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Old Jan 6, 2019, 12:17 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Welcome to this thread to ask your basic, simple questions about United Airlines, its operations, or the MileagePlus program. We know that the airline is complex and we’ve created this thread for new and veteran members to ask those basic questions about United Airlines that you think must have an easy answer but just can’t find it or aren’t sure where to look.

UA Moderator Team
Ocn Vw 1K, l'etoile, J.Edward, goalie, Pat89339, WineCountryUA

These are the two rules for this thread:
  1. Use this thread for a simple, basic question. Moderators may move posts to a new / existing thread if appropriate.
  2. Any member who can post a constructive, patient answer is welcome to reply.

Generally, there are not long discussions of an issue in this thread. If it appears that is needed, the posts will be moved to an existing thread or used as the start of a new separate thread.

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Here is a link to recent previous threads:
Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2018]

Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2017]

Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2016 Part II]

Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2016 Part I]

Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2015 -Part II]...

Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2015 Thread]...
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Have a Simple Question About United Airlines/MileagePlus? Ask Here [2019]

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Old Jun 9, 2019, 11:50 am
  #571  
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Originally Posted by stevento
If an airport doesn't come up on united.com, do phone agents have access to it?
They should be able to.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 8:10 am
  #572  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Delays due to mechanical - award flight
This might be a stupid question, but my flight to Narita from ORD had a mechanical issues which caused me to miss my connection to Guangzhou. What are my options to alternatives? Can I request another airline that flies out to Narita earlier or another destination alotgether (through Hong Kong or Beijing to Guangzhou). On the app it says there isn't another flight to Guangzhou for 4 days from Narita, so I shouldn't get on the Narita flight. I also was wondering if it's possible to change my return flight because of this because of the fewer number of days in my trip.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 8:18 am
  #573  
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Originally Posted by psychoidiot
This might be a stupid question, but my flight to Narita from ORD had a mechanical issues which caused me to miss my connection to Guangzhou. What are my options to alternatives? Can I request another airline that flies out to Narita earlier or another destination alotgether (through Hong Kong or Beijing to Guangzhou). On the app it says there isn't another flight to Guangzhou for 4 days from Narita, so I shouldn't get on the Narita flight. I also was wondering if it's possible to change my return flight because of this because of the fewer number of days in my trip.
Yes, you can request carriage on another airline. Agents may try to tell you that you need award space or insist that you have to fly Star Alliance, but neither of those things is true. UA, as the late-delivering carrier, is responsible for getting you to CAN, and Star Alliance policy says that they need to so expeditiously. Star Alliance flights would be preferred, though, so I’d look for flights via PEK first.

As for changing your return flight; that’s possible, but there I think UA might insist upon award space being available, at least on the partner flight.

Keep in mind that you can take a ferry from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, which would then allow you to take UA’s nonstop flight to/from ORD.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 8:29 am
  #574  
 
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I have 2 large luggage so I rather not go to HKG even though I know it's close to CAN - however looks like the only option for me today unless I want to arrive 2 days later or take a 2 connection stop. How do people even get on other airlines to CAN - this is what I get for having no status though I guess.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 8:44 am
  #575  
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Originally Posted by psychoidiot
I have 2 large luggage so I rather not go to HKG even though I know it's close to CAN - however looks like the only option for me today unless I want to arrive 2 days later or take a 2 connection stop. How do people even get on other airlines to CAN - this is what I get for having no status though I guess.
Fair enough. You’ll definitely have a limited number of one-connection options; UA isn’t going to want to route you on China Southern if they can avoid it. That said, the flight to PEK seems to be full, but you can ask to be routed through HKG onto Cathay Dragon. There are seats available and you’d actually get to CAN 25 minutes earlier than your scheduled NRT-CAN flight.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 9:12 am
  #576  
 
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Well crap, I didn't know that was an option - the agent only gave me UA to HKG, not Cathy to CAN. Can I still change it?
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 9:20 am
  #577  
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Originally Posted by psychoidiot
Well crap, I didn't know that was an option - the agent only gave me UA to HKG, not Cathy to CAN. Can I still change it?
It can’t hurt to try, especially if your bags haven’t been checked-in yet.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 10:00 am
  #578  
 
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Well learned something new and makes me reconsider booking United Award flights - apparently if you book an award flight you can ONLY go on Star Alliance flights. I should have just bought this ticket instead - so angry right now. I had so many miles sitting around so I thought it wasn't worth it to buy a ticket even though fares were pretty cheap on Hainan. That was my mistake apparently.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 10:05 am
  #579  
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Originally Posted by psychoidiot
Well learned something new and makes me reconsider booking United Award flights - apparently if you book an award flight you can ONLY go on Star Alliance flights. I should have just bought this ticket instead - so angry right now. I had so many miles sitting around so I thought it wasn't worth it to buy a ticket even though fares were pretty cheap on Hainan. That was my mistake apparently.
That is not true, although many UA agents will make that story up. (They may even believe it).

