How do they calculate miles?
 

I recently flew lax-ord-eze and back. The outbound was 1745 from LAX-ORD and 5602 from ORD-EZE for 7347 total miles. My return was logged as a single flight with a stop in ORD. It was only 6114 miles. Why the difference? They are the same exact flights? I think someone screwed up, but I doubt I'll get United to fix it since they can only go by what is in the database.

I verified the numbers in itn.net.

Return included a "stop" at ORD? This was not one of those same flight number deals, was it? Seems as long as you had 2 different #'s for EZE-ORD and for ORD-LAX, you should get all the miles. Otherwise it may may be another case of "vanishing miles!"

These int'l same flight number deals are a pain - you get off the plane, clear customs and immigration - and then most of the time you don't even board the same plane for the next segment of the "same" flight.

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Cheers.

Leo.

This looks like the "direct flight" issue, as doc says. If it's one flight number, you get credit for nonstop mileage. If possible book it as two separate segments to avoid this.

Note: this can work to your advantage if you have a "one-segment upgrade"!

On the outbound, it was two flight numbers, on the return, it was one. So that was clearly the difference. But it should still be the same miles.

I actually could not possibly agree with you more stimpy! Yet, recall some earlier discussions on this topic:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/000125.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum35/HTML/000151.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/000763.html

In the case I indicated above, there was NO nonstop flight to even possibly take! Preposterous, IMHO!

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 02-04-2000).]

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 02-04-2000).]

As others have said, direct trips are ways for airlines to screw us out of frequent flyer miles.

If you take a flight from point A-B-C with two different flight numbers you get miles for A-B and B-C separately. Regular connection.

If you take a flight from point A-B-C with one flight number -- doesn't matter if you are on the same plane or not -- you get miles for A-C only. Direct flight, even if
you switch planes.

OK, I guess I've now learned to always book separate legs.

Stimpy- I often run into the "multiple segment - same flight number" issue with US Airways. I book most of my flights on the web so I'll choose the same segments, yet use the individual flight numbers for each segment (as oppossed to the single flight number for the combined segments). Every once and a while the trip will price about $3 higher because now I'm being charged an airport fee for "connecting".... big deal... a small fee for the real mileage!

Right on George... that's the way to do it!

Becareful utizling Geo1004's suggestion - I've tried to do the same thing on several occasions, and I would say that more than 50% of the time it doesn't work... The computer somehow pushes it back together when it comes to crediting (this is probably different on each airline, and I don't recall which airlines I had success doing this and which ones I didn't)

Hi,

With these 'vanishing miles' does it work like this with booking tickets with max mileage on it? e.g. SQ SIN to VIE via ZRH. Mileage-wise I'd receive for SIN to VIE. But let's say this is a part of a Star Alliance RTW with 29000 mile limit, does it count as SIn to VIE or SIN to ZRH to VIE?

goodo

It (the one-flight-number for two segments) works both ways (for and against you):

* yes, you loose miles, as you will only be credited the direct (fewer) miles.

* if you fly on a ticket that counts miles (example StarAlliance rtw) you will 'only' be calculated (it costs you only) the direct (fewer) miles

* if I use a visit US-coupon on N-American UA-flights, I must only redeem ONE coupon per FLIGHT Number (and so profit from that same flight number for two segments).

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 02-06-2000).]

Hi,

I probably will end up using geo1004's suggestion. SIN-ZRH leaves about 10 minutes before midnight, therefore, i can book SIN-ZRH and ZRH-VIE as 2 different flights AND 2 different dates. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

cya

goodo

One more point.. it is annoying that even when the airline has no NONSTOP flights, it still pulls this DIRECT FLIGHT (one flight number) deal. Fustrating, since you get less miles and more time....

I do love when the one flight number is on two aircraft..... Happened from LAX-CDG on US AIRWAYS.. same flight number but two planes... (did not care about miles.. was on award ticket)