July 14th, 2018

RUPA Members: Latest Pass Travel News from RAFA’s Kirk Moore! 

Pass Travel UPDATE                       

       1) Did you miss crucial information from the ETC?

       2) Lesson learned from EF enrollment  

       3) Travel with “Friends” on Other Airlines

       4) Tips for New Flying Together website

       5) RAFA’s website

Read this UPDATE on RAFA’s website, the links may work better:

 http://www.rafa-cwa.org/page-1836169

1) Did you miss crucial information from the ETC?

       Some retirees may not have received important messages from the ETC because their email addresses on file are not correct, their mailboxes were “full” or their email security settings did not allow the messages through.

            Make sure the email address you have on file with United is correct!  There are two places to confirm it on Flying Together (check both):

               1) Go to ft.ual.com > Travel > employeeRES > Quick Links > Employee Travel Profile > Saved employeeRES information box.

               2) Go to ft.ual.com > Employee services > “Health and insurance YBR”. Then go to “Your Profile” (in the very top menu) > “Personal Information”. Make certain your permanent mailing address and phone number are also correct in YBR since United uses that data to contact you about healthcare benefits. 

           Ideally your email address should match in both locations above.

           Alternatively, you can submit a request through Help Hub (link: helphub.ual.com) and the Employee Travel Center will add you to their YBR list for email updates.  

           If the ETC’s messages went into your spam or junk folder, add “[email protected]” to your address book. That way future emails from the ETC will not be routed to your junk or spam folder.

           Even if YOU received the emails from the ETC (in June) about Pass Travel Enrollment for Retirees, please share the above information with other eligible retirees who did not. By the way, if your retiree friends want to join a retiree organization, here’s a link to a page on Flying Together that lists them:

https://ft.ual.com/employee-services/recog/retirements/retireeresources

 2) Lesson learned from EF enrollment

           Some retirees could not add a new Enrolled Friend during June enrollment because their travel profile in the Dependent Management System (DMS) had too many inactive EF names (max allowed is 4). 

           Solution: If you have an available empty slot(s) to add an enrolled friend but do not see “Enrolled Friend” in the drop down menu, first remove “INACTIVE” EF(s) by clicking the purple “i” button to the left of their name. Then click “Remove Dependent” on the screen that appears below. Now add a new EF to your DMS by clicking the blue “+” sign and follow the 5 steps to “certify” them. Keep in mind, it can take up to 24 hours before their name appears in employeeRES to be eligible for travel – so plan ahead.

Your “DMS” is accessed via ft.ual.com > Travel > Manage pass riders. 

The enrollment period for EFs for the January 1 – June 30, 2019 travel period is open through December 28^th (until 11:59 p.m. CT). The ETC will remind retirees in December to take action if changes are needed like they did in June.

Helpful resources from the ETC:

¥Visit our Pass Travel Enrollment for Retirees page: https://ft.ual.com/travel/passriderslandingpage/retireepasstravel/pass-travel-enrollment-for-retirees)

¥NEW! View a how-to video on how to elect your enrolled friend(s) for the next travel period. Scroll to “External Video” below the Q&A: https://ft.ual.com/travel/passriderslandingpage/retireepasstravel/pass-travel-enrollment-for-retirees

¥Read a user guide (pdf) with step-by-step instructions on how to elect your enrolled friend(s) for the next travel period.: https://ft.ual.com/-/media/ual_intranet/documents/travel/pass-travel-enrollment-for-retirees-user-guide.pdf?la=en

¥Read Questions and Answers; scroll down this page: https://ft.ual.com/travel/passriderslandingpage/retireepasstravel/pass-travel-enrollment-for-retirees

Still have a question? Use Help Hub (helphub.ual.com) to find answers to commonly asked questions and to submit requests to the Employee Travel Center.

3) Travel with Friends on Other Airlines

       United retirees enjoy excellent Enrolled Friends privileges but we are not eligible for “buddy passes”. However, as Capt. Pat Palazzolo of RUPA points out, we can travel space-available with our friends as “Star Companions” on 11 Star Alliance Airlines! Your “friends” can be anyone (your mother-in-law or your yoga instructor or your Enrolled Friends). To buy tickets for yourself and your friends visit ft.ual.com > Travel > “Other airline interline travel”, then go to “myIDtravelPurchase”. Note: “friends” are referred to as “Travel Partners” on myIDtravel and you must accompany them on all segments.

You may also accompany your registered Enrolled Friends on Hawaiian Airlines.

But first read Pat’s article here:

http://www.rafa-cwa.org/resources/Documents/Pass%20Travel/2018_0701_Pat_P_Travel_Partners.pdf

Thank you, Pat!

There are step-by-step instructions here: RAFA’s guide to Other Airline travel. Read step #5.

4) Tips for New Flying Together website.

