A Question about DM Upgrades...

[SolidCactus]

Question...

I had two friends visiting me from SFO to PHL. I called the Chairmans desk (I'm CP), and asked if I could use my miles to purchase them an upgrade into first class. I was told yes. She debited my account for the miles, and gave them an upgrade to first.

So today, I get this letter in the mail that is written in a basically friendly tone, but it hints that I'm an idiot, or trying to buck the system. It says, "We have noticed that your Dividend Miles number has been used in reservations for persons other than yourself". It goes on to tell me that I should be extra careful when using my DM number. "It is important that our Preferred members use their Dividend Miles account numbers for their personal reservations only, which allows the program to work equitably"...

UM, Yeah, but if that is the case, wouldn't the agent have not done the miles transfer and upgrade for me?

I don't mind being told no, but this letter kind of makes me feel like I tried to do something wrong on purpose...

 

[PhxMama]

I have a question for you. When the reservation was built did you input your dm account? If you did not buy the tkts online yourself and your account number was NOT initially in the reservation, than the agent whom upgraded your friends flights did it incorrectly. I dont think you're an idiot but many customers dont understand that only the person who trvls receives the miles, not the buyer. Sometimes its noted that its a frequent flyer account not frequent buyer account! Accounts need to be audited for this type of mileage accrual and than the mileage needs to be deleted from those accounts. Im sure your account was either audited or flagged. Until your actual pnr is looked at, it would be hard to say for sure who and when the dm account was added-unless you did it! Not that I work for this company but thats how it used to work! Mama

 

[SS255]

US allows you to use your miles to upgrade other people. Sounds like someone may have made a mistake somewhere down the line......or US changed its policy regarding mileage upgrade, and DM members never got the memo.

 

[tadjr]

I know you'll find this hard to believe.... :blink: , but the current computer system will take anyones number and add it to any name. We are finding lots of reservations that have dads number entered or whomever made the reservation is entering their number for everyone and it takes it. The old computer system had to have the name match exactly to get it to take. Not any more, so that could be the reason you got the note. If your number was added to the other persons account (either by you or rez or a computer glitch) and someone caught it and turned it in, you'd probably get the note. Without seeing the rez and seeing how the number was noted in the profile (miles pulled from account or name associated with account) its hard to say what happened. It might also have been from another reservation altogether if you'd had another reservation with someone else involved and your number was entered in their name field in error, then that might have been the one that flagged it?

 

[jets_2573]

Question...

I had two friends visiting me from SFO to PHL. I called the Chairmans desk (I'm CP), and asked if I could use my miles to purchase them an upgrade into first class. I was told yes. She debited my account for the miles, and gave them an upgrade to first.

So today, I get this letter in the mail that is written in a basically friendly tone, but it hints that I'm an idiot, or trying to buck the system. It says, "We have noticed that your Dividend Miles number has been used in reservations for persons other than yourself". It goes on to tell me that I should be extra careful when using my DM number. "It is important that our Preferred members use their Dividend Miles account numbers for their personal reservations only, which allows the program to work equitably"...

UM, Yeah, but if that is the case, wouldn't the agent have not done the miles transfer and upgrade for me?

I don't mind being told no, but this letter kind of makes me feel like I tried to do something wrong on purpose...

I am a CHP accounts desk employee.....with 35yrs res exp.....you did nothing wrong....on this new computer system we have now when an agent goes to process an upgrade for someone other than the chp account member there appears a pop-up that will automatically add your dm account number to the booking and the agent should have escaped from that pop-up and processed the upgrades using a workaround.... I apologize for the letter you received and will bring this to my supervisors attention tomorrow and give a heads up as to what is happening to the Dividend Miles department as well....We appreciate your business.

 

[tadjr]

and processed the upgrades using a workaround....

