blueponds

I could use some advice on award booking and cabin recommendations.

Background: I've been saving up miles for a first class trip for four from San Diego to Australia/New Zealand for a while. I have enough now for saver business class and soon for saver first class (FYI I have the miles but no status). But turns out using these miles as I had hoped is a challenge.

Booking

When looking at dates for four people through the United website I see saver premium cabin availability on the calendar when I try LAX-SYD but not when I put in SAN-SYD (uses the same LAX-SYD leg).

For LAX-SYD when I click on any date with premium saver availability it then says business saver is not available.

This is very confusing and I'm not sure how to use the United site to book the itinerary that I want:

Cabin Recommendations

On top of all of this turns out joke's on me for taking so long to accrue miles: first class is all but eliminated. That's okay, Polaris looks nice.

Joke's on me again: LAX-SYD looks to be all 787s and apparently they won't be getting Polaris seats anytime soon.

So: questions for travelers who frequent this route:

Thanks in advance.

aacharya

1. Sometimes try to search for LAX-SYD only. But since agents are less likely to add on a leg, just focus on the searches you do find and be open to all routings.

2. It may be available via a connection or a partner, like Air Canada, is available. Keep looking down the list, or sort out by miles to find what the availability is. You're looking at the direct flight if it's first on the list.

Example: May 10.
LAX-SYD not available.
LAX-SFO-SYD available.
SAN-SFO-SYD available.

PsiFighter37

I don't believe AC uses aircraft that has international F on the route (YVR-SYD). If you want international F, you will probably have to route through Asia, which will add a lot of time to your trip.

I enjoyed the Dreamliner in J the only time I flew it (on a domestic LAX-EWR hop when they ran those last summer for a little bit). The newer hard product (in terms of being delivered more recently, not the design) is less worn, and the windows are quite a bit larger.

gonezen

Polaris business class ex the Polaris seats (777) was fine a few weeks ago ORD/NRT/ORD. Since I've never been in the new Polaris seats couldn't compare. Biggest difference for me was where to store all the Polaris sleeping paraphernalia, duvet, blanket, two pillows, slippers, Polaris over sized amenity kit and so on. It's a lot of bulky stuff. Didn't use the PJ's although a couple ladies nearby did. Seemed a little too up close and personal for me and the other half. The new Polaris lounge at ORD is very nice. Anyway, I wouldn't fret over the seats. It was as enjoyable as a trans-Pac can be except for the FA who told my wife the only herbal tea available was camomile and turns out there is a whole selection box with 10 different varieties which we discovered on our own in the galley. When we told her about it all we got was a blank expression. No apology, no nothing.

Kacee

Australia in business class is one of the most award popular redemptions there is. Finding saver awards typically requires both flexibility on travel dates and a fair bit of diligence and patience. Availability changes frequently, so you need to keep checking.

And four passengers on the same flight in business class may not be a realistic goal.

JetAway

Doing four people on Saver is going to be very tough. You may have to mix it up-e.g., 1 or 2 on Saver, the rest on Standard.

altbg

I'd focus on the LAX-SYD leg and consider driving up to LAX. The Australia flights all leave in the late evening and traffic at that time and in that direction isn't too bad, especially if it's on a weekend day.

1kBill

I believe all UA flights to Australia are now on the 787, which does not have first class. Air Canada does not have any aircraft with international first class. UA's flights to New Zealand are sometimes on an sUA 777 which may have first class.

As others have mentioned finding 4 saver business class tickets on the same flights is going to be difficult. Suggest having a lot of flexibility and perhaps calling an agent to see what they could work out if the leg from SAN continues to give problems.

transportprof

But the availability for I space is likely to be greater midweek.

My advice to OP - find the award space you need and then build your trip around those dates.@:-)

Aussienarelle

I snagged a couple of business saver award flights for family in December 2017 to SYD but the flights are CA (via PEK) and TG (via BKK).

When there were three cabin flights to SYD never had a problem with getting saver F but as others say with two cabin you need to be flexible with alterate airlines and different flights.

I booked myself on paid V and Q flights and have fingers crossed for the upgrade....

Good luck.

findark

Hello blueponds, welcome to FlyerTalk!

As others have noted, finding award space to ANZ is challenging. One of the biggest drivers of this is that United very rarely releases Saver Business awards on its own metal, and there are virtually no other reasonably direct *A options (NZ via AKL being the only other one, and their award availability has been very hit or miss). To answer some of your questions:

-Unfortunately the calendar's "nonstop only" feature is broken. If you see a premium award on the calendar, it's probably Air China via PEK, Asiana via ICN, etc. and sometimes with the second segment in Y.

-It's not hopeless, but you may have to adjust your expectations. Four awards together are very hard to come by, especially if you limit yourself to the nonstop. If you are willing to fly via Asia, this expands your options. Also considering using a miles+cash upgrade (look for confirmable space at booking), as this space is much, much more common on United metal than is award space. (I'm assuming you're not 1K and don't have access to GPUs - they would be running away the best choice here.)

