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.

I am in agreement with Beckles and even Izzik, although the appelation is a bit rough. It is one thing if by some error on the part of the airline, etc., you manage to get miles or whatever for something that you were not entitled to, but it is really quite another thing when you puroposely go oout of your way -- REPEATEDLY -- to cheat the system from what your are actually entitled to receive.

It is one thing for you to be the recipient of a "gift," however, it really is quite another for you to be proactive in trying to get something you know that you are not entitled to receive.

At bottom, I believe it comes down to a person's individual ethics, and that is where I part company with many on these boards who feel justified in trying to force a vendor to honor what is obviously a keystroke mistake on the part of a computer data entry clerk -- e.g. Starwood Bora Bora, Thai Airlines, etc. That list could go on and on.

Yeah, this is one of those ethical gray areas. I tend to come down on the side of not trying to get miles credited (air or hotel) because of the explicitness of the rules.

I use Priceline a lot for hotels, but never so far for airlines because of the "no FF miles rule" and not having control over schedules, airlines or routings. It just can't compete with my usual game of booking weird itineraries on rock-bottom fares with upgrades and elite bonuses thrown in. The only case I can see using Priceline is near the last minute when you unexpectedly ahve to be somewhere and are being quoted sky-high fares.

OTOH, I admit there have been times where I was surprised by a "no miles granted" clause where I felt entitled. Two such cases were on America West tickets bought partially with bump vouchers. The agents wouldn't enter my OnePass number, saying the tickets were ineligible (never mind that I had ponied up money on top of the bump vouchers and the vouchers didn't say that in the fine print, nor was it disclosed before accepting the offer). HP was also out of line with the rest of the industry in doing that.

To make a long story short, I sent in the documents to Continental and they credited all the flights.

Personally I think some of the tactics proposed cross the line and constitute fraud. When you submit your ticket after your flights to receive something of value you already know you are not entitled to, I'm not sure how you could think that is a "gray area" ...

I flew Priceline tickets a few times and when I received Delta tickets I would get my SkyMiles number put on the tickets so my status would be in the system for preferred seating and priority stand-by (when it was allowed), but I would have never even considered submitting my ticket stubs after the fact to receive mileage credit.

geez, i've been here for 6mos or so now. everytime i check into flyertalk i'm astounded by how many of you like to inflate 'loopholes' or other such tactics to buzzwords such as 'fraud' 'dishonesty' and 'immoral' etc. please, people, take it easy. some people are persistent, and, well, my parents taught me that persistence is how you get things you want. if that annoys you, then so be it; the rest of us will take our persistence to the bank. just, please, reserve judgement for yourselves or, as reality probably has it, your loved ones. the rest of us are just exchanging ideas, so leave it alone.

for those moderates out there, sorry for the rant--i just can't stand all the senseless judgements that are being passed around this board.

--bc

Totally agree.

But, I've gotten miles on Priceline tickets this way: it doesn't hurt to use the self-check-in kiosks, which you can then enter your FF# yourself. You may or may not get miles, but it's a try.

I can only laugh at this ... it's amazing what some folks will do to get something they are not entitled to.

It's a well known fact that stealing in moderation is relatively easy ... I can eat all the grapes I want at the grocery store and probably never get caught ... that doesn't make it right.

If you know you are not supposed to get miles for a ticket, how can you justify repeated attempts after the flights to receive miles. That's wrong ... that's trying to get something you have no right to ... that's stealing in my book.

You know, I could walk into the McDonalds down the street and tell them I had lunch there yesterday but they forgot to put one of the cheeseburgers I ordered in my bag and they'd most likely give me a free cheeseburger ... certainly if I were persistent and went to three McDonalds I would eventually get a free cheeseburger. Persistence would net me that free cheeseburger, but it sure as hell ain't right ...

bostonchef:

With all due respect, kindly advise at which establishment you practice your skills. With such sentiments, one might be wise to cast an askance look when we are advised on the menu that the fish or meat is really truly yfresh and/or that it is really veal that we will be eating.

Sheesh. Of course, you can't faul't an individual's persistence. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Moreover, I don't fault the FT who does the self-service check-in to ease his way and with the side benefit of getting the FF miles. That is a one shot deal that the airlines could fix if they have not already done so, but still, it is one shot at doing so while doing something legitimate, and not a repeated series of attempts whose sole aim is to obtain something that you are clearly not entitled to having.

Now look at that, for voicing my concern over the judgemental nature of many of the voices on FT, I'm accused of being unscrupulous myself. For what it's worth, if I fly on a non-eligible ticket, I'd try a couple of times, but really, I don't value the miles that highly. That said, I don't understand how my *concerns* reflect so negatively on me--if I voiced concerns about death sentences for serial murderers, I fancy I'd be flamed for being a proponent of such murders...

sheesh, indeed.

For the record, if I wouldn't eat it, I wouldn't serve it.

And my above comments are intended as a general gripe with certain posters, not as a defense of anybody's tactics or ideas as presented on FT.

--bc

So you would try and receive something of value you were not entitled to ... but since it's just an exercise of "persistence" like your parents taught you, I guess it's okay to do that ...

Yes, I would ask for the miles. You've never checked in at the gate and asked if they might be able to upgrade you? You never tried to negotiate a 'free' case when you purchased a cell phone? You never asked a police officer/meter maid to consider letting you off the hook, even though you weren't 'entitled' to a Get Out of Jail Free card?

If you've never asked for anything you haven't been 'entitled' to, never ever lied or cheated, well, I think we need to get you canonized (and I'm not even Catholic), because you're the real deal. If you have, however, well, gosh darnit, you might just be dragged down to my human level after all.

