Last edit by: WineCountryUA
What is ORC?
ORC=Original Routing Credit: Claiming credit for your original routing as you originally booked it in the event you are rerouted on flights that earn fewer miles than you originally booked.
When do I qualify for ORC?
If you are flying a UA flight on a UA-issued ticket and crediting to UA Mileage Plus, then generally after being rebooked during IROPS due to a misconnect or canceled flight (regardless of the cause--weather, mechanical, ATC delays, etc.) on a more direct routing than you originally booked that earns fewer United miles. This includes being rebooked on other airlines, even if they are not United partners, as well as being rebooked on other UA flights or UA partner flights.
What if I SDC and then have IROPS?
Reports suggest SDCing AAA-BBB to AAA-XXX-BBB and then having IROPS where you are placed back on AAA-BBB, that ORC might be denied for AAA-XXX-BBB. As your original purchase was AAA-BBB.
Unknown what would happen in more complex situations, such as you traveled to XXX and then IROPS occurred, you would probably just be better without ORC.
You will generally not qualify for ORC under the following circumstances:
A reroute during a VDB has been an open issue (best if you can get the VDB marked INVOL but still should be possible -- may take some pushback if refused)
How do I get ORC?
ORC will not post automatically (even if a gate agent assures you otherwise). You will have to call in or write into the MPSC (Mileage Plus Service Center--NOT the reservations center or Premier reservations line), provide your record locator or e-ticket number, and state that you were rerouted at United's request and would like to receive the mileage as you originally booked. You cannot do this until the miles for the flights you actually flew posted (which, for United metal, is usually shortly after your flight, as of mid-2019) and at least 5 days have passed between the original VDB flight date and the date of the request for ORC. If the agent grants you ORC, and you have UA miles already posted from the flights you actually took, they will send it to auditing. After about a week the miles for the flights you actually flew will be removed from your account and the miles for the original routing will be deposited, so check and make sure that your original routing would have indeed given you more miles than you actually earned!
If you were rebooked on a carrier which isn't a United partner (i.e. AA, DL, etc.), you can generally credit the flight you actually flew to that carrier's mileage program and still claim ORC with UA.
Any tips to ensure I am successful?
When dealing with UA over a rebooking that will earn you fewer miles, make sure the agent marks your ticket as "INVOL." When the MPSC sees this note, they will be much more likely to quickly agree to grant you ORC. The absence of "INVOL" on your ticket makes the agent think you may have voluntarily rerouted yourself on a shorter itinerary, in which case you wouldn't be able to claim ORC.
Automated rebookings (the kind where you misconnect and then check your itinerary or go to a kiosk after landing and find yourself already booked on another flight) generally seem to properly be marked "INVOL," so you should be fine in these cases. You can see if your ticket was marked "INVOL" by clicking on the "View Receipt" function for your itinerary on united.com; it will be shown next to "Fare Rules" below the fare breakdown section, like so:
Note that some people have reported success in claiming ORC on VDB rebookings if they were able to successfully persuade the agent to mark the itinerary "INVOL."
Is there ORC for MM / Lifetime credit? for PQDs?
Yes and Yes (Generally included but to be safe specifically mention these in your request)
Can a get a refund?
It is believed that requesting a refund will block the ability to request ORC.
Other issues?
You may run into difficulty if any of the following are true:
The first two may not be impossible to overcome, but you may need to work harder to get the credit (YMMV, though, especially if both #1 and #2 are true).
The third one is a different case--you need to request credit through the program you're crediting to, as third parties don't have the ability to make adjustments to programs they don't own (UA can't adjust your LH balance, for example--they can only send LH a feed of what flights that person flew, a process which is automated and tied to their operations system).
Archive of older posts - Original Routing Credit (ORC) After Involuntary Re-Routing/Re-Booking (Archive)
ORC=Original Routing Credit: Claiming credit for your original routing as you originally booked it in the event you are rerouted on flights that earn fewer miles than you originally booked.
When do I qualify for ORC?
If you are flying a UA flight on a UA-issued ticket and crediting to UA Mileage Plus, then generally after being rebooked during IROPS due to a misconnect or canceled flight (regardless of the cause--weather, mechanical, ATC delays, etc.) on a more direct routing than you originally booked that earns fewer United miles. This includes being rebooked on other airlines, even if they are not United partners, as well as being rebooked on other UA flights or UA partner flights.
What if I SDC and then have IROPS?
Reports suggest SDCing AAA-BBB to AAA-XXX-BBB and then having IROPS where you are placed back on AAA-BBB, that ORC might be denied for AAA-XXX-BBB. As your original purchase was AAA-BBB.
Unknown what would happen in more complex situations, such as you traveled to XXX and then IROPS occurred, you would probably just be better without ORC.
You will generally not qualify for ORC under the following circumstances:
- A change to your itinerary made in advance
- A United-initiated schedule change made prior to departure
- A voluntary change made during travel (i.e. SDC, walking away from a segment, etc.)
