Expedia and FF miles
 

I am getting ready to book a trip in the next 10 days or so for 4 people to London (still haven't decided between LHR and LGW). We are probably going to fly on either AA or US.

Has anyone booked through Expedia on either airline and *not* received frequent flier miles? I don't want to book my tickets for such a long journey and not get my miles!

First, why book through Expedia and not the airline's own website?

Second, always check or inquire about the fare class of the tickets before purchasing. Regardless of where you buy them. Then check on aa.com or united.com to find out what FF miles they give on those fares.

Sorry, I mean usairways.com

I know that to book through the airline's website would add another $300 to our tour packages and that would be over-budget.

When plugging in my dates and going as far as actually purchasing the ticket and hotel, Expedia does give the option of providing your FF number for either AAdvantage or US Dividend Miles. I am assuming that miles get posted because you are asked, but have not booked this way for sure so am wondering what everyone's experience has been.

Don't assume. Follow rkkwan's instructions and find out the fare class, then look on the airline's website to see if that's a full mileage earning fare. That's the only way to really know.

When you check fares on Expedia, after you choose both the outbound and inbound flights, you'll come to a page with the big heading "Total price for
this trip: $xxx.xx" in orange.

Scroll down to section 2 "Review the rules and restrictions", and click on the link for "rules and restrictions" or "penalty rules for change and cancellations".

It'll will display a page titled "Fare Rules and Restrictions", and in bold is "Fare Basis Code".

The first letter of that code is your fare class. Go to aa.com or usairways.com's FF program page and check if this fare code is eligible for miles and if it's excluded.

The fact that Expedia let you enter something means nothing.

Now, granted, most fares on AA and US are indeed FF miles eligible, but there are always exception, and you cannot be too cautious about these things.

It sounds like you are booking a package?

If that's correct you may not receive mileage and/or only receive partial mileage.

The packages are often sold as "bulk" fares and the Frequent Flyer miles are one of the things that get cut to make the fare an option. I have had this happen on DL and AA.

I am not sure how you will figure this one out. I bet the fare class shows up as one you can't find on the airlines website. You can try calling the airline and asking.

Thanks for all of your advice. I have just discovered that the Expedia price and the price of booking the airfare and hotel separately is about the same with the US package.

Booking the ticket directly through the airline would make the airline responsible for some manner of FF miles.

Most of the time the airline website will give you the same fare as Expedia offers. Expedia really screwed up my last trip. i would never book with them.

I was in a similar dilemma a couple of months ago when Expedia was showing a fare, $300 cheaper per person, on exactly the same flights found on aa.com. I always book directly with the airline but $300 less multiplied by 4 people is a lot of savings!! Also I really try to avoid 2nd or 3rd party agents as much as I can. I went back and forth and finally decided, " call the airline and see what can be done". And yes! they have the same fare the other online agents were offering, only they haven't put them yet in their system. So not only did I get my fare, I didn't have to pay the booking fee and I am secured in the knowledge that FF miles will be credited and if there are any screw-ups, I will be notified!

<i>Booking the ticket directly through the airline would make the airline responsible for some manner of FF miles.</i>

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, or at best it is irrelevant.

The airline that runs the FF program is responsible for crediting miles to an account and they do so in accordance with the program rules.

The airline will probably sell you a miles earning ticket but probably is not the same as certainly.

You need to re-read what rkkwan wrote.

Let me put it another way: you are responsible for making sure the airline credits the miles correctly and for making sure you understand the earning rules.

Its been a few years, so I might have the web site wrong, but I think it was expedia.

I bought two tickets at the same time; I sat next to my wife on the same plane. She got miles; I didn't. I pleaded ignorance, stupidity, and everything else I could think of to the airline, and after a few months, they gave me the miles to which I was not entitled.

I thought that was nice of them, so I have stayed in their frequent flyer program. But now I buy my tickets through the airline website, rather than through the sites like expedia.

FYI, I was a lawyer before I retired, and I make a point of reading everything before signing it, and I'm pretty confident the disparity in the two tickets was not one of the things I read before buying. I hope expedia is now giving that information out, but my experience with people is that they have difficulty reading such information, and often don't bother, or at least don't bother to read all the way to the end.

But, you don't have to be a lawyer to understand your fare class. It is important to know if you want to know what miles you should earn. It also is important for upgrades. The fare basis code is a basic part of the ticket and should be displayed prominently, as Expedia apparently does now, according to rkkwan: <i>in bold is &quot;Fare Basis Code&quot;</i>.

Fare basis code: WLWWEB
The fare class is W = discount economy, earns 100% miles, upgradeable with a Region 2 upgrade certificate (SWU).

In short, it doesn't matter where you buy your ticket(s). To get miles you must make sure you are buying a miles earning fare code.

Airline and travel sites sell miles earning fare codes and they also sell non-miles earning fares.

For example, www.aa.com will sell Q or O fares and here are the rules:

<i>Tickets between North America and Europe, India, Asia and Latin America booked in O and Transatlantic tickets booked in Q are not eligible for mileage credit.</i>

http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...anAirlines.jsp

In addition to the great advice given already I'll add this.

After you have checked your fare class and FF eligibility make sure to check with the ticket agent or gate agent to be sure that they have your FF number keyed in. Just a double check on Expedia or whoever booked your flight.