Using paper travel credits post-merger
Mar 14, 2012, 12:10 pm
#1
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,039
Using paper travel credits post-merger
Anybody tried doing this? Any tips/tricks?
I have $300 worth that expire at the end of the month and I'm a bit worried about having a hard time redeeming these with SHARES now in place.
Also, the expiration date is effectively just the "ticket by" date, right?
I don't need to complete travel by the expiration date do I?
I have $300 worth that expire at the end of the month and I'm a bit worried about having a hard time redeeming these with SHARES now in place.
Also, the expiration date is effectively just the "ticket by" date, right?
I don't need to complete travel by the expiration date do I?
Mar 14, 2012, 6:56 pm
#2
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,039
Well, since (unsurprisingly) nobody seemed to have any info here I just called UA, and luckily got a great agent in HNL.
The process is more or less the same as PMUA. No way to do this online, AFAIK. I had to make the reservation over the phone (free as a 1K, not sure if they would still charge for others).
The whole process took about 20 minutes or so. It seemed like this PMUA agent had never done this before with the new system, so I'm sure it will get faster as time continues. (And paper certificates are going to disappear altogether anyways, apparently).
Ticket by mail is still available, but there is a new address:
United Airlines
PO Box 1394
Houston, TX 77205-1394
Also, we are now required to write all of the following on each of the paper coupons we are sending in:
Oddly, they did NOT ask for my MP#, but I added it anyways.
Hope this helps.
The process is more or less the same as PMUA. No way to do this online, AFAIK. I had to make the reservation over the phone (free as a 1K, not sure if they would still charge for others).
The whole process took about 20 minutes or so. It seemed like this PMUA agent had never done this before with the new system, so I'm sure it will get faster as time continues. (And paper certificates are going to disappear altogether anyways, apparently).
Ticket by mail is still available, but there is a new address:
United Airlines
PO Box 1394
Houston, TX 77205-1394
Also, we are now required to write all of the following on each of the paper coupons we are sending in:
- Full Name
- Full snail mailing address
- Contact phone number
- E-mail address
- PNR
- Outbound travel date
Oddly, they did NOT ask for my MP#, but I added it anyways.
Hope this helps.
Mar 14, 2012, 8:17 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
A colleague was able to hold a reservation over the phone and ticket it in person at the airport at BOS on March 8. It took them about half an hour to get the system to cooperate, but it seemed like SHARES still supported paper vouchers from back when CO used to use them about a decade ago.
Another colleague called just now to try to put a reservation on hold and was told "we no longer do this, you must ticket by mail".
Another colleague called just now to try to put a reservation on hold and was told "we no longer do this, you must ticket by mail".
Mar 14, 2012, 8:22 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,893
And there are reports in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...eting-jfk.html that someone was able to ticket with paper travel credits at ATL.
Mar 18, 2012, 2:51 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Slightly to the left of center
Posts: 3,475
Friendly reminder, scan a copy of your paper certs and mail them in with a delivery and/or signature confirmation.
Two post merger examples.
1. Friend mailed his in, didn't do the above. 3 weeks have passed, not ticketed yet (travel in may). UA will find it, or he is out his entire cert
2. Mailed mine in early last week, they received it at the end of the week but phone agent "entered it wrong in the system" and they are not sure if they will try and process it again or mail it back to me. The issue had something to do with putting the reservation/fare on hold for 2 weeks. Second agent said it should not be done like that, and there is something they do internally to avoid that since tickets are processed based on travel date. If something is for travel many months away, they will not necessarily ticket it within 2 weeks --
Two post merger examples.
1. Friend mailed his in, didn't do the above. 3 weeks have passed, not ticketed yet (travel in may). UA will find it, or he is out his entire cert
2. Mailed mine in early last week, they received it at the end of the week but phone agent "entered it wrong in the system" and they are not sure if they will try and process it again or mail it back to me. The issue had something to do with putting the reservation/fare on hold for 2 weeks. Second agent said it should not be done like that, and there is something they do internally to avoid that since tickets are processed based on travel date. If something is for travel many months away, they will not necessarily ticket it within 2 weeks --
Mar 18, 2012, 8:44 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDX
Programs: kayaker
Posts: 851
Was this at SFO? I'm just wondering if I'll get the same cooperation and knowledge at a UAX outstation.
