 ticket, you can use 2 of them without losing any residual value. They don't give you "change" if your coupon total used to purchase a ticket is more than the cost of the ticket.

Or, if you're buying two tickets, you might want to use 2 of the vouchers on each ticket, instead of using all 4 on one ticket.

-David

jswong

Can't always do this if sending the vouchers to UA. The key, I believe, is that the vouchers be consecutive

Jeff

Maxwell Smart

I had quite the good experience with purchasing tickets yesterday with a combinations of travel credits, customer service voucher, and Entertainment coupon.

I was buying 2 tickets (domestic USA), the tickets were $390 each, and I wanted to use $400 in travel credits (VDB credits, single book, type B), a $200 customer service voucher (profile PMO/DOLLARUA, type A), and an Entertainment Book $50-off coupon (PMO/Entertainment 2006, type A). The intended breakdown was:
Ticket 1: $300 travel credits + $50 Entertainment + $40 credit card
Ticket 2: $100 travel credits + $200 cust svc voucher + $90 credit card

Since each ticket involved 1 type A and 1 type B, this is allowed.

Made the reservations over the phone, and asked for confirmation about using the vouchers in this fashion before heading to the airport to do the ticketing. The agent said they cannot be combined, my attempts at explaining the type A/B issue fell on deaf ears. I then asked for her to speak with a supervisor. Her reply was to the effect of, "okay, but you'll get the same answer". After some time on hold, she said a service director told here the same thing, they CANNOT be combined. I said thank you and hung up.

Called back a little later, discussed same issue with 2nd agent. Got the same story as before, but this time the agent decided to research things a little more. Came back and said yes this IS allowed, that according to the "exceptions" listed under the DOLLARUA and Entertainment 2006 profile rules, the vouchers CAN be combined with travel credits.

I asked please note this in the PNR, and she did. Oh, and the bonus? She said that since I'm using travel credits, the $15 ticketing fee is waived. This is listed under "Exemptions" section of the ticketing fee rules. I asked her to also not that in the PNR.

I was dreading the ticketing experience, since the airport in question is ORF, which is a UAX-only station, and is not even staffed by UAX, but by a contractor, DAL Services. There's NO WAY this was going to go smoothly!

Before going, I typed up all the relevant information about the itinerary, as well as putting in somewhat official sounding language that the voucher combinations are allowed, where to find the information, etc. on a single sheet to hand to them, hoping that would make things a little easier.

Went around a little bit in circles at ORF, as first they basically ignored the paper I brought with all the info ("we know what we're doing, don't bother us with your 'supposed' understanding"), then tried to charge me the full amount of the ticket, forgetting about the vouchers, then finally getting on the phone with ticketing, referencing my sheet, doing lots of typing and head-nodding with whoever was on the phone, and finally ending with everything done right!

I walked away from the counter, called up UA reservations, and had them re-verify that everything was ticketed properly, and that I was charge the correct amount on my credit card. Everything good to go.

So the tips I learned:

1. If you get hassled about combining A vouchers with TC's, ask them to read under "Exceptions" in the appropriate type A voucher profile rules, and see if it says that travel credits ARE allowed to be combined with the voucher.

2. Under the Ticketing Fees "Exemptions" is a provision to waive the fee if you're using travel credits. (I'm a 1P, not a 1K, so the fee isn't automatically waived for me)

Although I knew the rules (for #1 at least), in the past I had no recourse if the agent disagreed. Now at least you can specifically point to the appropriate section to back up your knowledge!

wcj1

I believe this has already been posted on here, but this is the info in the profile. When agents start giving me flack, I often ask them to go to the profile and read the line to me.

Almost every Type A has this rule in its profile:
- NOT EXTENDABLE/NOT COMBINABLE WITH OTHER DISCOUNTS/
DISCOUNT NOT PERMITTED ON THE FOLLOWING:
EXCEPTION: TRAVEL CREDIT OR VOUCHER/MCO PERMITTED


For this one, you do not nead to know the rule per se. If the ticketing agent properly enters the travel credits into the record, the airport ticketing fee will automatically cancel and the receipt for the fee will not spit out. If the receipt for the fee comes out of the printer, the agent did not enter the travel credits correctly.

BillJ

Maxwell Smart

Thanks! I went through the FAQ's and threads, but if it was in there, I guess I missed it. Knowing where that wording is located is good to know. Being able to point to a rule to back up your assertion when the agent's wrong is a great thing to be armed with. That little tidbit was what I was missing when talking with the first agent, good thing the 2nd agent was better!


Hmm, didn't know that either. I thought the agent manually was waiving the ticketing fee when I've used TC's before. So if the fee receipt comes out, that's a red flag that the TC's might not have been entered correctly? That's also pretty good to know!

CPMaverick

I have a few VDB vouchers, from different bumps.

According to the vouchers, only same-serial number vouchers are combinable (the booklet from that flight is combinable, but that's it).

However, in my searches here, I keep reading that in practice they are combinable.

It sure would be nice for me if I could combine them! I am hoping to go to Australia and the UA-metal only flights are quite expensive.

Can anyone confirm the they have been able to do this? Or better yet, any experiences where an agent denied combining the vouchers? These are all VDB vouchers, not re-fare vouchers.

Thanks!