Originally Posted by
RSSRNotInIndia
That said, I still don't believe that UA blocks OA availability. However, I do believe that OA block portions of their availability to UA. It's no big secret that more than one airline has been upset with UA due to the frequency/concentration/unbalanced bookings UA flyers were making on that airline. For example, many of our Premiers will call up asking for solely SQ availability. Not too long ago we were informed that SQ wasn't happy with the unbalanced award bookings, and many of us were lead to believe SQ would cease providing its inventory to UA. And I think this may go two-ways since I've taken calls, for example, from people pondering why they can't have seats (on a specific flight/date) to SYD with their US miles, but can with their UA.
That's an interesting perspective, and one not often heard here on FT. I think we're operating under the assumption that UA pays the alliance carriers for the award seats (at some rate far below retail), and it's UA who doesn't want to pay. But if it's all operating as a a seat-for-seat (or seat-mile for seat-mile) exchange, then overall the number of exchanged seats should be about even between carriers, and that could be all the starnet software is doing.
Or do you think individual Star Alliance airlines designate some proportion of award seats to be available to any other carrier, and the rest are available to "anyone but carrier X"? (usually carrier X=United)
Originally Posted by
RSSRNotInIndia
It's also worth mentioning that the average Star award booking (or booking attempt) is very time consuming... fare buckets aren't aligned and after an hour or so, many agents eyes can be fatigued. Not to mention a big difference between 5-minutes into an agent's shift and 5-minutes before the end of their shift a call that asks "I'd like to go to Asia any time next spring... what's available?" Definitely not making excuses, just explaining service differentials.
Award booking is indeed time consuming - which is why UA should provide a tool like ANA's for doing it online (which is not to say I want UA to cut your job - I don't!). CSRs who know their jobs are invaluable to frequent fliers, but it is absurd that the star alliance award booking process is so inefficient. And it's nothing compared to trying to book an award on a non-star alliance partner like Emirates or Qatar Airways.