United Silver Wings Plus Program - is it worth it?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: In the gate area on a flight delay
Programs: UA Million Miler, Hyatt Platinum, Starwood Gold, Marriott Silver, Motel 6 Tin
Posts: 1,093
Silver Wings: Any Promos Now?
Passed the double-nickel a few weeks ago. ^
Any Silver Wings promos currently going on?
A couple quick questions....
I assume I lose the online booking bonus (and Chase Visa EQMs) if I use Silver Wings to book a flight? Correct?
Does Chase still give the double miles (Choices) for buying a United ticket?
I assume I can apply CR-1s or SWUs to a Silver Wings-booked flight? Correct?
TIA
Any Silver Wings promos currently going on?
A couple quick questions....
I assume I lose the online booking bonus (and Chase Visa EQMs) if I use Silver Wings to book a flight? Correct?
Does Chase still give the double miles (Choices) for buying a United ticket?
I assume I can apply CR-1s or SWUs to a Silver Wings-booked flight? Correct?
TIA
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,121
Originally Posted by HonestABE
Does Chase still give the double miles (Choices) for buying a United ticket?
#3
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Yes, there's a very good promotion, IMO: $165 for the (first) year, $300 in vouchers, 10,000 bonus miles. I believe the usual dues are $240/yr. It was in the quarterly mileage update MP sends in the mail. I recycled it, and can't remember the code, but you could call Silver Wings, describe the promo by the offers, and say you forgot the code. But it ends tomorrow!
Another advantage is that there is no fee for dealing with a reservationist. How it all works out $-wise, buying a ticket for a higher price (usually online-only fares are much cheaper) but not paying a fee, I don't know...
No, you wouldn't get the 1,000 online booking bonus. The $ vouchers won't work for "internet only" fares. Chase will give double "choices". The tickets can be upgraded. I asked.
Another advantage is that there is no fee for dealing with a reservationist. How it all works out $-wise, buying a ticket for a higher price (usually online-only fares are much cheaper) but not paying a fee, I don't know...
No, you wouldn't get the 1,000 online booking bonus. The $ vouchers won't work for "internet only" fares. Chase will give double "choices". The tickets can be upgraded. I asked.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: DC
Programs: AA EXP; UAMM
Posts: 1,902
and can't remember the code,
The code is SWMP2-2936.
The code is SWMP2-2936.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by Firewind
Yes, there's a very good promotion, IMO: $165 for the (first) year, $300 in vouchers, 10,000 bonus miles. I believe the usual dues are $240/yr. It was in the quarterly mileage update MP sends in the mail. I recycled it, and can't remember the code, but you could call Silver Wings, describe the promo by the offers, and say you forgot the code. But it ends tomorrow!
Another advantage is that there is no fee for dealing with a reservationist. How it all works out $-wise, buying a ticket for a higher price (usually online-only fares are much cheaper) but not paying a fee, I don't know...
No, you wouldn't get the 1,000 online booking bonus. The $ vouchers won't work for "internet only" fares. Chase will give double "choices". The tickets can be upgraded. I asked.
Another advantage is that there is no fee for dealing with a reservationist. How it all works out $-wise, buying a ticket for a higher price (usually online-only fares are much cheaper) but not paying a fee, I don't know...
No, you wouldn't get the 1,000 online booking bonus. The $ vouchers won't work for "internet only" fares. Chase will give double "choices". The tickets can be upgraded. I asked.
Does UA, in fact, have "internet only" fares? If so, how does one know when they are seeing an "internet only" fare, that is one that you cannot have a reservationist book for you?
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by itsme
...Does UA, in fact, have "internet only" fares? If so, how does one know when they are seeing an "internet only" fare, that is one that you cannot have a reservationist book for you?
#7
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Join Date: Apr 2004
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Posts: 52,121
Originally Posted by itsme
I guess those generally useless "E fares" that come out every week are "internet only" fares.
#8
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
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itsme: I totally agree re the "E-fares" not being great deals... but many, if not all, S and T fares can only be purchased on the web.
