Chase Ultimate Rewards AS Ticket and MVPG
Mar 29, 2019, 12:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
Chase Ultimate Rewards AS Ticket and MVPG
Last October I booked a roundtrip PDX-JFK flight using Chase UR points. I ended up needing to return sooner so I purchased a cash return flight and cancelled the UR travel ticket. I decided to try and book a new ticket today using that remaining UR value. I was hoping the MVPG status would make this easier but UR is unable to verify status and say they need to charge the change fee and suggest I follow up with AS for a refund. I was going to try, but the trip I wanted to use the remaining ticket value on is a month after I booked the original JFK-PDX ticket and UR will only use the value within 12 months of the original purchase date.
Just a FYI on the experience using UR and AS.
--Update--
Quick chat with AS reservations and they confirm the change fee waiver won't apply on the bulk fare via UR. Lesson learned.
Just a FYI on the experience using UR and AS.
--Update--
Quick chat with AS reservations and they confirm the change fee waiver won't apply on the bulk fare via UR. Lesson learned.
Last edited by williwaw; Mar 29, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Mar 29, 2019, 1:04 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
I tried numerous times to do it via AS. They could not make changes to the ticket because it was a bulk fare. When UR switched over to Expedia the ticketing changed. Before Expedia you could call AS and make the changes. It was the way to move points to cash to make a companion fare work. Now with Expedia the ticketing has changed so we don't have that option.
Mar 29, 2019, 1:15 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 621
I tried numerous times to do it via AS. They could not make changes to the ticket because it was a bulk fare. When UR switched over to Expedia the ticketing changed. Before Expedia you could call AS and make the changes. It was the way to move points to cash to make a companion fare work. Now with Expedia the ticketing has changed so we don't have that option.
Mar 29, 2019, 1:17 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
Mar 29, 2019, 2:01 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 331
I tried numerous times to do it via AS. They could not make changes to the ticket because it was a bulk fare. When UR switched over to Expedia the ticketing changed. Before Expedia you could call AS and make the changes. It was the way to move points to cash to make a companion fare work. Now with Expedia the ticketing has changed so we don't have that option.
Mar 29, 2019, 2:03 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
Did you book via your Sapphire Reserve card or regular Sapphire? Reason I ask is that the Reserve portal didn't switch over to Expedia until end-Oct (Sapphire switched at the beginning of the month), so if via the Reserve portal this would have been an air ticket booked via Connexions, the previous partner, who was notorious for breaking bulk fares into individual tickets and selling them to customers via portals like Chase. Expedia doesn't do that.
Mar 29, 2019, 2:39 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
It was a Reserve card, and it looks based on the conf code from UR its under the Expedia system, I might have just missed the cut off. I expected that UR would have little value for AS trips after the change, this just confirms it. (And that's before considering the opportunity cost on UR redemption math....)
Mar 29, 2019, 2:46 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
The earn rate is great for me on CSR and transfers to other programs are more the sweet spot. But yes, the UR travel agency option is less attractive now.
Mar 29, 2019, 4:23 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
My usual scenario where I use UR is a sort of cheater's FC upgrade. Will pay cash for the base coach fare but pay the difference to P using UR points since you can mix and match points and cash. Get the 175% EQM and sometimes its only 15k points.
Mar 29, 2019, 4:26 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: AS 100K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 876
Last October I booked a roundtrip PDX-JFK flight using Chase UR points. I ended up needing to return sooner so I purchased a cash return flight and cancelled the UR travel ticket. I decided to try and book a new ticket today using that remaining UR value. I was hoping the MVPG status would make this easier but UR is unable to verify status and say they need to charge the change fee and suggest I follow up with AS for a refund. I was going to try, but the trip I wanted to use the remaining ticket value on is a month after I booked the original JFK-PDX ticket and UR will only use the value within 12 months of the original purchase date.
Just a FYI on the experience using UR and AS.
--Update--
Quick chat with AS reservations and they confirm the change fee waiver won't apply on the bulk fare via UR. Lesson learned.
Just a FYI on the experience using UR and AS.
--Update--
Quick chat with AS reservations and they confirm the change fee waiver won't apply on the bulk fare via UR. Lesson learned.
Mar 29, 2019, 4:30 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I'm not sure I see what the advantage to mixing and matching is.
Mar 29, 2019, 4:35 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
Mar 30, 2019, 3:38 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
Also consider that even TPG, whose business model literally depends on convincing consumers that credit card points are extremely valuable, still only values flexible rewards points at 1.7 to 2.0 cents per point.