The Star Alliance policy is here: Reference Guide - Airports Information - Irregular Operations Handling . It specifically includes non-*A airlines as a rebooking option, and it indicates that it applies to all customers who have been accepted for travel on the airline.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 11:11 am
  #580  
 
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Fare-based earnings and stopovers
I found a great international fare on UA with some generous stopover provisions. I will likely have a stopover of several months in one direction.

I was wondering how and when miles will post, given that UA awards miles based on spend rather than distance, since the fare is priced as a single unit from origin to destination. Will nothing post until I've "used up" the fare by departing from my stopover and reaching my final destination, at which point everything posts at once? If not, how does UA "prorate" the pre-stopover and post-stopover portions?
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 11:14 am
  #581  
 
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Quick question some googling wasn't able to solve for me. Is there any copay required for a mileage upgrade from PP to Polaris? Thinking this might be a handy way to spend a bunch of miles...
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 11:18 am
  #582  
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Originally Posted by yonatan
I was wondering how and when miles will post, given that UA awards miles based on spend rather than distance, since the fare is priced as a single unit from origin to destination. Will nothing post until I've "used up" the fare by departing from my stopover and reaching my final destination, at which point everything posts at once? If not, how does UA "prorate" the pre-stopover and post-stopover portions?
It posts per-segment, just like any other journey. The allocation of PQD across segments attached to the same fare component is a bit of a black box, but it is usually somewhat close to pro rata by distance.

Originally Posted by A Little Cow
Quick question some googling wasn't able to solve for me. Is there any copay required for a mileage upgrade from PP to Polaris? Thinking this might be a handy way to spend a bunch of miles...
Yes, unless booked in O.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 11:18 am
  #583  
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Originally Posted by yonatan
I found a great international fare on UA with some generous stopover provisions. I will likely have a stopover of several months in one direction.

I was wondering how and when miles will post, given that UA awards miles based on spend rather than distance, since the fare is priced as a single unit from origin to destination. Will nothing post until I've "used up" the fare by departing from my stopover and reaching my final destination, at which point everything posts at once? If not, how does UA "prorate" the pre-stopover and post-stopover portions?
It will be prorated, with some bit of the fare assigned to each leg. It’s roughly based upon distance, but there are no real guarantees. UA will provide you a breakdown, but it’s sometimes wrong.

Originally Posted by A Little Cow
Quick question some googling wasn't able to solve for me. Is there any copay required for a mileage upgrade from PP to Polaris? Thinking this might be a handy way to spend a bunch of miles...
Yes, except on the most-expensive P+ fares (O class).
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 11:50 am
  #584  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Originally Posted by jsloan

That is not true, although many UA agents will make that story up. (They may even believe it).

The Star Alliance policy is here: Reference Guide - Airports Information - Irregular Operations Handling . It specifically includes non-*A airlines as a rebooking option, and it indicates that it applies to all customers who have been accepted for travel on the airline.
Thanks for this, the amount of pushback I got was incredible. I didn't know I had the option to insist. In the end their issue was UA has no interline agreement with Dragon Airline (but they admit they have one with Cathy Pacific). I gave up because I spent 4+ hours on this and it couldn't get resolved and I'm about to hop on a plane. They added it to my itinerary but the flight isn't confirmed due to that issue which is hilarious to me.
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Old Jun 12, 2019, 11:55 am
  #585  
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Originally Posted by psychoidiot
Thanks for this, the amount of pushback I got was incredible. I didn't know I had the option to insist. In the end their issue was UA has no interline agreement with Dragon Airline (but they admit they have one with Cathy Pacific). I gave up because I spent 4+ hours on this and it couldn't get resolved and I'm about to hop on a plane. They added it to my itinerary but the flight isn't confirmed due to that issue which is hilarious to me.
I wish I could say I'm surprised at the pushback that you got, but I'm not.

UA has a full set of interline agreements with Cathay Dragon (KA) -- ticketing, e-ticketing, and baggage.

Best of luck when you get to HKG.
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