Originally Posted by
jsloan
While booking an intra-China ticket on 016 stock is surely unlikely, that doesn't mean that everyone booking to Wuhan would fly on separate tickets. In fact, I suspect that's a relatively unlikely way to travel unless you're planning to make several stops around Asia.
If I were going to Wuhan, and planning to fly UA, I'd just search for tickets to WUH. I did a search for AUS-WUH for a two-week, Tuesday-to-Tuesday stay in March, and I got Y fares as low as $739 (via PEK; last leg on CA) or $753 (via PVG; last leg on MU). There are also options via NRT on NH.
If I search for PEK for those same dates, it's $625, and PVG is $564. So, I'm not paying an outrageous premium to book on a single ticket. (Splitting the journey at PVG might be a little cheaper, but I'd lose protection against a delay).
Ah, I should clarify. If one wants to spend a couple of days near PEK or PVG, and then travel on to another city, then the price of the standalone ticket from PEK/PVG to elsewhere in China using UA as the booking agency is outrageous. Plus, once you're out and about in the city, it's often easier to just hop on the train than it is to go back to the airport. But anyway, my point is, there are plenty of reasons why one might not hold a UA ticket all the way through to WUH or any other city but be planning to visit the area regardless.