Gaming the system for additional PQP for WAS-HNL?
 

Trying to figure out ways to gain additional PQP for a long trip between WAS-HNL. With fares in the ~$500 range for approx 9500 mi roundtrip of travel, I would think there'd be some way to get better than ~500 PQP whether that be going through a consolidator, going through a codeshare partner, etc.

An UA-operated flight regardless of flight number or ticket stock will earn based on the standard UA rules.
A BULK fare might or might not get a better PQP but those are not commonly available for domestic routes -- and a consolidator fare can come with many irritating restrictions.

You could look for an air / hotel (just 1 day lodging) package on United Vacations / Expedia / .... sometimes those are bulk fares

You can always buy a higher fare class ticket to earn more PQP :p

It is no fun that one cannot game the UA PQP scheme. 😂 You forgot the title of the thread by suggesting for paying more to get more PQP. 😀
To OP, international routing with partners may be a better option if you are allowed to travel to that destination. Good luck.

You "game" the normal booking system (current available lowest ticketed fare code) by changing the fare letter :)

Of course I was being a wise guy, because I really don't know any work arounds other than partner (non-UA) flights. I have no experience with BULK fares.

That said, I experienced one positive PQP crediting. One of my itineraries was INVOL cancelled due to schedule change of a different ticket, which caused time conflicts between the two. In the end, I earned more PQP than expectation.

I don't expect replication, as this scenario had involved a lot of non-conventional events.

'via' YYZ/YUL/YVR on AC on 2 tickets is the only sensible way I can come up with other than the UA vacation bulk ticket option, but that won't add too much extra I am afraid either.
AC should be 1000 PQP.

I looked at that AC idea - OP probably has no chance of getting two tickets and be anywhere near $500, plus (depending on when OP's trip is) there's the current border restrictions. AC isn't flying to Hawaii currently.

With the 750 per segment cap, you've got to have two long-enough segments. And during COVID, you have to have nonstop access to the "other coast", like LAX-YYZ/YUL or Eastern US-YVR.

That would violate cabotage rules unless you have 24 hours between flights (not to mention mandatory quarantine). Putting it on two separate tickets doesn't let you get around the law.

Is there really any onus on passengers to abstain from buying cabotage tickets? I thought it was fundamentally a proscription for the carriers selling tickets.

I don't know what the law is (what is the law?), but I'm sure no one would come after you for WAS-YYZ + YYZ-HNL (well, at least not for the ticket itself, maybe for corona something).

Correct. No issues legally from purchasing separate tickets; although there are no guarantees of weird looks from Canadian immigration officers.

Before UA had re-introduced YYZ<->SFO, from time to time, UA codeshares of AC flights would be priced cheaper than flying US domestic cross country flights. I remember flying LGA-YYZ (one ticket) YYZ<->SFO (one ticket), and then back to LGA - a lot of weird looks from officers at YYZ, but once I had explained, they couldn't get rid of me faster enough for being so crazy.

Keep in mind, this is before UA had regular widebodies on its transcon flights, at least in 1-2-1 config.

Pre-pandemic, of course.

I believe this is correct. It's a carrier restriction - the carriers can't sell you a ticket involving restricted cabotage, but I believe an individual doesn't face that restriction (and thus, the need to buy two tickets, because one carrier won't).

Merchant Marine Act of 1920 / Jones Act
Which is a prohibition on the carriers

Yeah it seems a bit tricky to pin down when someone has bought a 'cabotage' ticket. I suppose a pair of round trips end-on-end could be an easy call, but I have had trips that go something like start LGA-YUL, next day YUL-ORD, week later ORD-YYZ, two days later YYZ-HNL. What would that be? It really only makes sense if you start thinking about whether there is a fare for, e.g., LGA-ORD that is allowing a connection in YUL (which obviously never happens).

Anyway, I'm curious if there is any law at all regarding passengers, vis a vis tickets.


Aside: it sounds as though you're gunning for weird looks from the immigration officers, Repooc17 — 'there are no guarantees of weird looks from Canadian immigration officers'. :p

Also,
It's bugging me that I wrote WAS-YYZ instead of WAS-YTO, even if for practical purposes of course it is YYZ. :o

edit add:

​​​​​​​Thanks! Indeed.

The anti-cabotage law applies to carriers (not passengers), and is enforced by DOT.

The proscription includes end-on-end tickets, but legal stopovers are okay.

Over a decade ago Asiana (OZ) was fined for allowing such tickets between Saipan (SPN), part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (a U.S. territory), and the U.S. mainland.