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by Firewind
itsme: I totally agree re the "E-fares" not being great deals... but many, if not all, S and T fares can only be purchased on the web.
This brings us back to that question about reservationists vs. united.com - why "internet only" fares and other inducements to book online rather than with a reservationist? Are the $10 or $15 fees for going through a reservationist insufficient to cover UA's costs, so they must do still more to push us away from people and toward the internet? If they are so keen on pushing us toward the internet, why not improve united.com? Would it be out of the question for united.com to allow us to enter the particular flights we are after and see about availability and price rather than showing us what they want to show us, that varying according to whether we go with queries by "schedule," "price" with or without "flexible dates," or "multicity"?
#10
In memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Chicago, IL (ORD), Phoenix AZ (PHX)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Starwood Platinum, a nothing in several others
Posts: 5,176
Originally Posted by Firewind
Yes, there's a very good promotion, IMO: $165 for the (first) year, $300 in vouchers, 10,000 bonus miles. ...
6-Mar-06 SILVER WINGS ENROLLMENT BONUS 10,000 10,000
The FAQs stateMileage Plus posts bonus miles to our member accounts on a quarterly basis. Bonus miles do not appear on your mileage summary at the same time that the original flight miles appear. Miles earned during the first quarter are posted during the second quarter, and so forth.
That was within the time period they promised, actually a day early.I have yet to use any of the benefits but I will see what I can do for an upcomming trip.
#11
In memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Chicago, IL (ORD), Phoenix AZ (PHX)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Starwood Platinum, a nothing in several others
Posts: 5,176
Originally Posted by gfowler-ord-1k
I have yet to use any of the benefits but I will see what I can do for an upcomming trip.
#12
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: united airlines
Posts: 4,967
Originally Posted by gfowler-ord-1k
I actually redeemed and used a $100 SW E-Cert today. It had all the "normal" problems of using and E-Cert but I eventually got it to work.
If you were not concerned about the bonuses that come through united.com (e.g., online booking, "double miles," etc.), you could do it through a SW reservationist without additional charge. That's the way I went about it trice back in January, when I didn't know that one could use those SW credits through united.com. But I would like to learn from your experience how to do it through united.com for future future reference and those additional bonuses.
#13
In memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Chicago, IL (ORD), Phoenix AZ (PHX)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Starwood Platinum, a nothing in several others
Posts: 5,176
Originally Posted by itsme
How exactly did you go about that, through united.com? What problems and how did you finally get it to work?...
Not showing flights that should be eligible as this cert is good on most any fare
Saying it found a cheaper fare, when it was not, and did not apply the E-cert
It seemed that the best way was to first find the flights without using the E-cert. Then logout, close all browser windows and then log in again. Plug in the E-cert number, flight times and then search by schedule. YMMV
I needed to do the booking online to earn the double miles bonus that expires today.
#14
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: ORD
Programs: Star Alliance
Posts: 1,211
Originally Posted by itsme
How exactly did you go about that, through united.com? What problems and how did you finally get it to work?
I tried to use one a short time ago, and had no luck. I was getting the same errors as listed above. SW said they could not help me, but would connect me to web support and stay on the line to explain the problem. We got disconnected.
I called web support, and they booked the flight, and said $100 would be refunded to Visa in 3-7 days. Never saw it in 2 weeks, so I had to call again.
I got the refund after the 2nd call in 3 days.
#15
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
Last week's experience
I wanted to book SFO-SYD for July and found I could only locate a 'S' class fare on the Web - but wanted to use SWUs to upgrade. Called SWP, booked via an operator, got a W Class fare for $30 more than the online fare. I guess I don't get my double miles promo . However once the e-ticket issued (within a few hours) I went online, requested an e-upgrade using SWUs and got the upgrade confirmed in both directions instantly (which of course has nothing to do with my SWP membership). My one beef is that although the Web site talks about double miles up to a lifetime ceiling, they don't tell you that that applies only to certain classes of membership - and 2-year membership isn't one of them!