segiddins

Already checked there, and indeed the miles/dollars/segments from this trip are missing

findark

Although there have been reports to the contrary, I would be willing to take the following to the bank: (a) PQD accruals will be correct to the actual fare when spread across fare breaks, and (b) if they aren't you can call MPSC to get it fixed so that they are.

If you have a fare component spanning the year boundary, I'm afraid you're SOL. There is no reliable way to see per-segment earning within a single fare component. Even if the displays worked, I've never had it actually post the same as either the receipt or the forecast.

segiddins

i don’t actually know what fare components this itinerary includes— it’s ORD-YYZ (this is the only segment not in P, so I know it’s on it’s own fare component), YYZ-IAH-NRT-BKK, then TPE-SFO-IAD-YYZ, with the last three flights being on January 2. I’d really hate to end the year with 130,000 PQM and only be platinum.

findark

It seems likely that there is a fare break between BKK and TPE, assuming that this is also a break across the new year. But you can plug your ticket in to the Saudia website to determine the fare construction.

jsloan

Take a look at the fare construction on Saudia.com (put your ticket number into the Manage Bookings tab). You almost certainly have a fare break at BKK -- I can't imagine how you wouldn't -- so it should just be a matter of adding together all of the fares between ORD and BKK, and then figuring out the fuel surcharge breakdown.

If you can find the same fare on ITA Matrix today, it may be in a more readable format there.

segiddins

Looked it up via ITA, and yikes! Carrier UA PLX6ZDM0 YTO to BKK is only showing as $988. (There is $400 YQ, but I have no idea how that gets allocated). Looks like I'll need to pay for P on my last domestic trip as well :/

Fare construction, for anyone interested:

findark

Total PQD for the trip should include:

This includes a minimum of 1,290 PQD in 2017 (for CHI-YTO-BKK), plus some arbitrary amount of that YQ. You're right in that it's impossible to guess how much YQ is assignable where, since YQ is the most arbitrarily broken system I've ever seen. I say minimum because every fractional allocation to a segment will round up.

YQ: As stand-alone fare components, the YTO-BKK $267.60 r/t, YTO-BKK/TPE-YTO is also $267.60, and YTO-TPE is $39.40 r/t. Adding the CHI-YTO segment bumps it to $400. So who really knows.

jsloan

It looks like $302 for CHI to YTO, then $976-988 for YTO to BKK (Not sure what Q12.19 means and if it counts towards PQD, but I don't see it if I do the search on ITA. Maybe an exchange rate adjustment?). The YQ is probably split more-or-less evenly between the two long legs, but I can't tell for sure.

findark

Q is a general code for surcharges-by-schedule, in this case triggered by

I'm starting to regret being so specific though, as exchange rates in faring are a complete disaster. The fare construction seems to use NUC and a very static exchange rate, but then the ticket is sold back into the sales currency. Do UA PQD accrue based on NUC or USD of the fare component??

i.e. sales conversion in this case is NUC -> CAD at 1.22979 -> USD at market float on day of purchase

No, wait, OP has a US ticket origin, so actually it did NUC -> USD at 1.0000, and things are mostly correct then. The change in USD/CAD rate since the NUC conversion means it's advantageous to purchase the same fare with a Canada origin (also less YQ).

My original post assumes PQD accrue as NUC for fare components.

jsloan

Thanks -- now that you mention it, I do recognize it. It just slipped my mind until your response. I found a similar fare in ITA, but either they reissued it without that surcharge or I didn't trigger it somehow. So, yes, it should be part of the PQD.

I would expect PQDs to accrue based upon NUC, but I don't know for sure. In this case, of course, it shouldn't matter.

findark

On further thought that makes a lot more sense. IIRC the NUC to local tables are updated monthly - I think this clears up my mystery from a few months ago.

The workflow is then:

1. New NUC conversion table is published
2. Carriers re-file fares in NUC based on the target currency (e.g. a KRW 700,000 fare is filed in NUC such that it's always KRW 700,000 for that month)
3. City of origin pulls the fare table for that city, and converts NUC to local using the NUC conversion table
4. Sales city converts origin currency to sales currency using market float rate

Taxes and fees are in the local currency of the billing country, and are converted to sales currency at time of purchase using the market float.


Much easier to track and award PQD by NUC instead of USD, and it's not going to be all that exploitable except in the case of rapidly changing currencies (hmm too bad CCS is not a destination anymore )

segiddins

Y'all are absolutely incredible, thanks so much for the detailed responses. I went ahead and booked my ORD-SEA in P to ensure I'll have enough PQD for the year.

SFOrunner

Hi there,

Booked the following itinerary: SFO-ORD-TVC, DTW-IAD-SFO. The ORD-TVC leg is Operated By Air Wisconsin Airlines dba United Express. Does anyone know why this ticket is showing that leg as being ineligible for PQM's? Normally I wouldn't be super concerned about this, but the ORD-TVC flight is my last flight of 2017 (flying on 12/24/17), and I am relying on the 500 PQM minimum to meet 1K requirements (99,527 vs 100,027 PQM). The other three legs on the itinerary are all on United metal, and it is an 016 ticket. I would be very upset to fly that leg only to learn that I am 473 PQM short of qualifying for 1K! (PQD will be met already)

Fare Breakdown

• Airfare: 528.37 USD
• U.S. Transportation Tax:39.63
• U.S. Flight Segment Tax:16.40
• September 11th Security Fee:11.20
• U.S. Passenger Facility Charge:18.00
• Per Person Total: 613.60 USD
• eTicket Total: 613.60 USD

jsloan

It's just a glitch. All United Express flights, including Air Wisconsin, are eligible for PQMs, including the 500-mile minimum for current Premier members. You'll be fine. I flew my first Air Wisconsin flight recently and it posted fine, like any other United Express flight.

findark

Specifically, the tables for operating carrier when displaying that info are really slow to update, and they haven't got the message that ZW is flying for United Express yet. You'll be fine.