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]
Jan 20, 2019, 1:48 pm
#121
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
Best Way To Use Gift Certificate
Have a $100 certificate that will expire around summer. I usually fly with miles but couldn't find a way to combine the GC with miles, is there a trick? Is there a trick to extend the expiration date like buying a fully refundable ticket and then cancelling? If all else, whats the best way to sell it? All the major GC buying companies require your driver's license and no way I'm doing that.
[Moderator edit]
[Moderator edit]
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Jan 21, 2019 at 9:22 am Reason: Per FT Rule 15
Jan 20, 2019, 2:14 pm
#122
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
FTA, assuming that you are referring to a United gift certificate (or travel crertificate), I edited your post above, and the thread title in order to focus on the proposed use of the certificate which would be allowed by the program terms. Use of the certificate in other ways could result in serious consequences, including penalizing or closing affected MileagePlus accounts. (See https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/pro...tificates.aspx [last bullet point of the terms and conditions page].)
Ocn Vw 1K, Co-Moderator.
Ocn Vw 1K, Co-Moderator.
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Jan 20, 2019 at 8:43 pm Reason: correct typo
Jan 21, 2019, 8:08 pm
#126
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Posts: 66,859
Jan 26, 2019, 12:14 pm
#129
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
Jan 26, 2019, 12:19 pm
#130
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
UA Gift Certificates were discontinued over 2 years ago and require manual processing by a phone agent. Not available for online usage. See the wiki for how to use.
However, you can not use a combination of miles and "cash" to purchase a ticket. You might be able to use the GC to pay the fees for a mileage ticket.
However, you can not use a combination of miles and "cash" to purchase a ticket. You might be able to use the GC to pay the fees for a mileage ticket.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 24, 2019 at 6:02 pm Reason: missing word
Nov 24, 2019, 3:05 pm
#131
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304