Jun 12, 2013, 8:18 pm
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)
Dec 2, 2019, 5:37 am
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,034
Trying to think proactively here... I have a semi-MR planned in a couple of weeks. SFO-ORD-DAY-ORD-SFO. Layover in DAY is about 3h (actually have something to do quickly). This being December, what happens if the ORD-DAY legs get all messed up due to WX? Some situations I can imagine:
* SFO-ORD leg is delayed enough that I miss ORD-DAY. Putting me on next flight out would still enable MR but sort of becomes a trip in vain for the non-MR reasons. This will still get the right PQMs though
* ORD-DAY flight is delayed -- same as above if it gets to DAY before my DAY-ORD leg.
* ORD-DAY flight is delayed so I will miss my DAY-ORD leg or is CX -- can't get to DAY. Do I declare trip in vain and skip this leg? How do I ensure that I get PQMs (2x500) for the CXed ORD-DAY-ORD legs?
* DAY-ORD is delayed or CX. Here, I will probably take any routing back and if it comes up short (unlikely), ORC seems to be the way to go.
Suggestions?
* SFO-ORD leg is delayed enough that I miss ORD-DAY. Putting me on next flight out would still enable MR but sort of becomes a trip in vain for the non-MR reasons. This will still get the right PQMs though
* ORD-DAY flight is delayed -- same as above if it gets to DAY before my DAY-ORD leg.
* ORD-DAY flight is delayed so I will miss my DAY-ORD leg or is CX -- can't get to DAY. Do I declare trip in vain and skip this leg? How do I ensure that I get PQMs (2x500) for the CXed ORD-DAY-ORD legs?
* DAY-ORD is delayed or CX. Here, I will probably take any routing back and if it comes up short (unlikely), ORC seems to be the way to go.
Suggestions?
Generally speaking flights taken will count regardless, even if there is ultimately a refund, but YMMV. Flights not taken will definitely not get ORC with a refund.
Dec 2, 2019, 10:27 pm
#92
Join Date: May 2007
Location: SFO-OAK-SJC
Programs: UA MM/1K; Marriott Au; Hyatt Dsc
Posts: 443
Thanks for the heads up on Trip in Vain. However, if the leg from ORD-DAY-ORD becomes "logistically impossible", should I just turn around at ORD and go home? Since the ORD-DAY-ORD legs were not flown, do I have grounds to claim ORC?
Dec 2, 2019, 11:12 pm
#93
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,844
The key for ORC is the ticket change to be marked (by the agent) as INVOL and there is no request for refund. See the thread's wiki for more.
Dec 16, 2019, 1:32 pm
#94
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
Tips for getting ORC on a mileage run?
I booked a same-day round trip EWR-SFO-SAN, SAN-SFO-EWR with short connections, about 50-60min in each place.
At SFO, the SFO-SAN flight was delayed about an hour for mechanical reasons. This would have made my onward connection very tight or illegal at SFO (not a problem at SAN because it's the same plane!).
The pilot said we could get off, so I left the plane. The gate agent said to ask CS for help with misconnects, so I went to the United Club. There I asked a lounge agent to let me fly home on my booked SFO-EWR while dropping my SFO-SAN,SAN-SFO sectors. After much discussion the agent dropped my SFO-SAN-SFO journey and kept the ticket intact, but also called Reservations and asked for a refund. I had asked for her to mark the segment INVOL and not try to refund those sectors but it seemed like the opposite happened
Is there any way to try to get ORC here? The extra 1000 PQM matters this year.
At SFO, the SFO-SAN flight was delayed about an hour for mechanical reasons. This would have made my onward connection very tight or illegal at SFO (not a problem at SAN because it's the same plane!).
The pilot said we could get off, so I left the plane. The gate agent said to ask CS for help with misconnects, so I went to the United Club. There I asked a lounge agent to let me fly home on my booked SFO-EWR while dropping my SFO-SAN,SAN-SFO sectors. After much discussion the agent dropped my SFO-SAN-SFO journey and kept the ticket intact, but also called Reservations and asked for a refund. I had asked for her to mark the segment INVOL and not try to refund those sectors but it seemed like the opposite happened
Is there any way to try to get ORC here? The extra 1000 PQM matters this year.
Dec 16, 2019, 4:40 pm
#95
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,844
... After much discussion the agent dropped my SFO-SAN-SFO journey and kept the ticket intact, but also called Reservations and asked for a refund. I had asked for her to mark the segment INVOL and not try to refund those sectors but it seemed like the opposite happened
Is there any way to try to get ORC here? The extra 1000 PQM matters this year.
Is there any way to try to get ORC here? The extra 1000 PQM matters this year.
Dec 18, 2019, 12:52 pm
#96
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: United 1K, Bonvoy Ambassador / Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 23
-
Anyone want to give me a verdict?
I am making a MR today, routing was PHL-IAH-SFO-DEN-PHL. It was all in first, it got me the 10k PQM needed to hit 1K and I had a voucher, so it didn’t cost me much.
Arrived in IAH after the first leg and the second leg to SFO was already well delayed, I would’ve missed the connect to DEN and would’ve struggled.
Got to United Club and I was auto-rebooked from IAH-TUS-DEN-PHL ... connections would’ve worked fine, but no guarantee those segments would’ve gotten me the PQM required, since TUS is much closer to DEN than SFO.
Before I noticed I was auto-rebooked, I was standing with CSR in the Club. She says ‘I see here you’re going TUS to DEN, I don’t know why they would do that, do you just want to go direct IAH-DEN?’
Thinking I’d ultimately be able to ORC, I said yes, figured I’d shave off a segment and still get credit. Now I’m not so sure. What are your thoughts?
