Were your flights entirely on United or were they operated by partners? Did you pay the same as your family member for the same ticket or was the fare different?
Airlines' frequent flier plans are full of "fine print." One of the most prevalent provisos to avoid awarding miles pertains to flights on partner airlines. Just because an airline is a partner or member of the same "alliance" doesn't mean that you will earn 100% of the miles flown in your frequent flier account. Usually it is based on the fare paid. Some fares, usually the heavily discounted fares such as those available during a fare sale or by purchasing in advance, may only qualify for 25% or 50% of actual miles. Still others, like fares bought through a blind bidding process on Priceline.com, will net zero miles.
If you are going to remain loyal to one airline or alliance in order to accumulate miles, it helps to have a thorough understanding of all of the terms and condiitons of that program. Also be aware that those "T&Cs" can change at any time. It is highly advisable to subscribe to e-mail updates so that you can keep abreast of any changes.
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