I'll reserve my right to be judged for when I'm sitting in front of the jury, thanks.

--bc

Sure you don't. Then explain this statement:


Well the plan that you applaud and would try a couple of times yourself is no mere "loophole" nor have I a quarrel with one who tries to obtain FF on a one shot basis, but it is the repeated efforts to attempt to do same when it is quite clear that you are not permitted to do so and your intial attempts to do so are rebuffed -- only then do I think that more than skirts the ethical boundaries of behavior.

Nevertheless, I am not trying to enforce any sort of morality here as your are all grown up adults, I am just sharing my views on the subject and nothing more.

I will gladly accept your claim that your:

Res Ispsa Loquatir.




[This message has been edited by NJUPINTHEAIR (edited 05-16-2003).]

Bostonchef: your examples are not really the same (ie. asking for a free case with the cell phone) because in this sort of negotiation process, the seller is knowingly giving you an added-value. In the case of trying to get your FF# in the system on a Priceline ticket, I highly doubt that it is possible if the employee knows the rules, and is paying close attention to what he/she is doing. The only way to get the number in the reservation is probably because the employee is unaware of priceline tickets (ie. new employee)

When it comes to FF miles, it is us (PAX) against them (Airline Mgt).

This BBS is all about getting miles.

Even if you have a fraudulent way to earn miles, there is no harm in posting it or asking about it.

I am not sure what is happening to this place, it used to be a way to learn how to earn more miles and work the system.

In early 2001, I booked 2 very inexpensive PL tickets that both cost me only $100 total. (LAX-SFO & LAX-PHX) On the LAX-SFO, they were oversold, I volunteered but didn't need me. I received a CS50 from UA. On the other ticket, they needed volunteers on the PHX-LAX return. I received $600 in UA vouchers (4 x $150 book). After that trip, I found FT & ended up getting 4 trips on UA with those vouchers (thanks to mileage run threads!) & getting double miles with these revenue tickets. (due to Prem Ex status on UA). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I didn't care about not getting miles on the PL tickets. I didn't bother to ask for mileage because I wasn't entitled to getting mileage.

JRF,
I totally agree with you. These BBS's were designed for FF's like us to maximize our mileage earning. We should probably just leave it at that.. If someone feels it's unethical to get miles for a flight that you're not entitled to, then be ethical. What about all the benefits that airlines are stripping from flyers? I think what I do is totally justified... But that's just it.. i do it, not forcing anyone else to do it.. just sharing a way to maximize miles - interpret on your own whether or not its fraudulent or ethical...

thanks!

------------------
Skymiles, OnePass, AAdvantage, British Airways

Hmmm. I think I will let the above just speak for itself and ask many of you who among your family members does that sound like.

But seriously, if you don't like what the airlines are doing to maximize their profits -- the last time I looked they were in business to make themselves $$ and not to service us FFers -- then take an alternative mode of transportation!

Nevertheless, everyone will do what their heart and ethical convictions tell them to do regardless of anyone's proselytizing.

I do not know where you have been for the time that you have posted thousands of times on this board, but I respectfully direct you to the following citation:



http://www.flyertalk.com/rules.shtml

Now, I truly hope the above ends both this debate and this thread.

AA will give you 500 mi, even on your PL or Hotwire ticket, for using the automated check-in kiosk.

But I was burned by HW, and would never use PL except for hotels and cars. I always use PL for hotels and cars, if you don't use PL for rent-a-cars you will get hit with 6 different surcharges that PL users need never worry about.

Giving a hotel or rent-a-car co. your guest or FF# is not about fraud. It is about providing the co. with valuable marketing information, even though management is too dumb to listen: Hey! Here I am, a frequent traveler, a frequent guest in your hotel, the kind of customer whose business you should value, and I have to use PL to get a decent price on your $%@# room!! I won't pay your inflated prices just to get whatever lame benefit you are giving to frequent guests who spend OPM!! Just don't stick me in the Priceline room, please!!

Most of the time the hotel clerk will dutifully enter the #, and you may well receive a better bed or location, and you in all probability won't be housed in the Priceline room.

What are the surcharges on auto rentals that you save by using priceline. I think all the airport fees and such are still added in. Did I miss something. When I try to use frequent point programs with priceline rooms they usually refuse to give the hotel points. Wyndham doesnt let you get the "preferred" program either.

Since Priceline specifically indicates that elite perks are excluded on Priceline tickets, how is this any different than trying to get miles for your ticket, which are also specificially excluded? In both cases you are looking for something of value when you are not entitled to that value.

[This message has been edited by SRQ Guy (edited 05-20-2003).]

a lot of people here have felt free to pass judgement on those who ask for miles they feel one is not entitled to... anyone ever get miles credited by accident, and then ask the airline to reverse that "error?" ... just curious where the grey areas end...

As a customer, I definitely feel the pull of an adversarial relationship with the airlines. After all, those guys consider $100 change fees and $40 fuel surcharges fair. They're definitely not restrained by conscience in doing those and other monopolistic "what the market will bear" moves, believing that any situation where the customer can take-it-or-leave-it is "the market" and thus exempt from ethics or greed considerations.

Which isn't to say there aren't situations where people are going too far on trying to get miles. It's just to say that airlines (and many other big businesses) have set a certain tone by their own behavior. With that in mind, I can refrain from or even mildly condemn some of what I see, but I can't get too far up on my high horse about it.

Just ask yourself, "What would William Bennett do?"


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