GoSh4rks

Mrp Alert

Pehaps you book a multicity itin with a ua segment first like lax-sfo//yvr-sfo? Call within 24 hours to drop the first segment - odds are that it will remain on United ticket stock.

cfischer

There are several routes where there is either none, limited or spotty UA codeshare on AC flights to/from the US. Whether UA or AC are driving this ... not sure, but those transcon routes are the ones with the least amount of codesharing IME.

PaxALotl

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I'm just looking around trying to confirm something:

If I buy a flight on AC, and my goal is to earn PQM, I will receive UA PQM credit for the actual miles flown regardless of whether it's ticketed by AC or UAL.

Is that a correct statement?

findark

Yes. Zero PQD on AC stock, but the same PQM regardless of ticket issuer.

PaxALotl

Ok, but the reason I ask is that on this page they aren't that clear about it. I assume it won't be an 016 ticket, so looking at that chart is shows the discounted economy fares don't always get miles. But, I don't really care that much about accumulating miles, I just want to make sure I get the PQM. Am I understanding that only the regular award miles are affected by fare class, and PQM is strictly miles flown even on a codeshare?

TomMM

Look at the "MileagePlus Premier qualification" section on that page.

findark

I think I misread your original question. You will earn the same PQM regardless of ticket stock, but your earnings will be reduced by half for int'l BE fares, and down to 25% for S/T/A/L/K fares within Canada.

FlyerTalker70

My understanding of MilagePlus, and fellow FTers correct me if I'm off base here, is that the amount of PQMs earned depends solely on the operating carrier. It doesn't matter what ticket stock you have, if the metal you fly on is AC then you'll earn PQMs per the AC accrual chart.

In terms of award miles, then it gets a bit more complicated. If it's a UA flight regardless of what card-stock its printed on or it's UA card stock than the normal UA earnings apply. Otherwise, the earnings will depend on the operating carrier's accrual chart. Tickets purchased using a consolidator introduce several wrinkles and are a topic well beyond the pay grade of FT.

Speaking specifically of AC milage accrual, for revenue flights you'll earn at least 25% PQM on flights (i.e. domestic within Canada cheapest fare). 50% PQM on Economy Basic flights everywhere, or 100% for all other flights. Similar to UA Economy Basic fares may share the same fare code as normal economy flights (i.e. K) but are designated as Economy Basic on the ticket. Before you start thinking of the 500 mile PQM, also remember that it is impacted by these percentages as well. For instance, a deep discount short haul domestic flight (i.e. YYZ -> YOW) would only earn 125 miles (i.e. 25% of PQM minimums). Similarly a full fare Executive class (fare code J) will earn 1500 miles for the same trip (i.e. 300% of PQM minimums).

On a side note, many UA loyalist who happen to maintain a residence in the Great White North have been using Air Canada flight passes which give you a fixed number of one way flights for a flat fee. For instance the $1,900 CAD weekender pass gives you 8 one-way credits between the Canadian West coast and US west coast (i.e. between BC and AB and CA, WA, OR, NV) These credits can be redeemed on fairly short notice (some up to an hour before departure) with changes being relatively inexpensive or even free! If you decide to go down this route, you need to sign up for AC's Aeroplan program then purchase the flight pass. After you've done that, whenever you book a flight using the pass you'll want to plug in your MilagePlus number during booking (and confirm it shows up during OLCI). As before you'll earn UA PQM/RDMs on flights taken with those passes and gain all the *Gold benefits (i.e. lounge access, checked bags).

Hope that clarifies things.

Safe Travels,

James

PaxALotl

Hi please pardon my ignorance but are you making a distinction between PQM and 'earnings'? What does you mean by earnings?

findark

No distinction -- you will earn 25% of the distance as PQM for STALK fares within Canada, regardless of ticket stock. 50% for Basic Economy, and 100% for other discount Economy fares.

WineCountryUA

This not just UA MP, it is true for all of *A carriers.

When someone asking about earnings or mileage -- it is sometimes not clear if they are asking about RDMs/award miles or PQMs/status miles.

buck3y3nut

Another question I'd like to ask - Any strategy to ensure you book a 016 stock through concur? I am able to find flights through google flights and it prices out on UA.com; but if I put in the same flight timings on Concur, I end up with two one-way tickets instead. My aim is to get those PQD because the tickets are almost a $1000 and I do this trip once every 4-6 weeks.

docbert

Concur is just a front-end. The actual tickets will be issued by whatever travel agent you use behind the scenes.

Whether they are able to issue on 016 stock is something you'll need to ask them - and almost certainly it's not something you can trigger via Concur.

In the case of our TA (Amex GBT) they will issue on 016 stock only if at least one of the flights is on UA, and of course it needs to be fare that can actually be ticketed on UA which most but not all AC fares seem to allow. eg, for a recent flight SFO-YVR-PEK-YVR-SFO they were able to issue my ticket on 016 by changing the SFO-YVR leg to a United metal flight (a UA codeshare should also work).

FlyerTalker70

If memory serves me correctly UA codeshares for AC (which should print on UA ticket stock) will have the UA logo appear in the search results and a UA flight number but have the same info as the AC flight you're intending to book (i.e. UA8292 for SFO->YYZ instead of AC756). On some AC routes, there is no UA codeshare hence the reason why you may see two one-ways as the option (one for the UA codeshare and the other for the AC flight). In addition, UA codeshares often cost more than booking direct with AC (sometimes as much as double the cost), especially if the entire itinerary consists of AC operated flights. The opposite used to be the case, then the last April's YYZ DO happened (a story for another day).

Also could you comment on the operating carrier and route in question. There might be a way around this depending on how flexible you are with timings and what not.

Safe Travels,

James