Nov 28, 2016, 8:35 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
UA Gift Certificates Usage
Gift certificates as described here are extremely difficult if not impossible to use on UA.com. UA has discontinued this product and is now routing people to the new UA Travel Registry.
UA states (Nov 2016)
In order to use your existing gift certs, you will need to call in for ticketing.
Credit to 1KChinito
Gift certificates as described here are extremely difficult if not impossible to use on UA.com. UA has discontinued this product and is now routing people to the new UA Travel Registry.
UA states (Nov 2016)
Give loved ones the world
We've decided to discontinue the United gift certificate program, so gift certificates are no longer available for purchase. You can redeem any existing gift certificates and check your balance on the Check Gift Certificate Balance page. You can still help your family and friends get to where they want to go by purchasing gift miles. On the Buy Miles page, simply select “Give Miles” and log in to your MileagePlus account to get started.
We also invite you to check out united.com gift registry to see if your favorite traveler is registered to receive the gift of United flights.
We've decided to discontinue the United gift certificate program, so gift certificates are no longer available for purchase. You can redeem any existing gift certificates and check your balance on the Check Gift Certificate Balance page. You can still help your family and friends get to where they want to go by purchasing gift miles. On the Buy Miles page, simply select “Give Miles” and log in to your MileagePlus account to get started.
We also invite you to check out united.com gift registry to see if your favorite traveler is registered to receive the gift of United flights.
In order to use your existing gift certs, you will need to call in for ticketing.
Credit to 1KChinito
You can make a reservation online and select:
1. Other forms of payment in payment information
2. Cash in drop down menu if available --- "Pay in Person" is the name for the option now
3. Click purchase
A record locator will be created. You can then call UA with your record locator and your gift card information. This way, your airfare is locked and CSR has a much easier time to retrieve your itinerary instead of creating a new one, saving a lot of time and possible fare increase as you have experienced.
An UA CSR taught me this trick because I was in the middle of making a reservation and was unable to use my gift card. She walked me through the above 3 steps. My reservation was complete in a few minutes.
You may have to babysit your reservation until it is ticketed because it may take several weeks for UA to issue your ticket.
1. Other forms of payment in payment information
2. Cash in drop down menu if available --- "Pay in Person" is the name for the option now
3. Click purchase
A record locator will be created. You can then call UA with your record locator and your gift card information. This way, your airfare is locked and CSR has a much easier time to retrieve your itinerary instead of creating a new one, saving a lot of time and possible fare increase as you have experienced.
An UA CSR taught me this trick because I was in the middle of making a reservation and was unable to use my gift card. She walked me through the above 3 steps. My reservation was complete in a few minutes.
You may have to babysit your reservation until it is ticketed because it may take several weeks for UA to issue your ticket.
Issues using UA Gift Certificates - [discontinued]
Oct 1, 2015, 4:36 pm
#48
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 69
for people who is having the gift certificate problem,
let's complaint to the new United CEO website: https://unitedairtime.com/
let's complaint to the new United CEO website: https://unitedairtime.com/
Nov 9, 2015, 5:23 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 40
the whole united gift card/gift bank system is a disaster. all my valid gift certs are showing up as invalid. and even though in my account where it clearly states i have a balance in my united travel bank, when i reach the checkout page it shows a zero balance.
Jan 1, 2016, 9:25 pm
#50
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Aeroplan 75K
Posts: 275
These certs are really screwed up. When you buy one, look at the certificate number--it is a six character PNR followed by a ticket number beginning in 016.
The problem comes when you don't use the cert all in one shot--say I bought a $159 ticket with a $200 cert and had $41 in residual credit. If I try to use the same cert number next time around, I always encounter an error message.
Why? Because a new ticket number is issued for the residual credit. The problem? UA doesn't send out an e-mail with the new certificate number! So you have to call and ask for it.
What a pain. At least the travel credits don't have that problem.
The problem comes when you don't use the cert all in one shot--say I bought a $159 ticket with a $200 cert and had $41 in residual credit. If I try to use the same cert number next time around, I always encounter an error message.
Why? Because a new ticket number is issued for the residual credit. The problem? UA doesn't send out an e-mail with the new certificate number! So you have to call and ask for it.
What a pain. At least the travel credits don't have that problem.
I called the online-web support and they could not retrieve the new certificate number.
Mar 6, 2016, 1:36 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Maryland
Programs: DL Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 67
I'm having this trouble as well. What number did you dial to get this sorted out? United has passed me from representative to representative and no one seems able to look into this issue for me.
Mar 12, 2016, 11:39 pm
#54
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Marin County, California
Programs: Amex Centurion
Posts: 412
United to "Reinvent" Gift Certificates
Maybe a good thing considering how poorly they handled gift certificates in the past. Lessons could be learned from Southwest and Alaska. Both handle gift cards flawlessly IMO.
https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/pro...tificates.aspx
https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/pro...tificates.aspx
Mar 13, 2016, 12:13 am
#55
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
Programs: UA/*A Gold, Global Entry, Marriott Plat, Hilton+IHG Gold, Hertz PC, DL
Posts: 1,752
would be nice to see physical gift cards in supermarkets and drug stores (like WN does).
i'd probably still pay for all of my travel with the MP credit card because of the built-in trip protection, but 5% quarterly cashback from various credit cards at retailers that sell gift cards is cool too.
i'd probably still pay for all of my travel with the MP credit card because of the built-in trip protection, but 5% quarterly cashback from various credit cards at retailers that sell gift cards is cool too.
Mar 13, 2016, 12:31 am
#57
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Marin County, California
Programs: Amex Centurion
Posts: 412
Mar 13, 2016, 12:44 am
#58
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
You can still redeem any existing gift certificates
gift certificates are temporarily not available for purchase
Mar 13, 2016, 6:03 am
#59
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LIS/ATL/other
Programs: UA 1K, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Plat, Marriott Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 1,983
Yes it does. I buy $25 airline GC when I fly on FlexPerks awards, and get those $25 reimbursed. Until they fix this I lose that $25 benefit. Let's hope they fix before 4/13, when I have my next UA Flexperks flight
Last edited by CaptainMiles; Mar 13, 2016 at 6:14 am
Mar 13, 2016, 9:15 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Of course they're going to honor existing certificates, that would create a huge problem for them if they didn't.
But not selling future ones? That is definitely suspect. Gift cards/gift certificates have huge breakage and are normally profit centers for merchants. There must be a reason they stopped selling them abruptly, because it is likely costing them some money to do so.
But not selling future ones? That is definitely suspect. Gift cards/gift certificates have huge breakage and are normally profit centers for merchants. There must be a reason they stopped selling them abruptly, because it is likely costing them some money to do so.