No miles from priceline tickets?
 

My wife and I flew RDU-LGW on AA about 3 weeks ago. We booked the tickets on Priceline.

I just called AA to ask what the status of our miles was. I was politely told by the rep that, in fact, our Priceline plane tickets were not eligible for miles, and that nothing you purchase through Priceline will earn you award miles.

In the past, every time I have used Priceline I have gotten miles. This was the case with car rentals and airline flights. However, it has probably been close to 2 years since I have used it for anything, so the policy may have changed since then.

Does anyone have any data on this?
--Alex

Unfortunately the agent was correct, it may have been different two years ago but Priceline doesnt earn any miles on AA anymore. There have been some very rare computer glitches/agent mistakes where some miles were credited but they are just that, a mistake.

On the bright side, I am sure you saved a lot by booking priceline so that should be some comfort.

Next time, stick to AA.com, any published fare there will earn full miles.

It was the same two years ago. Learned it the hard way .....

I think that those were always the rules with Priceline tickets, no matter who you flew with, but my mother has used them a few times and gotten miles anyway.

i've actually been credited the miles with hotwire tickets... here's a trick: bombard the airline with your ff # with 3 steps:
1) before your flight, call the toll free central res # and have the representative enter your ff #, if she declines stating that it's a hotwire/priceline ticket, hang up, call again
2) when you check in, hand the ticket agent your ff#, if she declines, hand it again to the gate agent, again, until some unknowing agent enters it in
3) after the flight, and still no miles, (the least likely to work, if you haven't already gotten them) submit your information to the airline retro-credit dept. Sometime online.

I've done this with all of my hotwire/priceline tickets (10+) and only one of them was refused (delta).

Believe it or not, I actually did all of that.. I called before our flight, I verified they had our data upon check-in, and I called after.. no dice.

Thanks.
--Alex

Whenever I've tried to do this, the response was that if the FF # was entered, the system immediately kicked it out since the reservation system recognizes the flag for stressed-inventory tickets and does not allow for FF # entry.

This is more intense than just award tix; with award tix you can enter your FF# and the system knows not to allow you to accrue miles. But somehow, these systems just don't allow the FF# at all, probably because you've been booked into a revenue booking class.

The rules of Priceline and Hotwire both specifically state you do not earn frequent flyer mileage for tickets bought through them.

Sometimes you can earn mileage on the tickets, but you're certainly not entitled to them so you should consider it a gift.

4) If all of the 3 steps doesn't work Fax your boarding passes to the Partner airlines in which you have FF# they will give you the credit.

PS: Boarding pass won't have the FF# of the flying airlines so it won't have any problem.

I have used Priceine tickets since March 1999, and the rules clearly stated even then that you are not eligible for any frequent flyer miles. If anyone has got it, it is only due to system glitch or twaeking the system. One exception in my case was, when my original flight booked (priceline ticket)was cancelled and I was booked on another regular flight indicating a Y fare.

So, you're basically saying that by acting like a total jerk, you have a better chance at getting what you want (despite the rules that are clearly stated and widely known). Purrrrfect.

Seriously though.. Priceline tix = no intended mileage. Understand it.. and move on.

izzik --- how's is this classified as being a jerk?

it's just a loophole in the system that fliers can take advantage of.
I've typically abstained from using priceline for tickets, but i thought i'd share on how to get miles for them.

there's nothing jerky about it. I've been burned by paying an ok price on priceline, only to have the airlines drop the price the very next day. So it's not like i'm getting a great deal on them...

thanks for your advice though..

Well, let's see. You know you can't get miles/points/credit for priceline fares. That's something that is made very clear from the start. Yet, you propose that by flooding the system with unnecessary calls (one person isn't a "flood" but imagine the nth degree), this might achieve the seemingly hopeless quest for undeserved mileage.

Taking advantage of a loophole is one thing; I, along with most CSRs, would consider this abusive of the reservations line.

By the way, claiming that you've been "burned by the system" doesn't work. That just shows an inability to take responsibility for your own actions.

I didn't mean to single out anyone and label that specific person as a "jerk".. so perhaps a better word to describe this kind of senseless merry-go-round would be "rude" or "unnecessary".

ok, thanks for your input.

Life is like that...it's not fair. It does pay to ask and act bold at times.