Need to pick experienced flyer's brains

I have an upcoming award ticket in February on UA that connects to CA in PEK. I just saw a thread on FlyerTalk that has me very worried.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1811730-help-brother-stuck-pek-ua-f-award-ticket-3.html

I did get a seat assignment by calling CA after I made the reservation months ago...and that took supreme patience to achieve.

I will probably call again to make sure it's still in the system. CA would probably have a different locator number correct? When I called for the seat assignment, CA found it with the UA locator. Is there anything I can do through UA to make sure it's still in CA's system...or do I have to always go through CA? Are there other things I should do, and information I should have, if we find ourselves in Beijing at a transfer desk with no flight from PEK to SGN?

I would ask on Flyertalk, but the group here is used to dealing with inexperienced flyers and speaks our language. :)

TIA

We did the same -- UA then connect to CA to HKG. Yes you always have to go through CA's system. Only CA can assign seats.

When you check in UA should give you boarding passes for both. Transfer is a pain through Beijing. You go through transfer line (left side of the terminal) then down stairs through security and to gate. Took almost 45 minutes.

You should be able to see the CA booking code when you look at the booking under manage your reservations on the UA site. There is a link for this usually under the UA booking code.

You can use the travel Sky Site to check the CA booking -- http://www.travelsky.com/tsky/

It is in Chinese but Google translate can give you the info in English --- just need name and CA booing code.

We did the same -- UA then connect to CA to HKG. Yes you always have to go through CA's system. Only CA can assign seats.

 

When you check in UA should give you boarding passes for both. Transfer is a pain through Beijing. You go through transfer line (left side of the terminal) then down stairs through security and to gate. Took almost 45 minutes.

Thanks Paul (You were one of the people I hoped would see this!)

Glad to hear there is a chance of getting the boarding pass in at least IAD for the SGN flight. That FT thread made it seem that it was the exception more than the norm. We're going DTW to IAD, overnighting, then starting the long haul to SGN.

BTW...saw your FT posts re Polaris. Hopefully, we won't notice that it's not up to snuff..It's our first International F flight, so we only have cattle cars to compare against.:)

 

I will probably call again to make sure it's still in the system. CA would probably have a different locator number correct? When I called for the seat assignment, CA found it with the UA locator.

Yes, CA will have a separate locator number. UA can give it to you and you should be able to log into CA with it and see your reservation.

Yes, CA will have a separate locator number. UA can give it to you and you should be able to log into CA with it and see your reservation.

Thanks Meg...I'll call UA tomorrow and try to get the CA locator. I should at least have that in hand if things go sideways. All I have is the seat numbers.

If we get to IAD and there are no boarding passes for the SGN portion, do you think there is anything the check in desk there will be able to do? I don't want to press someone that is helpless, but, I don't want to get to PEK and deal with a difficult transfer desk.

Our Plan B options for paid flights from PEK to SGN are not good.

Wouldn't you know the only prepaid hotel room that I made was SGN? Thankfully, it is the one city we have tons of fluff timewise in the itinerary. And, with 12 flight segments on this trip itinerary, I think I'd better find a prescription for Xanax. :). Odds are against us.

Take some of what you read on FT with a grain of salt (just like on this site). The folks over there tend to blow things waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of proportion sometimes. Especially on the UA board. If they change the color of napkins or coffee cups there will be a thread with 672 posts going on and on about how United hates passengers, race to the bottom blah blah blah. While there is a treasure trove of good info over there (like here) sometimes you just have to wade through the hyperbole and baseless anger (again like here) to find it. ;)

Agree with DAVE. Over exaggerated on FT.

One thing is that your CA record locator will not allow you to view the booking on CA'S web site. Your ticket is on 016 stock and not on CAs.

There are threads on that too on FT. That is why I posted the travelsky web site.

Have a great trip. Despite the Polaris "improvements". It certainly beats the back of the plane. Since you are flying in First, UA's first seats is one of the best. We did same IAD to PEK flight in March in GF.

Agree with DAVE. Over exaggerated on FT.

One thing is that your CA record locator will not allow you to view the booking on CA'S web site. Your ticket is on 016 stock and not on CAs.

 

There are threads on that too on FT. That is why I posted the travelsky web site.

 

Have a great trip. Despite the Polaris "improvements". It certainly beats the back of the plane. Since you are flying in First, UA's first seats is one of the best. We did same IAD to PEK flight in March in GF.

Thanks Paul...I'll play with the travelsky website later today. Now the my old brain cells are kicking back in...I had to find the CA locator on the UA website back when I called for the seat assignment. I'm not real familiar with the UA website (given my location we fly DL 9 times out of 10). It took me a while to find it back then (and again this morning). And, I do recall trying to plug it into the CA site with no luck - so I'll give travelsky a try.

Thanks all, good to know that FT can make things seem worse than they might actually be. Reading that thread, it made it seem like CA routinely loses UA reservations, particularly award reservations. I'll lay off the Xanax for now.:)