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I'm flying ICN-DFW-EZE-DFW-ICN on AA in Premium Economy.

ICN-DFW and DFW-ICN qualify for mileage on KE. Can I request AA mileage for DFW-EZE-DFW, considering that my luggage will be checked in from ICN all the way through to EZE and possibly both boarding passes will be issued in ICN? Or do I have to choose one program for the whole ticket?

Is there any way to estimate AA mileage for DFW-EZE-DFW in this scenario, considering that I only know fare for the whole ticket?

(KE earns 12K+ on ICN-DFW-ICN alone, AA will earn about 10K award miles for the whole trip and 30K+ EQMs, and I have a lot of KE miles but I don't like KE redemption tables that much).

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Theoretically, you could ask the gate agent to change the number on the ticket prior to departure from DFW in each direction. Anecdotal reports at FlyerTalk and elsewhere, however, suggest this does not really work in practice, either because of limitations in the reservations system, or because the gate agents may not be familiar with the exact way to record it in the reservations system. They are, after all, extremely busy prior to departure.

What you could do instead is have no frequent flyer number on the reservation at all and claim the flight credit retroactively using the ticket number from the airlines' respective websites.

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  • yes, I do have a feeling that this will somehow get screwed. The travel agent has already put my KE number on the ticket, but maybe I can ask to remove it. Any ideas how to know AA mileage for the DFW EZE RT part, if I only have the total ticket fare? My logic is if I can get 12K+ KE but almost no AA, then I would just rather get 10K AA for the whole trip and a lot of EQMs ))
    – Eugene
    Apr 11, 2018 at 6:10
  • I wouldn’t be surprised if the FF program and number were associated with the PNR rather than on a per-flight basis. Also, in many cases miles are awarded a bit asynchronously, probably some kind of batch running daily. Which means changing the information several times will only result in the most recent one being used. The retroactive claim may work, depending on the checks being made and what is recorded an at what level. It may however limit your benefits during that flight if you have elite status.
    – jcaron
    Apr 11, 2018 at 6:29
  • @Eugene Sorry, I forgot about that change (my primary program is now Alaska). I have no idea how they would pro-rate ticket price to calculate award miles (or EQDs for that matter). Maybe you do end up double-dipping in this scenario.
    – choster
    Apr 11, 2018 at 7:22
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Generally, you can only earn mileage with one program. For SkyTeam, I am pretty sure you won't be able to earn mileage twice for the same flight sectors. You need to provide ONE membership card, and that's that. I tried, a few years ago, with AF and KE, and I was told, sternly, that I had to pick one. I chose AF.

When I later on tried to request mileage adjustment with KE, I was asked for my boarding passes, which showed clearly my AF membership. Whoopsies.

EDIT

Well, you said

KE earns 12K+ on ICN-DFW-ICN alone, AA will earn about 10K award miles for the whole trip

So obviously I assumed you were trying to double-dip :-) If DFW<–>EZE is not eligible for mileage on KE, you could claim with AA. On the other hand, if all segments are eligible, you might get locked in, especially if it's a single ticket.

I assume you'll have to pass border control and customs in DFW, as is customary in the US. Are you sure your luggage will be checked in all the way though? You might have to go to an AA counter anyway, and it would be the right time to claim mileage for the DFW-EZE segment.

On the way back, depending on whether you get both boarding passes in EZE, or have to get DFW-ICN in DFW, you could show both cards, one for each segment. Moreover, the airlines will have by then your membership numbers.

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  • thank you but I'm talking about two separate legs, not the same flight sectors. not trying to double dip obviously
    – Eugene
    Apr 11, 2018 at 5:51

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