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Consolidated "Is My UA Award Itinerary Valid?" Thread [2014]

Old Oct 23, 2014, 4:13 pm
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Last edit by: goalie
Many of the questions about the validity of itineraries containing open jaws or stopovers can be found in the wiki at: Consolidated Rules for Open Jaw and Stopver Award Flights. Please read that prior to posting questions.

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http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...airawards.aspx
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Consolidated "Is My UA Award Itinerary Valid?" Thread [2014]

Old Jan 9, 2014, 2:41 pm
  #46  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
United Mileage Plus Award Question To Europe

Trying to go IAD-WAW (stopover)-STR (dest)-IAD. Is this a legal routing? I couldnt figure out how to book this online it looks like the standard coach award is 55K. What would be the saver amount if lets say I did coach on the way there and business on the way back?
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Old Jan 9, 2014, 5:14 pm
  #47  
 
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Originally Posted by ASUDan130
Trying to go IAD-WAW (stopover)-STR (dest)-IAD. Is this a legal routing? I couldnt figure out how to book this online it looks like the standard coach award is 55K. What would be the saver amount if lets say I did coach on the way there and business on the way back?
Yes this is legal. The standard roundtrip award is 110k the saver award roundtrip is 60k. The standard roundtrip will increase to 130k after Feb 1st but the saver and *A awards will remain the same.

To search for this I'd search separately on the website for IAD-WAW, WAW-STR and STR-IAD. You may be able to get this to book using multicity, if not book IAD-WAW STR-IAD using multicity search on the website and then call in to add the WAW-STR segment.
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Old Jan 10, 2014, 5:32 pm
  #48  
 
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Quick check, SYD-JFK RT

SYD-BKK-ICN(stop)-JFK(dest)-ICN-SYD

Get error when trying to price it out online. Valid?
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Old Jan 10, 2014, 7:42 pm
  #49  
 
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Originally Posted by lycidas1
SYD-BKK-ICN(stop)-JFK(dest)-ICN-SYD

Get error when trying to price it out online. Valid?
Yes. Almost certainly won't price online, just call it in.
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 4:52 am
  #50  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
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Hi Guys,

I'm new here. I read that those with MileagePlus Explorer cards have access to economy saver seats. Just last month when I was checking the availability for SFO-LON(stopover)-NRT (Dest) SIN-SFO tentatively for April, there were plenty of saver seats. However, today when I tried it again I couldn't see anything even if I switched the dates to several months later. Was wondering do you guys know of any change in the system or possible system glitch?

Thanks!
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 6:35 am
  #51  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Portland, Oregon USA
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ADVICE please with United award booking

[Mod note: This thread moved from the flame-free Information Desk forum. Thanks for contributing respectful responses.]

I have tried to understand the options for booking an award and I am missing something because I can not book this online with United. Please help me understand what I am doing wrong here...

I am trying to book an award from:

Denver (or LAX) to Cape Town, SA (stop)
(open jaw)
johannasburg, SA to Kathmandu (stop)(destination)
(open jaw)
Athens, GR (or anywhere in Europe) to LAX

Thank you for any help.

Last edited by jackal; Jan 11, 2014 at 9:03 pm
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 9:52 am
  #52  
 
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I am no expert in UA rules, but it looks like you are trying to book two open jaws in the middle of a trip. As far as I understand you can have only one open jaw and one stop inside a trip and you may be able to have an additional open jaw at the origin/final destination.
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 12:48 pm
  #53  
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Originally Posted by drminn
I am no expert in UA rules, but it looks like you are trying to book two open jaws in the middle of a trip. As far as I understand you can have only one open jaw and one stop inside a trip and you may be able to have an additional open jaw at the origin/final destination.
I'm no expert either, but if artsy flies from Cape Town to Joburg s/he could get around the open jaw issue. The trip still might include more stopovers than are allowed though.

artsy, you might also look into the possibility of an around-the-world (RTW) award trip.

