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Guide to United Airlines Electronic Travel Certificates [2020: Post COVID-19 Update]

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image credit: united.com

An electronic travel certificate with United Airlines can be used to book trips on most United flights. These certificates, which can be easily redeemed for flights and/or preferred seating, can be a great way to save money.

Issued when a flight is canceled, these vouchers do not cost anything to you and are worth the full price of a canceled ticket.

So how do you get them, how do they work, and are they worth having? Find out below.

What is United’s Electronic Travel Certificate?

A United electronic travel certificate can be used to purchase tickets for United flights, United Express flights, and flights through other airlines that are United Express-branded. However, these certificates are not redeemable for flights on airlines within the Star Alliance network or United-branded flights elsewhere. These certificates are not the same as award tickets.

In addition to select flight tickets, these certificates can be used to purchase upgrades such as Economy Plus seating, Basic Economy seating, and preferred seating.

Travel certificates are valid for two years after issuance and go into effect immediately after a flight is canceled. They are offered as an alternative to rebooking and paying a change fee to customers that need to cancel their flight. You can apply the full value of your canceled flight to one of these certificates and use it to purchase any qualifying flight even if it is for a different reservation. 

Electronic travel certificates are issued by United for situations such as irregular operations, customer goodwill, fare difference during a ticket exchange, and instances of denied boarding. They are also offered as an option to passengers that voluntarily cancel a flight, but not all canceled flights are eligible to receive full refunds in the form of electronic travel certificates (certain payment types such as credit card points, for example, may not qualify). In some cases, you may only be offered future flight credit.

Electronic Travel Certificate vs Future Flight Credit: Which is Better?

Electronic travel certificates and future flight credit are often compared to each other because they are very similar: they are both issued when a flight is canceled and can both be used to book flights. But which is better?

That depends. Travel certificates have the advantage of being more flexible with time and future flight credit has the advantage of being more flexible with flight options; certificates have residual value and FFC does not. Basically, which is better comes down to when and how you’re most likely to use your credit to fly. Here’s a breakdown of how the two compare.

Both: 

  • Allow you to change travel dates and/or cities
  • Let you book United or United Express
  • Are eligible to earn miles

Electronic travel certificates:

  • Can be used to book new travel
  • Do not place restrictions on the travel-by date
  • Do not carry rules and restrictions from the original ticket
  • Can be used to book multiple flights
  • Can be used to book travel for someone else
  • *May maintain United card benefits such as priority boarding and free checked baggage. Learn more about United’s baggage policy in 2020.

Future flight credit:

  • Can be used to book flights on partner airlines
  • Maintains United card benefits such as priority boarding and free checked baggage

If you’re a United Chase cardholder, you’re going to want to read this closely. When you use your United card to pay for a ticket and end up canceling that flight in exchange for flight credit, your card benefits will carry over when you rebook. But if you receive a travel certificate instead and the cost of your new flight is less than the value of your certificate, your benefits will not transfer. If, on the other hand, the cost of the flight exceeds the value of your certificate and you pay the difference with your card, you’ll get those perks. If you have a United Explorer, Club, Presidential Plus, United Business, or United Club Business card, one of those perks will include either one or two free checked bags.

Another major difference between the two is that certificates are typically valid for twice as long. Normally, future flight credit expires within 12 months of issuance while electronic travel certificates take 24 months to expire. With that said, future flight credit issued between May 1 of 2019 and March 31 of 2020 gives passengers 24 months to rebook. Please note that the certificate expiration policy has been recently extended and used to be just 12 months. This is subject to change again but unlikely to do so in the near future.

One major benefit of travel certificates is that they can be put toward more than one flight. If you book a flight with your certificate that is valued at less than the value of your certificate and still have credit left over, the extra will remain in your account for use on your next purchase until the full value of the certificate has been used or the certificate expires—whichever happens first. 

So as you can see, electronic travel certificates beat future flight credit in many ways because they are generally more flexible. They usually have a longer expiration period and fewer booking restrictions. But if you need the option of traveling through a United partner airline and/or you want to be able to use your United credit card perks with a flight that costs less than your voucher is worth, future flight credit might be the better choice for you.

How To Use or Redeem a United Electronic Travel Certificate

To redeem your United electronic travel certificate, visit united.com and select Deals & Offers navigate to Promotional certificates, then enter the code or PIN on your certificate. This will tell you how much is left on your credit and how long you have until it expires. You do not need to pay anything when you redeem your certificate to book travel online except for service fees associated with any flight. But if you redeem over the phone, you’ll be charged a small redemption fee.

Travel certificates, which are always issued in USD, do not have monetary value and may not be sold, transferred, or redeemed for cash. Trying to sell or trade a certificate will result in said certificate automatically becoming invalid, even for the original recipient. But if you do intend to use a certificate to purchase a ticket for a flyer other than yourself, which is permissible, you’ll need to make sure to do this from your own account and know that the certificate can only be redeemed by you. United will require identification at the time of purchase and your last name will be linked to the ticket.

Travel certificates may not be used in conjunction with MileagePlus awards, PlusPoints upgrades, or prepaid tickets and are not valid when redeemed through a travel agency. Service charges and fees may not be paid for with certificates—you will need to pay these with a card at the time of purchase and check-in. You may combine up to ten separate certificates as long as they are all valid.

