Pass Travel UPDATE February 2, 2016
updated 2/14/2016
In this issue:
1) Did you receive a 1099 from United? You’ve got Imputed Taxes!
Did your pass riders fly a lot last year?
If so, they may have accrued enough “Imputed Income” that YOU will be getting a 1099 form from United and YOU will owe taxes to the IRS.
Read the Imputed Tax information on our website here:
http://www.rafa-cwa.org/Costs-and-Imputed-Taxes
The following information was verified by the ETC on Monday, February 1, 2016:
1099s being sent to retirees for Pass Travel in last fiscal year
1) United will send 1099s to retirees (via US Mail) whose “taxable pass riders” cumulatively accrued $600 or more in Pass Tax Value/Imputed Income during the period Nov 1, 2014-October 31, 2015.
2) The 1099s will be post marked by January 31, 2016 and retirees should allow 10 business days to receive them depending on your local U.S. mail delivery timing.
3) The 1099 will show the accumulated Pass Tax Value amount (related to travel) in Box 3.
4) That amount must be declared on the retiree’s 2015 Federal Income Tax form.
5) How much tax the retiree will pay depends on the retiree’s tax bracket and other income.
6) If you have questions or find discrepancies with your 1099 that are not related to Box 3, email 1099Inquiry@united.com or call 713-324-4060. For questions about Box 3, see #9 below.
Pass Travel Report
1) Retirees may verify the "Pass Tax Value" their taxable pass riders accumulated by obtaining a Pass Travel Report online: Click on the "Pass Travel Report” box in FlyingTogether>Travel.
2) Input the correct dates: Start Nov 1, 2014 - End October 31, 2015.
3) Use the arrows at the top of the Report to view multiple pages. Click the symbol at the top of the page t o download a copy in the format you desire (pdf, etc.).
4) The "Pass Tax Values" are located on the left side of the report, under the date and ticket number for each flight.
5) Adding up all the "Pass Tax Values" for your taxable pass riders should equal the amount on the 1099 in Box 3.
6) Any “Prepaid” Ticket taxes (departure taxes) will not be deducted from the Pass Tax Value.
7) Other “Prepaid” service charges (for premium cabin travel) have already been deducted from the Pass Tax Value.
8) The “Payroll Deduct” amounts labeled as “Tax Withholdings” apply to employees (NOT to retirees), but can be used as a very rough estimate of what tax retirees may owe the government.
9) If you find a discrepancy in your Pass Travel Report or in Box 3 (travel related) of your 1099, email ETC@united.com, put “2015 1099” in the subject line and include the following in the body of the email: retiree name, retiree ID number, ticket details (ticket number, date of travel, passenger name) and any comments/questions.
2) Buying myUAdiscount tickets on Flying Together
Retirees and their pass riders can buy myUAdiscount tickets to obtain confirmed seats with 2 free bags on United flights worldwide at a discount. If you’re a Mileage Plus member, MP miles will accrue when using these tickets. When you book after Feb 1, 2016, you’ll be taken to the new united.com website and the price will say “Employee Fare”.
Here is the official announcement from the ETC:
Book your myUAdiscount tickets with new united.com
Employees and retirees will now experience the newly redesigned united.com when shopping for myUAdiscount tickets.
You will continue to access the discounted tickets by clicking the “Book” link on the myUAdiscount page of the Travel tab on Flying Together. Once on the new united.com site, you’ll begin by entering your desired cities and dates of travel. Check out additional search preferences, like connecting cities you’d prefer to avoid.
Once your results page appears, you’ll see new tools like “expanded” view of flight results or “list” view to see more flights at-a-glance. Interact with our filters to slide for departure/arrival times, check off connecting airports or even choose the inflight experience like choosing a flight with Wi-Fi.
Michelle Pritchett
Employee Travel Policy and Procedures Representative, Human Resources
3) Star Companions are your buddies on several “Other Airlines”
Information from Anita Ware:
Each year employees/retirees are allowed 8 Star Companion passes (buddy passes) that can be used on six Star Alliance Carriers to accompany up to 2 friends on a flight. The carriers are: Air Canada, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian, Swiss International, and TAP Air Portugal. Rules:
1) The employee/retiree must accompany their Star Companion(s) on all flights.
2) Each Star Companion ticket is charged at the HIGH ZED fare.
3) Each Star Companion pass is good for a roundtrip; if used for only one-way, the pass is used up.
4) We do not get 8 passes per airline, but rather 8 shared among all the carriers per year.
Your Star Companions do not need to be registered with United as an Enrolled Friend. However, if they are already listed as your Enrolled Friend, you cannot select their name from your United list of dependents; you must instead type their name in the buddy box for a star companion ticket. For more information go to the individual airline agreement "drop down" box on FlyingTogether>Travel>OtherAirline-InterlineTravel. Select the airline and towards the bottom of each agreement will be instructions for purchase, listing and use of Star Companion passes.
Click for RAFA's OTHER AIRLINE Travel guide!
4) Recent news snippets from the United Daily (archive on Flying Together>News)
Click the United Daily link above and scroll to the date posted to read each story in detail
12/01: ETC expands hours, simplifies email
12/03: Employees/Retirees get 20% off onboard purchases
12/09: Service to Dubai ends in January
12/09: Free snacks in ECY on domestic and Latin American flights in February
12/15: SFO-Nashville non-stop launches in May
12/18: Second EWR-BRUSSELS flight this summer
12/22: New Travel Options for pax: Economy Plus Essentials and Ecy+Enhanced
12/28: X’ian to SFO nonstop May 10-Oct 29, 2016
01/15: Message from Oscar
01/21: United reports $4.5 billion full-year 2015 profit
01/28: Nonstop SFO-SIN launches Jun 1st; SIN-NRT to end
02/01: Book your myUAdiscount tickets with new united.com
5) Have you seen our RAFA website?
Check out the Travel Benefits tab here: http://www.rafa-cwa.org
Compiled by Kirk Moore, RAFA Travel Benefits Committee 2/02/2016