I would locate all the legs you want as one-way searches online, call UAL and then feed the agent the flights you want. If award is booked as a round trip, not one ways, you can have a stopever and open jaw each direction.
Don't know if you will have a charge for booking with an agent.
will pull up some sort of a route - book it - and call in to change to flights you want if they dont pull up online.
Its MUCH easier changing an existing reservation once the endpoints are in place than starting from scratch
If you call in to build it from scratch - you will most likely be told cannot cross 2 oceans.
will pull up some sort of a route - book it - and call in to change to flights you want if they dont pull up online.
Its MUCH easier changing an existing reservation once the endpoints are in place than starting from scratch
If you call in to build it from scratch - you will most likely be told cannot cross 2 oceans.
That should work, too, but often the system comes up with an error message saying to call in.
Programs: UA 1K & UC, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Avis PC, AS, US, AA
Posts: 691
Quote:
Originally Posted by TGGDEL
Ok! Thanks! So it shouldn't matter that this is a round the world ITN?
I'll give it a go. Thank you!
Just to clarify this:
(1) Do not use the phrase "round the world" at any point with the agent. This is not a RTW, because it's a valid round trip with open jaw and stopover -- RTW means something else (much more expensive). If an agent gives you a hard time, you should stick calmly to the argument "This is a round trip, period." If they continue to give you a hard time, thank them for their time, conclude the call, and call back for another agent.
(2) If you book this as one-ways, you'll need 3 of them, and that will cost you more miles (basically, you'll be paying extra for the PEK-BKK segment). It's definitely a valid r/t, because I booked one of these last month (albeit not via Europe on the return).
(3) Many UA agents believe that there is a "two oceans rule" that prohibits US-Asia round trips that cross the Atlantic one way and the Pacific the other way. General wisdom on FT is that no such rule exists, but it's a little hazy. The online booking engine will usually allow some 2-ocean routings, but refuses to allow the majority.
(4) rankourabu's advice is good. One additional bit: try to get some itinerary that routes the BKK-NYC part via Europe. Then change it on the phone. It's much harder for the agent to argue that there is a no-two-ocean rule if you've already booked a 2-ocean itinerary online (even if it's not the one you want).
If you call in to build it from scratch - you will most likely be told cannot cross 2 oceans.
Ok so this weekend I called UA to alter an award book I had for US to Asia via Europe. I was told that you cannot cross the Atlantic on your way to Asia. I asked for a supervisor and was told the same thing. I then had them do an online search for PHL-DPS and there were 17 options that came up on my day of travel crossing the Atlantic and none across the Pacific. They told me this was a glitch. I did get them to book my flight because of the "website glitch."
I then called back as I wanted to add a segment within the US and was told I could not add a segment and my routing was illegal. She threatened to cancel the itin. I asked for a supervisor and the supervisor told me he would not touch the itin, and he would not add the segment. He also told me my routing was illogical and I would be a vegetable by the time I arrived and was stupid for booking it. I let it slide, but he kept repeating it. I asked him to look at another reservation (this one via the Pacific) I have (I have 2 for the same trip so I can decide which one I want) and asked him which itin was shorter travel time. It was the atlantic. I then hung up as I was not happy.
So long post short is crossing the Atlantic still allowed on your way to SE Asia?
Ok so this weekend I called UA to alter an award book I had for US to Asia via Europe. I was told that you cannot cross the Atlantic on your way to Asia. I asked for a supervisor and was told the same thing. I then had them do an online search for PHL-DPS and there were 17 options that came up on my day of travel crossing the Atlantic and none across the Pacific. They told me this was a glitch. I did get them to book my flight because of the "website glitch."
I then called back as I wanted to add a segment within the US and was told I could not add a segment and my routing was illegal. She threatened to cancel the itin. I asked for a supervisor and the supervisor told me he would not touch the itin, and he would not add the segment. He also told me my routing was illogical and I would be a vegetable by the time I arrived and was stupid for booking it. I let it slide, but he kept repeating it. I asked him to look at another reservation (this one via the Pacific) I have (I have 2 for the same trip so I can decide which one I want) and asked him which itin was shorter travel time. It was the atlantic. I then hung up as I was not happy.
So long post short is crossing the Atlantic still allowed on your way to SE Asia?
Yes I just booked 3 award tx yesterday for my brother, his wife and my niece, from PHX-PHL-CDG-SIN-SGN for 32.5k each. So it is doable.
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If there's a cheapfare, no matter whenever, wherever, I will be there.
Over the phone, every time when I tried booking it online as a one way, it always error out. And the process was pretty painless took me about 15 mins with no supervisor interference.
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If there's a cheapfare, no matter whenever, wherever, I will be there.
Over the phone, every time when I tried booking it online as a one way, it always error out. And the process was pretty painless took me about 15 mins with no supervisor interference.
Thanks for the info. I'll just hope that I got 2 bad reps and 2 bad supervisors or there is different issue with itin that they are not catching, but using the Atlantic routing as the reason.
Programs: UA 1K & UC, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Avis PC, AS, US, AA
Posts: 691
Hmm. I got curious about this, and just spent 20 minutes playing with the online engine to try and book various routings. I found two things.
1. US-Asia via Europe is definitely allowed. If you book from the east coast to BKK, almost all the options are via Europe. Even from SFO, the web app suggests (e.g.) SFO-FRA-BKK.
2. I cannot get it to price a 2-ocean itinerary to save my life. Not once, out of a bunch of tries. Asking for SFO-NRT / NRT-FRA / FRA-SFO yields SFO-FRA-NRT on the outbound!
So... I'm wondering if UA has recently tightened up the online booking tool to absolutely not permit 2-ocean itineraries. (I'm pretty sure I managed to get it to price one just a month ago). And, if so, does that mean it's a real rule that phone agents (except the ignorant ones) will follow too?
Can anybody get the online tool to price a 2-ocean trip correctly (preferably including a stopover, since otherwise it's clearly legal as two one-ways)?
Update: Okay, now I can make it price a 2-ocean itinerary with stopover (ABQ-IAD//IAD-LHR-BKK//BKK-NRT-SFO). I give up. There is no logic.
I usually go to SE Asia about five times a year, many a times originating in USA. I have noticed that they have become tight about the 2 ocean policies and also about redepositing unused half of your itinerary if you have already made a stop on the way over here or there.
Yesterday I called to change a SAT-ORD-FRA-BKK-PNH which was unused portion of a PNH-CDG-SAT-PNH business class reward. One agent refused to change SAT as a starting point or PNH as a destination.
I called back and got a very helpful agent (with what sounded like an Asian accent) and she said sat-sfo-icn-pnh was available partly on OZ. I was very happy but she soon came back on line to say that the computer will not allow her to book it because it is over the pacific and after much searching and me feeding her a possible itinerary from what i saw on my screen, she was able to book me a SAT-PNH on business Class.
When you think about it 125000 miles on Business Class from SEAsia to USA with a stop over in Europe is incredibly generous. Last year I also got a IAH DOH CGK for 60 000 on business class, I am grateful for CO entering Star Alliance as part of UA because I have been able to use reward tickets on Lufthansa, Swiss, Thai, OZ, briefly QR.
In general the agents are good, I can tell by their tones whether they are ex Co or ex UA, and I begin the conversation with : where are you speaking from, slc, iah, tampa all guarantee ex CO agents which I prefer.
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