Current Status of United Electronic Travel Certificates From United

Due to current and past travel restrictions put in place in accordance with COVID-19 safety regulations, United electronic travel certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they are issued. They take effect immediately after you cancel a flight and select this option. Your certificate will be automatically sent to your email.

Lately, there has been some debate about whether travel certificates are actually a good alternative to just rebooking a flight like normal. This is because recently and temporarily, United has loosened up its flight change policy by allowing passengers to rebook without incurring a typical change fee of $200. However, this will result in you forfeiting some of the value of your original ticket if you opt for a flight that is priced lower than what you first paid. 

Remember that travel certificates maintain the full value of your original ticket and can be used on more than one flight. So even with this flexibility in mind, electronic travel certificates are probably the way to go if you intend to fly through United or United Express in the next two years.

Final Thoughts

These electronic travel certificates are just another way that flyers can stretch their money and save when traveling. Electronic travel certificates come out on top when compared to future flight credit in many instances and are the logical choice over a traditional flight change. Across the board, these certificates are generally going to save you more than rebooking and the pesky change fees that come with that, but if you can wait to see if United will cancel your flight—in which case they are required to issue a full refund—or make changes to it, do that.

KeyBank Credit Cards – A Guide to KeyBank Rewards Points

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KeyBank is the 19th largest bank in the US and the only major bank based out of Cleveland, Ohio. They have over 1,100 branches and 40,000 ATMs in just 16 states:

Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, D.C. and Washington.

Although KeyBank doesn’t occupy the footprint of banks like Chase, Citibank or Bank of America, they do offer an enticing suite of credit cards that are often overlooked.

These include rewards cards, small business cards, and even cards specifically designed to help you build your credit with low risk. Here’s a list of the six credit cards offered through KeyBank (this list does not include retired cards that have since been converted):

  • Key Cashback® Credit Card
  • KeyBank Latitude® Credit Card
  • Key Secured Credit Card®
  • Key2More Rewards® Credit Card
  • Mastercard® Business Credit Card
  • Mastercard® Business Rewards Credit Card
  • Key Private Bank Mastercard® Credit Card

All KeyBank credit cards are Mastercards and most of them have no annual fees, but outside of this, they are all very different from each other. This article will highlight KeyBank’s reward card options and take a look at how to redeem points and rewards with a credit card from this bank.

Rewards Credit Cards Offered by KeyBank

If it’s rewards you’re after, you’ll need one of the following three KeyBank Mastercards. These credit cards are packed with opportunities to earn and redeem points through spending and other account activities.

Key2More Rewards® Mastercard® Credit Card

The Key2More Rewards credit card by KeyBank lets you earn rewards on every purchase with a six month introductory APR of 0%. To qualify for this rewards card, you must have excellent credit (800+). 

You can earn points on eligible credit card purchases, account activities, and even score monthly point bonuses when you spend a certain amount of money (see “Earning Awards Through Spending Activities”) per calendar month. Redeem your points for cash, travel, gift cards, merch, and more. 

There is no cap to the rewards you can receive with this credit card. There is no annual fee.

KeyBank Business Rewards Mastercard®

The KeyBank Business Rewards credit card is great for small business owners that want to earn rewards when making purchases for their business. This can include travel expenses such as hotels and gas, restaurant bills for client meetings, and more (what qualifies an expense as “business” or “personal” is at the discretion of KeyBank). This handy card comes with a bonus of 100,000 points, redeemable for $200, when you spend $1,000 within 60 days of issuance. You must have a business checking account in good standing to qualify for this bonus offer. 

Cardholders also earn unlimited cashback of 2% or 10 points per dollar on business purchases and 1% on all other purchases. This card also has a six month introductory APR of 0% and flexible reward redemption. There is no cap to the rewards you can receive with this credit card. There is no annual fee.

Key Private Bank Mastercard® Credit Card

The Key Private Bank Mastercard Credit Card is a highly exclusive credit card only available to Key Private Bank clients. Key Private Bank is a private wealth manager associated with KeyBank designed primarily for high net worth individuals looking to expand their wealth through investing and asset allocation. If this sounds like you and you also do a lot of traveling, a Key Private Bank Mastercard might be a good fit for you.

This card comes with World Elite Mastercard benefits, which include “premium travel and lifestyle perks” such as complimentary Lyft rides, 5% cashback on Boxed orders, Postmates and Fandango discounts, access to World Elite Concierge, and 10% off of rentals through onefinestay. In addition to these benefits, World Elite offers services including free professional travel support, access to complimentary upgrades and amenities at luxury hotels and resorts, and exclusive savings on travel and stay packages. Key Private Bank Mastercard cardholders receive unlimited LoungeKey airport lounge access when they travel as well. 

Please note that this card comes with a hefty annual fee of $195 and requires a minimum combined balance—across all checking, savings, and investment accounts—of $100,000 in order to avoid a monthly maintenance fee of $50.

Earning Rewards Through Spending Activities

Almost all transactions* made through a KeyBank Key2More Rewards, Key Private Bank, or KeyBank Business Rewards are eligible to earn points.

