United MileagePlus (Consolidated) - Issues with UA Flight Number changes later in year

The fare I am flying is a Z class business fare SYD NYC. I cant have surface sectors in the USA, but lists NYC as option.

It works up until August, where all of a sudden UA870 doesnt go all the way through to NYC, it changes to a new number of UA220.

Same plane, same time, just a new flight number.

This means now UA no longer has a SYD NYC service with one flight number, so a bunch of tickets wont be allowed to book.

Any idea of why they have done this? Seasonal?

Because SHARES so many issues with thru flights (UG, seat changes, tickets, etc.) Starting Aug. 28 UA will only sell long-haul international through flights in markets in where they are regulatory mandated.

So no more same flight number from Syd to Nyc either via SFO or LAX. Well that is a huge pain. That will screw over so many tickets! eeeeekkkkk.

The fare I am flying is a Z class business fare SYD NYC. I cant have surface sectors in the USA, but lists NYC as option.

This means now UA no longer has a SYD NYC service with one flight number, so a bunch of tickets wont be allowed to book.

Huh? UA publishes SYD-NYC fares that permit a connection in SFO/LAX.

Since I'm not especially inclined to go looking for UA's precise definition of surface sectors, here's AA's:

Surface Sector means a sector between two intermediate points of a fare component where travel is via other than air transportation. In the case of a mileage fare, the ticketed point mileage between the origin and the destination of the surface sector is included in the TPM calculation of the through fare component. In the case of a routing fare, both the origin and destination points of the surface sector must be on the specified routing of the fare. Transportation over the surface sector is covered by the through fare component.

Flying SYD-SFO/LAX-JFK (for example) does not imply that you have surface sectors.

Sorry, I was saying there are no longer flights with the same flight number to NYC with UA after August 28.

For fares that require a single flight to NYC from Australia, we dont have that option anymore.

I was looking at one today that goes to LON via NYC out of SYD. After August 28, that fare cannot no longer be used, as the terms state a single flight to NYC (or same flight number)

Serious pain.

I was looking at one today that goes to LON via NYC out of SYD. After August 28, that fare cannot no longer be used, as the terms state a single flight to NYC (or same flight number)

What's the fare basis on that one??

Z class LXEURPU.

What information from the details about the fare would you like? I can PM it to you if you would like

Z class LXEURPU.

What information from the details about the fare would you like? I can PM it to you if you would like
If it starts with an L then is isn't a Z fare. :confused:

I was going to look at the fare rules and do some digging.

Yeah, it is a Z fare. Its a LX (Swiss) based fare in conjection with UA. Check your PM. Just sent it to you.

Well, the fare rules state that you are permitted surface sectors at your own expense. ;)

I'm looking through the rules trying to find anything that says you cannot connect in LAX or SFO to another UA flight rather than requiring the same flight number as a direct flight all the way through. I don't see it. I'm assuming you want the NYC stopover rather than just flying through and that's what's driving this??

Yes, want the NYC stop.

Under the notes section is says "Important: North America internal sectors operated by UA/AC/QF are not permitted." When it was tried to be booked, they said single flight from SYD to NYC only (or same flight number) No connecting or internal flights

Yes, want the NYC stop.

Under the notes section is says "Important: North America internal sectors operated by UA/AC/QF are not permitted." When it was tried to be booked, they said single flight from SYD to NYC only (or same flight number) No connecting or internal flights

I see that now (in the Flight Application section). Yeah, you're screwed on the NYC stopover. You can use the fare to SFO/LAX and then pick it up again in NYC and pay that segment yourself on a different ticket.

UA (rightfully) appears to care quite a bit more about making sure that customers buying tickets from them are handled as best as possible by the system rather than worrying about passengers buying tickets from LX where there are a few dozen other connecting options to get where they're going. This does suck for you and others who want to use this fare but I'd say it is a good thing for most customers. Direct flights are a PITA and minimizing them in a system is a useful move much more often than it is a bad one.

Direct flights are a PITA and minimizing them in a system is a useful move much more often than it is a bad one.

Direct flights were only a minor nuisance under PMUA, namely for upgrade inventory purposes. Most other aspects worked just fine.

I think many of the challenges the airline is facing now with them are related to how their system handles them.

I wonder what the revenue impact of this is. The whole premise of direct flights is to market it as a through flight when they do not really serve the downline city nonstop. The theory was that people are more likely to book those because it gave preferential display treatment on sites and GDSes.

I suppose they'll make up for it with the aisle or window premiums when they sell those E+ seats at dynamic prices.