WineCountryUA

In reality, the use of the card is not factor. A traveler with a Explorer card linked to their account and one companion on the same PNR can receive the benefit. The card holder must be traveling.

So, max of 2 unless another traveler also has/gets the card.

baxterboy12

Got it.

So if I book 2 and 2, and a pax on the opposite PNR gets the UA card between now and travel dates and it is linked to his UA MP #, then we should all 4 get 1 free checked bag regardless of which card is used to pay the award ticket taxes?

aacharya

Correct, except that last pax needs his or her own card, and NOT an authorized (secondary) card.

Note also that you might save 12.5K miles (but lose a bag fee**) if you book these individually (one per PNR). Hard to imagine there isn't even one
ticket in Saver Economy on that route. Or try to book that leg in Saver F. Then pax gets two free bags on BOTH ends of the itinerary, as per
new DOT rules.

I assume at 37.5K you are booking one leg in Saver, the 2nd in Standard.

Looking at random dates in February/March - a lot is wide open.

**12.5K miles is worth many times more than a bag fee.

baxterboy12

Correct, I am looking at one leg in Saver, the other in Standard. I can't find any saver seats on June 1. I am very flexible on dates, but my best bud is an Air Traffic Controller at BNA and he must book his vacation a yr in advance. He has the week of June 1-9, so we will leave Sat June 1 and return on June 8 or 9.

Great idea on the 2 free bags with a first class. I will keep searching for a saver F seat but so far no luck.

Reindeerflame

I've asked on FT about what the rules are for the baggage fee waiver program for holders of a United credit card, and was unsettled by the lack of clarity or certainty in the responses.

More recently, I've reviewed the official pronouncements from United on exactly when one qualifies for a waiver of the baggage fee for the first bag on domestic flights. The rule seemed to be that the fee is waived as long as you continue to hold the United credit card that was used to make the reservation, whether by paying for the flight, or just the taxes associated with an award ticket.

Now I have more information to share. I booked a one-way award ticket to IAH in April 2012 for a trip in March 2013, using my sole remaining United/Continental card, a business version of the Continental Mastercard to pay the minimal taxes. I canceled that card in November 2012. Prior to cancellation, my itinerary showed a baggage fee of $0. After cancellation, it showed a fee of $25.

In late December 2012, I applied for the United Explorer personal card, with the 50,000 signup bonus requiring $1000 in card expenditures over 4 months. Just yesterday, I noticed that my flight record now, again, shows a baggage charge of $0.

This seems at odds with the official United rules, but I'm happy to be the beneficiary of flexibility.

Thus, the actual rule appears to be that as long as you book the trip with a United/Continental card, the baggage fee for the first bag will be waived as long as you hold some kind of United card when you travel (preferably allowing a couple of weeks for the Chase and United computer systems to sync). Presumably the same applies to the associated preferential boarding: after the elites and military but ahead of the general passenger.

DeaconFlyer

While it may not be the official rule, in practice, if you hold one of the UA cards that promises a free bag, you will get a free bag, regardless of how you pay for the ticket.

pilotboy1985YYC

Hi Everyone!

My parents are flying YHZ-FCO in Business Class. Route is YHZ-EWR-ZRH-FCO. This is all booked on one ticket(pnr). However United only offers one class cabins from YHZ-EWR so this segment they will be seated in economy.
When they go to check-in, will they get the Business Class allowance? The booking is business class booking, but first segment is coach.

Any ideas?

FlyingDiver

Yes. It's not unusual for feeder routes to be one-class planes. It's a business ticket, they get business allowances.

honmani2

I booked an award tkt from HNL to HND for my son (who has no status) using my miles from my 1K account. The flight is on Air Japan and Asiana Airlines. When I look at the itineraries, it shows that there are no baggage fees. Is this true?

First and second baggage service charges per traveler as listed below: 1st bag 2nd bag Weight per bag

Mon., Jan. 28, 2013Honolulu, HI (HNL) to Tokyo, Japan (HND - Haneda) $0 $0 50.0 lbs (23 kgs)

Fri., Feb. 22, 2013Tokyo, Japan (HND - Haneda) to Seoul, Republic of South Korea (GMP-Gimpo) $0 $0 50.0 lbs (23 kgs)

Fri., Feb. 22, 2013Seoul, Republic of South Korea (ICN - Incheon) to Honolulu, HI (HNL) $0 $0 50.0 lbs (23 kgs)

barefootist

I am just wondering if this is right. I know UA charges $70 for 2nd baggage to economy class flyer between LAX-ICN.

My wife has a round trip ticket LAX-SFO-ICN-NRT-LAX and traveled LAX-SFO on 3/9 and SFO-ICN on 3/10. It was 20-hour layover at SFO.

On 3/9, She printed out a boarding pass LAX-SFO-ICN at LAX and paid $70 for her two checked baggage. She was told she has to retrieve her two checked baggage and recheck-in the next day.

On 3/10, UA agent at SFO said she has to pay another $70 when she recheck-in. She has no time arguing so paid $70 again for two checked baggage and completed outbound travel.

I don't understand why she got charged twice. Should it be once?
And if it is right that she paid twice, then the first segment should be considered as a domestic travel? Since she is a UA MPE cardmember, she has one free baggage and only pays $35 for second one in domestic travel.

Which is right? $70, or $105, or $140?
Any thought?

aacharya

105. Did the kiosk charge her 35 35 for the first leg or 0 and 70.

garykung

$70 should be correct.

Under current federal regulations, one single fee for the entire trip.

UA considers connection as less than 24 hours. So you are definitely connecting.

The reason for the offload is due to UA's 4-hour policy (if the gap of your next connection is 4 hour or more, UA's policy is to offload the bag for liability reason.

barefootist

Thank you guys. I am gonna claim.

dsquared37

This is not true; I've had 12 hour layovers where UA retained control of my bag. The key to OPs situation is the overnight connection and under this circumstance UA will kick your bag out of the system.

danM

From united.com (bolding mine):

Checked baggage service charges apply at any point where bags are checked. For a trip that includes one or more connections, bags will be checked to your final destination, and the charge for checking a bag from your origin to your destination will apply. For a trip that includes a voluntary stopover, your bags will be checked to your stopover point, where you will collect your bags. When you resume travel, subject to applicable charges, you may check your bags again from the new point of check-in to the destination.

So according the the posted policies, the double-charge was correct. I'm not saying it's right, just correct...

I'm guessing that the "international" tag is sticky and makes both legs non-domestic for this purpose. I'm guessing that the best you'll be able to do is to get it down to $105.