Dec 27, 2016, 9:23 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United's Announcement and FAQ
Kacee's Interpretation
Main Impact Since October 6
Useful Links
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Award booking questions/ issues/ routing/ excursionist problems / help
Kacee's Interpretation
Main Impact Since October 6
- Fee Changes such as platinum members are subject to various award fees
- No more free stopover - replaced with Excursionist Perk
- Agents no longer have the ability to find routings that do not show up on united.com
- Manually constructing trips using multi-city search results in multiple award fares being charged
- Changing any segment MIGHT require current availability for all existing Os&Ds in the PNR (as if a brand new booking is made) - YMMV
- Singapore Airlines segments are priced separately (add-ons)
Useful Links
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Award booking questions/ issues/ routing/ excursionist problems / help
UA award booking,change questions/fees/issues/routing/excursionist problems {Archive}
Aug 13, 2017, 4:24 pm
#1741
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
I am trying to book HKG-SYD, SYD-BKK ( 2 weeks in BKK ) and BKK-HKG. Why doesn't the excursionist kick in? It's the same region, no?
At least when trying to book on the website adds an extra 35K. What am I doing wrong?
At least when trying to book on the website adds an extra 35K. What am I doing wrong?
Aug 13, 2017, 4:28 pm
#1742
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,367
The ExPerk must be in a different region than your travel originates.
Aug 13, 2017, 5:11 pm
#1743
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,423
BKK-HKG would have been permissible under the old rules, creating a RT HKG-SYD with a stopover at BKK, but alas no more.
Aug 13, 2017, 7:37 pm
#1744
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
So I will just terminate the return in Bangkok and buy a ticket on EK to HKG. They are pretty cheap in C and I can credit to AS.
Perfect. Thanks everyone.^
Aug 13, 2017, 10:24 pm
#1745
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,423
This is one of the best redemptions in the FF universe.
Aug 14, 2017, 10:12 am
#1746
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: CA, FL, and China.
Programs: UA1K (no longer serviced!), Bonvoy P, Hyatt G
Posts: 704
How badly against the rules is it to book multiple award tickets with the intention of cancelling all but 1?
For instance if I books SFO-HKG for three consecutive days because our schedule isn't finalized yet, and I will cancel two of them.
For instance if I books SFO-HKG for three consecutive days because our schedule isn't finalized yet, and I will cancel two of them.
Aug 14, 2017, 10:23 am
#1747
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,367
RULE 5 CANCELLATION OF RESERVATIONS
H. UA reserves the right to cancel bookings and/or reservations which it deems fraudulent, abusive, illogical, fictitious, which are booked and/or reserved with no intention of flying, or for which the passenger makes a misrepresentation without notice to the passenger or the individual making the booking. The types of improper reservations that UA will cancel without notice include, but are not limited to: reservations made without having been requested by or on behalf of the named passenger; reservations made to hold or block seats for the purpose of obtaining lower fares, MP award inventory, or upgrades that may not otherwise be available; reservations made to circumvent any of UA’s fare rules, policies or provisions; reservations made for the same passenger on flights traveling on or about the same date between one or more of the same or nearby origin or destination cities; and reservations with connections that depart before the arrival on the inbound flight.
...
RULE 6 TICKETS
K. UA’s Remedies for Violation(s) of Rules - Where a Ticket is purchased and used in violation of the law, these rules or any fare rule (including Hidden Cities Ticketing, Point Beyond Ticketing, Throwaway Ticketing, or Back-to-Back Ticketing), UA, without notice to the passenger, has the right in its sole discretion to take all actions permitted by law, including but not limited to, the following:
1. Invalidate the Ticket(s);
2. Cancel any remaining portion of the Passenger’s itinerary;
3. Confiscate any unused Flight Coupons;
4. Refuse to board the Passenger and to carry the Passenger’s baggage, unless the difference between the fare paid and the fare for transportation used is collected prior to boarding;
5. Assess the Passenger for the actual value of the Ticket which shall be the difference between the lowest fare applicable to the Passenger’s actual itinerary and the fare actually paid;
6. Delete miles in the Passenger’s frequent flyer account (UA’s MileagePlus Program), revoke the Passenger’s Elite status, if any, in the MileagePlus Program, terminate the Passenger’s participation in the MileagePlus Program, or take any other action permitted by the MileagePlus Program Rules in UA’s “MileagePlus Rules;” and
7. Take legal action with respect to the Passenger.
H. UA reserves the right to cancel bookings and/or reservations which it deems fraudulent, abusive, illogical, fictitious, which are booked and/or reserved with no intention of flying, or for which the passenger makes a misrepresentation without notice to the passenger or the individual making the booking. The types of improper reservations that UA will cancel without notice include, but are not limited to: reservations made without having been requested by or on behalf of the named passenger; reservations made to hold or block seats for the purpose of obtaining lower fares, MP award inventory, or upgrades that may not otherwise be available; reservations made to circumvent any of UA’s fare rules, policies or provisions; reservations made for the same passenger on flights traveling on or about the same date between one or more of the same or nearby origin or destination cities; and reservations with connections that depart before the arrival on the inbound flight.
