UA has two fields for FFNs in their system: one is for status consideration and the other is for point crediting. There is nothing wrong with one using their UA status (or any *A carrier status) to access whatever benefits s/he may be entitled to while crediting the miles to another (non)status account, assuming the names match, the fare's valid for earning points, etc.

Not sure why HKG did not pick up on that.

since OP has status in another FFP, s/he is not loyal enough . (Actually I agree with the UA policy.)

Found this in another thread:

-- COMPLIMENTARY ELIGIBILITY-----------------------
- GS/1K/ ECONOMY PLUS FOR FAMILY
- GS CUSTOMERS MAY HAVE UP TO 8 COMPANIONS OR PURCHASED
EXTRA SEATS IN THE SAME PNR IN THE ECONOMY PLUS AREA.
- THIS ALSO APPLIES TO UP TO 8 FAMILY MEMBERS/EXTRA
SEATS ON SEPARATE PNR EVEN IF GS IS UPGRADED TO UF/UB.
- 1K CUSTOMERS MAY HAVE UP TO 8 COMPANIONS OR PURCHASED
EXTRA SEATS IN THE SAME PNR IN THE ECONOMY PLUS
AREA. ALL COMPANIONS/FAMILY MEMBERS/EXTRA SEATS
MUST BE IN THE SAME PNR AS THE 1K MEMBER.
- TOTAL SEATS IN THE ECONOMY PLUS AREA SHOULD NOT
EXCEED A TOTAL OF 9.
- 1P/2P/3P MEMBER AND ONE COMPANION OR PURCHASED
EXTRA SEAT. MEMBER MUST CREDIT FLIGHT MILES TO UA
TO OBTAIN ECONOMY PLUS SEATING.

The above very controversial statement was made to me by an HKG GA and her supervisor.

I failed yet another upgrade which went on the DM and hence decided to credit the upcoming flight segment to another *A account and as I plan to fly UA much less the next year. The GA grumpily did as I demanded but her colleague intervened saying that I could not sit in E+ if I chose to credit the flight to another program.

I duly dug out the printout from the united.com website which indeed confirmed that restriction for the purchased Economy Plus Access but also clearly stated that 1Ks are entitled to fly E+.

The first GA then sang "you are not a 1K when you are not flying on United", to which I remarked that she might have missed what kind of plane she's playing the GA for at the very moment. This greatly offended her and she grabbed a sup. He then distilled her nonsensical statement into "you are only a 1K when you are flying under your MileagePlus number".

At this point I cannot help but acting as a major nuisance "so you are saying that I actually cannot call 1K reservations or use that Red Carpet over there because I am not flying at those very moments?". To which he had the temerity to answer "Technically yes. But unlike E+, these benefits were for '1Ks on the ground' ".

The ugly truth is that the two might actually have a point - that UA really isn't providing their own elites E+ access when crediting their flights to another program. But they chose to word their conclusion in the worst possible manner .


My first thought was that there is no point in arguing with idiots. Especially those who suffer from the impression that they are doing 'the right thing'. But then it occurred to me that this could be the key to all the troubles I experienced with UA more recently: there are two species of 1Ks: "1Ks on the ground" - the ones who always get the good seats and the upgrades as they are recognized as 1Ks even when not airborne and then those poor 1K-buggers like me who become 1K upon wheels-up and then get their first meal choice ... but are reliably skipped on the upgrade pecking order !

So it was the same route as the mine.

The very odd bit was that SFO-HKG constituted absolutely no problem whereas HKG-SIN was a clear no go. And they bounced me at the gate. I was given the above obscene excuse.

That to a 1K MM on a full fare . You are going to see a lot less of my business and money in 2010 dear United.
For an international flight ???

You got the HKG service. Oh I'm sorry, service doesn't exist in HKG.

You are more than right when it comes to lounge and gate agents! This will be my third major complaint this year regarding HKG .. and I only had three complaints so far this year .

Addendum: it was more than just "no service" they actively stopped me in order to downgrade me.

Hello..
Sorry if that was asked before, but I have a question. I am a lowly Premier and had booked a flight from SAN-SFO and return for later this month. I wanted the miles to credit to my Continental MileagePlus account instead of my United account in which I was told over the phone that since I wanted the miles to credit to my Continental account and not into my United account that I am not able to be seated in Economy Plus? Is this true? Is there anyway around this policy? Thank you for your assistance. -Michael

Short answer is yes the agent was (sort-of) correct but there is a way it can be done.

There is a complicated solution to the problem, it involves two reservations fields
1) FQTS (Frequent Traveler Status) field which needs to be MP# to get E+ access.
2) FQTV (Frequent TraVeler number for mileage credit) field which needs to be set to appropriate program to earn miles/status.
But most agent do not know about this or how to do it.

see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-merged.html for solutions.

Thank you for your assistance.

Way too complicated and the probability that the agent will get it wrong is greater than 90%.

It is far easier to do it by using Mr. Chicken. Once you have checked in with your W+ seating just use Mr. Chicked to update the FF info and print new set of BP's. For me this has been the only way to guarantee 100% that the miles have been credited to the correct FF program.

This is so bizarre...I've never gotten anything but love from HKG airport agents, who have always gone the extra mile in anything I've asked.

I should have tried to change my FF number after receiving an op-up last week, just to add another data point to the thread...but I admit it, I didn't. I got scared after reading these tales of horror so close to Halloween!

I had no trouble changing my number to BD with an agent at checkin on the way back, and no mention was made of changing my seat. Maybe it's because I was travelling with a 2P so I could use her entitlement

Thanks to LH's new system, when my company books my tickets on LH, and I go into view the reservation, LH automatically adds my miles and more number (I have never once used it to accrue miles). SO, naturally I go in an change it to UA for mile accrual and of course *G lounge access. My boarding passes say UA*G on them, yet miles still credited to LH.

Should I go the normal route of using the missing mileage credit function, or call MP and plead my case to someone who will actually listen. I have a reservation going home tomorrow, so let's hope the same thing doesn't happen again.

Similar thing happened to me on my last flight to MUC.

Checked my M&M balance when at the Sen lounge upon my return and saw that miles were credited to M&M. However, a few days later, saw that UA also credited miles. When I got my next M&M statement in an email, though, the miles that were previously credited no longer appeared!

So it may be just a matter of time.

I did, however, keep all stubs that show the UA*G on the BP in case I had to contest it!

Same thing happened to me. Booked a ticket with CO, first flight FRA-IAH was on LH. I went to check in for that first flight online, noticed the UA*G was not on the online Boarding pass. When I got to the airport I had the check in lady change it to have my UA number, she told me that it had a Miles & More number on the booking, I told her to get that off there! It looks like the new LH online system addes the M&M number to all bookings that you enter on the LH page. She did add my UA number and my new boarding pass had the UA*G on it.. Miles for the LH flight went to miles and more, all the other flights op'ed by CO went to UA. I called M&M and they told me that I needed to fax (why they still use fax??) asking them to remove the miles. Then put a missing mile request with UA. I Faxed them 3 days ago.. the miles are still there.. I also emailed LH about this problem.