Feb 1 - One-Way Awards and Miles & Money Awards now bookable on ual.com
Jan 28, 2010, 9:51 am
#31
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CHANGE has come to United.
Jan 28, 2010, 9:51 am
#32
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Great. Now all they need to do is dump Starnet blocking and book Star Alliance awards online.
Jan 28, 2010, 10:10 am
#33
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It all comes down to whether or not a free stopover will still come with a roundtrip award ticket.
I believe that with AA, if you fly, for example, JFK-LHR-(anywhere else in europe you can't get to directly), you cannot get a free stopover at LHR. You need to book two awards, one JFK-LHR and the other an intra-europe award. Then you can book a one-way back to JFK. Overall, it costs more miles to have that one stopover en route.
If UA does this, it's going to be a detractor, not an enhancement, to MP.
I really like the free stopover you get with a roundtrip award ticket. I believe many others do as well.
Thus, if it means paying an extra premium for a 1-way award to keep the free stopover on a roundtrip award, then I'm all for that.
I believe that with AA, if you fly, for example, JFK-LHR-(anywhere else in europe you can't get to directly), you cannot get a free stopover at LHR. You need to book two awards, one JFK-LHR and the other an intra-europe award. Then you can book a one-way back to JFK. Overall, it costs more miles to have that one stopover en route.
If UA does this, it's going to be a detractor, not an enhancement, to MP.
I really like the free stopover you get with a roundtrip award ticket. I believe many others do as well.
Thus, if it means paying an extra premium for a 1-way award to keep the free stopover on a roundtrip award, then I'm all for that.
Good point. It's still a bit high of a premium. I was thinking more like 5K miles more for each one-way.
I can see people (and myself) booking 1-way with AAdv and the return with MP. Will basically give us added flexibility in finding available flights and dates. I still worry that UA will take something back and end up being the one who gets the better of it. It might be an avenue to increase the mileage for all awards by 5K on the one-ways. Just a thought.
I can see people (and myself) booking 1-way with AAdv and the return with MP. Will basically give us added flexibility in finding available flights and dates. I still worry that UA will take something back and end up being the one who gets the better of it. It might be an avenue to increase the mileage for all awards by 5K on the one-ways. Just a thought.
On balance, I see this development as a mixed bag. Great in terms of greater flexibility; worse in terms of the likely end of stopovers.
Jan 28, 2010, 10:36 am
#34
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Not trying to flame UA's management team too hard here - things have really been looking up over the past year or so. Let's hope the good ideas keep rolling!
Jan 28, 2010, 10:40 am
#35
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You're right about AA--in moving to one-way awards, it dropped free stop-overs. If UA adopts AA's model, then, there won't be any real RT awards in any sense, with one possible quasi-exception: I'm not clear on whether, if you book RT (or other multi-stop) awards on AA, you get one record locater for the whole trip, or whether each award is assigned a different record locater.
My guess is that free stopovers go poof. While many don't like it, sources tell me most prefer o/w awards over the option of a free stopover. You should still be able to book a 'stopover', as long as it's less than 24hrs, right?
The system doesn't get more miles or $ from me, at least not to UA/AA. In the europe example, I'll just book some lcc to hop around the areas I want to go to. It's the premium cabin longhauls that I care about.
Jan 28, 2010, 10:49 am
#36
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Whacking stopovers would be a huge hit, IMO, especially when CO offers both a stopover and an open-jaw on their awards.
A nice middleground between what AA does and what CO does could be the status quo + UA metal only one-way awards, possibly only if booked at united.com.
A nice middleground between what AA does and what CO does could be the status quo + UA metal only one-way awards, possibly only if booked at united.com.
Jan 28, 2010, 11:31 am
#37
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My only complaint is that all UA changes seem to come as a secondary reaction to what AA is doing. It somehow makes me feel like I should support AA more, for being a leader in these programs and changes.
Jan 28, 2010, 11:37 am
#38
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It all comes down to whether or not a free stopover will still come with a roundtrip award ticket.
If UA does this, it's going to be a detractor, not an enhancement, to MP.
I really like the free stopover you get with a roundtrip award ticket. I believe many others do as well.
Thus, if it means paying an extra premium for a 1-way award to keep the free stopover on a roundtrip award, then I'm all for that.
If UA does this, it's going to be a detractor, not an enhancement, to MP.
I really like the free stopover you get with a roundtrip award ticket. I believe many others do as well.
Thus, if it means paying an extra premium for a 1-way award to keep the free stopover on a roundtrip award, then I'm all for that.
1/2 miles and keep the free stopover!!!
Jan 28, 2010, 11:41 am
#39
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Oh, wait.
Jan 28, 2010, 12:31 pm
#40
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Hmm. I wonder if it is a coincidence that AA actually invented the frequent flyer program. Go figure.
Jan 28, 2010, 2:50 pm
#41
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Everything UA does with Mileage Plus is a reaction to AA changing AAdvantage. 
Jan 28, 2010, 3:13 pm
#42
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Jan 28, 2010, 3:16 pm
#43
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Jan 28, 2010, 3:21 pm
#44
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Jan 28, 2010, 3:26 pm
#45
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I woudln't go that far. AA still has close-in fees on awards, which UA got rid of last year.
And UA didn't match AA's unlimited upgrades for EXPs for years (they're only doing it now with the CO tie-up).
And AA does not have CR1s for their EXPs, though they have 8 SWUs. Nor does AA waive redeposit/change fees for EXPs.
But if you want to extend your logic, you could fly WN, since they often set the lower fare bases, or maybe B6 or VX as well.
