Other Airlines: 4 steps to worldwide interline travel!

       

LAST Updated 6/29/2019 Most information is still good; but some links may be obsolete.

If UAL flights are overbooked or you're going where United doesn't fly....buy ZED tickets!

United has reciprocal ZED (zonal employee discount) agreements with over 120 Other Airlines for interline "standby" pass travel. Employees/retirees can purchase ZED e-tickets online for a modest per person, per segment service charge (better than going to the airport to have the tickets written!). In fact, you can no longer get tickets written at the airport...it must be done online.

     

1) First decide: What airline? What flight?

If you already know the airline, visit its website to view timetables. Otherwise, search for airlines & schedules on: http://www.passrider.com/flightloads/  or https://www.rome2rio.com  Note flight numbers & transit times. 

Then use Seatguru, Expedia, Kayak, or Travelocity to see the full-revenue fares on those flights and dates. Is the money you save flying standby on ZED tickets versus buying a full fare ticket worth the "standby" risk? Remember, we are boarded AFTER all the other airline's employees/retirees get boarded. If it's worth it for your situation, then proceed to buy your ZED tickets.

Good tip: Before traveling abroad, download the U.S. State Department "Smart Traveler" app from the App Store or GooglePlay. It will provide the latest advisories about the countries you are going to visit.

Once you choose the airline you wish to travel on then…

2) Read United’s agreement with that airline…

Very important! You should review the information contained in each agreement page every time you plan to interline travel, as the information is subject to change.

Log into FT.ual.com > Travel > Other airline interline travel  

First read the News Updates and Country Restrictions to see if that airline is affected. 

Then click the "In this section" link at the top of the page, click on "Other Airline Travel" to view the list of all the airlines United has agreements with. 

Select the airline you want, then carefully read:

 

WHO is eligible to fly? Usually retiree, spouse, children & parents. Star Companion, Partner, Buddy?  Note which ZED tier the airline gives you & your pass riders: ZED Low, Medium or High?

WHAT CABIN? Most airlines offer Economy, some may also let you fly in Business.

Note: If you buy YC ticket and seats are only available in BC you will not be boarded.

If you buy BC ticket and BC is full, you will be given a seat in Economy. You will only be refunded the difference in fare IF you are on a Star Alliance carrier (allow 4 weeks for refund processing). Other carriers will not refund the fare difference; so, buy both BC & YC tickets, use the one for the cabin that has available seats; then go back to the website where you bought tickets to get a refund on the un-used ticket.

HOW to buy tickets? Do you use myIDTravelPurchase or ID90T?                                                    Note whether you need to LIST and how.

 

Each year employees/retirees are allowed 8 "Travel Partner" passes (aka Star Companions) that can be used on 11 Star Alliance Carriers to accompany up to 2 companions on a flight; usually for economy class only. The carriers are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Austrian, Avianca Brasil, eurowings, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, SAS, South African Airways, Swiss and TAP Portugal.  

Travel Partner (Star Companion) Rules:

1) The employee/retiree must accompany their Travel Partner(s) on all flights.

2) Buy Travel Partner and employee/retiree ZED tickets on the same transaction. 

3) Travel Partner tickets are charged at the HIGH ZED fare.

4) Each Travel Partner pass is good for a roundtrip; if only used one-way, the pass is used up. 

5) If you book A>B>C you may stay at B as long as you like before continuing to C on one pass.

6) We do not get 8 passes per airline, but rather 8 shared among all the carriers per year; unused passes do not roll-over to the next year.

Note: ONE UA Enrolled Friend is eligible on Hawaiian Airlines at ZED low fare, if accompanied by the retiree. See the HA interline agreement page.

3) Buy ZEDs

There are two ways to obtain ZED eTickets (either myIDTravelPurchase or ID90T); both are accessed by links on the Other airline interline travel page on Flying Together>Travel. 

To determine which method is used for the carrier you wish to travel on, read the airline information as mentioned in #2 above.  NOTICE: The ETC has announced it will begin transitioning all Other Airline Ticketing to the MyIDTravelPurchase website; although some, like Air India and American Airlines are back on ID90T.  

1) Use the MyIDTravelPurchase website to buy ZED tickets on most of the 122 OA carriers. There is a list of carriers in the OtherAirline-InterlineTravel "Leisure Travel" section here: https://ft.ual.com/travel/interlinetravel/myidtravel_carrier_list. 

2) A few other carriers' ZED Tickets are purchased using the ID90T website.

    Cost of ZED tickets: A cost breakdown will be displayed before you finish your ZED purchase. Ticket prices are calculated by ZED tier (Lo, Med, Hi), cabin selected (ECY or BC) and mileage. Use milecalc.com to determine your trip mileage. ZED cost charts are on the FlyingTogether > Travel > OtherAirline/InterlineTravel page. TAXES and other fees (which vary greatly by departure city) plus a small booking fee are all added in before check-out.

When purchase is complete, the ZEDs will be e-mailed to you (make sure you input the correct email address when buying tickets!). ZEDs are valid for 90 days from purchase date and can be refunded up to a year later.