A reroute during a VDB has been an open issue (best if you can get the VDB marked INVOL but still should be possible -- may take some pushback if refused)
How do I get ORC?
ORC will not post automatically (even if a gate agent assures you otherwise). You will have to call in or write into the MPSC (Mileage Plus Service Center--NOT the reservations center or Premier reservations line), provide your record locator or e-ticket number, and state that you were rerouted at United's request and would like to receive the mileage as you originally booked. You cannot do this until the miles for the flights you actually flew posted (which, for United metal, is usually shortly after your flight, as of mid-2019) and at least 5 days have passed between the original VDB flight date and the date of the request for ORC. If the agent grants you ORC, and you have UA miles already posted from the flights you actually took, they will send it to auditing. After about a week the miles for the flights you actually flew will be removed from your account and the miles for the original routing will be deposited, so check and make sure that your original routing would have indeed given you more miles than you actually earned!
If you were rebooked on a carrier which isn't a United partner (i.e. AA, DL, etc.), you can generally credit the flight you actually flew to that carrier's mileage program and still claim ORC with UA.
Any tips to ensure I am successful?
When dealing with UA over a rebooking that will earn you fewer miles, make sure the agent marks your ticket as "INVOL." When the MPSC sees this note, they will be much more likely to quickly agree to grant you ORC. The absence of "INVOL" on your ticket makes the agent think you may have voluntarily rerouted yourself on a shorter itinerary, in which case you wouldn't be able to claim ORC.
Automated rebookings (the kind where you misconnect and then check your itinerary or go to a kiosk after landing and find yourself already booked on another flight) generally seem to properly be marked "INVOL," so you should be fine in these cases. You can see if your ticket was marked "INVOL" by clicking on the "View Receipt" function for your itinerary on united.com; it will be shown next to "Fare Rules" below the fare breakdown section, like so:
Fare Rules: Additional charges may apply for changes in addition to any fare rules listed.
INVOL;CXL BY FLT DT/
INVOL;CXL BY FLT DT/
Is there ORC for MM / Lifetime credit? for PQDs?
Yes and Yes (Generally included but to be safe specifically mention these in your request)
Can a get a refund?
It is believed that requesting a refund will block the ability to request ORC.
Other issues?
You may run into difficulty if any of the following are true:
- You're not flying on a UA-issued ticket (recent 2022 reports suggest this is possible)
- The rebooking was done by a third-party due to IROPS on that third party carrier
- You're not crediting to UA MP
The first two may not be impossible to overcome, but you may need to work harder to get the credit (YMMV, though, especially if both #1 and #2 are true).
The third one is a different case--you need to request credit through the program you're crediting to, as third parties don't have the ability to make adjustments to programs they don't own (UA can't adjust your LH balance, for example--they can only send LH a feed of what flights that person flew, a process which is automated and tied to their operations system).
Archive of older posts - Original Routing Credit (ORC) After Involuntary Re-Routing/Re-Booking (Archive)
Original Routing Credit (ORC) After Involuntary Re-Routing/Re-Booking (Merged)
#61
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Yes, but not automatically.
Post-flight, contact them and ask for Original Routing Credit (ORC), and you will get it. You can also put a Sky-Team FF number on the reservation (or request "missing miles" after the flight) and you'll most likely get credit there too.
There's no rush to lodge the request for ORC - you can do it anytime after the flight (within reason, of course)
Post-flight, contact them and ask for Original Routing Credit (ORC), and you will get it. You can also put a Sky-Team FF number on the reservation (or request "missing miles" after the flight) and you'll most likely get credit there too.
There's no rush to lodge the request for ORC - you can do it anytime after the flight (within reason, of course)
#62
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After the flight, call United and ask for "original routing credit".
#63
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Your thread will probably be moved here (Original Routing Credit (ORC) After Involuntary Re-Routing/Re-Booking (Merged)) but after your trip is completed (all segments) contact UA via the website and request original mileage credit-and be sure to save your original UA boarding passes and a copy of your UA itinerary as you might need to submit copies with your request
#64
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA, LH, BA
Posts: 294
are you saying that I can double-dip? I did give my Delta# to the Air France airport agent. Does that mean I should see some miles on my Delta acct soon.
I'll contact UA to get the PQM. Is it better to speak to a live person on the phone or contact them via the UA website?
Thanks!
I'll contact UA to get the PQM. Is it better to speak to a live person on the phone or contact them via the UA website?
Thanks!
#65
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Yes. This is called Original Routing Credit (ORC). UA will give you the miles as if you’ve flown the UA flight. Simply call the MileagePlus number and ask for it - specify the term ‘Original Routing Credit’ as using something else may confuse the agent - and explain that your flight got canceled and UA rebooked you. Your ticket should have been marked ‘invol’ - meaning you got ‘involuntarily re-routed’ and it wasn’t your fault.