...
RULE 6 TICKETS
K. UA’s Remedies for Violation(s) of Rules - Where a Ticket is purchased and used in violation of the law, these rules or any fare rule (including Hidden Cities Ticketing, Point Beyond Ticketing, Throwaway Ticketing, or Back-to-Back Ticketing), UA, without notice to the passenger, has the right in its sole discretion to take all actions permitted by law, including but not limited to, the following:
1. Invalidate the Ticket(s);
2. Cancel any remaining portion of the Passenger’s itinerary;
3. Confiscate any unused Flight Coupons;
4. Refuse to board the Passenger and to carry the Passenger’s baggage, unless the difference between the fare paid and the fare for transportation used is collected prior to boarding;
5. Assess the Passenger for the actual value of the Ticket which shall be the difference between the lowest fare applicable to the Passenger’s actual itinerary and the fare actually paid;
6. Delete miles in the Passenger’s frequent flyer account (UA’s MileagePlus Program), revoke the Passenger’s Elite status, if any, in the MileagePlus Program, terminate the Passenger’s participation in the MileagePlus Program, or take any other action permitted by the MileagePlus Program Rules in UA’s “MileagePlus Rules;” and
7. Take legal action with respect to the Passenger.
Not worth the risk, IMO, especially for a GS. It's a fairly easy check for UA since it's not feasible to fly SFO-HKG on two consecutive days. You have a lot to lose, and they have a number of practices in place to open award space for GS members once your plans do finalize.
Aug 14, 2017, 10:26 am
#1748
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 105
Does ticket purchased using UR points using chase UR website will allow me to earn miles? Or it will be award tickets with no mileage accrue?
Aug 14, 2017, 10:48 am
#1749
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: CA, FL, and China.
Programs: UA1K (no longer serviced!), Bonvoy P, Hyatt G
Posts: 704
Contract of Carriage:
There are a number of reports on the board of people having their account closed for this kind of thing. If UA catches you, they will close your account, and there's basically no appeal.
Not worth the risk, IMO, especially for a GS. It's a fairly easy check for UA since it's not feasible to fly SFO-HKG on two consecutive days. You have a lot to lose, and they have a number of practices in place to open award space for GS members once your plans do finalize.
There are a number of reports on the board of people having their account closed for this kind of thing. If UA catches you, they will close your account, and there's basically no appeal.
Not worth the risk, IMO, especially for a GS. It's a fairly easy check for UA since it's not feasible to fly SFO-HKG on two consecutive days. You have a lot to lose, and they have a number of practices in place to open award space for GS members once your plans do finalize.
Aug 14, 2017, 10:57 am
#1750
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,367
In that case, the automated system is unlikely to flag them, but you'd still be running a risk if they decided to audit your account when the cancellations came in. The risk is undeniably smaller, but still nonzero.
Aug 14, 2017, 11:48 am
#1751
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,394
Tickets purchase via Chase are revenue tickets. Sometimes they are also BULK fares, which do not earn PQD, but many times they are just normal revenue tickets.
Aug 14, 2017, 12:06 pm
#1752
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
Not too mention this is very selfish. People with status that don't have to pay for cancellations do this all the time with AA awards as it is allowed there. Apparently UA is more vigilant on monitoring this abuse and cracking down on abusers.
Aug 14, 2017, 12:20 pm
#1753
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,638
Definitely. It also messes with their revenue management system. The cancelled awards may not go back into the award inventory when cancelled. Your example may be one of the underlying reasons why award availability is so bad on AA.
Aug 14, 2017, 6:20 pm
#1754
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: CA, FL, and China.
Programs: UA1K (no longer serviced!), Bonvoy P, Hyatt G
Posts: 704
If this is really a problem then United should be more clear about it. Not many people read the fine print.
Aug 14, 2017, 10:19 pm
#1755
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,638
Well, to be fair, the entire contract of carriage is fine print.