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Will UA issue ticket (016 ticket) w/ partner airline only, no UA/UX flight on itin?

Will UA issue ticket (016 ticket) w/ partner airline only, no UA/UX flight on itin?

Old Oct 14, 2013, 2:22 pm
  #46  
 
Join Date: May 2003
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
remembered it and remembered seeing it linked in the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ification.html wiki. Did not search.
You're amazing. ^

I do think there should be a separate thread or resource for the limitations of what can be booked on whatever the present incarnation of ua.com is. Along with what an agent on the phone can and cannot book. But as long as we have human search engines like yourself, maybe not needed.
Mike Jacoubowsky is offline  
Old Oct 25, 2013, 1:05 am
  #47  
 
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Has anyone actually tried to call United to get a non-UA *A ticket plated on 016 for 2014? If so, did it work? Did you have to tell the agent that you're doing this because of PQDs?
sincx is offline  
Old Oct 29, 2013, 1:01 pm
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by Mike Jacoubowsky
So it's not just me!!!

Sometimes you can go through the initial process of booking an Award ticket and have the missing carrier show up there... then it may give you the option of purchasing the ticket instead. Trouble is, the purchased ticket is often sky-high because it defaults to booking the non-UA segment in Y (if it's not a code-share flight). This is really causing me grief trying to book an award ticket for my wife and a paid ticket for myself, because there's no award availability (at saver rates) for 100% UA itin, and the non-UA segments showing up for awards cannot be booked as paid flights (on UA's website).
My experience exactly. Looking at a NZ operated flight next year. Lowest fare UA shows on .com is $3500, although NZ is selling seatss around $1200. I recognize that might need to pay a little higher to get a fare basis to earn PQM on UA (leaving aside issue of PQD), but UA.com isn't even close to being competitive. I haven't tried calling UA yet. Will wait to see if others report any success before wasting any time on this.
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Old Nov 18, 2013, 2:35 pm
  #49  
 
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Also noticed that there are a lot less code share flights. For example, been looking at flights to several points in asia, including tpe. if UA flies the same route, it does not appear that it code shares with BR, OZ or NH. UA used to code share with NH NRT to JFK. That's gone now, along with other TPAC NH flights. It does not appear that LH code share flights have been affected at the moment.
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Old Nov 29, 2013, 10:48 am
  #50  
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Originally Posted by SFOTurtle
My experience exactly. Looking at a NZ operated flight next year. Lowest fare UA shows on .com is $3500, although NZ is selling seatss around $1200. I recognize that might need to pay a little higher to get a fare basis to earn PQM on UA (leaving aside issue of PQD), but UA.com isn't even close to being competitive. I haven't tried calling UA yet. Will wait to see if others report any success before wasting any time on this.
I'm in the same boat, looking at SFO-AKL tickets and NZ has the best option, nonstop and it's lower than any UA flight, including UA codeshare on the same NZ flight.

Here is what ITA search shows, only two Nonstop flights on this itinerary for the dates I'm interested in. They're on NZ metal:

1/25 SFO-AKL 19:45 - 5:45 NZ7 Economy (T)
2/1 AKL-SFO 19:30 - 10:30 NZ8 Economy (V)

Total fare: $1777


1/25 SFO-AKL 19:45 - 5:45 UA6755 Economy (Y)
2/1 AKL-SFO 19:30 - 10:30 UA6754 Economy (Y)

Total fare: $5003
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Old Nov 29, 2013, 5:11 pm
  #51  
 
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wco81... I'm a leisure/self-funded flyer dreading the PQD world. AKL is on my list of places to fly, and I'm grateful for your post in the other thread and the advice others gave you there.

#context

Last edited by l etoile; Jan 8, 2014 at 6:42 pm Reason: Removed deleted quote and response thereto
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Old Dec 10, 2013, 10:38 am
  #52  
 
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Going by the method described in this thread - award ticket search and then trying to check the buy ticket without redeeming any miles option, the only fare classes being sold are Y/B/M for economy. For business it might make sense, but what if I want to do personal travel? I cant afford Y/B/M fares. What to do in this case?
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Old Dec 11, 2013, 3:07 pm
  #53  
 
