Converting FFC to ETC for the purpose of making an immediate purchase for the same traveler at the time of conversion — in other words, treating them with the same restrictions as FFCs — is fairly standard practice, but it is at UA’s discretion. They don’t have to do it. Converting FFC to ETC for any other purpose is not something I would expect as a customer. It’s not impossible, but agents need to defend their decision if they get audited. The statements that I’ve made about the reasons that they do these things are not facts in the sense of being subject to the scientific method, but they are factual in the usual sense of the word in this context — that is, they are the correct explanations. It is irrefutable — and you haven’t even attempted to refute it, to be clear — that if UA didn’t care about the distinction between FFCs and ETCs, they could issue ETCs automatically instead of creating FFCs; residual FFCs were a brand new form of currency instituted post-COVID. UA would not have spent hundreds of thousands — likely millions — of dollars to create these things if they wanted them to serve the exact same purpose as something they already had. That is an opinion, but it is also undeniably true.

”stupid” and “unfair” are not objective.

I wouldn’t say that it’s the only reason that it exists, but it’s an important one; and you’re leaving out relevant context here. The role of the travel agent is not supposed to end when you make a purchase; rather, you are supposed to handle changes, refunds, questions, etc., all through the agent. It’s a somewhat antiquated business model, but that’s what the model is supposed to be. Online travel agents blur this line a little bit by offering very little after-purchase service. I can’t imagine most travel agents want to manage a litany of various virtual currencies, one for each airline; and, to lincolnjkc’s point, there’s a cost involved for both the airline and the travel agent to deal with Miscellaneous Charge Orders, which are essentially the travel agent version of ETCs.

(I suspect UA also wants to get agents to move to ATPCO’s New Distribution Channel, where they do allow for FFCs — managed by the airline — and where dynamic pricing is available).

Your experiences differ from countless other experiences posted here. And unless your status is Global Services, I doubt you matter as much to UA as you’re implying. As a mere 1K, I certainly wouldn’t expect UA to allow me to take a ticket I’d purchased for someone else in my family and use it for myself. In fact, it’s so far beyond the realm of anything that I’d expect that I wouldn’t even ask.