Mileage Accumulation on UA Codeshare Flights
May 29, 2015, 9:24 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Mileage Accumulation on UA Codeshare Flights
Hello,
I recently booked a crossborder itinerary through AC.com for SFO-YVR-YOW-YYZ-YVR-SFO. The SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs are operated by United with an AC codeshare flight number.
The entire itinerary was booked in Flex in V and W, including the SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs.
While V and W earn 100% miles for AC-operated flights AND UA-operated flights, I just saw that they only earned 50% for me because of the UA codeshare.
This seems extremely misleading on AC's part.
Does anyone have any experience dealing with AC on such an issue? Should I even bother?
I recently booked a crossborder itinerary through AC.com for SFO-YVR-YOW-YYZ-YVR-SFO. The SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs are operated by United with an AC codeshare flight number.
The entire itinerary was booked in Flex in V and W, including the SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs.
While V and W earn 100% miles for AC-operated flights AND UA-operated flights, I just saw that they only earned 50% for me because of the UA codeshare.
This seems extremely misleading on AC's part.
Does anyone have any experience dealing with AC on such an issue? Should I even bother?
May 29, 2015, 9:34 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
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Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
Just give up. (based on experiences I read on here). Learn from the experience and be doubly careful next time. I have a bucket of sand for you to pound on...
May 29, 2015, 9:45 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Nevertheless, I want to make my displeasure known to the AC representatives on this board because I feel that this borders on deceptive. Yes - after some research, I now see that there is a link buried in the disclosure that addresses mileage accumulation specifically for codeshare flights. But when a fare class is 100%-accumulating on both AC and UA but only 50%-accumulating when marketed by AC and operated by UA, and there is no way to avoid it except by calling in, that's just not a customer-friendly approach to doing business. Shame on you, AC!
May 29, 2015, 10:02 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YUL
Programs: AC SE (*A Gold), Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Hilton Gold, Amex Platinum / AP Reserve, NEXUS, Global Entry
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Sadly, this forum is filled with similar experiences:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...te-change.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...skywest-7.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...eved-50-a.html
May 29, 2015, 10:19 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
Remember when Tango (and reduced earning) was introduced on trans-border itins, one of the excuses was that it is done to "align booking classes with our star alliance partners".
May 29, 2015, 3:24 pm
#7
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Hello,
I recently booked a crossborder itinerary through AC.com for SFO-YVR-YOW-YYZ-YVR-SFO. The SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs are operated by United with an AC codeshare flight number.
The entire itinerary was booked in Flex in V and W, including the SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs.
While V and W earn 100% miles for AC-operated flights AND UA-operated flights, I just saw that they only earned 50% for me because of the UA codeshare.
This seems extremely misleading on AC's part. Does anyone have any experience dealing with AC on such an issue? Should I even bother?
I recently booked a crossborder itinerary through AC.com for SFO-YVR-YOW-YYZ-YVR-SFO. The SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs are operated by United with an AC codeshare flight number.
The entire itinerary was booked in Flex in V and W, including the SFO-YVR and YVR-SFO legs.
While V and W earn 100% miles for AC-operated flights AND UA-operated flights, I just saw that they only earned 50% for me because of the UA codeshare.
This seems extremely misleading on AC's part.
Does anyone have any experience dealing with AC on such an issue? Should I even bother?
May 29, 2015, 3:43 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,237
UA has as much to do with this as AC, but AC should be up front and call it Tango fare if not 100% for the code share part flight. It's not a 'flex' fare
UA on other hand has moved a lot of fares to the 50% bucket on trans border and they are not cheap fares. My last Houston flight was over $1,100 return to hit fare with 100% miles on UA.
Between AC lying and UA bs star alliance is really becoming worst of the 3 in North America. Too bad Westjet is happy to price /service in AC's shadow and not compete.
UA on other hand has moved a lot of fares to the 50% bucket on trans border and they are not cheap fares. My last Houston flight was over $1,100 return to hit fare with 100% miles on UA.
Between AC lying and UA bs star alliance is really becoming worst of the 3 in North America. Too bad Westjet is happy to price /service in AC's shadow and not compete.
May 29, 2015, 3:47 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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This is the problem - the stupid labeling of fares as Tango and Flex - call it K,L,T,G,Y whatever - AC's "flex" terminology doesnt translate anywhere - so one cant really blame other airlines (not just UA) for mileage based on the exact letter fare code - and not some stupid flex/tango grouping.
May 29, 2015, 8:54 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2009
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This is the problem - the stupid labeling of fares as Tango and Flex - call it K,L,T,G,Y whatever - AC's "flex" terminology doesnt translate anywhere - so one cant really blame other airlines (not just UA) for mileage based on the exact letter fare code - and not some stupid flex/tango grouping.
May 29, 2015, 9:02 pm
#11
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May 30, 2015, 8:29 am
#13
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Jan 24, 2021, 8:38 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AP*SE SPG-PLAT
Posts: 211
AC accumulation on UA codeshare
With the current state of affairs AC has axed most of the US routes that I typically fly. In order to take advantage of the Manulife insurance that AC has been providing I have been continuing to book the my flights on AC with a 014 ticket number. I have been booking flex fare typically through ORD but I have only been receiving 50% of the points because UA says that its discounted fare. Shouldn't I be getting 100% because I'm booking flex?
Jan 24, 2021, 10:21 am
#15
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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< Moderator hat on >
zsm1928, I've merged your thread here since, as you can see, this is not a new issue. By the way, this thread was the first that came up when I did a quick Google search..........
< Moderator hat off >
Since the background is not explained in detail here, I'll explain.
Mileage accumulation depends on the fare class of the operating carrier (i.e. UA), not the marketing carrier (i.e. AC).
You could book a Latitude fare, but if it books in to K with UA, you would only get 50% miles. (Although that particular scenario is highly unlikely)
This is true of all carriers. You can book business class P with AC (earns 150%), but if you have an intra-Europe P segment on LH, it will only earn 50%.
Sometimes it's relatively easy to know in advance - usually if AC says you're in P on a codeshare of an LH metal segment, you'll be in P. With UA, it's not so easy.
If you want to know exactly what mileage accumulation you're going to get, you can book directly with UA.
Last edited by Adam Smith; Jan 27, 2021 at 1:23 am Reason: Corrected typo