worldwidetraveler

Thanks for the replies.
Final question : If we book separately with me using the United card for my ticket, then we'd wind up being split into different groups for boarding?
(Objective is to board as soon as possible to find overhead space for carry-ons)

mgcsinc

If you have different group numbers, you are allowed to board together.

EnvoyBoy

I'll add a tangential reference point with apologies if it doesn't help the conversation.

I have the MP Chase Card. I'm also a 1K. I flew on an award ticket today for which I did NOT use MP Chase Card to pay the taxes and fees.

I was still placed the CPU upgrade queue and cleared at the gate.

So even though I didn't use the card for the transaction, I still received the CPU benefit given only to card holders on award tickets.

Annandaler

The form of payment makes no difference. If you are both on the same PNR, and your MileagePlus numbers are properly connected to the PNR, you should get group 2 boarding.

The form of payment does make a difference as to getting a free checked bag - then the payment must be on the UA-branded credit card from Chase.

rittenhousesq

As someone who is currently GM (after many years of elite status), I can report that on a recent flight, I had boarding group 2 and "Priority Boarding" listed on my boarding pass, even though I used a card other than my Chase United card to pay for the ticket.

worldwidetraveler

Thanks again for the prompt replies. I called the Chase United card Customer Service number which transferred me to their United contact who assured me that , if necessary, showing the Explorer card on check in should be enough to get Group 2 boarding even though the tickets were purchased using another bank's Master Card.

PackingIt

Interesting situation you have. For sure payment does not need to be put on the Explorer card. I have the Explorer card, but put all United charged on my Select card to get the 3x miles. I always get the Explorer 'privileges'. But in your situation, it's your wife that is buying the ticket. As you were told, flashing the card should do the trick, but I am curious if you ultimately get Group 2 printed on the BP, and if the United website shows the free checked bag.

kpbadger

I originally posted this thread and wanted to provide an update, since I tried chasing this down to the ends of the earth...

After filing a complaint with the department of my state government that regulates financial institutions, I ended up with WRITTEN confirmation from a seemingly high level up in Chase that the priority boarding benefit does NOT require the ticket to be purchased with the Chase card. (In other words I was right all along.) Chase said this is a known bug in United's system that they're working on fixing. I also got a couple 5000 mile credits to my account for inconvenience.

My subsequent experience has been random. I have experienced all four possibilities: used a different card and both got/did not get group 2, and used the Chase card and got/did not get group 2.

Neither United's call center nor Twitter team can apparently fix this problem. Also nobody at the airport, be it kiosk, check-in person, or gate agent, can/will reissue a boarding pass with the correct boarding group. I tend to complain at the Twitter team, but really the best you can do is hope the gate agent lets you board with group 2.

I generally approach the gate agent BEFORE boarding, when they are NOT busy or looking overwhelmed, and say something like "My BP printed out group {3,4,5} but I have the card [present card] and should board with group 2." In all cases they have said to board with group 2, and then when the boarding pass beeps for wrong group, they remember me (credit card in hand) and wave me through.

diburning

I bet the bug might not even have anything to do with the Chase card. I don't have a Chase MP card. I had problems with the boarding groups as well.

At OLCI, I was emailed this boarding pass.



Looks fine, right? Boarding group 3, which is appropriate for the seat. No Premier Access or anything, since I didn't have status and didn't purchase Premier Access.

Then, I bought up to F on the first leg of my flight (this was the second leg). Premier Access comes with it, and is applied to the entire length of the outbound.

So, this was the boarding pass I received after the buy-up.


Thanks, Jeff Smisek.

The UC agents couldn't figure it out. They reprinted the BPs which showed the same thing, Priority Access, but with a boarding group of 4. The GA told me that I could not board with the Premier Access Group 2 (the boarding lanes ARE marked) even though I pointed it out on my BP, but eventually let me board because I was holding up the boarding queue. UA Insider PMed me about the problem, I responded, and was told that they have no record of Premier Access on my PNR.

I didn't make a big deal out of it as I was ultimately allowed to board with the correct boarding group, but my problem appears to be similar to yours.

Tchiowa

Maybe this means that you get to be the first person in Group 4 to board.

Yeah, this is as clear an example of a bug as you can get. You can see the inconsistency between Access and Boarding group at one time. I'd be interested to see how UA responds.

Starblazer

We can't change your boarding group at the airport even if we wanted to. That's all done in the computer when we print your boarding pass.

Samir Patel

I've had the Chase MileagePlus Explorer card for the past 3 yrs and have flown maybe 10 times on United over that time (ok, not much, but still enough be be somewhat frequent). I've enjoyed priority boarding and a lucky opportunity to get first class at discounted miles.

However, after I canceled my card, I realized I was missing out on a HUGE BENEFIT... the *OPTION* to upgrade to Priority Access (to avoid long checkin lines).

Once an account is linked to the MileagePlus Explorer card, this upgrade option goes away... it's impossible to even *PAY* for the upgrade. This upgrade would have come in very handy for me on a couple business related flights where I was willing to play an extra $20 for faster checkin.... Now that I cancelled the card, I get better options!

Yes, getting rid of this card has improved my options!

Seems like you get one of the following options:

1) Pay $95/yr and get free checked bag and no option of priority access. If ticket not purchased with Explorer card, you still *do not get priority access* because the MileagePlus FF account is already associated with the card, plus you have to *pay for bags*... so it's a *total loss*.

2) No card and get ability to upgrade to Priority Access for a small fee (similar to checked bag fee). No longer get free checked bag.

Seems odd there's no option to get both... and in some cases get neither priority access, or free checked bag (if have card, but purchased ticket through other means).

WineCountryUA

Premier Access includes
Premier check-in lines,
Premier security lanes at select airports and
Premier priority boarding

The Explorer Card includes
Premier priority boarding and other items such as a bag waiver

Suspect UA (and many folks) thought the Premier priority boarding as the highest benefit and therefore the selling of Premier Access to Explorer card folks presented a problem. So there is a bit of a Catch-22 issue.

arctikjon

No proof on this but I suspect if you called up and asked to add on Premier Access to the reservation the phone agents would be more than happy to take your monies.

arctikjon

My guess is its lazy coding... the Club Card includes full Premier Access so likely they coded it to just remove the purchase option for any Chase Customer rather than acknowledging the 2 tiers of chase accounts.