winston vickers

Mostly retired, but for many years I was 1K on UA. Recently purchased a R/T ticket from the states to SE Asia on SQ. The ticket was a "Saver" J class ticket. When I made the reservations I put my UA FF number in the RES and had a great trip. While I checking my account after the trip, I was credited only for the actual mileage flown, no extra bonus for being in J. Called in and was told that since the ticket was a "Saver" class, there was no bonus given. Here's the kicker, I had a traveling companion who didn't have a FF account for Star A so they enrolled in an airline that accumulates miles on SQ, not even an "Official" Star Member Airline. It's a new account and they have no status. It took several weeks for the miles to be entered into their account, but they received the actual miles AND 100% bonus for being in J. We both paid the same amount and it was the same RES. Seems odd that I'm not getting the bonus and they are. Almost afraid to call in and ask since the other party might have the miles deducted. Thoughts as to whether I should proceed or drop? The mileage bonus was over 12,000, so it's a good chunk.

cfischer

drop what? United credited you exactly how much they should. J-class on SQ earns 100% PQM and 125% RDM.
See https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...-airlines.html
If you want to check where you will earn most ... Where to Credit | Where to Credit Singapore Airlines Flights in J Booking Class

mduell

If you credit to the same program as your companion, you can get the bonus in that program.

findark

UA and SQ don't get along very well, so discount Business will earn only 100% of the distance in PQM and RDM. Other partners may play nicer with SQ and award more miles.

WineCountryUA

Did you purchase the ticket from SQ or UA? You probably would have done much better with UA priced based mileage approach. Versus 100% of mileage for discount business on SQ purchase.

cfischer

With SQ it is essentially impossible to get it plated on 016 ticket stock. All discount fares are essentially excluded from 016 ticketing. Whenever I try it always put it up into full fare. UA and SQ are just not very compatible. For best mileage earning to Asia on cheap fares it is often AC that wins with 200% RDM on P-fares plus bonus if applicable.

dvs7310

Don't worry, your companion won't have their miles deducted. Every program has different rules about how they credit flights from partners. United is one of the worst places to credit paid business class fares from most *A airlines, the exceptions to this are CM and the Trans-Atlantic / Trans-Pacific JV partners. Basically all other partners get 100% PQMs and maybe a slight bonus on RDMs depending on fare class, but still often only 125%. As you have found out, many other partner programs are more sensible for paid business class fares and credit them from 150%-200%, even flown on partner airlines.

Kacee

Don't know where your companion credited the miles, but SQ only credits its own discount business class at 125%.

WineCountryUA

Interestigly AS provides the best award miles (200% for D - Discount Business) even as a non-*A partner (which the OP mentioned). Most *A partners provide 125% and a few are 150% (M&M) and a couple 200%.

In the *A system the operating airline determines the amount of credit offered to a partner's program. There are likely a lot of factors in that process, what the crediting program wants for its miles, what the reciprocal deal is like (the net trade balance) and so others have mentioned how the two carriers get along.

Kacee

Yeah, I thought of AS after I posted. They make up for a subpar t-con hard product and lack of international route network by providing outsized FFP benefits. I doubt SQ is bearing much if any of the cost of those very generous accrual rates.

cfischer

As gives insane credit for many partner airlines, CX is another example of that.

emcampbe