Was re-routed and charged additional upgrade certs, is this correct?
 

While returning home on 2/17 (MCI-ORD), all but one flight was cancelled due to freak morning snow storm @ MCI. I could only get re-confirmed on a direct flight out the following morning. An ICC rep managed to get me on a MCI-DEN-ORD routing, which got me home close to midnight the same day.

So all was well, except I noticed I was charged for 3 x 500 mile upgrade certs for the route (flew F the entire way).

I recall that when booking a connection route I would only be charged in upgrade certs for the distance from orgin to destination city (MCI-ORD = 1x500 mile cert). Would this rule also apply here, or since it was an unusual routing, will I be out of luck?

I thought best to ask fellow FTers before going through the motions with UA. Thank you for any help in advance.

Eric

I don't see anything wrong here. You upgraded on a route that required 3 e500s so that was what you were charged. I'd imagine you also had an opportunity to sit in Y but made the choice to upgrade. Unless a GA specifically said you'd only be charged one e500, it seems reasonable that you would be charged for e500s on both of your legs (since you didn't get those upgrades within your upgrade window).

I'd imagine you don't have any misgivings about receiving the extra RDMs and EQMs from flying MCI-DEN-ORD rather than MCI-ORD - it's all the give and take of the flying business, particularly in the winter.

That would be my understanding. Good luck getting your 2 500's back, Eric.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

You're forgetting a key detail: UA only charges for upgrade certs for the distance between origin and destination. In this case, MCI-ORD is 1 cert. It appears the OP was cleared for the upgrade before checking in -- therefore, I'd expect this rule to apply. OP - write and ask for your other 2 certs to be refunded.

Actually, no. The relevant cut-off time is checkin--that is, the end of the "upgrade window," not the beginning of the upgrade window (48 h, 72 h, etc.). It's a "window" because the entire period from 48 (or 72, etc.) hours out all the way to check-in is the "window" in which an e500 will clear if NF space is available.

And as long as all segments clear before check-in, you only get charged for the distance from your origin to your final destination. But if your segments clear at the gate, then you will get charged for the distance of each separate segment when it clears.

I've upgraded IAD-LAX-PHL using one e500 before.

This is the key piece of the puzzle as to why the OP was charged the extra 500 milers. I was confirmed in F in advance on EWR-ORD-SAN using 5 500 milers. EWR-ORD was delayed and I got re-booked ORD-SAN on the next flight that same day. I was charged 2 500s for EWR-ORD and 4 for ORD-SAN. When I called M+ the agent explained that it was because the entire itinerary had not cleared ahead of time which technically is a correct statement as to how 500 milers work, and as to what happened with my itin. I didn't get the one 500 miler back :(