This past week I used the return portion of two tickets (outbound had been used previously). My return itinerary was changed slightly by UA, and I wonder about missing out on miles.

Specifically, I had booked SFO-AKL and back in C for 90,000 miles, the same as it "costs" to go SFO-SYD. A couple of months later, my partner in Sydney suggested that instead of hanging around New Zealand, I catch a flight over to Sydney. So, on United.com I bought a "nested" trip from AKL to SYD.

On my return last week, I had the following 3 coupons:

SYD-AKL / purchased / on NZ as UA codeshare
AKL-LAX / mileage award in C / UA metal
LAX-SFO / mileage award in F / UA metal

The normal mileage earned SYD-AKL is 1,345.

When I got to the Sydney airport, I checked in at Air New Zealand. They wanted to see both my paid ticket to AKL and the E-receipt for my award ticket from Auckland to SFO.

The agent excused herself for a moment and conferred with someone from UA just behind her. Then she sent me to see UA.

United suggested that since I was flying to San Francisco ultimately, they could simply accommodate me in Business on the nonstop 862 leaving a couple of hours later. When I said "OK", they pulled the SYD-AKL (paid) coupon and said they'd combine it with my existing electronic ticket. Since the mileage was 90,000 regardless of Sydney or Auckland, it was the same to them.

Now, my questions:

1) This morning on the phone MileagePlus suggested that I should ask for compensation for the paid ticket that UA "ate" when they combined coupons. Is this proper?

2) Alternatively, MP suggested, I should agree to the paid ticket being used, but should request mileage for the SYD-AKL segment. Even though what I actually flew was in XC and earns no mileage, UA came out ahead because they got both my 90,000 miles and the $500 I paid back and forth across the Tasman Sea.

Part of me says forget it, I actually flew home nonstop on an award ticket. But another part of me really does agree with the agent at MileagePlus, who says UA can't have their cake and eat it, too: in effect, I paid twice. Plus, Air New Zealand seemed rather pleased to have freed up the seat.

Any thoughts on the appropriateness of asking either for miles to be credited for the lifted SYD-AKL coupon or for a one-way credit on that route?




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~ Friends don't let friends fly coach ~

I would talk to MP and say the following:

"I was ticket SYD-AKL, but United had me change my flight. I would like the miles I was originally ticketed on."

UA has always granted me miles when I present this to them. You will most likely have to send a fax of your unused ticket.

[This message has been edited by zrs70 (edited 08-20-2002).]

Agreed...you helped them out if I am reading the story right...so they should at least credit you the miles.

Basically, NZ paid UA for taking you NS rather than the extra leg on them. NZ would owe you mileage credits, not UA. They needed to "free up" seats and UA had one to your destination. UA didn't have cake and eat it too- NZ did.
My humble opinion. If you believe UA owes you miles, then you should call and get them. The miles you spent on UA would have been the same had you booked your trip the way you wound up traveling, right? NZ was apparently oversold. If you are owed miles, it's from NZ.