Agent got miles
 

If I am not a FFP member, can a travel agent use my booking and flights to register their FFP and accrue miles for themselves ?

No airline would permit the agent instead of you to receive the miles.

However, nothing is impossible even if it is against the rules.

Heard that many agents succeeded in doing this as airlines' system weakness unable to check passengers names and FFP numbers.
They did accrue over 100k miles and got redemption for their family .

Heard that some airline staff have been arrested for fraud for doing precisely that - looking for pax with similar names but with no FF numbers. Don't know what's happened to that case.

It definitely happens. A travel agent of mine was a huge consolidator for British Airways in one of their midwest US cities(won't name the one for privacy reasons). A few years ago BA terminated all relations with him for such suspect activity. I didn't mind that I wasn't getting miles, though. He was always able to upgrade me to Club, and a few times First!

There is a whole separate set of mile/point accrual you are able to get as a business. I would imagine most travel agents do this. When you book the travel you register the passenger number and your separate business ID. The company gets points, the passenger gets miles. With points the company is able to accrue, at a much slower rate, certificates, club memberships, upgrades, etc... I have set my company up for this program with US and DL, but I'm sure all airlines have this as a business program. DL is pathetic as to what type of tickets do not qualify. I think I have registered about 68 tickets representing about 200 segments, and about 12 segments qualified. Any company can do this (we are a publishing company).

I phoned to put a mileage plus number in to a friend of mine's United reservation - only to find that there was one there already! I wonder - she is part of a 34 person group!

Just in case some travel agents or other business owners are following this discussion: On the Other Programs I Like page of my web site below, I have lots of programs for small and medium size businesses listed. I believe these are all set up for travel by employees, but it is possible that they might be used by an agent to get points for his or her work. I would like to hear from agents who have tried this.



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Free Frequent Flyer Miles

Gary- Do you have a website that has something to do with travel?

United's computer, and the computers of most major airlines, compare the FF number entered into the PNR with the name on record for that #. If they don't match, the computer doesn't accept the FF# into the record. Even a single letter mismatch in the last name will result in rejection of the FF #.

Huh? Miles have nothing to do with travel?

Or are you looking for my web site on which I write about my travels and offer information on how to travel cheaply? If so, look at the links at the bottom of the left menu on the web site below.

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Free Frequent Flyer Miles

I beg to differ on this point. Several times last year I had my TA purchase tickets on United for relatives in order to take advantage of a corporate discount. In all cases, my FF number ended up on the record. Some of the passengers had the same last name, but some did not. United accepted the FF number every time. I had to call United to have them change out the FF number to the correct one.

I forgot to tell NW to add Jr to a booikng and now they don't show OC elite status. I had to call CO and have them tell NW to add the elite status to the PNR and now hope that the EUA runs on it.

As a TA, I wouldn't even consider trying to 'swipe' someone's miles. But that's just me and I can guess there are a few less reputable types in this industry. Why risk the airline's rather if discovered as well?

It's also been my experience that depending what booking vehicle the agent is using, it does kick back mismatched names and FF numbers.

While we're on the subject, I have taken advantage of legitimate offers like NW 'refer a friend' who didn't have a FF account, so I signed up clients and scored the referral bonus. That's not unethical, to me.



[This message has been edited by tcook052 (edited 05-24-2003).]