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Changes to *A Awards Without Incurring Additional Miles after 3-Feb-2014

Changes to *A Awards Without Incurring Additional Miles after 3-Feb-2014

Old Feb 10, 2014, 7:48 am
  #61  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: UA Gold, WN A-List, Marriott Plat, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 68
I was able to change dates, routing (HKG-EWR-ORD to HKG-NRT-ORD), and carrier (United before, *A Partner now) for one of my segments with no additional miles charged (same origin/destination). Also, I changed the date & time (same O/D and carrier) for an intra-Asia segment. Just cost me like $10 in extra taxes. ^ Did it on the phone as online kept erroring out on me when I attempted to search for new flights after clicking Change Flights.
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 12:39 pm
  #62  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 18
Originally Posted by bluedog423
I was able to change dates, routing (HKG-EWR-ORD to HKG-NRT-ORD), and carrier (United before, *A Partner now) for one of my segments with no additional miles charged (same origin/destination). Also, I changed the date & time (same O/D and carrier) for an intra-Asia segment. Just cost me like $10 in extra taxes. ^ Did it on the phone as online kept erroring out on me when I attempted to search for new flights after clicking Change Flights.
When you did this, did you mention at all to the agent about a mileage increase? Or did you just let it play out and see if they asked for more miles?
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 1:09 pm
  #63  
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: SEA, FLL, Martha’s Vineyard
Programs: AS MVPGold75K, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Pan Am million-miler
Posts: 2,019
Changing Award Travel- New Changes

I booked my award ticket before they rolled out the increases in mileage redemptions recently. If I change my ticket now will I be grandfathered in, or will they charge me more miles. For example, I am in UA F now, but if space opens, I'd want to change to LF F.
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 1:12 pm
  #64  
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Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...r-feb-3-a.html
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 1:24 pm
  #65  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: UA Gold, WN A-List, Marriott Plat, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 68
Originally Posted by mavericks414141
When you did this, did you mention at all to the agent about a mileage increase? Or did you just let it play out and see if they asked for more miles?
I did not mention it. At the end, she simply said that the system asked her for no extra miles, but for additional taxes, so then took my payment info. I made sure to select flights that showed availability for Economy Saver, so there was no change in cabin/award type and O/D stayed the same on all segments. But it was nice to be able to change date/routing/carrier all at the same time.
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 2:39 pm
  #66  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
I have a 10 segment US-S Asia F award for September with 1 segment YUL-MUC booked on LH in I.

I called because they've opened up O space through the end of the schedule and I asked if I could switch to First.

She found the space, and after about 45 minutes on hold talking to the supervisor came back and said they would do an even exchange and move me as a one-time exception because they should have charged more miles (260,000 per person, up from 140k). I didn't argue, though because she used the word "one-time exception" I fear that she might have made a note in the record. Which is too bad as I still have one segment I'm hoping to move up to F at the end of the trip
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 4:35 pm
  #67  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat, AS MVPG
Posts: 287
Just changed

HND-FRA (LH O)
FRA-MUC (LH X)
MUC-YYZ (LH O)
YYZ-SFO (AC I)

to

HND-FRA (LH O)
FRA-MUC (LH I)
MUC-YVR (LH O)
YVR-SFO (AC I)

Took 6 minutes. Agent didn't ask for (or even mention) extra miles. Shockingly easy.
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 5:07 pm
  #68  
aau
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: SF, CA, US
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA MM Gold, HHonors Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Plat, IHG Ambassador
Posts: 1,228
Just tried to make a simple date change online and was only partially successful. Went through all the screens and everything looked good, no additional miles were needed and I was even getting a refund of $0.90, but when I tried to confirm got the dreaded error msg asking me to call United Reservations. I can see the flight under My Reservations with the new date along with the msg that "a change has been made to your itinerary. Please call United Reservations to have your ticket reissued". blah.
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 6:48 pm
  #69  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 69
Just changed this booking (including a date change):
JFK-FRA (LH I)
FRA-BKK (TG O)
BKK-HKG (TG I)
To
YUL-MUC (LH O)
MUC-FRA (LH I)
FRA-BKK (TG O)
BKK-HKG (TG I)

No problems at all. Agent didn't mention anything about additional miles and change was done in under 10 minutes, already ticketed & confirmed.

Last edited by xxmwxx; Feb 10, 2014 at 7:36 pm
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 7:27 pm
  #70  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: WAS
Programs: AA PLT, Honors Diamond, Global Entry
Posts: 477
Just called premier desk merely to change NRT-BKK from TG I to TG O on a South Asia F award booked months ago with all other segments in F. She asked for 30k miles. I asked her to check with supervisor. No dice. Yes, I realize this change is technically disallowed under the new rules, but others have apparently made the change without trouble so I'm quite frustrated by the obstinance. Time to try again....