Perhaps better yet, the moderators could repost this in the United forum, where there will be some relevant expertise.
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 1:38 pm
  #54  
 
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United stopped officially allowing an open jaw at the stopover point a couple of months ago, and never allowed three open jaws as you seem to be requesting. I believe there are reports of successfully getting phone agents to force the second open jaw at the stopover which is, in this case, in South Africa but then you would have to return to DEN.

In any case the open jaw from Asia to Europe is legal but will likely require phone booking.

travelisfree.com has some of the most comprehensive info on UA award rules and routings. Good luck!
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 9:03 pm
  #55  
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Since this question is specifically about United, I'll move it to the United forum where the experts therein can provide further input.

Please note this thread originated in the flame-free Information Desk forum.

jackal
Moderator, Information Desk
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 9:16 pm
  #56  
 
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Many complex itineraries can not be booked online.

Use the online tools to confirm availability on each leg as a one-way trip, and then call to get it booked as a single ticket.

As others have said, this isn't a legal 'return' trip, so will likely price out as 3 one-way trips - US->Africa, Africa->Asia, and Europe->US
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Old Jan 11, 2014, 9:24 pm
  #57  
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OP, we can't offer truly meaningful comments unless you post the complete airporty-by-airport itinerary. I do have a couple preliminary thoughts, namely:

1. It is almost impossible to book a complex itinerary on line. Most always they must be called in.

2. An open jaw is allowed at a stopover, but it can be difficult to book, particularly across regions. As others have noted though, you can't have three open jaws, and this itinerary does.

3. I would be concerned whether you can do this itinerary within applicable segment limitations, which are either four or five segments in each direction, depending on who you ask.

4. This itinerary appears perhaps overly ambitious. I question whether UA will allow you to book a North America-South Africa-Central Asia-Europe-North America award (even if you could squeeze it into the segment limitations). As someone else suggested, you may wish to look into a RTW award instead.
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Old Jan 12, 2014, 1:43 am
  #58  
 
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Thanks!

SYD-BKK-ICN(stop)-JFK(dest)-ICN-SYD

Originally Posted by alex_b
Yes. Almost certainly won't price online, just call it in.
I figured, and you were absolutely right. Called in and took an easy 20 minutes. 147.5k miles (predeval prices; F out, C back) and ~$150 USD.
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Old Jan 12, 2014, 4:15 am
  #59  
 
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This is really bugging me. I want to book IND-ORD-NRT(stop)OKA-ICN-SYD(DEST)-PEK-IAD-IND

By all my experience this should be valid, but I was told it isn't because there is backtracking. I've never heard that from united. I mean they often let ridiculous backtracking happen. So I tried to drop a leg to correct that: IND-ORD-NRT,ICN-SYD,SYD-PEK-IAD-IND This is supposedly invalid because I am in 3 regions! Any advice on how to fix this.

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=IND-ORD...YD-PEK-IAD-IND

I originally booked the SYD-PEK-IAD-IND online which seems to have broken the pricing system to start with as it priced out at 140,000 each. The PEK-IAD leg is in C so it should have priced much lower. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Old Jan 12, 2014, 8:52 am
  #60  
 
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Originally Posted by The_Wrath_of_Khan
This is really bugging me. I want to book IND-ORD-NRT(stop)OKA-ICN-SYD(DEST)-PEK-IAD-IND

By all my experience this should be valid, but I was told it isn't because there is backtracking. I've never heard that from united. I mean they often let ridiculous backtracking happen. So I tried to drop a leg to correct that: IND-ORD-NRT,ICN-SYD,SYD-PEK-IAD-IND This is supposedly invalid because I am in 3 regions! Any advice on how to fix this.

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=IND-ORD...YD-PEK-IAD-IND

I originally booked the SYD-PEK-IAD-IND online which seems to have broken the pricing system to start with as it priced out at 140,000 each. The PEK-IAD leg is in C so it should have priced much lower. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Did they send it to the rates desk for pricing? If not I suspect it didn't auto-price and the agent simply made up a 'reason' why it was invalid. I'd call back in and insist it's sent to the rates desk before accepting it's not allowed.
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