Trying to book a flight on united.com/en/ca

At the payment stage, it refuses my credit card:

We are unable to process your request. Please see the message below and make revisions.
- Yukon is not a valid State/Province/Region. Please enter a new State/Province/Region.

I've tried to leave the field empty, and to enter "YT". In those cases, the website just says that there is a problem with my credit or debit card, without dissing on the Yukon. I called my card issuer (Amex), who says there was no attempt to charge my card.

Is this idiocy a known behaviour? Or is it new?

Just put in a different province with your correct postal code. No big deal.

I've tried that. Doesn't work.

Call in to reservations and they can get it booked for you and/or can escalate it to united.com support?

Sure, I can book over the phone. But Amex has an offer that only works for bookings through the United.com/en/ca website. If I can't use it, I'll just book Air Canada.

​​​​​​​I'm wondering if this is new or a known issue.

I also don't think United wants all Yukoners to call in for bookings. (Then again United doesn't seem to be interested in Yukon traffic anyway. Itineraries to/from YXY are bookable, but cost thousands of dollars more than when booked through Air Canada directly.)

It's often the case that codeshares (or even native flight numbers booked with another airline) are more expensive. Blame AC, not UA. They most likely have a restriction in the fare rules for their cheaper fares that they must be on AC ticket stock. UA is happy to sell you a cheap AC fare if the fare rules allow it.

If you want to be sure, pull up the cheap AC flight you want on matrix and read the rules.

Their customer service line has support staff for united.com issues. Since you have to book through the united.com website to get your Amex offer, they can help troubleshoot the issue you're having with Yukon not being accepted, and if they can't resolve it then can escalate it to the people who can fix the website, while also likely honoring the website offer. But they can't fix what they don't know about, and if your solution is to book with Air Canada instead, then so be it.

I'm trying. Their first response was that I should enter "Yukon Territory". That doesn't work either.

I know this offer. It should work as long as UA charges in you CAD, even if over the phone.

Both of you? (Just kidding.)

If you can't book online, Web Support will book if for you and it will look like it came from united.com.

Then stay on the line and continue working through it with them. They will be able to book it for you as if it came through united.com if they can't get it resolved (and also escalate it to the web development team).

If it's this offer: https://princeoftravel.com/blog/unit...es-amex-offer/ (spend 500 CAD, earn 250 CAD), then using the canadian united.com website is not necessary.
The system defaults to charge in whatever the currency of the billing address on the card is (and since OP is clearly using a Canadian billing address, causing this issue in the first place), if OP books via phone reservations, it will still charge in CAD.

Have you tried other abbreviations of Yukon? Just wondering if an American programmed those CA province abbreviations.

David

I have now been able to overcome the system by using a) the mobile website and b) lying about where YXY is. I entered Alberta instead of Yukon, and that was finally accepted. The desktop website had refused the incorrect data (I tried Alberta, Ontario, and also Nova Scotia, with both my correct postal code and a local postal code from that province).

It was a few years ago but the site had issues taking my 'state' code which was AE (Armed Forces Europe). As mentioned above web support took care of it and supposedly opened up a ticket with UA. I know later times it did take AE and the zip no problem. I would suggest contacting UA, even though you booked it, so they are aware of the problem. I had to change mine to NY (that is where the 09xxx AE zip codes were processed. Thankfully they seemed to fix it fast.

Long ago I have had similar issues for MP (Northern Mariana Islands, USA) [Marianas Pacific]. Not with UA for decades now (since the early 1990s). Correct final address line is:

Saipan, MP 96950

I have used:

Saipan, GU 96950
Saipan, HI 96950
Saipan, HI 96850 (with correct address on line above)

It looks like similar "games" have worked this time for the Yukon Territory. But if not, I agree that getting on the phone with UA web support (during normal working hours), and staying with them until resolved, is the best approach.