Here’s a breakdown of how many points each of these cards earns:

  • Key2More Rewards® Credit Card: 5 points for every $1 in qualified purchases
  • KeyBank Business Rewards Mastercard®: 5 points for every $1 in qualified purchases; 5 more points for every $1 spent on business costs including gas, restaurant, telecommunication purchases, and travel expenses (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.)
  • Key Private Bank Mastercard® Credit Card: 10 points for every $1 in qualified purchases

The Key2More Rewards card also qualifies to receive bonus points. Earn a bonus of 25% your total purchase transaction points for every calendar month that you spend between $1,000 – $1,999 with your card and 50% for every month that you spend $2,000 or more. If your credit limit is less than $2,000, you can still earn this bonus if you use your card consistently to make purchases throughout the month. Bonus points are credited to your account on a monthly basis.

*Transactions that do not earn points include cash advances, convenience check transactions, balance transfers, quasi-cash transactions, and overdraft protection transfers (for which a $10 fee is assessed).

Earning Rewards Through Account Activities

Another way to earn rewards with one of these three credit cards is through account activities. Qualifying activities include online statements and recurring payments. For all three rewards cards, signing up to receive online statements or electronic statements rather than paper statements earns up to 50 points per month. 

In addition, every recurring payment your credit card is used to make—such as charges for a streaming subscription or internet services—earns 50 points per transaction. This point-earning activity is capped at 750 points per month or a total allowance of 15 recurring payments.

Redeeming Rewards Points For:

Points expire after 48 months of issuance, so make sure that you don’t let them sit for too long (with the exception of points earned with a KeyBank Private Bank Mastercard).

You don’t just have to cash out your rewards if you don’t want to. To redeem your rewards and points for cash and other goodies, just sign in to your online account. From there, it’s easy to use your points for any of the following…

Cash Back

From your online banking profile, navigate to the rewards portal by selecting “Rewards” from your account summary page. This will show you your rewards balance and present you with the option to redeem points for cash. The monetary value of points is subject to change. Right now, 12,500 points will get you $25. This makes your point worth about 0.02 cents each no matter how you choose to redeem them.

If you choose this option, the cash will be automatically credited to your credit card account and you should see it on your next statement.

Booking Travel

If you’d prefer to use your points to book travel instead, simply access the rewards redemption site and search trip activities from this page. You can use your points to book flights, car rentals, hotel stays, and even cruises.

Buy Gift Cards

Redeeming your points for gift cards is a great way to go if you want to save money during the holiday season. Just shop the catalog through the KeyBank website and use your rewards points to make purchases.

Purchase Merchandise

The KeyBank Rewards Catalog includes everything from merchandise to electronics. If you ever need a new sweatshirt or drawstring bag, you could use your rewards to score some KeyBank-branded merch. Sometimes this catalog features hot tech items too, so be on the lookout for these.

The Rewards Catalog is also where you’d find gift cards and event tickets. 

Make Donations to Charity

You can use your points to make donations to charity with any one of these three cards. Access your account online or through the app to see a list of charities that accept point donations. 

Remember that making charitable contributions can benefit your wallet too. You can claim some contributions as tax deductions for a nice little tax break, either for yourself or your business.

Buy Event Tickets

KeyBank sometimes offers event tickets as a redemption option as well. Check the Catalog often for offers as these are, of course, always changing.

Final Thoughts

KeyBank has done a great job of creating a card for almost every type of consumer. Being a KeyBank customer means having access to more than 1,100 branches across 16 states and also gives you some pretty all-around great rewards card choices. But you do not need a KeyBank account to open a credit card and earn points. So whether you’re already a KeyBank member or not, as long as you have excellent credit, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to sign up for one or more of these rewards cards.

United Airlines Baggage Policy, Exceptions and Fees [2020]

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image credit: united.com

If you’re planing on flying with United Airlines in the near future, you’ll want to know what to expect in terms of potential fees and luggage restrictions for both your carry-on items and checked bags. So for your convenience, whether you’re traveling with carry-ons, checked bags, or both, here’s a comprehensive list of every important United baggage policy all passengers should be aware of in 2020.

United Airlines Carry-On Allowance

Don’t risk arriving at the airport for your flight and having your carry-on luggage turned away or unexpectedly checked. United Airlines lets most passengers travel with one carry-on bag and one personal item each, free of charge, as long as the items do not go over the airline’s size and weight restrictions.

Basic Economy tickets allow for one personal item only and do not include free carry-on luggage. If you do bring a full-sized carry-on bag when flying economy, you will be required to check the bag and pay the checked bag fee (whatever it is for your flight) and a $25 gate handling charge on top of that. All other flight classes include one free carry-on and one personal item.

Your carry-on bag technically has no weight restrictions, but it is expected to fit in the overhead bin. This mean it must not exceed 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches or 22 centimeters x 35 centimeters x 56 centimeters. This includes all exterior hardware such as handles and straps. Your personal item, which is expected to fit under the seat in front of you, must not exceed 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches or 22 centimeters x 25 centimeters x 43 centimeters.

Other items that all passengers may bring in addition to their carry-ons include standard “special” items such as umbrellas, FAA-approved child restraint systems and safety seats, assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers, and pet carriers.

Carry-On Allowances for Toddlers and Children

Bring the essentials free of charge! Details below.