Write down the PNR (reservation #) and ticket numbers on a sticky note and put them in your passport. You may need those numbers later to change/cancel/refund.

For detailed information and how to purchase/list/cancel/refund tickets, scroll down to #5 for MyIDTravelPurchase, #6 for ID90T.

4) Fly!

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Now that you’ve purchased your ticket, remember, some ZEDs are “open” (you must list with the carrier prior to travel) and some are for a specific flight (there is no need to list!).  

Do you need to List?? Use the list of airlines in #2 above to learn about listing and checking-in and visit www.flyzed.info (check out baggage regs, dress codes, etc.). If in doubt, call the airline. 

Check-in: Don't forget to check-in; usually on the airline's website or at airport kiosk.

Refunds are processed online, see #5 or #6 below.

      How do we find passenger LOADS on Other Airlines?

NOTE: RAFA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of PSAs (passenger seat availabilities) obtained from the following sources, they are listed here for your information only.

•  The carriers on MyIDTravelPurchase usually display happy and sad faces.
  
•  Some carriers on ID90T display happy and sad faces for flight loads.
  
•  Subscribe (fees apply) to ASU’s "Trip Check”: http://members.asu.com/?page=tripcheck_join_LI.
  
•  Subscribe (fees apply) to Non-Rev Checkin:  http://www.nonrevcheckin.com
•  Join the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LOADSHARE/
•  Join the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/620733594643524/
•  Or call the airline directly and ask the reservation agent.
  

     What if you get bumped? Roll!

If you are not accommodated on a flight with your ZED ticket you should talk with the gate agents or go to the airline ticket counter.  Depending on that carrier’s operating policy, they may be able to roll you over to the next flight (same destination). Usually the roll-over is not automatic, you must request it. If the airline can't roll you to the next flight, then get online and buy another ZED ticket.

If you are bumped off the last flight of the day or you want to change origin/destination, you MUST buy a new ZED ticket. THAT CAN ONLY BE DONE ONLINE, using the myIDTravel or ID90Travel website.

ADVICE:

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Whether obtaining e-tickets on MyIDTravel or ID90T always PLAN AHEAD! Do not wait until the last minute to arrange travel on Other Airlines, do have a back-up plan, and pay attention to any travel embargoes/restrictions on Other airline interline travel.

 

More detailed information follows.....

5) How to buy ZEDs for airlines on MyIDTravelPurchase

    Eventually the ETC hopes to move ALL "Other Airline" ticketing to this website

a. LOGIN:

Direct: go to myIDTravel.ual.com with your UAL log-in; it will take you to myIDTravelPurchase.  

Or, log into Flying Together and go to Travel>Other airline interline travel. Open the "How do I book with MyIDTravel" tab then click the MyIDTravelPurchase link; no other password is needed.

Read Privacy statement, check the box, then click on “Confirm”.

Your name and "United Airlines" should appear in the upper left of the new homepage. "Your flight list" may be displayed by default on this page. Note the 6 tabs in the left column: New Flight/Ticket, Manage Bookings & Tickets, ID agreements, Your flight list, English (language selection) and Logout.

b. Buy ZEDs:

Choose the top left tab: "New Flight/Ticket" .

Note the Travel Allotments for Travel Partners you have for this year. Allotments do not roll over from year to year; you only have the current year allotment.

Select Traveller(s):  add gender if necessary and add Travel Partners(aka “Star Companion”) if they are coming with you. See note in #2 above about Travel Partners. Click "Continue".

Schedule Query: Choose: OneWay or RT (we recommend OW & suggest you make a separate listing for your return flight later when you can check loads closer to departure time. The only exception to that advice is when flying with a Travel Partner/Star Companion...in that case list round-trip since separate listings will use up an additional Star Companion ticket). Select airline or leave "all airlines". Leave S2 standby. Input origin & destination/date/class (Y or BC) then Click “Find Flight”.  If no flights are displayed you have chosen something (travel partner, FC or BC cabin, or date) that is not allowed. Go back and re-choose.           

Schedule Display: Note the $ signs for ZED tier and the "Chance" faces far right. Use the hard-to-see scroll bar on far right to scroll down & view more flights. "Details" tab shows more,  Hit "Select" to choose flight you want. 

  Schedule Display; Outbound flight: if it's correct, click "Continue" 

Fares: Breakdown will be in issuing airline's currency; US dollar estimate will be at the bottom. Note fare + TAXES + booking fee. Click "Continue".

APIS: Fill in birthdate and documents if required, click "Continue"

Hazardous Materials: Read & click "Continue" if required.

Contact & Payment Info:Fill in correctly: phone, email & Credit Card info. “Verify”. Then scroll to click "Finish” 

Confirmation: Record the email, PNR and ticket numbers!  Put a sticky note in your passport.

ZED tickets are valid for 90 days from purchase

Most MyIDTravel “eTickets” are for a specific flight, you are automatically listed for the flight! Use the PNR they email you to check-in on the airline’s website. 

