Originally Posted by daviator

So I'll start by apologizing if there's already a thread talking about this; I did a couple of searches and didn't see anything.

So I was buying some air tickets on United today, and I recalled that my Chase Sapphire Reserve card was now giving extra Ultimate Rewards points if you buy your tickets via their site. So rather than purchasing the tickets through United's site, I bought them through Chase's site. The fares, etc. were the same, and I paid with my Chase card (I did not redeem Ultimate Rewards points.)

The reservation immediately showed up on United's site under My Trips, but for both travelers it says "0 miles earned this trip." It also says the reservation is not upgradeable. This is NOT a Basic Economy fare, it's a standard economy ticket that should be eligible for full mileage earning benefits.

I was able to select seats on United's site, and was able to get free economy plus seats (I'm UA Gold and my traveling companion is 1K.)

Has anyone experienced this? I can't find anything on United's site that says you have to buy your tickets directly from United in order to earn miles. Is this another trap they've set for us?

I guess I have 24 hours to cancel and rebook if this is the case, but it's sure going to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

UPDATE: About 30 minutes after booking, United's site updated and now shows the mileage to be earned. I'd delete this post but there doesn't seem to be a way to do so.