Jet'Dillo

I have a flight from SFO->CMH tommorrow which stops in ORD, but for which I don't have to change planes. Does this count as two segments(SFO->ORD,ORD->CMH) or one(SFO->CMH)?
I notice that on the way back I DO have to change planes so I know that one does count as two segments.

Thanks,
JD

zrs70

1 flight number = 1 segment, even if the flight stops 10 times and you have to change planes.

Baze

And also if it is all one flight number you only get the mileage for direct start to stop of that flight number no matter where else or how many times it stops. For example UA 959 starts in AMS goes to London the goes to Chicago. So as far as United is concerned it is just like you went direct from AMS to ORD. Counts as 1 segment and only get the direct miles for AMS to ORD. It is like the LHR part never happened.

That is why if you want to maximize miles or segments you need to make sure each stop changes flight number.

violist

I don't know exactly how one most effectively goes about doing this, but my success getting extra credit yesterday may have something to do with the fact that I had 2 different seat assignments on the two legs of the flight; I got full credit for both segments (13 additional miles!). It's been reported here that travel agents know how to book people segment by segment so that this irritation doesn't occur.

Rudi

you can get credits for each segment and miles too - you need (only) a seperate/individual flight coupon (and boarding pass then, after check-in) for each segment.

The direct flights (same flight numbers) can also work in favour of costumers. If I use, as an example, my 'visit-USA-coupon-pass' I need to redeem only one coupons per flight-number.

M2inOR

I was on UA 920 PDX-IAD-LHR and UA 921 LHR-IAD-PDX a few weeks ago; booked as PDX-LHR-PDX, and missed out on almost 2000 miles. Flight miles was calculated as PDX-LHR @ 4919, rather than the PDX-IAD 2327 + IAD-LHR 3677 I would have preferred.

As previous poster stated, only way to get the extra miles was to book individual segments; fare would be higher in some cases (as this one was).

This was a mileage run/short vacation for me to get this year's PremEx. I had more than enough miles, so didn't chase the missing 2000 miles.

So good rule of thumb is to avoid "direct flights" to maximize miles. Also, this was a change of plane, and I did have separate boarding passes. Still only credited with miles as if PDX-LHR.

Mike in Beaverton

LarryU

One other tangential but related consequence of this routing is the possible loss of class of service bonus as a result of "change of gauge". For example, I have flown the same route in F from PDX to IAD and in C (business) from IAD to LHR. This would typically mean that I earn a 50% bonus in the two class PDX to IAD segment. However, as a result of the route's appearance as a single flight number, the two class A320 or B757 suddenly acquired three VIRTUAL classes, meaning that I only earned a 25% bonus for the flight into IAD. Check out the seat allocation on United Connection (either version); I am sure it still shows up this way.

dw

I am not sure if this always works, but in the past I have booked the "direct" flight... Later, I would go to an airport ticket counter or CTO (you can't do this over the phone, I've been told) and ask them to split the segments. Thus the direct flight results in separate flight coupons for each segment.

kokonutz

dw: I have never failed to ask for this from every CS rep I come in contact with when I find myself on a direct flight. No one has been willing to do it for me ever

Rudi

kokonutz: try booking such UA-flights through LH ...

dw

It is definitely not an easy thing to get done... I often have to speak to MANY CS agents. Once when I didn't have the time to get to the airport or a CTO, I just called the Premier line. Over and over again. Finally I got someone who just did it over the phone... I immediately sent her a service cert.