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Pass Travel UPDATE                            November 23, 2013        

       

1) 2014 Enrolled Friend open enrollment in “My Info/All About Me”

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         “My Info/All About Me” is now located in the left column of the Employee Services page on Flying Together.  Click on “My Info/All About Me”;  if the page does not display on your computer then try changing your browser preferences to enable JavaScript and cookies. Don’t know how? Call the United IT Service Desk: 1-800-255-5801.


         Effective Dec. 2 through Dec. 30, 2013 (7 pm CST) eligible retirees may decide between 3 options for the 2014 calendar year:

1)   register new enrolled friend(s) for the 2014 calendar year, or

2)   keep the current enrolled friend(s) from 2013, or

3)   start 2014 without enrolled friend(s) which will ensure the ability to register someone at a later time in 2014.

                                   

         Enrolled friend(s) registration is completed online through the “Pass Riders” link in “My Info/All About Me” on Flying Together. If no action is taken, your 2013 enrolled friend(s) will automatically roll over on January 1, 2014. We strongly suggest being certain of your choice. Sometimes it’s better to start the new year without an enrolled friend(s) until you are confident of whom you would like to register for the 2014 calendar year. Once the enrollment period is closed, no changes will be permitted.

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         When choosing your options be advised, if you:

1) “Add” new EF(s) for 2014; your 2013 EF(s) can fly until midnight on Dec 31, 2013, all travel must be completed by that time. 2014 EF(s) can start flying on Jan 1, 2014, or

2) “Keep” your current EF(s); they can fly from 2013 through December 31, 2014, or

3) “Remove” your current EF’s in the “Open Enrollment for Pass Travel” red box, this will allow them to travel through Dec. 31, 2013 and allow you to start 2014 without an EF. If you remove your current EF(s) in the “Active Pass Riders” box they will lose travel privileges within 24 hours. 

            For more details, go to Flying Together>Travel>Enrolled Friend and look at “registering an enrolled friend” in the “Program Details” box or view the PDF “Access guides for registering an enrolled friend”.

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         If you change your EFs for 2014 be sure to tell your 2013 EFs they must complete all travel by midnight Dec 31, 2013 (local time at arrival airport).

Remember the deadline to make changes is 7 pm CST on December 30, 2013!

        

2)  Put My Info / All About Me on your Flying Together home page

                 

         NOTE: several selections in All About Me are for active employees only and do not function for retirees. However, three important links do work: Your Benefits Resources YBR, Dependents-Healthcare and Pass Riders.

         Follow these steps to have "MyInfo/All About Me" appear on your Flying Together home page in My Tools (so you don't have to click through Employee Services):

a)  On the Flying Together home page, go to the "My tools" tab in the left column and click on "edit".

b)  Be patient, the "My tools" page will load, then click on "Add more tools".

c)  On the "Add more tools" page, just click on the yellow plus sign next to "MyInfo / All About Me" from the list beneath "All co-workers".

d) Now a "MyInfo/All About Me" link should appear in the left column under "My tools".

You may customize the links in your FlyingTogether>My tools column.adding or deleting whatever you want.


3)  Employees without spouses/DPs can now have a Primary Friend

                  (See employeeRES landing page Nov 18, 2013)

                 

   NOTE: A Primary Friend is not an additional pass rider, it is a new boarding priority category!

           

            A new pass rider category of Primary Friend has been introduced for employees (not for retirees). Primary Friends will travel at the same boarding priority as the employee, whether or not they are accompanied. Employees may have either a spouse, domestic partner, or a primary friend. If an employee has one enrolled friend (and no spouse or domestic partner) then the EF becomes the primary friend. Single employees who have two EFs may choose one to become a primary friend for a calendar year. For more info on Primary Friends for employees, see the Q&A and overview chart in Additional Information here: Flying Together>Travel>Enrolled Friend

         Retirees’ eligible pass riders will continue to be spouses/domestic partners, parents, children under 26 years old and up to two enrolled friends.  Retirees spouses/domestic partners can travel unaccompanied at the same boarding priority as the retiree (SA0V or SA2R) while the others travel unaccompanied at SA3V or SA4R.


4) Set up JA Login for your pass riders

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                  If your pass riders are trustworthy, set up employeeRES to allow them to sign in with their own password, view flights, check loads and list by themselves! If their travel plans require payment of taxes, fees or service charges, they can use their own credit card when listing.

         Go to employeeRES>QuickLinks>EmployeeProfile to view your Pass Riders Profile (yellow horizontal stripe across page). Click on activate under the JA Login column to sign up your pass rider(s). United will send you an email every time they list for a flight. You may specify whether or not they can list using your vacation passes.   More JA login information is available via the link below your Pass Riders Profile.

        

5) Booking travel in 2014 (from employeeRES landing page Nov 6, 2013)


         Pass travel fares for travel beginning January 1, 2014 and beyond have not been loaded into employeeRES.  We anticipate having the fares loaded sometime in December and recommend to book 2014 travel after the load has been completed.  We will issue an announcement when you can book your 2014 travel plans.


