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"Mileage Credit on Tickets Booked on Priceline, Hotwire, etc." Thread [Merged]

"Mileage Credit on Tickets Booked on Priceline, Hotwire, etc." Thread [Merged]

 
Old Jul 8, 2006, 11:33 am
  #1  
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2
Exclamation "Mileage Credit on Tickets Booked on Priceline, Hotwire, etc." Thread [Merged]

Sorry for the newbie question, but i'm new to actually tracking or caring about mile rewards.

I'm a mileage plus member and i took a r/t flight from sfo to puerto vallarta in january.

Customer service (India) tells me that because it was purchased through hotwire that I can't get miles.

Of course, she couldn't direct me to anywhere online where it states this restriction and the united desk never said anything when i checked in at either location.

Is this for real?

I bought a ticket from SEA to Buenos Aires recently through a travel agent (discounted). Is this gonna be a problem? Time to dump united for an "agnostic" (cit or cap one) plan?

What's going on here?

r
raidawg is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 12:02 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington DC; UA 1MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 959
Yes, unfortunately its true.

The policy is definitely mentioned on the Priceline site, that no miles will be awarded.

I'm pretty sure that United has a policy somewhere that miles are not awarded for flights booked through "opaque" booking engines. i.e. Priceline/Hotwire/etc

randomman
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Old Jul 8, 2006, 12:14 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: CMH, sometimes AVP, formerly down the Shore
Programs: UA 1K/3MM, AA EXP/3MM, DL MM, former fan of TWA
Posts: 1,854
From the United Mileage Plus rules on united.com:

Air mileage will not be credited for travel on free tickets, including tickets issued as Mileage Plus awards; on travel industry, free or reduced tickets; consolidation tickets; or on tickets which are issued subject to any accumulation of Mileage Plus credit. In addition, some fares or tickets, including those sold over the Internet, may at United's discretion be excluded from eligibility for mileage accrual.

(I think that the last line there applies to hotwire and priceline tickets.)

In addition, there are several threads here about lack of mileage credit for tickets purchased on hotwire, including this one:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=518007

To go back to your original question, I think your discount ticket purchased from a travel agent will likely earn miles.
gary_nj is online now  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 2:23 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat, SPG Plat, Hyatt GP Plat
Posts: 310
Originally Posted by raidawg
Sorry for the newbie question, but i'm new to actually tracking or caring about mile rewards.

I'm a mileage plus member and i took a r/t flight from sfo to puerto vallarta in january.

Customer service (India) tells me that because it was purchased through hotwire that I can't get miles.

Of course, she couldn't direct me to anywhere online where it states this restriction and the united desk never said anything when i checked in at either location.

Is this for real?

I bought a ticket from SEA to Buenos Aires recently through a travel agent (discounted). Is this gonna be a problem? Time to dump united for an "agnostic" (cit or cap one) plan?

What's going on here?

r

no ff plan is going to award you miles for priceline or hotwire tickets- it's not just united. as for the discounted travel agency ticket you bought, i would say your chances of hetting miles for that trip will be quite high.
elihu1991 is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 2:27 pm
  #5  
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wow...ok....thanks for all the replies....good info....better if i'd known before i flew united to mexico (econ seats are TERRIBLE), but...live and learn.

r
raidawg is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 2:40 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA general member, HH gold
Posts: 69
I have flown on a one-way consolidator ticket and got UA miles for it. (Not a cheap one but it was last minute) Perhaps you could try sending in copies of the BP stub asking for credit for miles flown. (Making no mention of where the tickets were purchased). Might be worth a try.
Trvlguy is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 2:53 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Elmira
Programs: *wood Gold; US Gold; Hilton Gold
Posts: 66
Originally Posted by elihu1991
no ff plan is going to award you miles for priceline or hotwire tickets- it's not just united.
You can add SkyAuction to that list, although the company equivocates in its response to an FAQ on FF miles on tickets bought through their bidding process. SkyAuction says "It depends on the auction. The best way to find out is to send an email to us before you bid. Please fill out our Ask a Question form. We will provide you with the most up-to-date information available to us at that time. Please remember that as airline policies are always subject to change, it is the airline that has the final say at the time of travel."

