chrisleeroth

Just curious if anyone has tried to receive credit for a segment that you did not actually fly but checked in online... I know that usually you will not be credited and applying for missing credit shows that you did not take the flight but isn't there variables??? Computer did not work? United employee did not scan in your ticket???

ssh

Not worth it. Highly unlikely to work.

formite

It is unlikely to work. The gate agent has to match the number of passengers that pass thru the gate and the number of passengers on the plane (obvious security issues). Sometimes, the gate agent do not scan your BP but will manually type in your seat to indicate that you got onto the plane. For regional aircraft, they may do it after the flight left. However, they do count the BPs and will match the number of passengers on the plane. Occasionally, they mess up and will ask the passenger by name via the PA of the plane to raise their hand to confirm that he/she got onto the plane.
Sometimes, I hope it works as you proposed as I will not have to actually do the 6 segments MR to get the miles.

l etoile

I know of 2/2 instances where the first segment credited and the person never flew.

OilersFL

I have a bit of a different question -- I have an award ticket where I might need to change up the originating city on my return. Rather than paying to redeposit the miles to my US Airways account, could I check in on-line and only take the connecting flight (w/ no baggage)? For example, I currently have SNA-SFO-YVR. I might end up closer to SJC so would prefer to just drive up to SFO for the 2nd leg. If noticed, would this just get attributed to a gate agent making an error at SNA? Or would the rest of the reservation get cancelled?

fone

The rest of the reservation will get cancelled.

superEGO

regarding the desire to change the origin city... your only option is to fly the original routing, or to change the reservation... missing a segment cancells out the remainder of segments.

now, about segments being credited without flying.... it does happen from time to time, but it's not supposed to happen and it's not something you should ever expect to happen.

mduell

Flying US Airways Boston-West Coast... checked in, flight delayed/canceled (I don't know if it ever launched) due to missing crew, rebooked me for the next day in full Y.

UA M+ credited me for the original flight and the new flight (with full fare bonus).

6rugrats

No, didn't try to, but was credited with last leg of flight which wasn't taken. Didn't check in online, but at the counter at the airport and got boarding passes for all legs. Minor amount of miles, and still don't understand why this happened.

zrs70

Let's even say it did work. Is it the right thing to do?

WineCountryUA

Well this one flyer attempted to do this on a paid ticket and did not like the results (But FTers thought different) --
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ip-off-ua.html

mre5765

In 13 years flying DEN/COS/DEN (hundreds of times) I've checked in but not flown that DEN/COS segment about a half dozen times, never bothered to refund it, and never received M+ credit whether it was UA main line, Shuttle by UA, UX.

Yes, if one pays for the flight and does not get a refund. In many cases, UA sells that seat.

mahasamatman

I disagree 100%. You're saying that anyone should be able to buy any ticket (like buying a dozen super-cheap fares from a city 2,000 miles away) with no intention of flying and get frequent flyer miles. Welcome to the frequent buyer program!

TA

Is it the right thing to do? Do you mean buy the ticket, and check in with the intention of getting the miles without actually flying?

My answer: If UA allowed it and did not turn the "feature" off (which it could easily do), then it is not "wrong".

What aspect could be objectionable? Depriving others of seats that go empty? UA's computers could simply adjust the overbooking factor to take into account more people who don't show up. And who are we to judge whether one person is more deserving in his/her desired use of the seat than someone else. Either way, UA gets revenue for someone who doesn't fly.


On the other hand, I don't buy this argument that you're entitled to whatever you should have gotten had you flown, just because UA was able to sell the seat again.

The contract (and allowance by government) is that each passenger agrees to the terms, regardless of whether the seat actually goes sold again or not (which the airline is specially allowed to do).

l etoile

Are you talking about getting credit for a ticket you could not use, but you didn't cancel? Take this situation ...ticket was $30 or so over the change fee and the travel dates no longer worked. Person decides it's not worth calling to get a voucher for $30. So doesn't cancel ticket and lives with fact ticket is a total loss. Turns out miles for the first flight post.

I don't see an ethics question here. I see a system UA created that doesn't always make it worthwhile to call, be put on hold, etc. to get a measly $30 credit.

None of the two instances I mentioned were done with the intent to get miles by not flying.

In the second, the person actually bought a refundable ticket and wanted to refund it. That was fun trying to get the refund when they somehow decided he made the flight when he never did and credited the miles.