Possibility of UA price match?
Jun 6, 2012, 12:34 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 12
Possibility of UA price match?
Hello all!
I am a long time lurker and before asking my question just want to say thank you! The tricks/tools/advice from this form have helped me quite a bit in my travels
I am looking to pick up a one way ticket from CID to the LA area (LAX, SNA, ONT) on UA but current price for a one way ticket is over 100 less on AA. Is there a possibility of UA matching or should I snag the AA ticket before it goes up in price? I am guessing the answer is pick up the AA ticket fast, but any advice or thoughts are welcomed.
I am traveling Sunday 8/12
Thank you
I am a long time lurker and before asking my question just want to say thank you! The tricks/tools/advice from this form have helped me quite a bit in my travels
I am looking to pick up a one way ticket from CID to the LA area (LAX, SNA, ONT) on UA but current price for a one way ticket is over 100 less on AA. Is there a possibility of UA matching or should I snag the AA ticket before it goes up in price? I am guessing the answer is pick up the AA ticket fast, but any advice or thoughts are welcomed.
I am traveling Sunday 8/12
Thank you
Jun 6, 2012, 2:33 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: back in the saddle in AMWAJ
Programs: EK PLAT 2022-2023, UAplat soon to be LH senator!
Posts: 367
Cgagne
since you have not posted what your status is with ua, im gonna assume your a blue card member....i doubt anyone in bangalore or any us location for that matter will "priceline" you to a ual fare, good luck if can snag it and post when came of it ok....
since you have not posted what your status is with ua, im gonna assume your a blue card member....i doubt anyone in bangalore or any us location for that matter will "priceline" you to a ual fare, good luck if can snag it and post when came of it ok....
Jun 6, 2012, 6:49 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium.;UA 1.5MM; UA Lifetime Gold (whoppee); DL Plat
Posts: 2,124
Hello all!
I am a long time lurker and before asking my question just want to say thank you! The tricks/tools/advice from this form have helped me quite a bit in my travels
I am looking to pick up a one way ticket from CID to the LA area (LAX, SNA, ONT) on UA but current price for a one way ticket is over 100 less on AA. Is there a possibility of UA matching or should I snag the AA ticket before it goes up in price? I am guessing the answer is pick up the AA ticket fast, but any advice or thoughts are welcomed.
I am traveling Sunday 8/12
Thank you
I am a long time lurker and before asking my question just want to say thank you! The tricks/tools/advice from this form have helped me quite a bit in my travels
I am looking to pick up a one way ticket from CID to the LA area (LAX, SNA, ONT) on UA but current price for a one way ticket is over 100 less on AA. Is there a possibility of UA matching or should I snag the AA ticket before it goes up in price? I am guessing the answer is pick up the AA ticket fast, but any advice or thoughts are welcomed.
I am traveling Sunday 8/12
Thank you
Jun 30, 2012, 4:47 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: 1P, AA EXP, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,491
Jun 30, 2012, 5:12 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,484
It's a somewhat interesting question actually --
Airlines actually do match each others' fares in some cases, but what they are matching is the published fare buckets.
However, the number of seats in each bucket is certainly *not* matched, and what people perceive to be "why are UA's fares so high" is often that they are late to the game and have only the expensive tickets to choose from.
These days, it seems that the fare buckets themselves are higher than usual / the competition.
Either way, they have already optimized their yield for the flights through the fare bucket / # seats for sale combination, and are not going to change it for you.
Airlines actually do match each others' fares in some cases, but what they are matching is the published fare buckets.
However, the number of seats in each bucket is certainly *not* matched, and what people perceive to be "why are UA's fares so high" is often that they are late to the game and have only the expensive tickets to choose from.
These days, it seems that the fare buckets themselves are higher than usual / the competition.
Either way, they have already optimized their yield for the flights through the fare bucket / # seats for sale combination, and are not going to change it for you.
Jun 30, 2012, 5:16 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
Programs: BA Gold, B6 Mosiac, VS, AA, DL (and a legacy UA 2MM)
Posts: 2,274
Jul 1, 2012, 3:49 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
It's a somewhat interesting question actually --
Airlines actually do match each others' fares in some cases, but what they are matching is the published fare buckets.
However, the number of seats in each bucket is certainly *not* matched, and what people perceive to be "why are UA's fares so high" is often that they are late to the game and have only the expensive tickets to choose from.
These days, it seems that the fare buckets themselves are higher than usual / the competition.
Either way, they have already optimized their yield for the flights through the fare bucket / # seats for sale combination, and are not going to change it for you.
Airlines actually do match each others' fares in some cases, but what they are matching is the published fare buckets.
However, the number of seats in each bucket is certainly *not* matched, and what people perceive to be "why are UA's fares so high" is often that they are late to the game and have only the expensive tickets to choose from.
These days, it seems that the fare buckets themselves are higher than usual / the competition.
Either way, they have already optimized their yield for the flights through the fare bucket / # seats for sale combination, and are not going to change it for you.
Jul 1, 2012, 6:49 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond, UA 1K MM, SPG Plat For Life, Marriott Plat, Nexus/GlobalEntry
Posts: 9,198
No.. what I mean is, they don't match for people calling in to say another airline has a better fare and asking for a match. UA matches other airlines all the time but it's not something anyone can call and ask for.
Jul 1, 2012, 9:04 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
Programs: BA Gold, B6 Mosiac, VS, AA, DL (and a legacy UA 2MM)
Posts: 2,274
Jul 2, 2012, 12:01 am
#11
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
If you can't find the fare you want on-line, it doesn't hurt to try calling and see if a phone agent might see a different routing than you do, or for some reason a fare bucket availability that isn't showing on-line. As I just mentioned in another thread, this happened to me once on a TATL itin.
I needed the same itin as my wife's award ticket, and desired to play the upgrade lottery so I had minimum fare bucket requirements... and the buckets showing for the flights in question were the very highest (most expensive. The phone agent found qualifying fare buckets that were substantially less. ^
I needed the same itin as my wife's award ticket, and desired to play the upgrade lottery so I had minimum fare bucket requirements... and the buckets showing for the flights in question were the very highest (most expensive. The phone agent found qualifying fare buckets that were substantially less. ^
Jul 2, 2012, 3:22 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SFO and OAK
Programs: FAF, Hyatt <>, SPG PLT
Posts: 2,240
I recently purchased a fully refundable D-fare on United that was cheaper than the (maybe) fully refundable M-fare. I could wave my hands in the air and say United is optimizing yield by doing something like this but then I'd have to light my pants on fire
Practically speaking the causes of the issues reported by United's customers on FT are likely starting to cause/escalate some issues for United's operations/sales functions, etc.