findark

Yes, and yes you could cancel-and-replace to extend the validity. However, while it is likely that the seats will be returned to inventory, it's not guaranteed.

nwflyboy

Yeah, I know - no guarantees of that.

As best I can tell, there are a maximum of 4 award seats that open up on the TATL I'm looking at. I need 2. I also need 2 days (slightly more than 48 hours), and if the no-fee cancellation window is 24 hours, then...well, this could be an interesting exercise.

Does the UA system allow you to book multiple, overlapping flights - or is there some internal system check that won't let you book another flight during the time you're scheduled to be in the air on a previously-booked flight...?

(Yes, I know, somewhat sneaky, and ethically questionable...).
Hmmm...

jsloan

Impossible bookings are expressly against the UA Contract of Carriage. They reserve the right to cancel either or both of them, without warning, and there are occasional reports that they do so. How likely they are to notice your booking, nobody can say.

Furthermore, with a partner flight, you're also running the risk that TK would notice even if UA doesn't.

IST-DBV is a 2 hour flight; I just tried out a sample booking and it was $160 in coach or $400 in business (via a Croatia codeshare -- same TK nonstop though). If you're not willing to wait -- in case somebody grabs the space -- and UA isn't willing / able to adjust your ticket if TK opens inventory on the IST-DBV flight, that's about what you'd need to pay for a cash ticket. You're the only one who can decide your risk tolerance. :-)

Stefan Sip

I haven't kept up with all the changes to award redemption rules. I am trying to figure out whether:

SFO - TPE - DPS (with DPS as my destination) - TPE (stopover for 1 week) - SFO is valid for 80K (saver economy) or 160K (saving business)?

By the same token, is the following also valid?

SFO - TPE - DPS (destination). BKK - TPE (stopver) - SFO. This would be an open-jaw version of the above.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Stefan.

Jeff Rowland

I have airline branded credit cards for United which usually enables me to see economy award availability on most flights. The question I have is, on trips to Europe I have at least 1 connection flight from/to my home airport. I would like as a minimum secure a business class award flight on the international legs of the flights. When searching for business class flights for the whole trip, I seldom find availability for every flight leg in business class. I’m am trying to figure out if I search each leg of the flight separately and find coach availability for the connecting flights and business class availability for the international legs, Is it possible to get all the flights under one reservation (at the business class fare). I don’t want to have different reservations for the connecting flights and another one for the international legs of the fligh

OnceARunner

Yes, this should be automatic. When I search for an award flight, it gives me this option if there isn't business class space in the connecting flight. Are you not getting options like this?


http://imgur.com/goSo302

jsloan

United awards no longer have free stopovers. UA has replaced the stopover with the "Excursionist Perk." This is a free one-way flight that can be taken as part of a round-trip, but it (a) must be entirely within one region, which (b) cannot be the same as the region where travel originates.

Unfortunately, according to UA, TPE is in North Asia, whereas BKK and DPS are both in South Asia. Under the current system, you will not be able to get either of those redemptions for 80K (economy) / 160K (business). You'd have to add an additional 20K (economy) or 40K (business) to fly either of those awards.

The closest that you can get to TPE without spending more miles is HKG, which is considered South Asia. It's < US$200 (coach) or < US$500 (business) for a round-trip from HKG to TPE, if you wanted to go to the trouble.

Stefan Sip

Thank you for the quick reply. UA redemption used to be super easy, now it takes effort. They are taking the creativity out of the process.

jsloan

Starting late last year, United dramatically revamped its award redemption process, to the point where it is now impossible* to book awards that do not appear when you do a search from your origin to your destination. Unfortunately, that means that if you find the flights using multi-city search, you'll be charged separately for each leg.

I agree with the other response -- you'll see mixed cabin awards where UA has elected to offer them. But if UA chose not to "marry" the flights you want together, you're probably out of luck.

*excluding awards on SQ, which don't appear online, or an exceptionally accommodating agent willing to "use the old system" or otherwise break the rules. Based on the thread, this appears to be exceptionally rare at this point, to the extent that it doesn't even enter my planning process, personally.

concordian

I was trying to search award inventory and nothing from Europe to LAX/SFO is coming up for 4 passengers in Business class for June end/July start 2018.

Do you have any suggestions?

WineCountryUA

Non-stop business inventory West Coast to europe has been very scarce -- 4 seats will be a challenge. Connecting via EWR is no better (due to West Coast-EWR link especially). Would be looking at ORD connections or partner flights but again 4 will be a challenge.

aCavalierInCoach

LAX is also more favorable; might have to accept econ SFO-LAX at booking.

RNE

You could breakup the foursome. That is, find two seats on two routings. That has some obvious drawbacks, but avoids the hurdle of finding four seats on the same planes.

agtoau

I'm trying to book an ANA Business Class flight for December from SJC-BOM using United miles. This journey comprises two flights, the first from SJC-NRT with an overnight layover, and then the onward NRT-BOM segment.

Now, I don't see any availability if I search for SJC-BOM in the United engine. However, I see availability if I search separately the two flights (SJC-NRT and NRT-BOM). Problem is, splitting it up into two separate award tickets costs me an additional 30,000 miles.

Is there a way out of this? Clearly there is award space for the two flights, but it won't show up when I search for SJC-BOM flights.

jsloan

Since the changes in October, 2016, UA agents seem to see the same inventory that you see when you do an origin-destination search on the website (barring SQ, which doesn't appear online but doesn't help you for this route anyway).

So, unfortunately, there's not likely anything that you can do. I don't think I've seen a report of an exception to this policy in months.