If you are going to be traveling with an infant or young child, there are a number of necessary items you can bring that United Airlines will not charge you for. These include: 

  • A diaper bag
  • A breast pump and milk
  • An FAA-approved child or infant restraint seat
  • A compact folding stroller that meets carry-on size restrictions (9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches or 9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches)

All children under the age of two may travel with one car seat and one stroller. This allowance is included in all flight classes and on all flights. Strollers usually need to be checked at the gate but if they do not collapse, you’ll need to check them at the ticket counter.

Bringing Pets Onboard

Small dogs and cats are allowed on most domestic and international flights, but you will, of course, need to pay for your pet to travel with you in the cabin. A service charge of $125 is charged each way for a pet, and an additional charge of the same amount is assessed for every stopover of greater than four hours.

Service animals are not under the same restrictions as pets. See this page for information on traveling with service animals.

Pit Bull breeds are not permitted on the airplane at all.

The requirements for traveling with pets are as follows:

  • Puppies and kittens must not be younger than 16 weeks old
  • Unaccompanied minors are not permitted to fly with pets
  • Additional pets require an extra ticket and an additional $125 each way
  • Pets that don’t fit in kennels may not accompany you in the cabin and will need to travel in a separate compartment of the plane through United Airlines’ PetSafe transport program
  • You and your pet must be on the same flight
  • Oxygen services are not available for pets in the event of an emergency

Your pet will need to be up-to-date on its rabies vaccinations and you must bring a health certificate showing that they are to the airport. Some states, like Hawaii, have their own restrictions in place that you need to research.

Musical Instruments

Small instruments such as violins and guitars are permitted as long as they are in a hard case. If they are placed in the overhead bin, they’ll count as your carry-on. If they are placed beneath the seat in front of you, they’ll count as your personal item.

Prohibited Items

Certain items are strictly prohibited on United Airlines flights. These restrictions are put in place by the federal government and there are no exceptions.

Items never allowed on a flight include:

  • Self-balancing or self-riding bags
  • Camping equipment that contains fuel of any kind
  • Defense sprays such as pepper spray, tear gas, or mace
  • Explosives including but not limited to fireworks, flares, and gunpowder
  • MREs containing flameless heaters
  • Shock absorbers
  • Smart bags with batteries that cannot be removed
  • Tasers
  • Select electronic devices
  • Perishable items

Items allowed on flights with restrictions include:

  • Batteries
  • Power tools
  • Mobility devices
  • Firearms

United Airlines Checked Baggage Allowance

How many bags you can check for a United flight and how much each of those bags will cost to check depends on your loyalty status with the airline and the flight class you’ve chosen. Size and weight restrictions are also dependent on flight class and loyalty status.

Here’s a Visual Breakdown:

For United Economy flyers, checked baggage may weigh up to 50 pounds or 23 kilograms. United Business, United First, and United Polaris checked baggage may weigh up to 70 pounds. The latter is also the restriction for passengers with Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, and Star Alliance Gold (First, Business, or Polaris) MileagePlus status. 

No bag may exceed a combined total of 62 inches (length + width + height) unless checked by an active-duty U.S. military member traveling for official business.

You can pay for your checked baggage, provided that it meets size and weight requirements, online before your flight or at check-in.

Checked Baggage for Children

The same checked baggage policies apply to children with purchased tickets and infants flying internationally on 10% of adult fare as for adult passengers. Should a child’s baggage exceed their personal allowance, the fare-paying adult accompanying them will need to assume the excess baggage as part of their own allowance.

Excessive Baggage Fees

If you must bring a bag that exceeds the above size and weight restrictions or you want to bring an additional bag, you may do so for a fee. Some flights do not allow oversized or overweight bags at all, so be sure to look into this every time you fly.

Checked baggage may never exceed 115 linear inches. Most baggage may never exceed 100 pounds. Musical instruments and mobility devices, however, may weigh up to 165 pounds. Overweight bags (weighing over 70 pounds but less than 100) can cost up to $200 each. Oversized bags measuring more than 62 linear inches also incur a fee, which is dependent on the flight destination and subject to change.

Please note that if a bag is more than one of these things—extra, overweight, or oversized—you’ll be charged more than one service fee. Extra bags are permitted only when there is space available on the plane.

Exceptions and Waivers

Both active-duty U.S. military personnel and their dependents and MileagePlus Premier members and their travel companions can have checked baggage fees waived. For these flyers, a maximum weight of 70 pounds is enforced rather than the standard 50 pounds.

Active-duty military personnel and their dependents receive 3 complimentary checked bags for personal travel, 2 for travel orders, and 5 for official business travel. MileagePlus Premier Silver members receive 1 complimentary checked bag on most domestic and select international economy flights, Gold receive 2 complimentary checked bags on economy flights, and Platinum and 1K members receive 3 complimentary checked bags on economy flights. All premium cabin travel permits 3 complimentary checked bags for those with Silver, Gold, Platinum, or 1K status.

Some destinations such as flights to San Salvador and Havana have additional restrictions in place when it comes to complimentary checked baggage. See these here.

Credit Cards That Give You a Free Checked Bag With United Airlines

As you can see, United Airlines does not offer free checked baggage to just any customer, as some budget airlines do, but there are a couple of ways to check a bag for free when you’re a United passenger. 

Not a member of the military or a United Airlines favorite customer? A United Airlines credit card might be the way to go for you. United offers five different credit cards through Chase bank and all cardholders receive at least one checked bag for free.

