SDWranglers From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 15 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 2443 times:
Help and advise needed…sorry if there is a solution posted elsewhere, I did do a search.
I recently flew round trip on Air New Zealand, LAX to AKL. I requested the miles from this flight be placed on my United Mileage Plus account. However, only the return portion (AKL-LAX) showed up on my most recent account summary.
United told me there is nothing they can do since Air New Zealand has to verify that I was actually on the flight and their contract does not allow them to manually update my account without proof. United can help me if I provide a copy of the ticket and boarding pass issued by Air New Zealand, of course I didn’t keep those documents. Air New Zealand said they can’t help me since they cannot provide me with a copy of the ticket and cannot reissue the boarding pass and they will not correct the problem with United. On my second call to United, I asked the customer rep how I got to New Zealand since I really wasn’t able to swim that far. Her response was I could have taken another carrier.
Air New Zealand has to have a record of me taking this flight, right? Is there an easy solution or do I just loose the 6,200 miles? I don’t understand the system well enough to know.
By the way, I had a business partner on the same flights and his Mileage Plus account wasn’t credited for the LAX-AKL portion of the trip either. So we are both in the same boat.
IFEMaster From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 2400 times:
This happened to me once with my BMI Diamond Club account. I had flown LHR - LAX - LHR with United Airlines and used my BMI account number to collect the miles. I checked my statement a couple of weeks after I returned home, and noticed that only the LHR to LAX leg had been recorded. I didn't have the boarding pass or ticket.
BMI and UA told me exactly what you were told - that without proof of travel, I couldn't get the points.
And this is where I got sneaky.
I had a credit card statement showing a charge to United Airlines. I called United Airlines to dispute the transaction, claiming that I know nothing about the charge. They said they could prove that the charge was legitimate, so I asked them to fax me everything they had regarding that transaction. They faxed me somekind of docket that showed the online transaction approval frm the credit card authorizing process, and they faxed me a document that showed my entire flight details; check in time, seat number, flight number etc. This included both legs.
I promptly called the relevant departments at UA and BMI, and faxed them the same stuff. Hey presto, I had the miles within 3 days plus 1,000 'apology' miles.
BigSky123 From Slovenia, joined Dec 2005, 149 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 2354 times:
Very smart move, IFEMaster!
As it is not possible to retreive boarding passes after you lost originals, you can get a copy of your ticket at your IATA travel agent or airline sales point. Those documents must be kept for 12 months, after ticket was purchased. It's at least how we are required to archive those documents.
Kiwiandrew From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8435 posts, RR: 15 Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 2328 times:
Quoting BigSky123 (Reply 4): you can get a copy of your ticket at your IATA travel agent or airline sales point. Those documents must be kept for 12 months, after ticket was purchased. It's at least how we are required to archive those documents.
they must be kept way more than 12 months - I have known airlines to issue ADMs 2 years after ticket issue - and if you dont have a copy you are not able to dispute it so your agency wears it
anyway - back on topic - some airlines will do nothing without the original BPs and audit copy of ticket ( if a paper ticket ) - TG in particular used to be absolute b***ards ( anyway that they can find to wriggle out of crediting your points they will use) . Back when I was an agent I would put peoples mileage number into the pnr - then I would drum it in to them that airline screw-ups occur and tell them to show their card at check-in for every single sector and keep every boarding pass and the receipt copy of their ticket until after they had checked their statements and found all their points ( I must be pretty effective - I trained my partner so well that he kept his boarding passes from a reward ticket for six months ! )
Quoting BigSky123 (Reply 4): Very smart move, IFEMaster!
As it is not possible to retreive boarding passes after you lost originals, you can get a copy of your ticket at your IATA travel agent or airline sales point. Those documents must be kept for 12 months, after ticket was purchased. It's at least how we are required to archive those documents.
You know, that would probably be enough if you don't mind be sneaky like I did. Get a copy of the ticket from the IATA source, and then call and visit the airline. Tell them that you missed the flight, but would like to transfer the ticket to another flight and pay the penalty or whatever their process is. They'll run the ticket and see that, in fact, it was used. Act like the stupid, innocent victim of serious case of ticket-theft and ask for a hard copy of the details. That should be enough ammo to get you your miles.
By the way, fight for those miles. The way the elite programs are being watered down and run these days, every mile is worth it's weight in gold as far as I'm concerned.
Kaniksu From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 202 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2227 times:
IFEMaster, that was great! I would have never been clever enough to think of that!
Alaskaqantas From New Zealand, joined Dec 2005, 900 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2212 times:
IFEMaster... NICE MATE!!!
But yeah we had that problem on Air NZ except we were trying to put the miles on an air NZ account. Being down in NZ was nice because they told us to send down the tickets (Round Trip) to Christchurch. we only had one of two tickets left. It had been an AKL-LAX flight so we wanted those miles, especially now that Air NZ's program is, what I think to be... uhmmmm how to say this: not the best program.
Since we only had one ticket, we only got credited for a one way portion; the funny thing is that we did something sort of like IFEMaster. We told them that we had paid for a Round Trip Ticket. We went into the bank got a statement. LUCKLY we went and talked to a VERY nice person at NZ and they looked up the reservation (I still remembered the conf. code!!!) and said that it had been a Round Trip, so they awarded us the miles. then we were able to spend them, with some other already earned miles and have an extra trip over to Auzy, for the sake of it
Every time this happens to some one the out come will be different, so all I can say is try to prove them wrong (credit card is the easiest way ) and get those well deserved MILES!!!!!
~Cheers-
~~Kyle H.
GOOD LUCK
to some people the sky is the limit, to aviation enthusiasts, its home!
Kiwiandrew From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8435 posts, RR: 15 Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2208 times:
I cannot emphasis enough the 5 golden rules with mileage
1 - before you pay check whether flights/classes are eligible for points
2 - online or with your TA if you still use one make sure that your mileage
number is entered into your reservation
3 - dont trust number 2 above - still show your membership card everytime
you check-in - particularly on multi-carrier itineraries
4 - keep your boarding passes and audit copy of ticket until after you
have had your points confirmed on your statement
5- check your statement within a week of flying - if points have not been
credited start chasing up immediately - most airlines have a cut off period
for crediting missing points
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
BigSky123 From Slovenia, joined Dec 2005, 149 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2154 times:
1 - before you pay check whether flights/classes are eligible for points
2 - online or with your TA if you still use one make sure that your mileage
number is entered into your reservation
3 - dont trust number 2 above - still show your membership card everytime
you check-in - particularly on multi-carrier itineraries
4 - keep your boarding passes and audit copy of ticket until after you
have had your points confirmed on your statement
5- check your statement within a week of flying - if points have not been
credited start chasing up immediately - most airlines have a cut off period
for crediting missing points
Another important thing: if miles r not credited and you need to send original BP's + copy of a ticket by mail, always send them as a "registered mail". It happened to me with LH Miles&More twice, that an excuse was used: "we are very sorry, but we haven't received any mail from you". They are serioulsy nasty! It only took me minutes to fax them post office proof of sending my mail and then problem was solved in 48 hours - missing miles were credited.
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 15 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Slovenia, joined Dec 2005, 149 posts, 
From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8435 posts, 
) and get those well deserved MILES!!!!!
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