5) Dont get fined or stuck when flying international!

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         United has seen a 120 percent increase over the past year in the number of pass riders who have arrived at international destinations without proper travel documents. Arriving abroad improperly documented may result in being deported back to the origin country and a fine being imposed against United.

            Space available travel with United ePasses, ZED tickets and/or ID90 tickets may require special documentation, even when transiting certain countries.  Read the September 11, 2013 notice on the employeeRES landing page. Use this form on United.com: http://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps/vendors/default.aspx?i=TIMATIC


 6) Board dates in employeeRES: 1915, really?

                                                     

          No, there are no pass riders with 98 years of service! On October 21st the HR system was consolidated to People Soft, moving all 88,000 active/retired employees into a new database.  This created a few glitches.

         On October 27th the Technology department loaded a section of programs to work on glitches and this caused some 'trickle-down' glitches which affected travel plans created by retiree/early-out pass riders prior to that date.  All new PNR's created since October 29th will show correct board dates.

         The ETC apologizes if the technology glitch created difficulty for travel and assures us that all systems are back in order, displaying correct board dates.  Apparently an IT 'robot' is now in place to keep this from happening again.


7) Retiree parking at SFO MOC

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         Parking in the west lot at the SFO Maintenance Ops Center is being changed and some availability may be reduced. Designated spots are open to United retirees on a first come/first serve basis. You must go to the MOC security office before parking and show either the new retiree ID badge or the old retiree card plus a picture ID. If you don't have either retiree card then they may need to see your passport/driver's license plus your file number to look you up in the computer. You must fill out a form to be displayed on your vehicles dashboard. Parking is limited to 2-3 weeks and is usually available, but, if youre traveling over a holiday period (Thanksgiving/Christmas), its a good idea to have a back-up plan!


8) How much baggage can we check when flying standby?

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          Under Uniteds Baggage Policy for Pass Travel, employees, retirees and their eligible passriders, including extended family and regular buddies, are allowed one carry-on bag, one carry-onpersonal item and two checked bags, up to a maximum of 70 pounds each, free of charge.

            This is also true when flying on myUAdiscount tickets. Read the baggage policy (and more) on this page: FlyingTogether>Travel>Travel Policies (in the left column on the Flying Together>Travel page).

 

                                   

9) PEDs are now OK to use gate-to-gate inflight

        

          Pax may now use lightweight, hand held personal electronic devices on United during all phases of domestic mainline flights and to/from US territories. The FAA ruling includes tablets, smart phones, e-readers, and games. Larger electronic devices like laptops must be stored securely for take off and landing. Restrictions still apply during some phases of international flights. Inflight safety cards and videos will be updated soon. Use of PEDs on UAX flights is expected by the end of the year.

         United just launched an all-new mobile app for iPhones optimized for iOS7 with many new features handy for both revenue and standby passengers; its a free download at the iTunes app store. An updated Android app is coming early next year.

          

10) New flights, discontinued flights and why

                 

           New flights and/or increased frequency in 2014:

         IAH-NRT (Narita): March 2014 with 777

         IAH-MUC (Munich): Summer with 767-400

         IAD-MAD (Madrid): New seasonal flights

         ORD-EDI (Edinburgh): New seasonal flights

         EWR-LHR (London): Increased 767 service

        

         Discontinued flying:

         SEA-NRT (Narita): effective January 2014

         NRT-BKK (Bangkok): effective March 2014

         NRT-ICN (Seoul): down-gauged to 737-800 effective March 2014


This flying got reallocated to make our route structure more profitable. Why? Read the Nov 19th article in the United Daily recent news on FlyingTogether>News. 

Yes, but that NRT-BKK flight was always full! What is up with that? Full is not necessarily profitable. Read why in the Nov 20th article in the United Daily recent news on FlyingTogether>News.

        

           

           

11) Recent news snippets from the United Daily (archive on Flying Together>News)

           

            8/23:UAX seasonal service SFO-SunValley starts Dec 12

           9/4: Indianapolis-SFO service starts Jan 7with A319s

           9/9: UAX will fly ORD to Elmira NY, StateCollege PA &Topeka KS in 2014

         10/7: LAX-MSP and SFO-ATL flights begin April 2014

       10/14: Some 757 TransAtlantic flights to be up-gauged to 767s this summer 

       10/23: LA city council endorses $400m for LAX renovation of terminals 6, 7, 8

       11/12: We take delivery of our 8th 787-8 and another fuel efficient 737-900ER

       11/15: New United Airlines mobile app optimized for iPhones running iOS 7

       11/19: New flights/discontinued flights, reallocation of aircraft for 2014

       11/19: Jeffs path forward; cut $2 billion in costs by 2017

       11/20: Why we are ending daily NRT-BKK service with full pax loads?

       11/20: Primary Friends boarding category for employees is effective Nov 20th


Compiled by Kirk Moore, RAFA Travel Benefits Committee                      11/23/2013


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