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Originally Posted by IADFlyer123
Going by the method described in this thread - award ticket search and then trying to check the buy ticket without redeeming any miles option, the only fare classes being sold are Y/B/M for economy. For business it might make sense, but what if I want to do personal travel? I cant afford Y/B/M fares. What to do in this case?
This has me thinking: Can one to put a paid reservation for the higher class tickets on hold (Paypal or pay-by-phone) and then phone in to "downgrade" the purchase class? Might be worth a try, although I am guessing it might fail for tickets on other carriers.
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Old Dec 11, 2013, 3:14 pm
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by st1575
This has me thinking: Can one to put a paid reservation for the higher class tickets on hold (Paypal or pay-by-phone) and then phone in to "downgrade" the purchase class? Might be worth a try, although I am guessing it might fail for tickets on other carriers.
Exactly my point. Hence the wait for some, rather any information from UA about booking tickets to destinations where there are no UA flights. They have been quiet far too long about the new PQD and qualification requirements!
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Old Dec 11, 2013, 4:20 pm
  #55  
 
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Originally Posted by IADFlyer123
Exactly my point. Hence the wait for some, rather any information from UA about booking tickets to destinations where there are no UA flights.
I would just try to book something instead of waiting for information from UA. If you try to book, you will a real-life example for a datapoint instead a theoretical situation that can be ignored by the bureaucracy.
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Old Dec 11, 2013, 4:28 pm
  #56  
 
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Originally Posted by st1575
I would just try to book something instead of waiting for information from UA. If you try to book, you will a real-life example for a datapoint instead a theoretical situation that can be ignored by the bureaucracy.
Agreed Now if only I can find myself some tickets to MLE...wait I do...at 3 times the cost with UA and Fly Dubai as compared to TK
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Old Dec 23, 2013, 1:59 am
  #57  
 
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I have an itinerary I'd like to book on US Air for January and tried twice today to book it with United so I can get my PQD's.

First attempt: agent was extremely rude, incredulous that I would even think it might be possible for him to book the flights I wanted, and refused to try.

Second attempt: very nice agent was happy to try, but could only book availability in much higher fare classes. The flights are not codeshares, and availability on the US website shows in R (I went as far as the credit card screen, but I didn't actually book so can't be 100% sure). The agent said she could see the R availability but couldn't book it.

Any ideas? This process could get frustrating pretty fast... what used to take 5 minutes I have an hour invested in already! Thanks -
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Old Dec 23, 2013, 10:42 am
  #58  
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Originally Posted by markj99
... Any ideas? ....
Have you tried the award booking search method (discussed in this thread) but picking the paid option?
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Old Dec 23, 2013, 11:04 am
  #59  
 
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Originally Posted by chinatraderjmr
I'm in Singapore now, coming in from Dubai & BOM & on my way to NY. Even though the PQD / 016 restriction does not start till next year, I decided to try to buy my SQ BOM-SIN-FRA-JFK ticket thru UA. (The DXB-BOM portion was purchased directly from EK). I Wanted to have the ticket issued in BOM anyway as SQ has special F (P) fares from India-USA that are over $4000 cheaper then if the same ticket is purchased anywhere else. I made 3 calls to UA & surprisingly, on the 3rd call (after being told no twice) the agent was willing to book it but in order to get the fare she directed me to UA's Mumbai ticket office for payment.

[...]Did the agent make a mistake booking this for me? Are the other two agents wrong in not booking it? I would think UA would not mind doing this since I assume they get paid the same commission as a travel agent but who knows????

Does anyone know UA's official position on this? It's going to be very important for me as we'll as I'm sure others either who are based outside the US ( even though right now foreign addresses are exempt). I used to use my Dubai address for MP but changed it to NY last year. I will change it back if I must but this would be much easier leaving it in the US if I can use UA to ticket my SQ flights
Check the fare rules. Some fares are restricted to place of sale and issue. IME, this is often the case with travel ex-India. I've often found considerable savings purchasing trips originating from India on www.expedia.co.in. Of course, to get 016 ticketing you might need to find a good (non web) travel agent in India - or purchase from UA India as directed by the phone res agent.
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Old Dec 23, 2013, 9:53 pm
  #60  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Have you tried the award booking search method (discussed in this thread) but picking the paid option?
I tried that approach before calling -- but unfortunately it resulted in an even higher fare (I think the award->$ only shows a select few fare buckets).

I was a little worried about my dollars-per-mile being sub-par to start with, but now I'm getting really worried since I like to fly on *A partners (also in low fare buckets). I suppose the silver lining is I won't have problems with US Air after March!

Thanks -
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