Originally Posted by SEA_Tigger
Are they time specific? I often look months in advance at the Fare Listing on Travelocity, yet I never see any B fares. I'd happily pay 25% more in cash over an H fare to save 50% in miles.
We think alike...also note, if travelling with a group of non-status companions (family, etc.) UA seems much happier to clear upgrades for B tickets than cheapies.
I've found the only way to find the full range of actual fares available is to call UA Int'l Res with a specific itinerary and have them tell you the various options.
One other note, IIRC some CVAs (corporate discounts) give steep discounts from F/C/Y/B and lesser discounts from M and below, so if one is covered by such an agreement B fares can really be a good deal.
Edited to add the following example:
Last year I got a B fare STL-DEN-LAX-IAD-LHR-ORD-STL for $1577 all in. Upgraded with miles - since my LAX stopover was <24 hrs, I was only charged 1 15K award for the entire STL-DEN-LAX-IAD-LHR portion. LHR may not have collected any miles or certs for the return upgrade...my recollection is growing vague.
