I had similar problems last year in HKG. Was flying HKG-NRT-IAH-SAT, with NRT-SAT being BF. The UA desk at the (then) Red Carpet club, at HKG, could not give me a boarding pass on CO. Actually had to go to the main check in desk outside security at NRT to get boarding passes. Did not realize that problem was a foretaste of things to come.

I really get the impression that Jeff Smisek and his management group want the customer experience to be mediocre (at best) and unpredictable.