Does UA Restrict F Award to LH,LX, SQ?
#16
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 89
Now holding two first class award tickets SFO-FRA in late November. Should I be on the lookout for first class on the LH flight which leaves one hour after the UA flight - perhaps a week or two before departure? Is there a change fee if I am able to switch to LH?
#17
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Central Florida
Programs: MP 1K/Onepass Plat 1MM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 562
Did UA honour the 4 miles? From what I read they didn't.
I'm trying to book on miles in F DUS-ORD on the 17th of September and it shows available but I can't book it. When I play around and try booking from other cities, it routes through DUS on the same flight but won't go through. Very frustrating!
I'm trying to book on miles in F DUS-ORD on the 17th of September and it shows available but I can't book it. When I play around and try booking from other cities, it routes through DUS on the same flight but won't go through. Very frustrating!
#18
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SUV
Programs: UA *G MM
Posts: 7,017
This information has not been correct for some time
1. LX has now stopped making F seats avail for non M&M award travel. All those flights you saw a month ago with plenty of LX F space (ZRH-JNB, NRT-ZRH) are gone. M&M has decided to make LH he airline where F award seats are bookable.
You can find a LH F seat now on almost any route. Even the 380's & 747-8. The trick is they usually only open these seats up at T-14 and then again at T-7. Since the UA site is useless for booking LH (so much phantom availability) the only way to really check and see if a seat in F is avail is the ANA site
1. LX has now stopped making F seats avail for non M&M award travel. All those flights you saw a month ago with plenty of LX F space (ZRH-JNB, NRT-ZRH) are gone. M&M has decided to make LH he airline where F award seats are bookable.
You can find a LH F seat now on almost any route. Even the 380's & 747-8. The trick is they usually only open these seats up at T-14 and then again at T-7. Since the UA site is useless for booking LH (so much phantom availability) the only way to really check and see if a seat in F is avail is the ANA site
I booked LX F in March or April for a flight in June. It wasn't that great even though I was the only passenger. (It's of course much better then UA, but I had higher expectations.)
#19
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: SPG Plat
Posts: 1,017
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...ticketing.aspx
#20
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
For NRT-Europe there is usually a lot of availability. However, the UA website often shows F on the A380 but if you try to book it then it doesn't work on the last step. You don't encounter that problem for C class or the flight to MUC.
I booked LX F in March or April for a flight in June. It wasn't that great even though I was the only passenger. (It's of course much better then UA, but I had higher expectations.)
I booked LX F in March or April for a flight in June. It wasn't that great even though I was the only passenger. (It's of course much better then UA, but I had higher expectations.)
LX F was avail just like LH F up till a few weeks ago. They then announced they were pulling the F availability and by checking flights that used to have plenty of space (NRT-ZRH or ZRH-JNB it looks like they did pull all this space (however some people say they do release it again within 1-3 days)
For LH F everyone needs to forget looking for availability on the UA site. 90% of what shows as avail is just ghost availability. Your time would be better spent taking a long walk. The ONLY way to find true LH F avail is thru the ANA site. STOP WASTING TIME ON THE UA SITE TRYING TO BOOK LH F. 90% OF THE TIME IT WINT GO THRU
#21
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Paris, France
Programs: UA LT Gold, Air France Platinum Ulti, AA 4MM EXP, SPG Lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 725
I booked CDG-ZRH-BKK on LX F in May for a June departure and 2 CDG-ZRH-PEK in May as well in F for a December departure
No problem at all
No problem at all
#22
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
Yeah but the point is you can't do that now. LX had plenty of F availability all over the map. About 3-4 weeks ago it was all yanked. You now can't find an F reward seat anywhere on LX (except I have heard some reports of them opening seats 1-3 days out)
#23
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,393
Seen flights leave with 9 F seats not sold & no avail even 1 hour before departure.
#24
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,492
If that's the case why continue having a First cabin? SQ is learning that flying around with empty premium cabins doesn't help the bottom line in a tight economy. Better to use that real estate for something that generates cash.
#25
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: ANP
Programs: UA 1k, Marriott Plat, HH gold, Avis/Hertz Pres
Posts: 1,408
For NRT-Europe there is usually a lot of availability. However, the UA website often shows F on the A380 but if you try to book it then it doesn't work on the last step. You don't encounter that problem for C class or the flight to MUC.
I booked LX F in March or April for a flight in June. It wasn't that great even though I was the only passenger. (It's of course much better then UA, but I had higher expectations.)
I booked LX F in March or April for a flight in June. It wasn't that great even though I was the only passenger. (It's of course much better then UA, but I had higher expectations.)
#26
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
Who says SQ is learning anything. They issued a bunch if F award seats by accident and while it looks like they will all be honored, they went right back to ZERO award availability in F for awards. I fly SQ fairly often in F and many many times I have been the only F passenger or at worst 1 of 3 or 4 (some routes are an exception and are full). There is no indication I have seen that SQ plans to change anything
#27
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 136
lx53 bos-zrh: 8 F award seats showing avail tonight--phantom availability?
ual.com is showing 8 award seats in F on tonight's Swiss LX53 flight from BOS-ZRH. (It leaves in 10 minutes). I had thought Swiss F was not available to partners any longer. Has this recently changed, or is ual.com showing phantom Swiss availability as it does with LH? Aeroplan also shows 8 seats in F tonight on the same flight. ANA does not support searching for award flights leaving today so I can't cross-check with any other source.
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,549
who knows when it actually came available but at T-:10, there is little danger in someone actually getting use out of it as LX fears might happen.
#30
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, AS & DL GM Marriott TE, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,582
Correct but if you could score a C award, a few days out, and just wait be the last person to board, ready to spend a few more miles this could pan out..