In this narrow type of case, you should also be able to claim mileage for the flight you did take on AF also - so you can essentially double dip in credit. You can get this on AF, DL or any sky team or AF partner by retiractively crediting based on their policy. IME, if you credit to DL, you can use their online request to do it - you’ll need to enter the updated ticket number. While I’ve never run into issues doing this, I’d wait for the UA miles to post so you can ensue those credit for status. Hey typically don’t (or can’t) check on the existing credit - but if for some reason that changes, you’ll get it where it’s most important.
My last experience doing this was in December, but not even on a UA flight. I misconnected at BKK on TG for a BKK-TPE flight, and TG re-booked us on CI. While I certainly won’t recommend a CI experience - I called UA and thought it was a logshot for ORC since the TG flights weren’t booked nor flown on UA - but they were able to credit. I then went to Skymiles and credited the CI flight to DL.
In this narrow type of case, you should also be able to claim mileage for the flight you did take on AF also - so you can essentially double dip in credit. You can get this on AF, DL or any sky team or AF partner by retiractively crediting based on their policy. IME, if you credit to DL, you can use their online request to do it - you’ll need to enter the updated ticket number. While I’ve never run into issues doing this, I’d wait for the UA miles to post so you can ensue those credit for status. Hey typically don’t (or can’t) check on the existing credit - but if for some reason that changes, you’ll get it where it’s most important.
My last experience doing this was in December, but not even on a UA flight. I misconnected at BKK on TG for a BKK-TPE flight, and TG re-booked us on CI. While I certainly won’t recommend a CI experience - I called UA and thought it was a logshot for ORC since the TG flights weren’t booked nor flown on UA - but they were able to credit. I then went to Skymiles and credited the CI flight to DL.
#66
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You have to wait five days after the flight to make the request. (And there is a limit too on how long after...but it’s like 365 days or so). I have emailed the 1k desk the same day and they always say, “we have to wait five days so email us back.” But they always take care of it quickly after the five days.
#67
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are you saying that I can double-dip? I did give my Delta# to the Air France airport agent. Does that mean I should see some miles on my Delta acct soon.
I'll contact UA to get the PQM. Is it better to speak to a live person on the phone or contact them via the UA website?
Thanks!
I'll contact UA to get the PQM. Is it better to speak to a live person on the phone or contact them via the UA website?
Thanks!
#68
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#69
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Last edited by cfischer; Jul 18, 2019 at 7:40 pm Reason: add screenshot
#70
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#71
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#72
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
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You have to wait five days after the flight to make the request. (And there is a limit too on how long after...but it’s like 365 days or so). I have emailed the 1k desk the same day and they always say, “we have to wait five days so email us back.” But they always take care of it quickly after the five days.
Also, it looks like they may have rebooked a low-fare-class ticket into Y resulting in 1.5 PQMs (which actually could work to her advantage). Is she likely to lose those in an audit or just wait and see if they fix it later?
#73
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Any indications the maximum is less than a year? Spouse got rerouted because of IAH cancellations. Will lose maybe 150 PQMs, which may or may not matter for elite qualification, so may not bother until it's more clear on that. Okay to wait a few weeks?
Also, it looks like they may have rebooked a low-fare-class ticket into Y resulting in 1.5 PQMs (which actually could work to her advantage). Is she likely to lose those in an audit or just wait and see if they fix it later?
Also, it looks like they may have rebooked a low-fare-class ticket into Y resulting in 1.5 PQMs (which actually could work to her advantage). Is she likely to lose those in an audit or just wait and see if they fix it later?
#74
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Any indications the maximum is less than a year? Spouse got rerouted because of IAH cancellations. Will lose maybe 150 PQMs, which may or may not matter for elite qualification, so may not bother until it's more clear on that. Okay to wait a few weeks?
Also, it looks like they may have rebooked a low-fare-class ticket into Y resulting in 1.5 PQMs (which actually could work to her advantage). Is she likely to lose those in an audit or just wait and see if they fix it later?
Also, it looks like they may have rebooked a low-fare-class ticket into Y resulting in 1.5 PQMs (which actually could work to her advantage). Is she likely to lose those in an audit or just wait and see if they fix it later?
I'm personally a fan of getting out ahead of it ASAP to get what's properly credited, especially if you'll be on the knife's edge -- that will give you more time to recover if you do lose out on the bonus, and if you don't lose the bonus you can breath easy knowing it's not going to surprise you later on.
#75
Join Date: May 2009
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Both make sense. I may just wait a little while to see what ultimately credits. It looks like if the fare class bonus (on a short leg) sticks, she'd be +~25 PQMs vs. ORC. If it doesn't, she'd lose about ~150, so small differences either way. Once we plan more flights I'll see whether it will matter either way for elite status, and if it's close enough to matter make sure it's in my back pocket.
I might be super-anal for myself, but she doesn't really follow this stuff so losing a couple of lifetime miles is irrelevant for her.
I might be super-anal for myself, but she doesn't really follow this stuff so losing a couple of lifetime miles is irrelevant for her.