Originally Posted by
st530
This seems to have worked. I re-booked it with a 7-hour stopover in MIA (which allows for an intervening UA MIA-IAH flight), and now it shows in my upcoming trips as "Washington to Miami" instead of "Washington to Houston".
Total fare was $274.20. Pretty cheap, even if that's the equivalent of two one-ways (I didn't check), but this at least provides IRROP protection. It also required 40 Plus Points to waitlist for upgrades (20 per segment) instead of 20 total as was the case when I had booked it with the shorter stopover.in MIA.
I still expect the computer to try to check your bag through. The phrase it uses for the upcoming trips is absolutely meaningless. I've gotten (e.g.) Austin to Houston many a time when I've connected through Houston, even though I'd very rarely fly it on its own. So, I'd give myself plenty of time at IAD and come ready to explain the situation. Something like, "I specifically added a stopover in Miami in order to drop this luggage off," with a printout of the section of Rule 23 I pasted yesterday. With any luck, I'm wrong, the computer will check your bag to Miami, and you'll just have expended a little extra effort.
Please report back with your experiences after you fly.
Good luck!