Originally Posted by
BW0807
Hi all
Quick question from me. I'm a new United flyer having moved to the States and am currently on a Corporate status match challenge (spend 3k in 100 days and get Platinum) which I'll complete provided I don't get flight credit taken away from me given the following situation.
I am flying back from [Major Asian airport] to EWR via SFO coming back from vacation. I now need to be in SFO for work on the way back and see two choices:
(i) United has already downgraded me from PE to Economy on my personal flight and I haven't bothered to chase them about it yet because I hear it is a PITA. I could phone them and ask them to move the flight later in the week, given the downgrade-- but I don't know whether they'd be willing to move the leg by a week because of the involuntary downgrade.
(ii) The other option is I skip the last leg, but I'd have to short check the case to SFO (its a long trip so its a rare occasion I have a case). Will they let me short check? Does the US even allow baggage transfer or do I have to pick my bag up at SFO anyway and recheck for EWR? Work will pay my flight back from SFO to EWR anyway so I'm not out of pocket personally.
The most important thing is I need the flight credit from the [Asian airport] to SFO in order to get my status. Ideally I'd like to avoid flying all the way back to New York to then turn around and fly back to SFO the day after. My preferred strategy is (ii) but I could try (i) or failing that as a last resort just complete all sectors, but that wastes 12 hours of life and the environment.
Would appreciate some advice before wasting time phoning United, which is [as we all know...] especially painful at present.
Thanks
B
Why violate UA's terms of service due to your employer's convenience?
Check with your employer first, of course, but in an ideal world, my suggestion would be that should call UA, ask them to refund the last leg of the flight due to the downgrade. If they balk, ask what it would cost to drop the last leg anyway, and bill your employer.
To answer your question, assuming you fly to SFO, you will have to pick up your bag at SFO, and I haven't heard of UA clawing back PQP for flights not completed (although they could -- they generally wouldn't do that unless it becomes a pattern). However, since you have a ticket to EWR, not SFO, if there's a delay or cancellation, UA can put you on a flight to EWR rather than a flight to SFO.