Here’s how many free bags you can check when you’re a United cardholder:

  • United Explorer Card: 1
  • Club Card: 2
  • Presidential Plus Card: 2
  • United Business Card: 1
  • United Club Business Card: 2

American Airlines Baggage Policy, Exceptions and Fees

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image credit: aa.com

No traveler ever looks forward to annoying baggage and incidental fees, but airline charges are even worse when they are unexpected.

If you’re planning on flying with American Airlines in the near future make sure you know what the baggage rules are and what traveling with (additional) bags will cost you in 2020.

For all the information you’ll want to know before checking in at American Airlines, keep reading.

American Airlines Carry-On Allowance

Like many airlines, American Airlines allows passengers to board with one personal item and one carry-on bag, free of charge. That is, at long as luggage meets size and weight requirements.

Carry-on bags may not exceed:

  • 22 inches x 14 inches x 9 inches or 56 centimeters x 36 centimeters x 23 centimeters. 

If you’re not quite sure whether or not your bags are within these restrictions, you can test them in a carry-on sizer at the American Airlines check-in. This will ensure that your bag fits either in the overhead bin or under your seat. If it does not, you will need to check it and pay the associated fees (more on that below).

Exceptions to the Rule:

One exception is that soft-sided garment bags are allowed to measure up to 51 linear inches or 130 centimeters and still qualify as complimentary carry-on luggage.

As for personal items, dimensions should not exceed 18 inches x 14 inches x 8 inches or 45 centimeters x 35 centimeters x 20 centimeters. Purses, laptops, and small handbags are typical.

Child restraint devices and mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs do not count toward your personal item and carry-on limit and can be brought with you at no additional cost.

Carry-On Allowance for Toddlers and Children

Children over the age of two must have their own ticket – purchased at the adult fare.

Children under the age of two are allowed to travel on the lap of an adult and have one carry-on diaper bag with them. Strollers and safety seats count as checked luggage.

The only way to carry on a safety seat is to purchase a seat next to you or hope for one to be open when you board. Otherwise, it will not travel with you in the cabin.

Bringing Pets OnBoard

Don’t forget your furry cargo!

Small domestic cats and dogs may accompany you on your next American Airlines flight. Depending on their size, they will count toward either your carry-on or checked baggage allowance. If they don’t fit in either, they’ll be transported in Cargo.

The following destinations allow pets:

  • The 48 contiguous U.S. states and Alaska
  • Flights between the U.S. and Canada (with restrictions)
  • Central America (with restrictions)
  • Mexico (with restrictions)
  • Puerto Rico
  • St. Croix
  • St. Thomas

For a complete list of restrictions on the above destinations as well as information about locations not included, visit this American Airlines page.

If you do bring a pet with you in the cabin, their crate or kennel will count as your free carry-on. Carried-on pets and their travel containers are not to exceed the under-seat dimensions previously mentioned (unless they are soft-sided/collapsible, in which case they may slightly exceed these dimensions as long as this is safe for the pet).

There is limited space for pets on each plane (7 kennels on American flights, not counting service animals, and 5 kennels on American Eagle flights), so you’ll want to arrange for their travel as far in advance as possible.

You may travel and check up to two pets per flight. You will need to provide a health certificate for all pets and allow for extra check-in time.

Each checked pet incurs a charge of $150 within the U.S. and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Carry-on pets cost $125 per kennel. Service animals may accompany you on any flight route and do not cost extra.

Certain dog breeds are restricted from traveling. These include but are not limited to Boxers, Bulldogs, Chow Chows, Pit bulls, and Shih Tzus. Burmese, Persian, Himalayan, and Exotic Shorthair cats are also not allowed.

Musical Instruments

Musical instruments fall under the category of carry-ons and therefore must meet the same dimension requirements as carry-on luggage.

If an instrument does not fit in the overhead bin or beneath the seat in front of you, you will need to check it or buy an additional seat for it.

You will also need to pay extra if it exceeds size and/or weight restrictions. The maximum size for checked instruments is 150 inches or 381 centimeters.

Prohibited Items

There are many items prohibited to travel by the TSA for safety reasons. These include many types of:

  • weapons,
  • lighters,
  • high proof alcoholic beverages,
  • large sports equipment,
  • sharp objects, and
  • other potentially dangerous or overly bulky items.

This page provides a complete list of all restricted items on American Airlines flights.

American Airlines Checked Baggage Allowance [2020]

For all regions and routes, the American Airlines checked bag allowance—which pertains to not only how many bags you can check but how much each of these may measure and weigh—is determined by a combination of elite status and flight class. 

Checked bags are permitted to measure up to 62 linear inches and weigh up to 50 pounds for most passengers. But if you are flying First or Business class, this weight restriction becomes 70 pounds.

Many flights will allow you to check up to 10 bags and others only five. Every additional bag costs more than the last until you get up to four bags.

On the majority of flights, the first checked bag costs $30, the second costs $40, the third costs $150, and the fourth (and every bag in excess of this) costs $200.

Checked Baggage for Children

If you’re traveling with a child, you may check one collapsible stroller and one government-approved safety seat for free. These must be checked at the ticket counter or gate.

Those traveling with both a car seat and stroller may check only one at the gate—most likely the car seat—and will need to check the other—most likely the stroller—at the ticket counter (strollers weighing more than 20 pounds or 9 kilograms need to be checked at the ticket counter). All other items are included as regular checked baggage.

