starflyguy

Dear board:
Long time reader, first time poster. After many trips to the far east this year, I decided to try and make united 1K. So I'm current on my 1st MR and have 3 more next 3 weekends that will put me over the top.

On current MR: SFO-EWR-IST with 2hr turn around (SAT - SUN), my EWR-IST rout was cancelled after some maintenance issues. United agreed to put me up in a hotel for the night and offered to rebook me for same flight tomorrow (i.e. leaving sunday getting back monday night). Problem is that I cannot do this new flight without getting fired probably, so I opted to return to SFO on sunday as planned and skip the EWR-IST leg completely.

Question:
Is there anyway to recoup the 10K PQM miles lost on the EWR-IST route? The gold-desk was saying that they can refund the ticket, but I want the miles, else I'll be 10K short of 1K....

SFG

clacko

you can ask for orc due to tiv....original routing credit....trip in vain....

i have sent a mod alert to move to ua forum...

tcook052

Welcome to FT and sorry to hear about your interrupted MR.

While a MR I'll move your query over to UA forum for further input as this is more a matter for the experts there to help, if possible, with how UA might handle your case.

I did search and find a few other recent threads on the topic:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...trip-vain.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ng-merged.html

Good luck with your goal to make 1K!

tcook052
MR Forum Moderator

USFdonWill

I had this happen to me in September and I did get a refund for EWR-IST-EWR. The refund amount was about 2/3 of the fare I paid. Unfortunately, I was unable to get Original Routing Credit since I got the refund.

If you changed your return flight for today (sunday), you may have gotten rebooked in Y that would help decrease the amount you will be short for the year.

Consider the PQM maximizer if you can't find another MR to do before the end of the year.

greendx

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Called 1K desk after I got home and was told that I would get miles/pqm for segments flown + refund. I did get both a few days later.

USFdonWill

I got this result as well in September.

agh382

I had a situation where, due to a mechanical delay, I missed a connection and was forced to fly directly back home because the airline could not get me to my final destination in time for my meeting in the morning. Upon returning to my origination point the supervisor told me I could file for a "trip in vain" refund for the entire cost of the flight. I was counting on this itinerary to re-qualify for Premier Gold so I am curious whether any miles will post if the flight is refunded? To complicate matters this was a partner flight on US.

Details:
Was scheduled to fly DCA to CLT connecting to MGM

Instead I flew DCA to CLT back to DCA due to mechanical delay on my original flight out of DCA

Even earning the DCA to CLT R/T miles will push me over the top but I am worried as to whether those will even go through.

Thanks for any one with experience on this with United or a partner.

BearX220

It's "trip in vain" (as in, for nothing) versus "in vein" (as in, your bloodstream), and no, a flight not paid for and flown will not earn miles.

LaserSailor

You will definitely have to call to try to get credit, but, as covered elsewhere, its unlikely you will, especially on an Alliance metal planned trip.

If the trip out is on a main artery, isn't the return trip always in vein?

LilAbner

The Op will get miles for the segments that he flew ONLY and after UA gets through figuring out how much they are due for the portions of the ticket that he flew he's very likely to burst a neck vein or two.

I had this happen a few years back and it was a pain in the butt convincing a supervisor what had occurred. I think I got a check for a few bucks after it was all over.

Sorry, you'll get MP credit for BIS miles - ONLY!!!

agh382

BIS is really all I am hoping for. I figured it would be a pipe dream to think I could get the full DCA-CLT-MGM R/T mileage. I will settle for the ~660 EQM and be done with it but will blow a vein (pun intended) if I miss my elite status requal by such a small amount (which is 100% the only reason I am concerned about this).

LilAbner

Do the flights you actually took put you over?
Once you turned back you won't get credit for your intended segments, only BIS.

agh382

Yes, DCA to CLT r/t puts me over.

RobOnLI

The flights you actually flew (sounds like DCA-CLT-DCA) will post to your account in a couple of days. Although they are US flights I've found US is the only reliable *A carrier to post miles to UA consistently.

Once they are posted you can file the trip in vain report and get your money back for the ticket. No one is likely to go back into your account and manually deduct the mileage of the flights you actually took. Keep in mind it's absolutely within their power to do so since you are requesting a full flight refund. If you wound up paying nothing you aren't entitled to the miles. But, again, unlikely someone at UA cares enough to do that. The refunds department is completely separate from the MileagePlus Dept and that works in your favor.

PS - I wouldn't file the trip in vain report until the flights post. If the ticket is voided out before the flights post by US they may never post based on background processing by UA. Just a guess but I'd wait if you absolutely need those flights.

-RM

starflyguy

Just an update to the board on my experiences:

To recap:
Had scheduled SFO-EWR-IST RT
Only flew SFO-EWR due to mechanical problems

My SFO-EWR RT miles (PQM) posted the next day

Last friday (6 days after the start of my flight) I called the MP desk, and requested ORC for the entire trip. It took 2 tries and some confused agents wondering why I would take a trip to Istanbul for 2 hrs, but my request was approved and the miles for my entire trip has been credited to my account as of Sunday morning.

Thanks everyone and thanks to the awesome UA agents for being so cool

SFG