Max segments allowed for international United Award round trip ticket
Jan 19, 2013, 11:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Max segments allowed for international United Award round trip ticket
This might have been discussed somewhere, but I could not find it. I really need help on this. Following the advice here, I booked the frame work itinerary for March, and then call United to change the flight to July. (because it didn't price online for the July itinerary that requires more segments due to the award ticket availability.)
IAD->SFO->HNL (stopover)
HNL->GUM->MNL->SIN (destination, open jaw)
CAN->NRT->SEA->CLE->IAD
The agent told me that I had 9 segments and the max number of segments was 8. Is this true? Where is this rule specified?
IAD->SFO->HNL (stopover)
HNL->GUM->MNL->SIN (destination, open jaw)
CAN->NRT->SEA->CLE->IAD
The agent told me that I had 9 segments and the max number of segments was 8. Is this true? Where is this rule specified?
Jan 20, 2013, 5:41 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,393
This might have been discussed somewhere, but I could not find it. I really need help on this. Following the advice here, I booked the frame work itinerary for March, and then call United to change the flight to July. (because it didn't price online for the July itinerary that requires more segments due to the award ticket availability.)
IAD->SFO->HNL (stopover)
HNL->GUM->MNL->SIN (destination, open jaw)
CAN->NRT->SEA->CLE->IAD
The agent told me that I had 9 segments and the max number of segments was 8. Is this true? Where is this rule specified?
IAD->SFO->HNL (stopover)
HNL->GUM->MNL->SIN (destination, open jaw)
CAN->NRT->SEA->CLE->IAD
The agent told me that I had 9 segments and the max number of segments was 8. Is this true? Where is this rule specified?
Call again for a more informed agent.
Jan 21, 2013, 12:05 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
@HumbleBee - thanks so much for your advice. I called back and indeed, the other agent had no problem issuing the tickets with 9 segments. I also booked another ticket with similar itinerary except that it departs from LAS instead of IAD. So this new ticket has two open jaws and one stopover, no problem asked.
Thank you all who have replied. I checked the price for this itinerary for July, and it costs around $5000. I couldn't believe I could get it for 65,000 mile plus $62. The UA miles are really valuable!
Thank you all who have replied. I checked the price for this itinerary for July, and it costs around $5000. I couldn't believe I could get it for 65,000 mile plus $62. The UA miles are really valuable!
Apr 29, 2013, 11:40 am
#7
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
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I've had luck booking many segments like this but an agent just told me a memo was sent out limiting the number of segments on Asian tickets although she would not say to how many which I found strange and annoying even after I asked. I was booking a five segment European one way which she didn't want to do but she came back and said it is allowed since they haven't changed the rules yet. Anyone know the details of the new memo?
Edited to add she was a global services agent although she could also be making stuff up regarding the segments.
Edited to add she was a global services agent although she could also be making stuff up regarding the segments.
May 2, 2013, 7:16 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2009
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I had an agent read the memo to me. Discussed here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20684272-post1214.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20684272-post1214.html
May 3, 2013, 7:58 am
#9
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I had an agent read the memo to me. Discussed here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20684272-post1214.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20684272-post1214.html
I guess we can get around it by booking two one-ways to get 3 connections in each direction to Asia though.
Aug 11, 2013, 5:51 am
#11
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Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
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Aug 11, 2013, 7:26 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,122
Anyway, I know that agents often say a lot of nonsensical things, but two different reps on two different calls cited the "April 25" memo to me, one of them read it to me, and it seems verified by the computer's rejection of BKK-SIN-IST-FRA-EWR-LAS. The "system" now only allows 3 connections (4 segments) on a one way from US to Asia, or 4 connections (5 segments) on each leg of a round trip between U.S. and Asia.
Aug 11, 2013, 7:31 am
#13
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I had to fight like hell to get it, but thinking about the recent HKG-ZRH-PRG / TXL-LHR-EWR / JFK-TPE-HKG r/t I booked, while convoluted, was still only 4 legs total in the outbound direction pre-stopover. Of course, if my in-laws had needed a connection at EWR, that could of technically been the 5th, and they might have been SOL.
Aug 11, 2013, 7:53 am
#14
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I had to fight like hell to get it, but thinking about the recent HKG-ZRH-PRG / TXL-LHR-EWR / JFK-TPE-HKG r/t I booked, while convoluted, was still only 4 legs total in the outbound direction pre-stopover. Of course, if my in-laws had needed a connection at EWR, that could of technically been the 5th, and they might have been SOL.
Open jaws often trip up the auto-pricing of the award. If it doesn't auto-price, they need to manually price it, which requires a supervisor and takes some time.
Since you're going from a 3-minute call to potentially a 30-minute call, it's natural that you're likely to run into some resistance. It's easier to tell you no or make something up than to figure out how to beat SHARES into submission.
Even co-terminal connections (e.g., EWR/JFK) sometimes trip up the auto-pricing.