Excessive Baggage Fees

Checked bags over the size of 62 linear inches will incur an additional fee of either $150 or $200, depending on where you’re flying to. No checked bags may exceed 126 linear inches or 320 centimeters.

First and Business flyers as well as Executive Platinum and oneworld Emerald elite members can check bags weighing up to 70 pounds without being charged extra. All others must pay $100 for every checked bag between 51 and 70 pounds and $200+ for every bag weighing in excess of 71 pounds.

No bags weighing over 100 pounds will be permitted on any flights. Overweight checked luggage is not accepted on European (transatlantic) flights, flights to/from Cuba, or flights to/from Australia. Bags on flights to/from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Australia (transpacific) weighing more than 71 pounds cost $450 each.

Exceptions and Waivers

American Airlines waives checked baggage fees for many of its passengers. Active-duty U.S. military personnel and their dependents can check between one and five bags free of charge. Those traveling on orders can check up to five bags for free and those on personal travel can check up to three. 

Confirmed first-class flyers on 3-cabin aircraft receive three complimentary checked bags as well and so can certain credit cardholders (more on this below).

Finally, those with elite status at this airline can take advantage of complimentary checked baggage. AAdvantage is the American Airlines frequent flyer program and oneworld is an airline alliance that links 13 global airlines to help flyers access international flights and benefits more easily. Those with the highest status in either of these programs are favored by American Airlines and rewarded with free bags.

AAdvantage Gold members and oneworld Ruby members, for example, get one checked bag for free. Platinum and Platinum Pro members get two and AAdvantage Executive Platinum and oneworld Emerald members get three. Basically, every AAdvantage or oneworld premier tier will get you at least one checked bag for free.

Credit Cards That Give You a Free Checked Bag

Being an active-duty military member or American Airlines elite passenger is not the only way to score free checked baggage. There are several American Airlines affiliate credit cards to choose from, and many of them offer anywhere from 1 to 3 free checked bags.

These include:

  • Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard and
  • AAdvantage Aviator cards

United Airlines First Class Review [Domestic Flights]

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image credit: united.com

United Airlines is one of the most popular airlines today and the fourth-largest U.S. airline overall by the number of passengers carried annually. And while most people flying domestic opt for basic economy or coach seating, there are plenty of flyers that want a more luxurious and comfortable flying experience both when they’re in the air and before they get there. First-class fare is the way to achieve this.

United First is one of a few different premium seat options available on United flights. The other options are United Business and United Polaris (first or business). All premium seats include the following: 

  • Priority boarding and security
  • Ultra-comfortable and larger seating
  • A free checked bag
  • Complimentary alcoholic beverages

Of these, United First is generally considered to be the best. Here’s everything you can expect when flying domestic first-class through United Airlines.

What to Expect When Flying Domestic First Class with United Airlines

United First Class customers can check 2 bags free of charge.

Your United first-class flying experience begins before you even take flight.

Before you check-in, you’ll get to take advantage of United Premier Access benefits (more on these to follow). United First customers may check two standard-sized bags free of charge and their luggage should be among the first checked and loaded onto and off of the plane.

And once you’re on the plane as a United first-class flyer, your flight will be more comfortable and spacious than it would be in another cabin. In a United First cabin, there is ample space between every seat, more legroom than the average passenger generally needs (more on seat specs below), and cushioned leather seats that recline. There are other storage, entertainment, and food and beverage perks as well. Here’s exactly what’s in store for United Flight passengers.

Privileges and Perks

The three primary upgrades that first-class flyers experience on United flights have to do with seat options, dining, and overall service accommodations. Take a look at the breakdown of a standard United First flight.

It’s worth noting that United First seats are not offered on all flights, but that there is premier seating available on every plane.

Seat Options

The exact size and configurations of your seats when you fly first-class with any airline, United included, depend on the type of plane you’re flying. But as you will see, the specs are very similar across all flights. 

United offers first-class domestic flights on a couple of its airplanes: the Boeing 737 and 757. To know how much legroom you can count on having or how much space there will be between first-class seats, see your plane below. Configuration represents how many seats are grouped together, pitch is the distance between rows of seats (which includes legroom), recline is how far back your seat will go, and the width listed is for each individual seat.

United 737-700 Seat Map

The seat specs for 737-700 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 38”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20.4”
United 737-800 Seat Map

The seat specs for 737-800 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 37”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20.5”
United 737-900 Seat Map

The seat specs for 737-900 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 37”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20”
United 757-300 Seat Map

The seat specs for 757-300 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 38”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20.4”

If United First is not available on your flight, then another premier cabin option such as Polaris business or first class most likely will be. On some planes, United First seats are being replaced by Polaris seating, which is different from first-class seating in shape and configuration.

All first-class seats on United flights feature personal storage spaces, an in-arm slot for electronic devices that includes a universal charger, a cup holder, and double pockets in the seat in front of you. In addition, there is an extendable granite cocktail table that can be accessed from the center console between seats.

Dining

What’s first-class without premium dining? With United Airlines, however, “premium dining” is likely more of a subjective term. If your flying experience and expectations are set to the level of, say, Singapore Airlines, you will probably be let down. That said, many regulars on the FlyerTalk forums say the quality is above average and that the food, at the very least, tastes better than it appears.

