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am I breaking any rules if I let friend/co-woker use my UA *A Gold for overweight bag

am I breaking any rules if I let friend/co-woker use my UA *A Gold for overweight bag

Old Feb 14, 2019, 7:57 pm
  #1  
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am I breaking any rules if I let friend/co-woker use my UA *A Gold for overweight bag

am I breaking any rules if I let my friend or co-woker who is on the same flight as me use my UA *A Gold status to get out of paying overweight bag? 53-pound bag when weight limit is 50-pound. Does it make any differentce if the flight is operated by United or another Star Alliance member airline?(Swiss, Turkish, ANA, for example)
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:02 pm
  #2  
 
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Of course you're breaking the rules! How many miles are you willing to see go *poof* if they discover your subterfuge and then close your account? That seems like a high cost to avoid a small fee.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:13 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by geometry
am I breaking any rules if I let my friend or co-woker who is on the same flight as me use my UA *A Gold status to get out of paying overweight bag? 53-pound bag when weight limit is 50-pound. Does it make any differentce if the flight is operated by United or another Star Alliance member airline?(Swiss, Turkish, ANA, for example)
The luggage benefits depend upon the carrier and the underlying system on the ticket. On a flight where the piece system applies, *G is one extra piece, but the per-piece limit is unchanged. So, if the regular allowance is 2x23kg, *G gets 3x23kg -- but that doesn't mean that you can check in 1x25kg without a fee. On a flight where the total weight system applies, *G is 20kg extra. So, if the regular allowance is 30kg, *G gets 50kg. Any individual per-piece limit the airline has is still in place, but generally I wouldn't expect a 25kg bag to raise alarm bells.

That said, what exactly are you proposing? UA may extend your luggage allowance to a companion as a courtesy, if you arrive at the airport together and have the same itinerary. I doubt a partner airline would do that -- I'm not even sure same-PNR companions get an increased luggage allowance on partner airlines. If you're planning to check it in under your name, you're responsible for its contents.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:15 pm
  #4  
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I'm sorry I beg to differ with #2 above. You and your co-worker are traveling companions on a flight. As long as you are comfortable / trusting of his luggage contents and that he's not having you transport illicit goods for him, this is no different than family members consolidating baggage under the member with highest privileges. Or at least, not any different that UA needs to know.

You step out of the taxi holding colleague's bag. What is UA to know the difference?
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:38 pm
  #5  
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Wow, I’ve never thought this to be an issue. I’m guessing post #2 was sarcasm?

I travel with non-status coworkers all the time. We always check bags under my name...Several times a year for 2 decades, and however long they’ve been charging non-status folks for bags.

My baggage allowance is 3 pieces up to 70 pounds each. Nowhere does it state that the bags must be owned by me or contain my own skivvies. I see no such mention in the Contract of Carriage, nor any verbiage ANYWHERE that states the bag must belong to me and only me. I’ve even announced this before, saying to the check-in agents, “We’ll check them all under my name...”, in 15 years as a 1K never has an eye been batted, nor a challenge presented.

OP...Non-issue. Check their bag (with the caveat, of course, that they’re not transporting anything illegal). I think the same applies if flying UA or a partner. Not in several years have I been asked anything about who the bag belongs to or whether or not I packed it myself.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:40 pm
  #6  
 
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I wouldnt check someone elses bag under my name unless I knew what was in it. You could certainly put 3lb of your companions stuff in your bag.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:41 pm
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by TA
I'm sorry I beg to differ with #2 above. As long as you are comfortable / trusting of his luggage contents and that he's not having you transport illicit goods for him, this is no different than family members consolidating baggage under the member with highest privileges.
+1. Although checking someone else's bag under one's own itinerary probably breaks United's rules, it does not reach the level of an ethical dilemma.

I've checked traveling companions' bags as my own. I've also packed friends' and family members' possessions in my bags. As long as you're willing to answer for a bag and its contents, I don't see a problem here.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:43 pm
  #8  
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Originally Posted by jsloan
UA may extend your luggage allowance to a companion as a courtesy, if you arrive at the airport together and have the same itinerary. I doubt a partner airline would do that
It definitely works with AC. I was the only person with status on a business trip last year with three co-workers, and we all got the baggage benefits even though we all arrived at the airport individually.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:44 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by TA
I'm sorry I beg to differ with #2 above. You and your co-worker are traveling companions on a flight. As long as you are comfortable / trusting of his luggage contents and that he's not having you transport illicit goods for him, this is no different than family members consolidating baggage under the member with highest privileges. Or at least, not any different that UA needs to know.

You step out of the taxi holding colleague's bag. What is UA to know the difference?
actually, it was the airline check-in agent's suggestion... (a Star Alliance airline, not United) she weighed my friend / co-worker's bag which was a "little" overweight and suggested that it be checked as "my" bag... I figured that if she suggested it, then it must be okay? However, I just want to know if there are any rules against doing this. If there are, I'll just flatly refuse to do it next time.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:48 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by geometry
I just want to know if there are any rules against doing this.
No issues as long as you're willing to claim responsibility for the contents.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 8:49 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by geometry
actually, it was the airline check-in agent's suggestion... (a Star Alliance airline, not United) she weighed my friend / co-worker's bag which was a "little" overweight and suggested that it be checked as "my" bag... I figured that if she suggested it, then it must be okay? However, I just want to know if there are any rules against doing this. If there are, I'll just flatly refuse to do it next time.
It's your choice to check another travelers bag as your own and not a rule violation -- but at some non-US locations, you may be asked if you packed the bag.

If you were not traveling and someone used your card, that's a different issue and could become a problem if discovered.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 9:03 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
It's your choice to check another travelers bag as your own and not a rule violation -- but at some non-US locations, you may be asked if you packed the bag.

If you were not traveling and someone used your card, that's a different issue and could become a problem if discovered.
Right. The original question sounded a lot like that was the scenario -- OP not traveling and trying to figure out a way to get a free bag.

In this case -- UA isn't going to know, or care, that the *A agent gave you a break. The only thing I'd be worried about is how much you trust the friend, because if something illicit were discovered, you're going to be the first person they find.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 9:11 pm
  #13  
 
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Everyone keeps talking about something illicit, but come on. Would that really cross your mind for most of the coworkers youd travel with?

I would totally do this, the only challenge might be if the bag misses the flight or is lost youre going to be stuck with them at baggage services filing claims. But this happens rarely enough I wouldnt have sweat it.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 9:45 pm
  #14  
 
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I generally would advise against this practice only because you are accepting responsibility for your co-workers bag.

If you were on the same PNR, your co-worker would just inherit your benefit.
If you are not on the same PNR, I don't know the policy. I know they typically will allow you to designate a companion for things like E+ so I would assume baggage as well. YMMV I would assume. The agent may extend the benefit anyways.
Certainly, they can do it when a PNR gets split but thats means they were together to start with.

Generally, on company travel, I don't make too much of an effort to save money like this. It all gets expensed anyways and its better to capture the true cost if they are using actual spending to estimate future projects.
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 9:53 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by villox
Everyone keeps talking about something illicit, but come on. Would that really cross your mind for most of the coworkers you’d travel with?

I would totally do this, the only challenge might be if the bag misses the flight or is lost you’re going to be stuck with them at baggage services filing claims. But this happens rarely enough I wouldn’t have sweat it.
You've not worked my coworkers!

Seriously, though, I also wouldn't hesitate.

As a tangent, for some reason when I travel with a companion on the same record and check three bags (within allowance), two are attributed to me and one to my companion. I'm not sure if that's agent streamlining or some system default.
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