Originally Posted by
bryan44
Hello,
I like reading bullet points. Any suggestions on how to handle the situation below would be helpful.
Description
- Booked a business class award on Air China using United miles
- IAH-PEK-CNX
- Booked in December
- Travel is in February
- Everything was confirmed on United's website, including CA PNR
- Called Air China today to book seats
- Air China says PEK-CNX is confirmed and ticketed
- IAH-PEK is NOT confirmed
- Called Air China US, they say call United
- Called United, they say "we have no control over partner availability" blah blah blah
- United offers to route to PEK on United metal (don't want to do this, but will if I have to)
- No current "I" business class award space on CA
- There is an "O" first class award space
Possible Solutions
- Convince CA to open another I award ticket
- Convince UA to pay the extra miles and book me in first
- Reroute flight on UA metal from IAH-PEK
- Other?
Thanks in advance,
Bryan
CA is not going to give you I availability. CA is notorious for giving away (unconfirming ticketed) award seats if they have enough revenue demand. So, it's pointless to ask. It's impossible. (If you've called the CA call center, you will know what CA are like.)
UA is unlikely to book in first on CA. And even if they do, you may have the same problem again.
Take the UA IAH-PEK. May be see if UA will book you in first on that on their own metal as compensation for the trouble here (unlikely, but doesn't hurt to ask).
CA & ZH awards always have a strong chance of getting unconfirmed/lost from ticketing until day of flight. Always have a back-up plan. Majority of my UA booked CA and ZH awards have been unconfirmed after ticketed or otherwise messed up and impossible to fly well after ticketing and all was set and confirmed, seats booked & all confirmed with operating carrier, etc., and I've had to book MU or other alternate flights (non-*A) that were available at the time I found out. So, always, always have a back-up plan.