-If LAX-SYD is available in I, you should be able to book a mixed class SAN-LAX-SYD in X/I as long as SAN-LAX has X space.

-You can use multi-city to book the trip to New Zealand by searching e.g. SAN-SYD, SYD-AKL, AKL-SAN. The middle segment should be giving you a price of 0 miles.

I think the 787 is an excellent plane in UA business (though I am somewhat more positive than most of FT). Especially since you're flying as a group you don't need to worry as much about all aisle access, in which case you get a spacious seat on board a new aircraft with excellent cabin climate and windows. I will get some flack for this, but I would argue that with a partner it's my favorite J seat in the sky (for hard product).

UA service is inconsistent, but that will be true in their F or J, Polaris seat or not. If you are looking for a "true first class experience" you're not going to find that on United, even on a 3-cabin plane. In this case, I would just focus on getting to ANZ in a decent cabin, and not worry about the "wow" international F experience. You'd have to fly a foreign carrier for that.

mduell

Disagree, it's a crippled version of the decade-old 777 LFBF.

That plane needs Polaris at probably 7 abreast badly. 6 if they want to compete with Vantage XL, but I don't think they will even try.

Kacee

In fact, there are few of those left anywhere, fewer still in Star Alliance, and only two or three of those are bookable with UA miles (NH, LH with severe limitations, maybe OZ).

Mwenenzi

blueponds Welcome to FT

When do want to you to go?

As several posts above, the chances of getting 4 premium cabin awards USA Australia on the same aircraft are slim to none. You will need to split your party to 2 + 2 and be flexible with dates/routes/departure city/destination city. Or pay cash for 1 to 3 of you (or maybe all 4).

SYD is not the only airport in Australia. UA also fly to MEL and AKL in New Zealand (seasonal). UA also fly SFO SYD. Look for 1 only long haul one way award seat first. Then add to it. You may get a better result flying a different route back to USA.

As for NZ there is a lot of competition Australia - New Zealand on the trans Tasman route. Flights scheduled to take about 3:15hr to 3:45hr (east bound is faster due to prevailing winds). The flight schedules are padded so they often arrive early.

Trans Tasman pricing is very competitive. Fares are often ~AU/NZ$200-$275 one way in economy/coach, but can be more or less. Both economy & business fares can be low to very low. Or at peak times can be very high (double or triple the lowest). Air NZ often has sales. China Airlines were usually cheapest in the (southern hemisphere) summer 2016-17. Often best to buy on the com.au or co.nz web sites and/or select NZ or Australia in the upper part of web site.

There is no advantage in buying a Aust-NZ return ticket. All are air fares in Australia and New Zealand are sold as one ways. Effectively no such thing as a “return” with or without conditions. A “return” is just 2 one ways in a single PNR. It is often better to buy 1 one ways, including on different carriers. Often ex NZ is cheaper than buying the same NZ to Australia flight as the second leg of a “return” purchased in Australia.

Some of the Australian & New Zealand based airlines have economy only B737/A320 aircraft on some routes/schedules. Air NZ has a few wide body aircraft on some routes or some times.

For trans Tasman flights carefully check what is included in the price. Depending on the airline and/or fare booking class frequent flyer miles, water, food, checked baggage, seat selection and/or in flight entertainment can all be extra to the base fare.

Many trans Tasman economy/coach fares on Air NZ flights only earn (very few) NZ airpoints / VA points and can earn nil or a very low % ff miles to other Star Alliance airline & partner ffp’s

Airlines that fly Australia (CNS* MCY* BNE OOL SYD CBR MEL ADL PER) to/from New Zealand (AKL WLG CHC DUD ZQN) (not from all airports to all airports).
- Air Asia D7 (OOL - AKL) from March 2016
- Air New Zealand NZ (codeshares with VA) [Star Alliance] {* winter seasonal}
- China Airlines CI (BNE SYD MEL** – AKL CHC**) [Skyteam Alliance] {** November to March}
- Emirates EK (codeshares with QF)
- Jetstar JQ (owned by QF)
- LAN LA (SYD AKL) [OneWorld Alliance]
- Philippines PR (CNS - AKL)
- Qantas QF (codeshares with EK) [OneWorld Alliance]
- Singapore SQ (CBR WLG) [Star Alliance] from Sept 2016
- Virgin Australia VA (codeshares with Air NZ & AC*) (Delta & AC* partner) [*= some routes in 2017]

blueponds

Thanks everyone.

Opening up beyond nonstop at least gives me something (still nothing on UA any day all year for business saver).

Looks like I'll be missing the Polaris experience as I will have to take Air China through Beijing or Asiana through Seoul if I want all four of us to go business saver to SYD.

I will take a look at booking economy then paying to upgrade though before committing.