Counsellor

You say, "Switch companion" which implies you have a companion already listed. So far as I know,the companion you had will remain your companion until next year if you didn't get the request to switch in to Mileage Plus before the annual cut-off.

In the past, it has been reported that the requirement that the companion share either your last name or your address was not rigorously enforced. If you run into the situation again next November, you might try hanging up and calling again later, in the hopes of getting a different customer service representative.

Kleinnaf

​​​​​​ a few years ago I switched companions mid year
And and all I had to do was just send back the mileage plus cards from the old companion

I am talking about removing a companion now and adding a new one the question is will changing his address to mine work?

Counsellor

I hadn't heard of Mileage Plus allowing a switch in companions except at the annual change-over period (November 30th) so that may be the biggest hurdle to get over. I did hear a story about a GS replacing a companion who had died but the GS had to explain that to a CSR. However, GS do get more exceptions than do the hoi polloi Premiers, so you may be able to swing it.

As I mentioned, the requirement of same address or same last name seems to have been removed a while back (see post 749 in this thread, and other anecdotal mentions in this thread). If that's the case, you may just have gotten a CSR that wasn't up to date, and that's why I suggested HUCA (hang up, call again). However, I do know of some cases where the addresses (on the Mileage Plus accounts) were adjusted to be the same in order to facilitate designation as a companion.

8MiHi

I do not see that it has been dropped at all. https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly.../lifetime.html

Counsellor

<shrug> Have it your way, then. The site has said that for years, but as earlier posts on this thread (e.g., post 749) have said, they have not been enforcing it rigorously. In such cases, it might be helpful to HUCA.

nomad420

You may not see that but as others stated it is not enforced. I know many people who have companions at different addresses AND different names. This includes GS/1K and on down MP companions. This is done all the time! If you were told otherwise I would HUCA as was suggested.

8MiHi

I coached youth baseball and softball for many years and I taught my players that if they break a rule that is rarely enforced they put themselves at the tender mercies of the umpire who may be happy to make the call the other way.
If you are willing to take the, admittedly small, risk of a bad outcome that's on you.

iluv2fly

I wanted to nominate my niece as my GS companion. I live in Chicago and she lives in Denver. Different last names. I called MPCS and asked them what the deal was, as originally you had to be at the same address (and possibly share the same last name). I told the rep that I didn't want to risk losing my lifetime GS status over this whatsoever. She said it was no problem to have someone at a different address share your status now. So I went for it and she has been a GS for two years now.

8MiHi

They should change the rule.
If they are concerned about members selling the status then the rule should be that the companion status must not be sold, bartered or exchanged, violators will be subject to complete loss of status and membership.

Counsellor

In the past that often doesn't work; some lounge dragons are familiar with Photoshop and similar programs, and won't accept documents that appear to be printed off.

Part of the problem is United's decision to have status cards expire, even for lifetime status holders. I'm retired now, but during my career I did a lot of travel and earned lifetime elite status in a number of other airline and hotel programs, and all of them issued cards that reflected the status and did not expire. For example, I was issued a card by American Advantage that reflects my Platinum status and does not have an expiration date, and my Marriott Rewards platinum card has "LIFETIME" in big letters across the front (I don't know what they'll do with the name change to Bonvoy Titanium).

United should be able to do something similar to help their elites who travel on other Star Alliance carriers. It's not like United is allergic to issuing "Lifetime" cards -- I have long been a life member of their Red Carpet Club and had a card that so stated, and when they changed the name to "United Club" they sent me a new membership card with "Lifetime Member" across the face in gold print.

I realize United is saving a few pennies by not issuing a hard card reflecting the elite status (a one-time cost if it doesn't expire), but the fact that it is seriously inconveniencing at least some of their elite customers has apparently not been taken into consideration. They need to get their customer relations folks involved, not just their beancounters.

Has anyone else been able to get a hard card issued this year?

WineCountryUA

Short answer for Golds (and Silvers) is No.

UA appears to be gradually obsoleting physical cards (Silver years ago, Gold last year). UA is not alone in doing this. Others levels may be soon.
UA position appears to be, the information is in your travel records / PNR and UA is working will its partner's so your BP should be sufficient and if not the virtual card using your smartphone app (for those that have one).

Probably best to continue this in 2019 Premier Kit discussion - contents, pictures, actual delivery, .... where it is under discussion.

Counsellor

Thanks for the information.

In its constant drive to save a few more pennies at the expense of inconveniencing its customers, United has again made things more difficult for its elites to obtain the services they were promised. I find this callous attitude toward patrons difficult to understand in a service industry. Perhaps it is a consequence of a booming economy where being solicitous of customers is no longer considered necessary in order to remain competitive. One wonders what will happen to that attitude when the inevitable downturn hits and planes do not automatically fill themselves with paying passengers.

Until that time, I guess I'll just have to be one of those "over-entitled elites" United's management has declared their intent to cut down to size.

jsloan

If you experience any actual inconvenience, follow up with United.

If your *G number is on the reservation, you should be given lounge access on an eligible trip. Is it theoretically possible that someone might request the physical card and refuse to be swayed by anything else? Sure, but until and unless that actually happens to you, why worry about it? UA is clearly moving toward an all-electronic system.

Counsellor

I'm sorry; I guess I wasn't clear. I don't have a problem getting into the United lounges; indeed, I've been a life member of the United club system (Red Carpet Club and now United Club) since the early '70s and carry a non-expiring United Club membership card showing that. And as you say, if I have a ticket issued by United, it also reflects my status.

The problem arises when one attempts to gain entry to a non-United Star Alliance lounge, a common occurrence for those of us who travel internationally since we tend to use Lufthansa or Turkish Air or SAS or Aegean or Lot or Swiss in Europe, South African Air in Africa, and Asiana, Singapore, and Thai airlines in Asia. The tickets issued by the non-UA carriers do not routinely show UA status or MP numbers, and in any event in many places the lounge dragons are used to seeing a plastic card for admittance. Yes, I have experienced actual inconvenience, I have been turned away if I don't have a card to show them, which is why I asked for and received a Mileage Plus Premier Gold card at the beginning of last year, and I was asked to show it during an international trip as recently as last month. It is still good until the end of this month, but despite contacting United about it (as you suggest) I have no valid card for the rest of 2019.

UA may be clearly moving toward an electronic system, but not all of the rest of Star Alliance are that far along. I guess I don't see why Mileage Plus cannot do as American's Advantage does and issue a non-expiring card on request that shows the bearer's lifetime status.

jsloan

That card will also get you into *A Business lounges. AFAIK, the only lounges you can enter with *G that you can't get into as a paid United Club member are the LH-group Senator lounges, although I suppose there may be some contract lounges at some airports where an airline would give *G members passes. And I've never had a problem getting into a Senator lounge with just my boarding pass.

That has not been my experience. At a minimum, they'll show *G on the boarding pass. Even if they don't, the number should be on the reservation, so the boarding pass should scan properly at the lounge.

Also very much not my experience. In fact, most of the lounges that want something other than a boarding pass are looking for a lounge invitation, which you should be able to get during check-in.

Then UA needs to know that, so that they can coordinate with their partners. If the rest of *A isn't ready to go all-electronic, they should continue to issue the cards on request, as you suggest.

Personally, I would happily trade a lounge visit for whatever ETC UA would provide as an apology for not being able to get in.

Not to be pedantic, but there's not really any such thing as lifetime status. UA reserves the right to make changes to the plan anytime. For example, they could decide that you need to be Platinum to get *G. Also, they can close anybody's MP account at any time.