Better to reserve award ticket online first and change or call in?
Jun 1, 2012, 6:48 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,392
Yes, my experience with the new COdbaUA regime is that it is much easier to rough out an itin on-line as close as possible, and then call in to make changes. Giving agents a blank slate under SHARES has not gone well for me.
If you are a 1K, changes are free. Or I assume you can make changes within 24 hours for free, anyway, but never tried that.
Welcome to FT.
If you are a 1K, changes are free. Or I assume you can make changes within 24 hours for free, anyway, but never tried that.
Welcome to FT.
Jun 1, 2012, 8:02 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,293
I've had luck calling in and having websupport issue tickets in issues like this. If you tell them the website won't let you book it online, they will usually waive the phone booking fee. Here's a great primer on how to have websupport call you with generally no hold time: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/20506
Jun 1, 2012, 8:07 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Honolulu, HI
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 1,240
I just scored two ticket to Australia and coming back from new Zealand with one stopover. As usual, the website was giving me an error. The agent even couldn't even price it in her computer. After involving the rate desk and supervisor she was able to do it manually. Awesome for the flexibility! not so good for the 135 minutes spent on the phone (yeah literally 2.25 hours).
Jun 1, 2012, 12:21 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,392
Isn't it amazing to think that you just occupied 1/4 of an agent's shift? Worse yet, you probably had the primary agent with you AND someone from the back-end support desk for at least half of that time. So in reality, it likely required 3.5 man-hours for them to book this ticket! Imaging that COdbaUA values their agents time at $50 per hour (not saying that's what they make -- just want corporate values their time at), that's $175 worth of man-hours to book a ticket. Unbelievable.
But you won't get a stopover. And if not a Premier, you'll pay 2x the change fees if you make changes or cancel.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Jun 1, 2012 at 12:40 pm Reason: edit/merge
Jun 2, 2012, 6:47 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
What Fee?
We are talking award tickets, right? When I see "purchase" bandied about I'm not sure we're all on the same page. Yes, I know there is a nominal fee for award bookings, but still. 
Anyway, assuming the former, let me advise that I have no status with UA but I have beaucoup RDMs. Most of my bookings are awards (booked on-line) and months later I have called in to modify them; I have never been asked to pay a fee for doing so. (These changes were made more than 21 days prior to the flight date.) Is this fee something new or something nonexistent? 
Anyway, assuming the former, let me advise that I have no status with UA but I have beaucoup RDMs. Most of my bookings are awards (booked on-line) and months later I have called in to modify them; I have never been asked to pay a fee for doing so. (These changes were made more than 21 days prior to the flight date.) Is this fee something new or something nonexistent?
Jun 2, 2012, 8:46 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
Oh, I see. I've changed days and flights and class of service but never O/D.
Jun 2, 2012, 9:40 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: IAD
Programs: No Loyalty to any airline
Posts: 2,378
No. With no status, you have to pay the fee, IME.
Jun 4, 2012, 8:28 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
I have used miles for an F tkt using the following route
1 BKK-NRT TG F
2 NRT-FRA LH F (over night 21 hours in FRA)
3 FRA-JFK. LH F
Both bookings were made w agents on the phone right after 3/3. When I try to book it online myself it won't allow me. It must be a legal routing BKK-USA as I CAN book the reverse online (JFK-FRA-NRT-BKK). The only difference is there is no overnight in FRA
Any ideas why I can't book this online? I have no problem having an agent book it, I'm just afraid I'm going to have to go thru 15 agents before I find one that knows what to do?
1 BKK-NRT TG F
2 NRT-FRA LH F (over night 21 hours in FRA)
3 FRA-JFK. LH F
Both bookings were made w agents on the phone right after 3/3. When I try to book it online myself it won't allow me. It must be a legal routing BKK-USA as I CAN book the reverse online (JFK-FRA-NRT-BKK). The only difference is there is no overnight in FRA
Any ideas why I can't book this online? I have no problem having an agent book it, I'm just afraid I'm going to have to go thru 15 agents before I find one that knows what to do?