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Is there a Flat-Tire rule for missing a UA award booked partner flight?

Is there a Flat-Tire rule for missing a UA award booked partner flight?

Old Apr 3, 2019, 2:10 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Walter B Kasmer


No, I think the meaning of codeshare is quite different in most cases as some people on the same plane have different legs of a trip carried by different carriers. The code sharing means that literally they have to trust their partner will help complete the journey.

I never thought of an airline as only being a travel agent. Some of the boarding passes are quite different as well reflecting where and who issued the ticket, but all the passengers have the same goal, arriving at their final destination.
You may think that, and it is perfectly reasonable, but it is not the case. Its just a marketing game, without any implied or actual responsibility.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 2:44 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by Walter B Kasmer


No, I think the meaning of codeshare is quite different in most cases as some people on the same plane have different legs of a trip carried by different carriers. The code sharing means that literally they have to trust their partner will help complete the journey.

I never thought of an airline as only being a travel agent. Some of the boarding passes are quite different as well reflecting where and who issued the ticket, but all the passengers have the same goal, arriving at their final destination.
United specifically says as much in their contract of Carriage (Rule 3(G)):
UA is responsible only for transportation of Passengers and Baggage provided by UA, which includes Codeshare services provided by UA on flights operated by a carrier other than UA. See Rule 18 regarding application of these rules to Codeshare services. When UA undertakes to issue a Ticket, check baggage, or make any other arrangements for transportation over the lines of any other carrier on an interline basis (whether or not such transportation is part of a through service), UA will act only as agent for the other carrier in these limited capacities, and will assume no responsibility for the acts or omissions of such other carrier, including but not limited to providing flight status information, delays and other acts or omissions that arise from their flight operations.
(All emphasis mine; Rule 18 isn't particularly illuminating)
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 3:13 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by lincolnjkc
United specifically says as much in their contract of Carriage (Rule 3(G))
Agreed. And, to reiterate: even that doesn't come into play here, because award flights aren't codeshares.

I have purchased tickets on several airlines from United.com, including Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, and even China Eastern. None of these had UA flight numbers. UA acted as my travel agent in these cases, and nothing more.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 3:17 pm
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan
Agreed. And, to reiterate: even that doesn't come into play here, because award flights aren't codeshares.

I have purchased tickets on several airlines from United.com, including Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, and even China Eastern. None of these had UA flight numbers. UA acted as my travel agent in these cases, and nothing more.
Interestingly, I just flew on a J award ticket which had segments on Swiss, and for whatever reason, those segments were booked under the UA codeshare flight numbers.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 3:19 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by dilanesp
Interestingly, I just flew on a J award ticket which had segments on Swiss, and for whatever reason, those segments were booked under the UA codeshare flight numbers.
Wait, what?

Award tickets in Star Alliance are never codeshares. Are you sure? Was it booked that way originally?
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 3:29 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
Amex Platinum
The USA Amex Plat wouldn't have covered OP's expenses. I suppose you may have a different country's product.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 3:36 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by gengar
The USA Amex Plat wouldn't have covered OP's expenses. I suppose you may have a different country's product.
Correct, I do. The US Amex Platinum does indeed have a very poor TI package.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 3:38 pm
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
Correct, I do. The US Amex Platinum does indeed have a very poor TI package.
As do many other CCs, not to mention third party packages (even Allianz's more expensive travel insurance policies, for example, would not cover OP's situation). Hence my statement that it's actually not "strange" for OP not to be covered by travel insurance; in fact, it's quite the other way around.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 6:00 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan
Wait, what?

Award tickets in Star Alliance are never codeshares. Are you sure? Was it booked that way originally?
Yep. My UA itinerary listed UA flight number operated by Swiss.
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 7:16 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by dilanesp
Yep. My UA itinerary listed UA flight number operated by Swiss.
That makes no sense for an award flight. What's the RBD (fare class)? Did you earn miles from the flight?