United First Class Breakfast Example [2020]

Posted by FlyerTalk user Krazykanuck in January of 2020. He notes “the biscuit was warm and delicious.”

United First Class Dinner Example [2020]

Posted by FlyerTalk user st530 in January of 2020. He notes “despite the small portion size it tasted very fresh and crispy.”

United First flights offer multi-course meals for flights longer than two hours and 20 minutes and smaller snack options for flight durations of less than this. If your flight is less than two hours and 20 minutes, you are eligible to receive only light refreshments such as pretzels, muffins, and fruit. If your flight is longer than four hours, you may receive full meal service including two entree choices as well as a snack including a hot sandwich and chocolate. Multi-course meals with two entree choices are offered on flights of five hours and 20 minutes and longer. Certain flights are eligible for multi-course meals with three entrees.

The menu is always changing, but sample menus are available through the United site. Multi-course meals include appetizers, a salad course, however many entrees you are eligible for, and dessert. 

As for beverages, many types are offered free of charge to United First flyers. These include:

  • Water
  • Soft drinks
  • Juice
  • Tea
  • illy Coffee
  • Beer (domestic and craft)
  • Wine
  • Spirits
  • On The Rocks Cocktails

All of your food and beverage choices will be brought to you at no extra charge, some of which you’ll be able to enjoy before the plane even takes off.

Service

Aside from full-service meal accommodations and everything that that entails, first-class United passengers receive United Premier Access when they fly. The perks of this include designated check-in lanes at the airport, exclusive security lanes, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling. These perks are subject to availability and eligibility for each will be determined on the day of your flight. You pay nothing for these services when you are a First Class passenger with United.

Cost

Flying first-class is significantly more costly than flying Basic Economy. 

One of the most popular flight routes in the U.S., LAX to JFK, currently costs $189 round-trip for United Basic Economy and $877 round-trip for United First. To fly from Atlanta to Orlando, you’d pay $354 to fly Basic economy and $870 to fly first-class. Finally, from New York LaGuardia to Chicago O’Hare, a Basic Economy ticket will cost $157 while a first-class ticket will cost $415.

As you can see, upgrading from an economy to a first-class United ticket is a big deal. These prices are obviously drastically different from each other—and first-class prices are most likely very much out of reach for many—, but paying for first-class fare outright isn’t the only way to access it. Also, United first-class can be more affordable than other airlines in many instances.

And of course, even though first-class does increase the price of your ticket by quite a bit, it also cuts down incidental fees for checked baggage, inflight accommodations, etc., so this should be considered.

Fly First Class on Rewards

A tight travel budget doesn’t have to stop you from experiencing first-class flying. You can use miles, points, and rewards to upgrade your seat to a United First flight seat. You can search any flight by how much it will cost in dollars or award points.

Award travel can be purchased with miles earned through United’s frequent flyer program, MileagePlus. Just know that you will almost always have to pay additional cash fees on top of this unless you are a Premier Elite flyer. Award flights, like any other flight, are priced by distance traveled. The cost in miles for a domestic flight could be anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 miles, depending on the value of the flight and the distance.

Use caution when booking award travel. In some cases, using miles to buy flights ends up costing more than it would if you were to just use money. Sometimes, the value of what you pay in miles exceeds the price of a ticket and effectively loses you money. The cost breakdown of cents per miles when paying and when using points is definitely something to consider no matter how many miles you have in your account. There will also be times when award seats are not available, so don’t count on them always being an option.

Another way to get a spot in first-class is through complimentary seat upgrades. Premier upgrades, which can only be applied to tickets that are Economy (not Basic) or higher, are given to those with elite or Premier status through United’s loyalty program.

United Premier status is determined by the number of Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights in your account. Anyone enrolled in PlusPoints can earn points. Those with United-branded credit cards can earn even more points and flight miles toward their award status. 

To reach Silver status, you need to have completed six flights and earned 2,000 points or earned 2,500 points. To reach Gold status, you need to have completed 12 flights and earned 4,000 points or earned 5,000 points. To reach Platinum status, you need to have completed 18 flights and earned 6,000 points or earned 7,500 points. Finally, to reach 1K status (the top status), you need to have completed 26 flights and earned 9,000 points or earned 12,000 points. 

If you are within any Premier tier, you are eligible for complimentary upgrades subject to availability. United Premier members can also receive complimentary Premier Upgrades if they have one of the following United travel cards (offered through Chase):

  • United Explorer Card
  • United Club Card
  • United Explorer Business Card
  • United Club Business Card
  • United Presidential Plus Card
  • United Presidential Plus Business Card

Understand, however, that simply having the right rewards status and credit card doesn’t automatically guarantee you a first-class seat. It simply makes you eligible for upgrades when they are available and prioritizes your upgrades over others—basically, it just increases your odds of being upgraded. Your upgrade status could be confirmed anywhere from four days prior to departure (for Premier level 1K) right up to the day your flight takes off (for Premier level Silver).

How Does United First Class Compare to Other Airlines

United First domestic is largely regarded as one of the best first-class flying experiences available in the U.S. Although some may disagree, a major advantage that United First has going for it is the food. United Airlines partners with reputable chefs through The Trotter Project to offer its first-class passengers gourmet menu items and an exciting range of options. So naturally, the food is above average.

