Denverhockey guy -- I did not say this was United's fault. I said their customer service could be a little more knowledgeable and helpful. Nor did I say it was Air China's fault, I said they could give an accurate reason when denying a request, saving everyone a lot of time. I am quite sure we are not the first people to encounter problems getting miles from Air China.

I am not at fault; I was relying on information from the tour group which I had no reason to believe was inaccurate. The tour group even had one of their local reps meet us at airport check-in, and reminded everyone to have their Mileage Plus numbers out. Surely he should know the flights were so heavily discounted that no miles would be given.

Basically, the customer service people at both airlines are not well trained enough/ and or don't care enough to help people with questions, besides just saying "we'll refile the claim for you."