Changing of ticket booking code...
 

Hi,

Just flew back from Germany to the US yesterday and noticed something strange on my mileage plus account. I bought a W class ticket to upgrade to business on my TXL-FRA-IAD-SFO return ticket on Monday. I was upgraded when booking to C on the FRA-IAD (777) and F on the IAD-SFO (320). Due to weather conditions, my flights was cancelled for TXL-FRA so was rebooked for Tuesday TXL-FRA-ORD-SFO.

The Lufthansa agent in Berlin booked me directly onto C for the FRA-ORD on the 777 (same as before) but then booked me into F on the ORD-SFO on the new 3 class 767 instead of rebooking my flights into Y then allowing the SWU to apply for my upgrades. Are they allowed to do this on their own with a ticket purchased in economy? Also just noticed on my MP account that my ORD-SFO gave me a booking code EQM bonus (still waiting for the FRA-ORD ticket to post to see if I get the EQM bonus for that as well).

If UA gives me the EQM booking code bonus for the FRA-ORD segment, I will achieve 1K. I had a mileage run set up for this weekend to hit 1K but may now just skip the flight. My only concern is if UA later decides the booking code bonus is not kosher and takes them back. Is this a possibility? Should I go ahead and do my mileage run just in case this happens? I don't really care about the RDMs and would prefer to sleep in on Saturday instead of heading back to SFO for a 6AM flight.

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide.

BTW, being a 1K/*A Gold was incredibly valuable on Monday. The Lufthansa ticket counters in TXL were a zoo. The economy line was at least 200+ people long. The 1st class/*A Gold line, with 2 agents, only had 1 person in line when I got there. That alone probably saved me 2+ hours of waiting in line. And this being Europe, Lufthansa had to set me up with a hotel and dinner for the night even thought it was a delay due to weather. Also, the Senator lounge in TXL was very nice. Not full at all and it even includes its own smoking room (http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...s/thumbsup.gif if u are smoker http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/smile.gif)

Rebooking into full F/C/Y is far from unheard of during irrops. Any bonuses thereby accrued tend to stick.

I've had it happen when there are irrops on domestic flights. PMW-IAD was delayed so much in August, that I missed my connection back to DEN. GA @ PWM, also an FTer ^^, rebooked me in full F for the morning IAD-DEN.. Got some nice bonus miles in my account :)

It is quite common for irrops for the booking class to be changed. You will mostly likely get the bonus -- it should post with a few days of the flight RDMs posting. BTW, it is possible to be rebook in a higher class but not get the bonus if the agent does extra work -- but that is unlikely

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-merged.html

Great news. So does this mean I will get my SWU back in my account since it was not officially used? Will this happen automatically? If not, should I call the 1K desk or just leave it alone and just be happy with what I got :)

I personally wouldn't milk it a) because you shouldn't get it and b, because they could then also put the bonus mileage inhibitor in so you get the original credit. Be happy you may get more than you bargained for (other than the cncl TXL flight) and don't kill the golden goose trying to get even more than required. Who knows, maybe it will get in your account due to oversight anyway.

personally I would leave it alone
You got the rebook in C/F because of the SWU -- so you got value you expected plus you will get the CoS bonus. Trying to get the SWU back may cause the bonus to be disbaled. And as fastair mention it may return on its own

Seems like you got plenty already -- but you can always try for more.

+1 No sense getting greedy ;)

+1

Things could always change, and the bonus could disappear ;)

Yes! So the miles just posted and I got the bonus.

I am now just under 100,500 EQM for the year. The question now is if there is any danger United takes away the bonus EQM and I drop below 100K. I have a mileage run scheduled for this weekend which gives me about 4700 miles and removes all doubt. Should I go on the flight for insurance or can I just blow it off? I don't care about the RDMs and would rather save a wasted day since I am doing 4 more MKE runs in Jan/Feb.

Any advice? I am a 1K lite anyway b/c about 15K of the EQM were for bonuses for flying C for work and the bonuses I received on the return flight this week. The weekend mileage run still puts me in the 1K lite category. Does this matter for anything?

Thanks.

do not remember hearing anyone lose the bonus once posted (except if they called to get different credit -- I lost a bonus when I request ORC which was better)

nope

Can we think a little out of the box here?

Why not credit these miles (from the MR) to no program. You can request the 1K desk to take out the mileage earning part of the input (something like TQNY or....) Usually only only an experianced agent would KNOW about the diff (earning / status for upgrade) MP # inputs. IF you get that agent, get him / her to remove the mileage earning part of that input and leave it blank.

By 1st JAN, you will know if your 1K sticks. If it sticks, good for you. Go to .bomd (not immediately, but later, later, later I mean like after 6 months) claim the missing miles. By that time, you migh get credited for the current year. I have had some miles from previous year got credited (automatically) in the new year a/c and I had to call them to bring it to count toward previous year. With United, it is all gamble :D (although in a good way)

Thats an interesting idea. Anyone ever try this? Also, how would i disassociate the MR from my account since its already in the system? Seems like an unusual request to make.

Change Fare codes
 

A friend and myself booked flights to NRT with the intentions of useing his SWU on our flight. I'm a 2p and he was a 1p at the time now a 1k.

As we go to use the upgrades it comes back that we booked a 'K' class ticket. We were unaware at the time this was not an upgradeable ticket or even that we booked a discounted flight considering that we booked on United.com and did not use a promo code or any other type of discount tools.

Does anyone know of a way I can have united change the booking code to an upgradeable ticket or anyway we can still apply the SWU?

Much appreciated
Thanks
Json

You can call CS to find out how much it costs to upgrade your tickets to an upgradable fare bucket then apply the SWU upgrade request. You may have to also pay for the change fee.