Originally Posted by
Steve Swicegood
I don't fly United often (I live at an American hub).
Just booked family vacation on Air Canada (first two of three segments are on United). The ticket is actually an Air Canada ticket (HUNDREDS of dollars cheaper on Air Canada rather than United). But I begin with United code-share flights.
What is the luggage policy? Since I begin with a United flight in the U-S, United reservations agent told me it would be United baggage policy-- $25 per bag.
Does it do me any good to get the United Credit card to save a couple hundred dollars in baggage fees? Fine print on credit card site says the ticket must be booked on united.com and booked with the United credit card. I can't believe they really enforce that. What about corporate travel where people have to use the company credit card to book on their corporate travel sites. That would mean the credit card is really of little value to many who travel????
I'm not sure why you'd start off believing a written rule isn't enforced unless you had hard evidence otherwise. And while that did exist in the past, in the last year or two, they have been enforcing needing to book with the card. Why would you expect differently? I wouldn't expect to be able to use my cancelation insurance through my CSP card if I used a different card to book.
On that note, what has also been noted is that buying an ancillary service on UAs website with the card will get you the benefit. So buying an E+ seat, for example, on one of the flights with your Explorer card will give the benefit. Whether it's worth it to get the card is a completely different question.
As for baggage, normal allowance if flying in Y to a Canadian destination, which I assume this is based on AC, it's going to be $25 for the first bag per person, $35 for the second. Not sure what third bag is, but it's pretty hefty. Also, anything >50 lbs. will incur an overweight fee (I believe this will be instead of the first/second bag fee, but I could be wrong).
If you are going to an international destination, allowance will be based on whatever UAs is to your final destination. To find out exactly, you can get your UA PNR (call AC, since it's booked through them, and ask them what it is). On the UA site, go to the baggage page, and their will be an option to enter in your PNR/name and it will tell you what the allowance is. Alternatively, you can type in your origin/destination, and add your cabin, status, etc. and it will also tell you this way. Or for a third way, just look up your reservation on the UA site with the PNR, and use the link to email the receipt (you can also call UA and ask them to do this). That email will have the allowance as well (at least for the first two).