I am making a MR today, routing was PHL-IAH-SFO-DEN-PHL. It was all in first, it got me the 10k PQM needed to hit 1K and I had a voucher, so it didn’t cost me much.
Arrived in IAH after the first leg and the second leg to SFO was already well delayed, I would’ve missed the connect to DEN and would’ve struggled.
Got to United Club and I was auto-rebooked from IAH-TUS-DEN-PHL ... connections would’ve worked fine, but no guarantee those segments would’ve gotten me the PQM required, since TUS is much closer to DEN than SFO.
Before I noticed I was auto-rebooked, I was standing with CSR in the Club. She says ‘I see here you’re going TUS to DEN, I don’t know why they would do that, do you just want to go direct IAH-DEN?’
Thinking I’d ultimately be able to ORC, I said yes, figured I’d shave off a segment and still get credit. Now I’m not so sure. What are your thoughts?
Dec 18, 2019, 12:59 pm
#97
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,034
Anyone want to give me a verdict?
I am making a MR today, routing was PHL-IAH-SFO-DEN-PHL. It was all in first, it got me the 10k PQM needed to hit 1K and I had a voucher, so it didn’t cost me much.
Arrived in IAH after the first leg and the second leg to SFO was already well delayed, I would’ve missed the connect to DEN and would’ve struggled.
Got to United Club and I was auto-rebooked from IAH-TUS-DEN-PHL ... connections would’ve worked fine, but no guarantee those segments would’ve gotten me the PQM required, since TUS is much closer to DEN than SFO.
Before I noticed I was auto-rebooked, I was standing with CSR in the Club. She says ‘I see here you’re going TUS to DEN, I don’t know why they would do that, do you just want to go direct IAH-DEN?’
Thinking I’d ultimately be able to ORC, I said yes, figured I’d shave off a segment and still get credit. Now I’m not so sure. What are your thoughts?
I am making a MR today, routing was PHL-IAH-SFO-DEN-PHL. It was all in first, it got me the 10k PQM needed to hit 1K and I had a voucher, so it didn’t cost me much.
Arrived in IAH after the first leg and the second leg to SFO was already well delayed, I would’ve missed the connect to DEN and would’ve struggled.
Got to United Club and I was auto-rebooked from IAH-TUS-DEN-PHL ... connections would’ve worked fine, but no guarantee those segments would’ve gotten me the PQM required, since TUS is much closer to DEN than SFO.
Before I noticed I was auto-rebooked, I was standing with CSR in the Club. She says ‘I see here you’re going TUS to DEN, I don’t know why they would do that, do you just want to go direct IAH-DEN?’
Thinking I’d ultimately be able to ORC, I said yes, figured I’d shave off a segment and still get credit. Now I’m not so sure. What are your thoughts?
Dec 22, 2019, 12:47 pm
#98
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: United 1K, Bonvoy Ambassador / Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 23
As long as you do not ask for a refund ... no problem. Even if not annotated as INVOL if you have clear flight delay/misconnect info there should not be any issues. Email MP after your return and ask for ORC since you were involuntarily re-routed due to UA irops. Should work just fine.
Dec 24, 2019, 12:58 pm
#99
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
I booked a same-day round trip EWR-SFO-SAN, SAN-SFO-EWR with short connections, about 50-60min in each place.
At SFO, the SFO-SAN flight was delayed about an hour for mechanical reasons. This would have made my onward connection very tight or illegal at SFO (not a problem at SAN because it's the same plane!).
The pilot said we could get off, so I left the plane. The gate agent said to ask CS for help with misconnects, so I went to the United Club. There I asked a lounge agent to let me fly home on my booked SFO-EWR while dropping my SFO-SAN,SAN-SFO sectors. After much discussion the agent dropped my SFO-SAN-SFO journey and kept the ticket intact, but also called Reservations and asked for a refund. I had asked for her to mark the segment INVOL and not try to refund those sectors but it seemed like the opposite happened
Is there any way to try to get ORC here? The extra 1000 PQM matters this year.
At SFO, the SFO-SAN flight was delayed about an hour for mechanical reasons. This would have made my onward connection very tight or illegal at SFO (not a problem at SAN because it's the same plane!).
The pilot said we could get off, so I left the plane. The gate agent said to ask CS for help with misconnects, so I went to the United Club. There I asked a lounge agent to let me fly home on my booked SFO-EWR while dropping my SFO-SAN,SAN-SFO sectors. After much discussion the agent dropped my SFO-SAN-SFO journey and kept the ticket intact, but also called Reservations and asked for a refund. I had asked for her to mark the segment INVOL and not try to refund those sectors but it seemed like the opposite happened
Is there any way to try to get ORC here? The extra 1000 PQM matters this year.
I think it helped that he MPSC agent saw that there were extensive notes on my MileagePlus account and on the PNR; the agent knew exactly what I was calling about and which flights / which sectors I was interested in before I gave any info. (It may have helped that during my layover at SFO I had talked to 2 different agents who had variously annotated the PNR with notes that I tried very hard to make the flights due to mx; and talked to another reservations agent by phone who talked to MPSC who annotated my MileagePlus account with a note saying that I had tried very hard to make these flights and they should grant the ORC).
Dec 26, 2019, 11:38 am
#101
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,844
Dec 26, 2019, 1:44 pm
#103
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,844
Dec 26, 2019, 1:56 pm
#104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,300
Dec 26, 2019, 8:13 pm
#105
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
once we got back, I contacted UA (I think via feedback website - I can’t find an email out, only the response). Response came saying they would work with their *A partner to ensure credit, and give them up to 4 weeks. To my surprise, the credit was done sometime later without need for a call back at any point - don’t remember how long after, but it definitely didn’t take 4 weeks - maybe 2? It was really easy - much more than I expected. Was also able to write to Delta with the CA info and get credit with SkyMiles, as well.