Update on this. I bought the ticket in question with an Air Canada ticket number. On the reservation on united.com, it shows an incorrect earnings rate on the outbound (on AC - showing the $ x 11 instead of based on distance), and then caps the return mileage accrual to total 75,000 for the entire trip. The last segment shows 0 miles earned, since the cap was reached on the previous United segment. Based on this, it seems the 75,000 cap applies regardless of ticketing airline.
Will be interesting to see what ultimately happens after travel.
Originally Posted by
teryyz
Here's a question I don't think has been addressed... (sorry if I missed it somewhere)
When a non-UA ticket (not starting with 016) includes a segment flown on United metal, how is the 75,000 cap applied? Let's for argument sake say it's a $14,000 ticket for a 1K member - outbound on another Star Alliance carrier, and the return on United, with a fare of $7,000 for each segment.
Would the first segment earn based on distance for that partner airline (at whatever the rate it earns), and then add the return at 11 x 7000 = 77,000 - capped at 75,000? In other words, would you earn both the mileage by distance for the first segment, plus 75,000 on the return?
I've had one experience on a RT YYZ-JNB with one segment on United. The United segment earned miles based on 11x the cost of that segment, with the other segments earning based on distance. Since I didn't hit the 75K cap, I don't know how they would have handled that.