Originally Posted by
Dylan63
Denverhockey guy -- I did not say this was United's fault. I said their customer service could be a little more knowledgeable and helpful.
They can indeed be knowledgeable and helpful if you provide them with appropriate information but they can't read minds as you apparently expect them. If you book a flight with UA they will most likely give you a clear answer however expecting a UA agent to know what your tour operator booked on Air China is rather silly. May I remind you that you payed exactly $0.00 to UA why do you expect them to sort it out?
Originally Posted by
Dylan63
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."
Sorry to reemphasize this but it is indeed your fault - you should have checked mileage earning status of your ticket (on UA or CA) before booking it. Heavy discounting does not necessarily exclude to mileage earning - there are plenty of cheap fares that earn miles (for example UA-twittered ones).
You didn't do your homework and now you are just trying to find someone to blame after the fact. Sorry.