The cut-over to United’s new Flying Together website took place on May 29, 2018. 

1.You still sign in with your six digit uID number (ex: u123456) and password. Remember, your password must be updated every 90 days. Can’t log in? Call the IT Desk: 800-255-5801 or click “Employee” underneath “Password Help” on Flying Together.

2.All Pass Travel information is still in the “Travel” section, and it’s located in new tabs and menus within that section. Click around to discover them!

Here is a guide by Kathie Torgison in the July 2018 RUAEA newsletter that will help retirees navigate the new Flying Together website:

http://www.rafa-cwa.org/resources/Documents/Pass%20Travel/2018_0701_July_Torgy_Travel_Tips.pdf

Thank you, Kathie!

         RAFA recently updated all of their “Important LINKS” page (including handy phone numbers). Below each link is the path we took, so you can easily navigate the new menus of the Travel section. For example: FT > Travel > Programs and policies > Types of travel > (look in fly out menu “In this section”) > “Preparing for travel” is the path to find out everything “you need to know before you go”. Read about how to book travel, proper attire, service charges, refunds, etc. in “Preparing for travel”.

           Check out RAFA’s links here: http://www.rafa-cwa.org/page-1831807

           Click a link and then sign into FT. Once you’re signed in, RAFA’s links will take you straight to the topic you’re looking for. Try using the paths to find it yourself. Happy hunting! Note: pathways will be slightly different when viewing Flying Together on smartphones and tablets.         

5) Have you seen our RAFA website?

      Check out the Travel Benefits tab here:  http://www.rafa-cwa.org

      Read the Pass Travel Program Summary, helpful links, phone numbers & more.

      For other Pass Travel Topics: Previous Travel UPDATES

Compiled by Kirk Moore, RAFA Travel Benefits Committee              July 11, 2018

Many thanks to Pat Palazzolo and Kathie Torgison for their articles in this UPDATE.

View on RAFA’s website here:

 http://www.rafa-cwa.org/page-1836169 

Thank you Kirk!!!

Retired United Pilots Association
Phyllis Cleveland, Eblast Coordinator
P.O. Box 400 Vineburg, CA 95487 -0400

July 9th, 2018

RUPA Members:  Alliant Credit Union News

This message is being sent to all Retiree Organization Leaders

Good afternoon! I hope you had a great weekend!

As you may have seen in Friday’s United Daily, Alliant Credit Union will be closing most of its branches. We’ve heard that retirees that are members of Alliant Credit Union are very upset about their local branches closing, and there’s concern that Alliant’s communication plan (which involves mailing letters in batches) may not give our retirees enough notice.

We are asking for you to please send the below information to all of your members via your email distribution list and post to your organization’s website/newsletters.

Thank you for your support,

Michelle

Alliant Credit Union branch closures

As part of a continued evolution to digital banking, Alliant Credit Union will be closing most of its branch locations. The closures will happen from July through October of this year. Two branches will remain open: the West Touhy Avenue location near ORD and the Willis Tower location in downtown Chicago (this location allows restricted access only to United employees badged at Willis Tower).

The credit union and its members have always relied heavily on remote access – phone and, more recently, digital. Today, the majority of members’ banking transactions occur online and by phone, with fewer than 4 percent of transactions taking place in branch locations. Alliant will continue to invest in digital capabilities and enhance the ways that it provides service to its members.

Alliant has a longstanding relationship with United, and that doesn’t change with this transition. Alliant’s commitment to United as a sponsor and to the members who have joined Alliant in affiliation with United will continue.

Some of the Alliant ATMs will remain or be relocated, and others will be removed. Alliant is working with each impacted location directly. Members will still have access to their accounts through Alliant’s mobile and online banking tools, as well as through a network of 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs located across the U.S. Many of the ATMs also take deposits, and the ATM search on Alliant’s website and mobile app has an option to include only deposit-taking ATMs. In addition, members who have Alliant Free Checking accounts receive ATM fee reimbursements up to $20 per month when using out-of-network ATMs.

Alliant is communicating these changes via letters mailed to the homes of members who are impacted by the closures. Alliant is also posting signage at its branch locations, and representatives from Alliant will be visiting United’s hubs to share information about digital banking options and answer any questions employees might have.

If you have questions, you can visit myalliant.com/digital or call Alliant at 1-800-328-1935, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Alliant branch closing schedule:

IAD: July 25

SFO: August 7

SFO Maintenance Base: August 8

ORD: August 22

NCHRR: August 28

IAH: August 29

Oakland, CA: September 11

San Mateo, CA: September 12

El Segundo, CA: September 19

Denver, CO: October 3

Retired United Pilots Association
Phyllis Cleveland, Eblast Coordinator
P.O. Box 400 Vineburg, CA 95487 -0400