One of the potential downsides of United First is that it does not provide lounge access on domestic flights. Inflight entertainment is also somewhat lacking compared to other carriers. United provides complimentary DIRECTV to all first-class passengers (on select flights), but you must pay for WiFi. The seat-back entertainment systems available for first-class passenger use, however, are fairly robust and United Private Screening offers a wide range of viewing and listening options.

If you value lounge access and all-inclusive IFE, know that United doesn’t offer these on first-class domestic flights. United First might not give you quite as much value as what other airlines will on all flights, but it’s not bad and many flyers have found United first-class to be one of the most affordable domestic first-class options.

Final Thoughts

Overall, United First domestic flights are comfortable and accommodating. They come with many complimentary perks and advantages and they can be snagged with points and rewards. So as far as domestic first-class goes, United Airlines seems to do pretty well. Unless you happen to have an unlimited amount of money to spend on travel, United First is going to be best for those that are loyal to United and already have points or rewards racked up that can be put toward seat upgrades.

Uber VIP Program [2020 Overview]

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Now available to Amex Platinum and Centurion card holders.

Uber VIP is an elite-level rewards tier, first introduced in 2015, that was previously only accessible to the most frequent riders.

In 2020, however, the program rewards a different set of riders but offers many of the same perks. The Uber VIP program really morphed back in January of 2019 when Uber and American Express decided to partner on the program. Today, the rewards are simply offered to American Express Platinum and Centurion card holders (regardless of their Uber trip count).

If you have an American Express Platinum or Centurion card and wish to take advantage of the Uber VIP program, simply enter your card information as the primary payment option in your Uber profile. From there you’ll gain immediate access.

To learn more about what the Uber VIP program has in store for riders in 2020, continue reading our review below.

What is the Uber VIP Program?

The Uber VIP program rewards a small portion of credit card customers with access to highly rated drivers and high-quality vehicles.

Uber VIP is not something that Uber advertises as an option to all of its riders. When it was first rolled out, access to this program was only offered to Uber’s “most valued riders” via private emails. Those designated as top riders completed 100 trips in one city and were extended an invitation into the VIP program. This status wasn’t something you could apply or even pay for, you just had to be invited. 

Now, VIP access is automatically granted to Uber riders regardless of trip history if they have one of two credit cards:

  1. The Platinum Card from American Express or
  2. the American Express Centurion Card.

Both of these cards are premium. The Platinum Card is a well-known travel card with numerous exclusive benefits and the Centurion Card is a coveted invite-only business card with elusive perks not revealed to the public.

If you’re an Uber regular, you probably already know about Uber Rewards because it’s impossible to avoid. Uber VIP and Uber Rewards are not related, so you don’t have to be a member of one program to be a member of the other. However, some of the rewards offered at the highest level of Uber Rewards are similar to those offered by Uber VIP. 

But even Diamond-level Uber Rewards members can’t qualify for VIP status unless they have one of those two Amex cards linked to their account. Additionally, those that used to have VIP status were booted when Uber changed its policy to allow only Amex members.

Uber VIP Program Benefits

The Uber VIP program matches riders with only top-rated drivers in nice vehicles. More specifically, drivers with a rating of 4.8 stars or above—VIP drivers—and high-quality vehicles. 

It is not clear what vehicles are considered to be high-quality, but newer models and attractive rides can be expected. However, these might be luxury cars and they might not as the level of luxe depends on what ride type you select. You will be able to choose between UberX VIP and UberBlack VIP trips.

Uber VIP members also receive exclusive discounts and deals and are the first to hear when Uber is running a new promotion. You do not have to pay Uber VIP membership fees and trip prices are not higher through this loyalty program than they would be for non-VIP rides.

How to Join the Uber VIP Program

If you have an American Express Platinum or Centurion card and you link it to your Uber account, you will automatically gain access to Uber VIP if it is offered in your area. 

Uber has plans to continue expanding its network of Uber VIP-eligible cities but a full list of locations is not available. However, what is known for sure is that this program favors big cities and metropolitan areas. For example, Washington, D.C., New York City, Dallas, and Atlanta are included. 

If you qualify for VIP status but don’t live in an area that offers VIP travel, you’re out of luck and will have to take non-VIP trips.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Uber VIP is probably not anything to get too excited about. It’s not better than what any other Uber rider can access with enough points and it’s not well-established enough to really come through for the few members that actually qualify for it. 

Uber does a pretty good job of rewarding its loyal customers already, and Uber Diamond is generally thought to be much better than Uber VIP.

Uber Diamond, the top benefits tier of Uber’s four-tier rewards program that requires 7,500 to unlock, offers its members loads of complimentary perks such as upgrades to Black rides and a credit for three free Uber Eats deliveries every six months. Diamond members also have access to 24/7 customer support and highly-rated drivers, like VIP members. Plus, Uber Rewards is no longer location-dependent, so your Diamond benefits follow you wherever you go. Even Platinum-level perks are nothing to scoff at.

Another potential negative to the VIP program to consider is ride availability. Uber VIP is not widely available across the country, and even in locations where it is, you might have more trouble hailing a VIP ride than you would a non-VIP ride. Not all vehicles are going to qualify as high quality and a smaller portion of drivers have the service ratings to qualify for VIP driving, so there is no guarantee that you’ll always be able to get a ride when you need one.