We went to africa last April-May. Well, today while Glenda was arranging airline tickets to DSC we discovered that United failed to credit us with the SAA segment of the trip. We called United and was told that in order to get credit we had to produce the ticket stubs and the boarding pass. Guess what: no stubs or boarding passes. I discarded them about 3 weeks ago when we went to Tortola for the weekend. I suppose the moral is to retain all your travel documents as you would your IRS records.

I fought this very same battle with United Airlines over our trip in April/May also, and lost. They would except nothing except "original" paperwork. They defend their miles like sows with cubs! Definately keep all of your stubs and receipts until your FF mileage is updated, and verified correct.

yep, they pulled the same shit with me and Kathi was kind enough to help me out. It was a long fight, even with ticket stubs that I faxed THREE TIMES! It took her calling some contacts she had to get them credited. jorge

ah the endless saga with airline miles. While I was able to use most of my Alaska airmiles and some transfer of miles from family member accounts (at a pretty hefty xfer fee) for my trip to Africa next year, getting dates with those miles on days I WANTED to travel was a bit of a pain. I really don't fly enough in my day to day life to colect enough miles for a ticket, so most miles come from using credit cards of one sort or another to get the number of miles needed. Anyway, in the end after this last go around, I said to myself the heck with this, I'm not gonna worry about collecting miles, and buy the tickets for the days I want, when I want. Its easy for ME to take that stand as I don't fly that much anyway, other thna Africa trips I always drive to my out of state hunts (with in reason of course) and while driving I also don't have to worry about ammo limits (11 lbs), nor about how much gear I can take or it getting lost by baggage handlers, or getting credit for my airmiles I earned on the trp,etc. This is simoply what I do NOW and in no way is something that others should do. Just my 2 cents.

Bryan join the club...SAA screwed me the same way on my first safari...miles also...

Mike

They tried with me in '05 when they were partnering with Delta, but I had kept the stubs, BP's and baggage checks. One fax to Delta did the trick. SAA is not to be trusted. It is now a true "African" air carrier.

Got my tickets thru Kathi. Flew United and SAA. Did not get full credit from United. Send proof of flight. United them told me I had a special discount flight that did not give full credit for the some legs of flight. Did not call Kathi about it. I may call her about it after reading some of these post. Looks like United likes to pull the old Bait and Switch act.

You must understand that frequent flyer programs are becoming increasingly unpopular with all airlines, not just United or SAA, and they will do you out of your miles given the slightest excuse.

That is why I don't five a good F*ck which airline I use as I have found not only alot of BS to get the miles but my God try to redem them. It is a bunch of BS. Kathi has told me miles redempbion works if you can book way in the future like maybe years! AIRLINE!