Task Force DL

Hi Folks,

I am on a one-way upgraded M fare from MAN-->ATL-->PDX tomorrow in BE (which means that I will have to deal with the PMU certificate tomorrow at the airport). I just bought the ticket yesterday otherwise I would have turned in the PMU a long time ago in ATL or JFK where they are used to seeing PMUs.

My Question - Does anyone have any recent checkin experience in MAN? I was here last year and earlier this year and I found the agents there pretty incompetent (even on simpler things than PMUs).

I want to workout before the flight tomorrow but the gym doesn't open until 7 and the flight leaves at 10:50. I would like to get to the airport around 9:30. Will this work?

I have no bags, but I do have to deal with the PMU, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
John

geoflyer

Earlier this year I strolled over from the airport hotel at about 9:30, and was told that I was just about the last person to check-in, and they were quite put out by my late appearance. My experience has also been that using PMUs at MAN can take some time. Finally, since you purchased a coach ticket but are upgrading to BE you will need to pay the higher departure fee. I would probably try to be there no later than 9:00, and probably earlier.

Robert Leach

I have a friend in Britain who originates travel at the London airports several times a year. He usually travels on an M fare upgraded with miles, where the general procedure is to book the upgrade by phone but then deduct the miles and process the upgrade at check-in. His experience is that about half the time, the staff doesn't deduct the mileage; they just spit out the boarding pass.

Hence, I think I would wait until asked for a PMU or other upgrade currency, because there is a chance they might not ask for it at all.

My experience was the opposite on one trip returning from London. I had already had the miles deducted, and had paid the UK luxury tax, prior to the trip. When I checked in, the agent tried to charge me again for things, and it took a bit of firmness on my part to get the agency to dig through the record sufficiently enough to establish that I had indeed done so.

All of which leads me to believe that it is not that apparent to a checkin agent as to whether the upgrade and associated fees have been paid or not, so some just make an assumption and run with it, in either direction.

Task Force DL

Thx - This is my default plan anyway. I was hoping for other advice but I guess that it will be a short workout tomorrow...

TFD

orlandodlplat

The PMU process has changed a lot of late, and for the better. Now, the system is electronic.

If I were you, I'd call SMS and have them redeem that certificate number electronically right now. That way, you'd actually be ticketed in Z (as oppose to just in M) and the check-in people shouldn't have any problems.

(Of course, have the hard copy certificate with you just in case.)

Task Force DL

Just tried that and they said that PMUs cannot be processed electronically on one way flights departing from the UK. I asked if this was because of the upgrade tax (which I offered to pay over the phone). She said "No".

Thanks for the tip though - I haven't used a PMU in a while so it will be good to try this next time.

When you do this do you just call SMS or do you call the International Reissue Desk directly to do this?

TFD

DLPhoenix

This practice is not recomended if you plan to use a PMU.
A couple of years ago I forgot to submit a PMU an had the miles deducted from my account automatically. I tried to reverse the charge and submit the PMU with littel success and ended up using the PMU on my next flight.

DLP

Task Force DL

I am posting this so if there are future questions on this in the future, this thread can provide recent information.

I arrived to the airport around 8:20 AM, didn't go to the checkin counter, but went to the DL ticket counter instead (knowing that I owed the luxury tax). They processed the PMU there, I paid the GBP40 tax for the upgrade and then checked-in at the BE counter. The airport was very busy but the entire time from arrival to my BIS in the AF lounge was about 45 mins. 30 mins of that was security, etc.

Thanks to all for your posts.

TFD

orlandodlplat

I did it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, but I'm not the one who called - DL called me.

It was some new PMU desk or something like that, whose sole responsibility was calling PMs in advance of their travels and clearing their PMUs in advance. She said they were doing this for all PMU travel, not sure why you didn't get the call.

I have another trip with a PMU next Friday - will post here if I get the call.