KML29

I apologize in advance if this isn't the appropriate place for this post.

I recently--as in earlier this week--acquired a Mileage Plus Explorer credit card as I anticipate flying at least once a month for the foreseeable future. Yesterday, I had a brief online chat with a United rep about whether any of the perks that come with the card (priority boarding, free checked bag, etc.) could be applied to forthcoming flights that had been booked before I acquired the card. The short answer was "no," which didn't surprise me. I was told it might be possible to rebook these flights, absorbing any cost penalty, with a refund issued for the already booked tickets. I said thanks, but the ticket for one of those flights--the one I was most interested in adjusting--had been "purchased" with miles.

But something occurred to me after I concluded the chat. The implication of what I was told by the United rep is that the traveling perks associated with the credit card only apply to flights booked with that card...but a flight booked by using miles isn't, strictly speaking, a flight paid for using a credit card...unless simply paying for the relatively small, minor fees for a "miles-booked flight," using said credit card, is all it takes to retain the perks.

I have a hard time believing that the airline wouldn't honor the perks associated with the card for its highest use customers, but rather than trying to engage (and explain what I'm asking to) another United rep, I thought I'd ask the question here: do perks apply to card-holding travelers for flights booked with miles?

findark

Benefits that apply during the lifetime of your card being open...

Priority boarding (Group 2): always (even if not paid by card, or ticket purchased in the past)
Free carry-on on domestic BE: always (based on boarding group)
First checked bag free: only if the ticket is paid in part with the card (paying the taxes on an award ticket counts, so does a seat purchase on a previously existing itinerary - anything generating a new EDD on the PNR should work)

jsloan

It is. Also, the agent was wrong; most of the perks apply to your account and don't require actually using the card to buy the ticket. The free checked bag does; I don't think any of the other ones do.

pseudoswede

This is strange. I paid taxes for four award tickets using my MP Explorer Visa, and the receipt is showing that I have to pay $30 per checked bag. Is that normal?

Edited to add: well, shoot, I just noticed that my revenue one-way return ticket for the same trip is also showing $30 checked bags.

KML29

Thanks very much for the helpful replies.

jhayes_1780

+1, but to add, make 100% sure Chase has your correct MP number.

KML29

Thanks for the tip.

Now, a stupid question: how do I go about making sure of this? I've taken a long look at my Chase profile online and don't see anything that even vaguely references a field for a MP number. I must be missing something...

pseudoswede

If you have possession of the actual card, your MP# is on the back of the card under your name.

Collierkr

Is it UA metal, or a codeshare?

KML29

Found it, thanks!

garykung

And how long did you have the card before the booking?

pseudoswede

Literally DEN-MCO (bought a few weeks ago with miles) and MCO-DEN (bought revenue about four months ago) non-stops on UA metal.

I've had the card for probably five years now.

I thought I might have accidentally used my Costco Visa card when booking, but the last four digits on the receipts match my MP Visa.