mecabq

Sure there is. Every ticket sold by a travel agent is plated on some carrier, and you can ask them to plate it on 016. Whether they would do so if the segment didn't start with, or even contained no, UA segment is an interesting question. As this will also be a core element to compliance with PQD, I would be curious to hear members' experiences.

Another sort-of analogy is the Star Alliance round-the-world booking tool. Tickets purchased there are plated by LH (at least they were last time I bought one a few years ago), with a 220 code, even if there are no LH segments. Too bad we don't have an analogous tool provided by UA. . .

mgcsinc

Seems like a business opportunity.

"WE PLATE 016, EVERY FLIGHT, EVERY TIME!"

zrs70

Once upon a time, ual.com allowed bookings on every airline. Then they curtailed it to *A and other partners. Then just UA.

Now, we are able to book some non-UA stand-alone travel, such as intra-European segments.

zkzkz

I doubt the problem is the lack of UA flight segments.

I think the problem is that airlines can publish fares that restrict who can issue them. They often do this for "web-only sales" or similar things. UA might not be getting you the cheapest fare available.

They also often have fares available for different sales cities and if you're calling a UA ticket office in the US they may be seeing fares offered for US sales and not the fares offered in your location. The last agent OP got might have had to do something special to view the fares available in his location that the other agents weren't willing or didn't think to do.

Indelaware

Airlines pay commissions to travel agents far less frequently than ever before. That said, I don't know if airlines ever paid commissions to one another.

A good agent will validate tickets on an OAL (e.g. UA) if requested -- and if possible. Some fares are restricted to plating. Other times other restrictions are in place. Obviously, there needs to be an interline ticketing agreement in place between the validating airline and the ticketed airline. Often, especially when ticketing is done outside an alliance (e.g. an AA ticket issued on 016 stock), there are restrictions based on form of payment; it might be ok to ticket if payment is by cash but not if payment is by credit card. Additionally, travel agents are subjected to fees - both by the validating airline and the GDS - on each ticket they issue. One needs to have a good travel agent - and there are quite a few who are not. IMO, in general, one should avoid both large corporate agents AMEX, CWT, etc. and regular retail agents who seldom ticket more than simple itineraries. With some research one can find a good agent. SFO, NYC, LON, HKG are likely places to find them.

Phoenixtinct

I've had TK only and SAS only itineraries issued on UA stock. So, it's definitely possible. I have 2 issues doing that - 1) in case of IRROPS, it's best to be ticketed on the operating carrier stock as they have the most flexibility to re-route you. Sometimes, airlines refuse to touch other carriers' tickets even though they may be an operating carrier. Also, you cannot use benefits that may be otherwise available to you if the ticketing and operating carrier are different For example, few weeks ago I flew a UA-only itinerary issued on US ticket stock. I wanted to use SDC to change my flights but since that required a ticket re-issue and this is a UA benefit for Premier members, they can't re-issue the US ticket - only US airways can do that.

2) As already mentioned, you don't necessarily get the best pricing when you ticket one carrier on another's stock. So, aside from counting that spend towards PQDs, I don't see a reason to do that.

maple

I found lower outbound fares on US, and lower inbound on UA, and wish to book on United.com for both legs on my PNR. However, I am unable to force the website to provide options on partner airlines. IIRC, on AA.com one could select whether or not to be offered partner options or entirely AA.

Any advice?

WineCountryUA

Most likely you will have to call. Check first if you can force it on Hipmunk.

also see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...itinerary.html for some useful info. (realize you do have a UA flight but it discusses how to book partner flights)

pizzabox

If award availability is open, you can try to check out with the award and hit pay wish cash.

chinatraderjmr

I am not a great fan of .com and never have been but I used to have the UA ticket office near me ticket EVERYTHING, UA or not. They once ticketed a round trip BA Concorde ticket for me. No UA flights involved. This was not a problem way back when but since there are no more tivpcket offices ???

freightFlyer44

I sat next to a gentleman on a AA EWR-DFW flight who claimed that he was GS and, to make a point, would call the GS desk to book AA flights to and from Dallas as he was disappointed with UA's EWR-DFW service and use of RJs. Don't know if what he said was true, but it was an excellent story.

UA840

Will dollars spent on non-UA, *A carriers but ticketed on 016 stock earn credit towards GS spend thresholds?

UA-NYC

Why would they now, if they haven't before?

This is all about driving more $$$ to UA, not less

c1mth0g

Does anyone know how TA's normally work? If there are multiple airlines do they usually use the ticket stock of the first airline?

Or maybe the question I should be asking is: for TA's that have online booking tools, do they still ticket manually or does the computer do it for them (and therefore pick the ticket stock)?

sbm12

For domestic trips the default is the first carrier. For international it is the first overwater carrier. There are, of course, ways around those defaults, but that's my understanding of how the systems normally behave.