Changing between different status holders

[wendlle]

I have flights with United that I booked via virgin website
I’m good velocity and now gold United thanks to the status match

Is there a way to take advantage of both?
I want to earn the points and credits via velocity but I’d love to use the UA benefits

I called United and they know nothing about the velocity partnership and said I’ll have to have my UA FF number on the booking
But then I won’t get the VA credits am I correct?

They’ve changed our seats also for some unknown reason and now nothing is left in economy unless I pay for preferred seats and we would rather be seated together - there are four of us, two are children
They will only upgrade two of us and are very strict about it and only if I use my UA number
So if I want to sit with my aunt and other child I need to pay for the “preferred” economy seats

I asked if I could use the UA number and then change it back to VA and she got a bit cross with me for even asking

They also changed my number to the UA one when I didn’t ask and now they can’t get it back to the VA one either

This is all becoming very stressful

 

[RooFlyer]

I don’t know about StarAlliance, but with OneWorld there are certain airline websites where you can change the frequent-flier number any number of times.

There also used to be a trick where you could check in using airline A status and therefore get lounge access etc and when when in the lounge change your FrequentFlyer status to another carrier and earn the benefits of the flight of the second one.

Again I don’t know if that can happen on star alliance. but in general it’s difficult to double-dip - that is, use the benefits of two airline statuses on the same trip. And I would never discuss doing it with a representative of an airline. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

 

[wendlle]

I don’t know about StarAlliance, but with OneWorld there are certain airline websites where you can change the frequent-flier number any number of times.

There also used to be a trick where you could check in using airline A status and therefore get lounge access etc and when when in the lounge change your FrequentFlyer status to another carrier and earn the benefits of the flight of the second one.

Again I don’t know if that can happen on star alliance. but in general it’s difficult to double-dip - that is, use the benefits of two airline statuses on the same trip. And I would never discuss doing it with a representative of an airline. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

No Thankyou your reply is very helpful
I have tried calling and tweeting UA and they have been so far quite useless
And are almost refusing to remove my UA FF from the flight
It’s still on there and I want VA
VA said they can’t do it and there is no where I can see online that I can either

 

[RooFlyer]

@Mattg may know of a *A airline site that will allow you to change the FF program away from UA ‘s ( although maybe UA etc doesn’t have VA amongst their FF partner choices, yet).

 

[wendlle]

@Mattg may know of a *A airline site that will allow you to change the FF program away from UA ‘s ( although maybe UA etc doesn’t have VA amongst their FF partner choices, yet).

Thankyou
Here is a scenario what would you do?

I am Velocity gold but even with these flights I won’t be able to maintain my status before my review date
I’d love the points as I do want to travel to the USA again next year but I guess it’s not essential I get them

So I could use the UA status get the partial upgrade to economy plus along with using the priority lines etc (also lounge access in Sydney and LA??)

Which is better? The points with VA for one adult and two kids or the benefits on US ??
What would you do??

 

[RooFlyer]

What would you do??

I'm sorry, I'm a OneWorld guy & don't know much about UA & am pretty rusty on VA. Always better to credit to one favourite scheme and not have points & SCs orphaned. Thinking more, what I mentioned above may be in play. UA's IT may not have been properly updated to 'know' about the VA partnership, so it may be just impossible to credit VA. I hope Matt will chime in with something more helpful!

 

[wendlle]

Thanks RooFlyer, seems I may have answered my own question.
I called UA and was informed that even though I am gold with them I have to be in a premium cabin to use the lounge and can only take 1 guest. So that rules it out.
the slight upgrade to a bit of extra legroom isn't worth the hassle for me so I'll stick with the VA number on the booking.

Now I just have to get hold of someone at UA who can remove my UA number from it, which seems to be impossible.