Mar 18, 2012, 8:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/MM, AA GLD
Posts: 1,709
If you try it at a UAX outstation, please let me know your results.
Mar 20, 2012, 6:01 pm
#10
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,039
Ugh! Well I checked my credit card online today and UA charged me the full price of the ticket. So I had to call and get my $300 (the value of the vouchers) back.
It took over 45 minutes, but the agent finally claimed they worked it out. Glad I had taken digital scans of the vouchers ^
They're saying it will take 7-10 business days to get my money back. We'll see
It took over 45 minutes, but the agent finally claimed they worked it out. Glad I had taken digital scans of the vouchers ^
They're saying it will take 7-10 business days to get my money back. We'll see
Mar 20, 2012, 6:27 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: HPN
Programs: not anymore! I'm FREE!
Posts: 3,459
Well, since (unsurprisingly) nobody seemed to have any info here I just called UA, and luckily got a great agent in HNL.
The process is more or less the same as PMUA. No way to do this online, AFAIK. I had to make the reservation over the phone (free as a 1K, not sure if they would still charge for others).
The whole process took about 20 minutes or so. It seemed like this PMUA agent had never done this before with the new system, so I'm sure it will get faster as time continues. (And paper certificates are going to disappear altogether anyways, apparently).
Ticket by mail is still available, but there is a new address:
United Airlines
PO Box 1394
Houston, TX 77205-1394
Also, we are now required to write all of the following on each of the paper coupons we are sending in:
Oddly, they did NOT ask for my MP#, but I added it anyways.
Hope this helps.
The process is more or less the same as PMUA. No way to do this online, AFAIK. I had to make the reservation over the phone (free as a 1K, not sure if they would still charge for others).
The whole process took about 20 minutes or so. It seemed like this PMUA agent had never done this before with the new system, so I'm sure it will get faster as time continues. (And paper certificates are going to disappear altogether anyways, apparently).
Ticket by mail is still available, but there is a new address:
United Airlines
PO Box 1394
Houston, TX 77205-1394
Also, we are now required to write all of the following on each of the paper coupons we are sending in:
- Full Name
- Full snail mailing address
- Contact phone number
- E-mail address
- PNR
- Outbound travel date
Oddly, they did NOT ask for my MP#, but I added it anyways.
Hope this helps.
). So I called back using LucyPhone to avoid having to listen to UA's highly annoying and VERY repetitious ads. An hour later, UA disconnected me. 
Now I'm trying again. 22 minutes on hold and counting...
Mar 23, 2012, 9:11 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,050
Earlier this week I talked with the agent in charge of ticketing, who processed my ticketing with VDB vouchers for quite a few times at the airport. She said new reservation system does have the capacity to process paper vouchers for ticketing at the airport. The temporary suspension of processing paper vouchers at a certain airports was because some agents were not familiar with the system. She has no problem to ticket my reservation with VDB voucher.
Mar 23, 2012, 9:53 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDX
Programs: kayaker
Posts: 851
Earlier this week I talked with the agent in charge of ticketing, who processed my ticketing with VDB vouchers for quite a few times at the airport. She said new reservation system does have the capacity to process paper vouchers for ticketing at the airport. The temporary suspension of processing paper vouchers at a certain airports was because some agents were not familiar with the system. She has no problem to ticket my reservation with VDB voucher.
Mar 24, 2012, 11:28 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 4
Please note that the ZIP Code on the address listed above is incorrect.
Corrected, it is as follows:
United Airlines
PO Box 1394
Houston, TX 77251-1394
The following page verifies the address and provides some other helpful information:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...offerCode.aspx
Corrected, it is as follows:
United Airlines
PO Box 1394
Houston, TX 77251-1394
The following page verifies the address and provides some other helpful information:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...offerCode.aspx