Web support now not allowing ecert on 2-pax itineraries?
May 23, 2012, 7:26 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, UA Platinum, Alaksa MVP 75K, Air Berlin Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,389
This thread hasn't seen any action in a while, but I just had fantastic success getting a "one time exception" in booking 3 PAX with 3 e-certs on a single PNR via web support. The call went something like:
Agent: Thank you for calling united, how may I help you?
Me: I'm trying to book a flight on the website for three passengers with 3 e-certs, but the website will only let me enter a single e-cert.
Agent: I'm sorry sir, you can only use one e-cert at a time. You will need to make a separate reservation for each passenger.
Me: Oh, I see. The problem is that one of the passengers is my 2yo daughter and the website will not let me book a flight for just her. Would it be possible for you to make a single reservation with me and my daughter on it, and then I'll go to the website to book my wife's ticket on a separate reservation?
Agent: I understand your issue. I will go ahead and make a one time exception and make the reservation for all three of you.
Me: Woohoo! (ok, more like "thank you", haha)
It took him about 10 minutes and a few holds, but we are all booked.
When it came time to give my CC#, I thought I would push my luck and ask about making a partial payment with a gift certificate (an actual gift card, not an e-cert). The GC says "Cannot be used in conjunction with an Electronic Travel Certificate", but I figured it can't hurt to ask. The agent seemed confused and said "but sir, I've already applied three e-certificates to this reservation and you only have three passengers". I explained that it was a GC not an e-cert. He put me on hold to call his support desk. He came back about 2 minutes later and informed me that the GC can only be used on the website, that his system had no place to enter it... Oh well, I still consider this to be the smoothest and most successful UA web support call I've ever had. ^
Agent: Thank you for calling united, how may I help you?
Me: I'm trying to book a flight on the website for three passengers with 3 e-certs, but the website will only let me enter a single e-cert.
Agent: I'm sorry sir, you can only use one e-cert at a time. You will need to make a separate reservation for each passenger.
Me: Oh, I see. The problem is that one of the passengers is my 2yo daughter and the website will not let me book a flight for just her. Would it be possible for you to make a single reservation with me and my daughter on it, and then I'll go to the website to book my wife's ticket on a separate reservation?
Agent: I understand your issue. I will go ahead and make a one time exception and make the reservation for all three of you.
Me: Woohoo! (ok, more like "thank you", haha)
It took him about 10 minutes and a few holds, but we are all booked.
When it came time to give my CC#, I thought I would push my luck and ask about making a partial payment with a gift certificate (an actual gift card, not an e-cert). The GC says "Cannot be used in conjunction with an Electronic Travel Certificate", but I figured it can't hurt to ask. The agent seemed confused and said "but sir, I've already applied three e-certificates to this reservation and you only have three passengers". I explained that it was a GC not an e-cert. He put me on hold to call his support desk. He came back about 2 minutes later and informed me that the GC can only be used on the website, that his system had no place to enter it... Oh well, I still consider this to be the smoothest and most successful UA web support call I've ever had. ^
May 23, 2012, 11:17 am
#32
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: More than I care to have, but never the ones I need.
Posts: 259
India call center
Jul 28, 2012, 2:52 pm
#33
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,850
Has anyone tried this lately
To the OP, may be your method could be refined a little. The first I found to be working runs like this -
1. Call the regular res line (or 1k line - if u have status) and make a res as usual, citing you have some paper voucher with which you will ticket the res on hold at an airport location.
2. Call web support to do the ticketing with ur eCerts (x2....x6 depending #pax and # of certs)
3. If the agent has no idea abt how to do / refuses, just politely excuse urself and make sure he doesn't do anything to the res, and call back.
I have done this many times for 2 pax for both eCerts and Paper certs.
1. Call the regular res line (or 1k line - if u have status) and make a res as usual, citing you have some paper voucher with which you will ticket the res on hold at an airport location.
2. Call web support to do the ticketing with ur eCerts (x2....x6 depending #pax and # of certs)
3. If the agent has no idea abt how to do / refuses, just politely excuse urself and make sure he doesn't do anything to the res, and call back.
I have done this many times for 2 pax for both eCerts and Paper certs.
Jul 28, 2012, 3:17 pm
#34
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2
The Fixer
Platinum, 1ks, and GS can have up to 8 companions in different records as long as flight city pairs are same. On the Website yes you must book independently if using any form of what is referred to as ETC Electronic Travel Credit. Through reservations there is a temp work around, but only through Reservations not the Web site. Web Support sometimes has the knowledge of this work around, but they are not consistent. Any questions with these type of issues or Change fee for Domestic/International travel, drop me a line at [email protected], see what we can come up with as cost effective work arounds. Take care Warriors
Jul 29, 2012, 2:48 pm
#35
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,850
Platinum, 1ks, and GS can have up to 8 companions in different records as long as flight city pairs are same. On the Website yes you must book independently if using any form of what is referred to as ETC Electronic Travel Credit. Through reservations there is a temp work around, but only through Reservations not the Web site. Web Support sometimes has the knowledge of this work around, but they are not consistent. Any questions with these type of issues or Change fee for Domestic/International travel, drop me a line at [email protected], see what we can come up with as cost effective work arounds. Take care Warriors