Is this a "legal" routing?
 

It turns out I may be 500 miles short of Plat this year unless I get credit for some LH T fares FRA-MUC-CGN. Since the website no longer says you can get credit for intra-European T fares as far of an intercontinental booking I'm not counting on it.

So I am PHX-EWR-BOS and return EWR-PHX. The website will let me book a multi-city itinerary to go EWR-BOS-EWR-PHX all in one day. That would put me over 75k on the year and doesn't add significant cost to the ticket I would have otherwise bought EWR-PHX. My question is will UA harass me about this when I try to check my bag EWR-BOS-EWR-PHX?

I think that's unlikely if booked as a multi-city itinerary. You actually have an intermediate destination somewhere in there. You should check in with a kiosk, rather than a person. I'm doing much the same thing with an upcoming LAX-SFO-LAX-EWR turn on the same day to make sure I requal for plat. It's so annoying to be 500 miles short!

P.S. there's a tiny ambiguity on the LH earning. It used to matter if it was in conjunction with a transatlantic flight. I think you're probably right not to count on it though

Why does it matter if checkin is with a kiosk or an agent? If there is an intermediate destination in there, UA certainly got money from the pax for it. There's probably a break in the fare, so no SDC. The pax is doing nothing here out of the ordinary.

I've done weirder routings to earn segments / miles. BTR-IAH-ORD-MCI-DEN-ABQ all in one day.

If the website sold it to you (which means you didn't illegally nest it or violate the ticketing rules in any way by purchasing multiple tickets separately to intentionally subvert fare rules) you should have no problem at all. If it was an illegal routing the website wouldn't have let you ticket it (or the cost would've been drastically higher if you hit some other fare rule). You won't be harassed when you check your bag (if it makes you feel better just lie if they ask and say you have to hop up to Boston for a couple hours to meet with a colleague and then come back).

Why lie? I'd just say I have an irresistible craving for some real NE clam chowder!

Both BOS UA terminals have an airside Legal Seafood restaurant, so that's definitely possible. :)

If you are just doing a one-day turn around.....why even bother with luggage? However, to answer your question about checking, no problem. Safe flight!

Is this a "legal" routing?
 

I need to check the luggage because I'm actually going to PHX. It just seemed like a good idea to add the extra segments in there because it only cost me another 10 USD or something (and a few hours of flight)

Been there, done that. Once did OGG-HNL-LAX-DEN-SFO-SEA instead of OGG-SFO-SEA, although that was pmUA.

It's more just that you read occasional reports of agents trying to "fix" tickets and "help" flyers out. Or if nothing else you have to explain the concept of a mileage run. I did an immediate SFO-ORD turn for DEQM a couple years ago, and I thought the agent wasn't going to let me check in, she found it so weird.

I would actually advise against explaining the concept of a mileage run, as you never know when you're going to get a rogue agent who accuses you of trying to somehow scam MP.

I like the idea of lunch and chowda with a colleague in BOS. Much simpler to explain to the uninitiated.

lunch and chowda in BOS it is then. In the end I ended up getting credit for my German flights so maybe it's still true that LH T fares intra-europe are valid for credit as long as they are of an intercontinental itinerary?

Funny thing is that now I don't need those extra miles but I'm glad to have them anyway. Better safe than sorry.

Montreal to Asia through Europe on award to book before Feb'14
 

Hello,

Wanted to ask for your experienced opinion. Have seen several questions like that on here, but nevertheless if anyway has comments.
First off, again the lady on the phone told Asia via Europe is round the world. Also thought only one open-jaw is allowed. As many say here, she is wrong and need to call again. I will. Here is the itenarary. Please, confirm if it is feasible:

1) 02/10 YUL - MUC (LH )
02/11 MUC - FRA (LH)
Layover less than 24h
2) 02/12 FRA - BKK (Thai) Destination.

Open jaw

3) 03/19 SIN - IST (SQ)
03/19 IST - BCN (Turkish)

Stop over. Open jaw.

4) 04/15 DME - FRA (LH)
Layover < 24h
04/16 FRA - YUL (AC)

Any comments? Is it possible to get for 65K in Economy?

Thank you!

You will have problems with agents trying to get the openjaw at the stopover, but it can be done, eventually. Don't give up!

edit: yes, 65K is how it should price.

They very well may harass you. A couple of years ago I flew IAH-JAN-IAH-EWR, with 30 minutes in JAN (same plane back). CO (at the time) would just not let me check a bag all the way, saying the computer does not allow to print a bag tag that would transit the same airport twice -- and that kinda makes sense. I asked them to just check the bag for the final IAH-EWR, but they would not do it. And seeing how UA inherited CO's SHARES, that same impossibility may not exists at UA.

So I checked my bag to JAN. Upon arriving at JAN I went straight to check in and checked a bag (just printed the tag, really). I did that to beat the cut-off time. Told the agent to hold my bag tag for a few minutes while I went down to baggage claim to get my bag. Got my bag from baggage claim and took it back upstairs. Check-in agent was most amused.

Now... this may be possible at JAN, where everything is within a short walk and there is one agent and one junglejet flight. I would not try something similar at BOS without at least two hours.

Yess, you are right. Called 5 times, all kind of excuses. Eventually, one lady said "only one open jaw", but after consultation with the supervisor she were about to price the whole ticket of 65K when the call suddenly disconnected...

You can do anything with MP. I have a 10 segment itinerary (US-SE Asia) booked as part of the LH F YYZ error with two jaws, despite the 4 per direction limit.

It's just a question of the HUACA constant. Some operations may require 0 HUACA, some 2-3 HUACA, and some might require 25 ;) (not that I advise you try). Depends how hard you're willing to fight for it. This particular itinerary involved asking 7 different agents. The final one misinterpreted what I wanted but it was actually better than I requested so I kept my mouth firmly shut.

Trying to use out the miles before Feb 1st change, departing from Montreal. Wanna the following:

20/01 YUL-MUC LH First
21/01 MUC-FRA LH Biz
21/01 FRA-Shangai LH First

Destination

13/04 BKK-MUC Thai First layover
14/04 MUC-DME LH Biz

Stopover

11/06 DME-MUC LH Biz
11/06 MUC-YUL LH Biz

IS this legal?

Is it the max I could get in terms of First class? Can't get back flight on LH at First since its too far from now, but could get First on Thai.

The agent told I can't make an openjaw between Shangai and BKK, but easily did it online with dummy reservation. Is this legal? Also, any thoughts I am missing out on first class on a way back. Was thinking of going back through Pacific from Moscow, getting first class on Thai or ANA. Would it be possible? its real backtracking.