There's no I inventory on a codeshare, so it shouldn't be possible to ticket it that way, even if the fare rules didn't prohibit it (and they do: read the fare rules for an award flight sometime; they're wonderful. "MAY NOT BE ON ANY UA FLIGHT OPERATED BY LH OR ON ANY UA FLIGHT OPERATED BY LX..." etc. For all possible combinations of carriers. )
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Old Apr 3, 2019, 11:33 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by LondonElite


You may think that, and it is perfectly reasonable, but it is not the case. Its just a marketing game, without any implied or actual responsibility.
You could be right. That seems to give me even less incentive to fly with Asiana again. Reminds me of why I dislike Apple so much, as their after sales service in Japan is pretty bad.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 12:22 am
  #42  
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It really has nothing to do with Asiana specifically. Had you been on ANA, the story would likely have the same outcome.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 5:02 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
It really has nothing to do with Asiana specifically. Had you been on ANA, the story would likely have the same outcome.
Thats assuming that most Asian carriers dont have this policy (which could be true). Since its an unwritten policy from the customer point of view, hard to say. Its the first time its happened to me where I tried to avail of using it.

The quoted regulations above do seem to support a hands off approach from United, yet United was involved, but obviously not to the degree that I would have preferred. It reminds me of when we were having problems accessing a lounge in Moscow as Delta stopped issuing a lounge card with an expiration for my Amex as now as long as the credit card is valid, I am supposed to have access. What a policy is supposed to be in theory and how it actually works are often two different kettles of fish.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 5:53 am
  #44  
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I think we have beaten this horse to death, but I don't think you're convinced yet.

You booked a ticket on Asiana through United. United's involvement once the ticket was issued pretty much ended. Anything relating to travel falls under the rules of the operating carrier, in this case Asiana. If Asiana lost your luggage, for example, there would be no point in calling UA. They just sold you a ticket on their codeshare partner. If you missed your Asiana flight it has nothing to do with United or their rules. Your example with the American Express lounge pass is not relevant or comparable, because there is a specific agreement about lounge accessing in place. There is no agreement in place between a travel agent and an airline for missed flights.

The concept of standing by for an earlier or later flight (ie unpurchased flexibility) is an almost uniquely US carrier policy. The rest of the world is much more black/white rulebook about missed flights.
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Old Apr 4, 2019, 9:08 am
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
I think we have beaten this horse to death, but I don't think you're convinced yet.

You booked a ticket on Asiana through United. United's involvement once the ticket was issued pretty much ended. Anything relating to travel falls under the rules of the operating carrier, in this case Asiana. If Asiana lost your luggage, for example, there would be no point in calling UA. They just sold you a ticket on their codeshare partner. If you missed your Asiana flight it has nothing to do with United or their rules.
Maybe OP isn't convinced because that's often not how it works out in practice.

Example: I had a DL ticket for an AM flight one time, got to the airport (ORD) 90 minutes before the flight (no checked baggage), waiting in line for 35 minutes, got to the counter at T-55 and was told check-in closes 60 minutes before the flight and my ticket had no value. There were about 10 of us in the same boat, they clearly hadn't processed their line fast enough, and they were really not being helpful, not offering alternative rebookings, just saying "you've missed the check-in deadline and your ticket has no value". I suspect the flight was overbooked and they were happy not to have to VDB/IDB anyone.

I called Delta on the phone, they were in first in disbelief that I was standing at the counter at T-50 with no checked luggage and wasn't being allowed to check in. I handed the phone to the AM agent who confirmed that we had missed the deadline. The DL phone agent then rebooked me for free on DL flight the next morning to an airport near my original one (they don't fly to my original destination).

Moral of the story: if the operating carrier isn't being helpful, no harm in calling the ticketing carrier as sometimes they can help. Like OP I had a codeshare, the ticketing carrier didn't even fly my route, and I had "missed my flight", and the ticketing carrier was able to help me out.
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