HOWEVER: Some MyIDTravel tickets require listing...read about that on the list of airlines (see #2 above) or visit www.flyzed.com.

c. CHANGE YOUR FLIGHT:

Changes cannot be done at a ticket counter or by phone; must be done online (go back to MyIDTravelPurchase).

 

Change time/date of same routing: Use “Flight List” tab (left menu bar), click on Booking Code of flight you wish to change. Choose “Rebook” (near bottom of page): to change date, select new date and click "Continue", then confirm. To change the time on same date, just click "continue" and choose different time on same day you originally booked.  Finally hit "Rebook now". You will receive an email with new flt date/time.

Changes to origin/destination, cabin and pass riders are not allowed; you must cancel the booking, request a refund and purchase a new ZED ticket.

d. To CANCEL/REFUND on MyIDTravel:

Reservations may be cancelled free of charge. 

Quick reference guide for refunds on MyIDTravel: 

https://ft.ual.com/-/media/ual_intranet/documents/travel/refund_myidtravel.pdf?la=en

Cancel: Use “Flight List” tab, click on Booking Code. If you have multiple segments, put a checkmark on those you wish to cancel; then choose "Cancel" or "Cancel All" from the list of options near bottom of page. Canceling does NOT refund your credit card, you must request that separately:

Refund: First you must Cancel (see above) then use the “Flight List” tab to click on the ticket numbers. Once you click on the cancelled ticket numbers you may then click on "Refund" and confirm the action by clicking on "Refund Now". Tickets are refunded one at a time. The credit should show up on your credit card in 10-14 days.

Refunds should be requested within 90 days from original purchase; but may be refunded up to 1 year. Unused segments will be refunded, however the MyIDTravelPurachase fees will not be refunded unless all segments are unused. Therefore it’s best to book each segment separately. Usually there is no partial refund if a business class ticket was purchased and you were boarded in economy (check with the airline).

 

6) How to buy ZEDs for other airlines using ID90T

     READ the ID90 section on the FT> Other Airline Interline Travel page for the latest information!!

Cost is approximately $2.20 per person per segment service charge.  Note: United is moving most carriers to the MyIDTravelPurchase webiste, see #5 above.

a. LOGIN:

       It is best to access the ID90T e-ticketing website via the link on the FlyingTogether>Travel>Other airline interline travel page.  Scroll down to the ID90 section and click on the blue “ID90 Travel.COM” website link. If you’ve been to the ID90T website before and set up your account, then your info may already be filled in (the United logo will appear at the top left of the menu bar and you may check your information on the profile icon on the top right of menu bar). Simply click on the "Flights" to select flights and purchase your e-ticket(s) for your listed pass riders.

If you have not set up an account on the ID90T website you must choose “United Airlines” then enter your file number without the U for “username” . Your password is your first initial plus your complete last name (ex. John Smith = jsmith). 

For login issues call the ID90 support line: 877-298-5233.

b. TICKET PURCHASE:

After login, fill out the form on the "Flight Ticketing" tab with city pairs, dates, times, airline and choose pass riders; then click on the blue “Search” bar. 

Next screen: you may click on the flight number, city codes and fare dollar amounts to show more details. The “fare” detail will give a breakdown of the ZED fare and taxes. Clicking on the Flight Load “view” (if available) will display your chances of being boarded.  Click on the bar above with nearby dates to check your chances on those days. Click the round radio button next to the dollar amounts to select either FC/BC (if available) or economy on the flight you desire. Wait for return flights to appear, then do the same for the return flight if you’re booking RT.  

Next screen: "Review & Billing"; read carefully! Scroll down the page....you may buy trip insurance (click yes or no). Verify passenger names. Your total trip cost (including taxes & the ID90T service charge) will be displayed. Fill out credit card payment info, billing address and agree to terms. Click “Complete Booking”….Done! Your confirmation will be emailed to you.

c. LISTING: VERY IMPORTANT: 

If you purchase ZEDs on most of the ID90T airlines they are OPEN tickets, you must contact the carrier to list for the flight you want! Visit the list of airlines in #2 above to learn how to list for that carrier OR check www.flyzed.info. 

Check-in: use the PNR number ID90T sends you to check-in online using the airline's website.

 

d. TO CANCEL/REFUND on ID90T:

Visit the ID90T website after 25 hours from purchase but before 90 days. Go to the PROFILE icon (upper right of screen), click on “Upcoming Trips” or "Travel History". Select itinerary by clicking on “show details”. Choose segments you wish to refund/cancel by clicking the square box next to the fare amount. Choose all segments, the system will refund only the segments eligible for refund.

Click “Cancel/Refund”: a pop-up box will appear saying your request has been processed.

To change the routing, cabin, or passengers, you must cancel/refund and buy a new ZED.

If unable to "modify" flight date/times, try calling the airline's reservations or the...

ID90Travel support line: 877-298-5233

Here is a quick reference guide on refunding tickets on ID90T:

https://ft.ual.com/-/media/ual_intranet/documents/travel/refund_id90t.pdf?la=en

Compiled by Kirk Moore, RAFA Travel Benefits Chairperson                                       Updated 6/17/2019