Almost the entire system is a workaround.... h34r:

 

[SolidCactus]

I am a CHP accounts desk employee.....with 35yrs res exp.....you did nothing wrong....on this new computer system we have now when an agent goes to process an upgrade for someone other than the chp account member there appears a pop-up that will automatically add your dm account number to the booking and the agent should have escaped from that pop-up and processed the upgrades using a workaround.... I apologize for the letter you received and will bring this to my supervisors attention tomorrow and give a heads up as to what is happening to the Dividend Miles department as well....We appreciate your business.

Thank you! If it helps, these were the res #'s. They were bought by my friends, on their own credit cards, I just called and did a mileage upgrade on them... EWWDPG and W32DD2.

It makes sense now. I'm not mad or upset. I just thought it was odd that I'd get a letter in the mail. The day I called in the upgrade, I did get the email status update with some weird message...

 

[john john]

that pop-up workaround....

HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT

 

[jimntx]

I dont think you're an idiot but many customers dont understand that only the person who trvls receives the miles, not the buyer. Sometimes its noted that its a frequent flyer account not frequent buyer account! Accounts need to be audited for this type of mileage accrual and than the mileage needs to be deleted from those accounts.

Why accuse him of trying to scam the system? He did NOT say he was trying to accrue miles from someone else's travel. He said he was trying to use his miles to get someone else an upgrade. Does LCC not allow it's frequent flyers to give friends and family a "gift" using the miles?

 

[Singleflyer]

Bob I agree with you 100% about cheats and liers.

What is the ould saying? There is no honor between theives> or something like that.

 

[jimntx]

Agree completely. We all like to crow about and demand our individuality, but in truth people do not want to be seen as different from others. We project our shortcomings as well as our strengths on others. If I'm a liar, I assume that everyone else lies. If I am trustworthy, I tend to trust others.

And, while we are on the subject, trustworthy is a wonderful word. It means worthy of trust. It's one of the highest compliments you can pay someone.

 

[SS255]

I am a CHP accounts desk employee.....with 35yrs res exp.....you did nothing wrong....on this new computer system we have now when an agent goes to process an upgrade for someone other than the chp account member there appears a pop-up that will automatically add your dm account number to the booking and the agent should have escaped from that pop-up and processed the upgrades using a workaround.... I apologize for the letter you received and will bring this to my supervisors attention tomorrow and give a heads up as to what is happening to the Dividend Miles department as well....We appreciate your business.

Boy.....this is a case study of "Blame the Customer." If US is aware of this problem, why did they not investigate it before accusing SolidCactus of violating DM's T&C's?

 

[jets_2573]

Thank you! If it helps, these were the res #'s. They were bought by my friends, on their own credit cards, I just called and did a mileage upgrade on them... EWWDPG and W32DD2.

It makes sense now. I'm not mad or upset. I just thought it was odd that I'd get a letter in the mail. The day I called in the upgrade, I did get the email status update with some weird message...

You're welcome. I will forward this info to my boss. Thanks for your understanding and continued customer loyalty to USAirways.

(please read - new messages)

 

[SolidCactus]

You're welcome. I will forward this info to my boss. Thanks for your understanding and continued customer loyalty to USAirways.

(please read - new messages)

Hi Jets_2573 - I just set you a new message offline. Can you check it when you get a chance? I have another error in my DM account that is wild. Someone I dont know has redeemed 15,000 of my miles? UGH.

 

[happy01]

Hi Jets_2573 - I just set you a new message offline. Can you check it when you get a chance? I have another error in my DM account that is wild. Someone I dont know has redeemed 15,000 of my miles? UGH.

And this is why I think they are sending the letters to DM members, not because they think the DM members are being deceitful or cheating the system. Just to confirm that the DM member knows that their miles have been used for someone other than the DM member. Its just a poor choice of words that was used in the letter sent to the original poster. Dishonest people do get their hands on DM numbers and do steal the miles out of others accounts, don't know how they do it but they do. I know when I call the DM Service Center I practically have to give them my shoe size before they will release any information to me about someones account and I work for the company. I do know that in recent weeks US Airways is taking ver pro-active measures to combat all types of fraud, maybe this is one of those steps?