EDIT: According to agent #2, agent #1 made a note in my PNR that additional mileage was required. Agent #2 agreed Agent #1 was wrong - I smiled - but then, he politely transferred me to the RTW desk. GRRRRRRR..

I called again about a separate PNR for my fried to make the very same change (TG I to TG O BKK-NRT on a US-South Asia F award). The agent, after consulting a supervisor, asked for 20,000 miles and claimed that the 140,000 mile rate is only enough for business class to North Asia (which decidedly does not include BKK). This is just ridiculous - if I can't make the change, so be it, but the variable mileage amounts and PNR notes are simply unacceptable.

Sorry for the multiple posts, but after five HUACAs, I encountered a wonderful agent who happily rebooked my friend from I to O. I then used the same wonderful agent to rebook me from I to O, which she was able to do notwithstanding the PNR note. Moral of the story: never, never, never give up on a UA award reservation.

Last edited by iluv2fly; Feb 10, 2014 at 9:15 pm Reason: merge
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 8:34 pm
  #71  
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Alameda, CA, USA
Posts: 799
i was able to change dates for a trip to HKG from SFO on UA metal without an additional charge. I called in to the 1K line. At first, the agent said there would be an additional charge, but I told her to check with a supervisor, which she did, and agreed, NO additional miles
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Old Feb 10, 2014, 9:15 pm
  #72  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL PM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,334
BOS>MUC>NRT in LH F to BOS>FRA>NRT in LH F with a date change. No fuss no muss 5 minutes.

NRT>EWR in UA I. Changed the date only. Went through but I got the song and dance about a one time special exception.

Aaron, if you're monitoring, is there anyway to get the new rules promulgated to the phone agents.
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Old Feb 11, 2014, 10:10 am
  #73  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,648
Successfully changed without reprice:

IND-EWR, UA Y
JFK-FRA, LH J
FRA-BKK, TG F
BKK-SIN, TG J

to:

ORD-YUL, UA J
YUL-MUC, LH F
MUC-BKK, TG F
BKK-SIN, TG J


Including date change for all segments. Originally booked Jan 30.

At first I was unsuccessful when the itin contained >4 segments (consistent with reports for one way US-Asia via EU, but wanted to try my luck); the agents and supervisors could not get around the reprice. I ended up dropping the short flight that takes me to ORD, and ta-da.
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Old Feb 11, 2014, 6:57 pm
  #74  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
Originally Posted by xxmwxx
Just changed this booking (including a date change):
JFK-FRA (LH I)
FRA-BKK (TG O)
BKK-HKG (TG I)
To
YUL-MUC (LH O)
MUC-FRA (LH I)
FRA-BKK (TG O)
BKK-HKG (TG I)

No problems at all. Agent didn't mention anything about additional miles and change was done in under 10 minutes, already ticketed & confirmed.
I wish this were this easy. I have LAX-PEK(F)-TPE(J) / TPE-NRT(J)-CDG (F, stop)-MUC(J)-YUL(J). Just so everyone is clear, this is a roundtrip award in F to Asia with a stopover in Europe. This is not a round the world ticket nor a multicity F-F-J ticket.

This ticket was originally CDG-FRA(J)-JFK(J), but when I saw MUC-YUL/YVR F availability open up, I called last night and the first agent changed it for me...

...when I got the confirmation email, I saw that she had booked me in J for MUC-YUL. I've since made 7 phone calls to United, some today, some yesterday, and had:
  • 4 agents lecture me about how the award chart changed effective 2/3, and how I'll need to cough up additional miles.
  • 1 agent look at this award, tell me that I'll have to cough up some miles, and then start lecturing me about how this a round the world trip, so I'll have to cough up even more miles than that.
  • 1 agent telling me that my destination is truly Paris (no, it's not, I'm spending several days in TPE and I can't route via Asia to get to Europe on United), so this is two awards, a first class award to Paris and then a business class return from Paris (don't mind that I paid for a roundtrip in F to Asia).
  • 1 agent telling me there is no F availability on MUC-YUL for my day of travel. ANA's search disagrees.

Any magic words I should be saying (that also won't get me a dreaded note if it back fires) to make this work? Given the other successes in this thread, I'm fascinated by how difficult this is

Do I need to kill my stopover in Paris, move up to F, and then rebuild my stopover? This is insane.

Last edited by FlyerChrisK; Feb 11, 2014 at 7:11 pm
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Old Feb 11, 2014, 7:04 pm
  #75  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL PM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,334
Originally Posted by FlyerChrisK
Any magic words I should be saying (that also won't get me a dreaded note if it back fires) to make this work?
Remember it's PHUACA not AHUACA.
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