I was the successful bidder on 2 tix on UA LAX -> BKK in 2002, but I couldn't get any FF miles.
rmitchel is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 3:43 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Programs: Former UA 1K, Premier This Year :-( PAL Mabuhay Elite; Starwood Gold; Marriott Gold
Posts: 149
Unfortunately, you can't get hotel points by booking through hotwire either. I remember booking a 1 week stay at the Sheraton thinking I got an excellent deal AND could get Starwood points but a month later... nada!
deepdishus is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2006, 8:00 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Phoenix
Programs: UA1k;HH Gold;MR Gold
Posts: 6,112
Originally Posted by raidawg
Time to dump united for an "agnostic" (cit or cap one) plan?

What's going on here?

r

Citi and cap one are credit cards - they are not going to award you points for miles flown.b
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Old Jul 8, 2006, 8:18 pm
  #10  
Ari
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Originally Posted by raidawg
Sorry for the newbie question, but i'm new to actually tracking or caring about mile rewards.

I'm a mileage plus member and i took a r/t flight from sfo to puerto vallarta in january.

Customer service (India) tells me that because it was purchased through hotwire that I can't get miles.

Of course, she couldn't direct me to anywhere online where it states this restriction and the united desk never said anything when i checked in at either location.

Is this for real?

I bought a ticket from SEA to Buenos Aires recently through a travel agent (discounted). Is this gonna be a problem? Time to dump united for an "agnostic" (cit or cap one) plan?

What's going on here?

r
If the fare that hotwire booked happens to be a published fare, then you might get miles. Good to print your reciept at the airport from one of the Easy-Check-In machines and look at your fare. Also look for "NO MP" on the ticket. If the fare listed is L or above and there is no "NO MP" endorsement, you should get creidt (unless there is the ever-crushing SSR MP00 on your record).

As for the discounted fare from the TA, the same applies. Published = OK; unpublished = shaky ground.

A fare that does not book into F,P,A,C,D,Z,Y,B,M,E,U,H,Q,V,W,S,T,K or L will NEVER get miles.
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Old Jul 8, 2006, 8:21 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,658
And it makes sense that you shouldn't get tickets through an opaque channel. FF programs are designed to reel people in and maintain their loyalty; if you book via PL or HW what you're saying is that bottom dollar (or at least the appearance of it) matters more to you than the carrier you fly, and as a result the airlines aren't going to reward you for "choosing" them over the competition when you didn't really do so.
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Old Jul 8, 2006, 8:22 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
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What's SSR MP00?
SealBeach is offline  
Old Jul 18, 2006, 3:36 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,775
United sale on www.cheaptickets.com

I am currently looking for a flight from BNA to PEK and checked prices on ual.com. I got an email today from cheaptickets that there is a special united sale and did some trial bookings on cheaptickets.com and ual.com. If I e.g. compare leavint on October 12th and come back on October 23rd I come up with 1103$ vs 1347$ on ual.com
I assume it is probably bulk tickets they are reselling. I am going with my wife and son. Now I have some questions for people that might have used cheaptickets :

- will those fares give me miles ?

- can I upgrade them with a SWU ? I seem not to be able to see the fare class.

- are there other disadvantages using the vs ual direct ?

- can I ask ua to price match :-)

thanks for your help

Added : link to their sale

http://www.cheaptickets.com/App/GDDC...wnmatch_071106
German Expat is offline  
Old Jul 18, 2006, 3:48 pm
  #14  
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Cheaptickets is an online bucket shop that sells non-upgradeable fare classes, some of which are even ineligible for mileage accrual.

Everything else - including customer service - goes downhill from there.
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Old Apr 22, 2007, 9:17 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 28
is there a workaround? - How to earn frequent flier miles on priceline bookings

I know that you cannot earn frequent flier miles on ur Priceline (name your own price) bookings.
I am curious to find out if anyone tried to send in their boarding passes to the airline after the trip and have successfully earned the miles or by using any other methods?

I am flying United.
munna82 is offline  

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