Originally Posted by
Lux Flyer
I don't think you understand how a stopover pertains to a fare because a stopover does not require UA to have a fare filing from FRA-BAH. A stopover is a transfer at an intermediate point in the routing surpassing a defined time limit while travel is occurring on single fare component. On domestic itineraries that time limit is normally 4 hours, on international travel that time limit is 24 hours. The fare rules dictate whether stopovers are allowed and if any additional fee is applicable, but again it is all for travel on a single fare component. If a stopover is occurring it would be within the fare of SFO-BAH, whether a fare filing exists for FRA-BAH is irrelevant for the purposes of determining if a stopover is allowed.
Example constructions
1) SFO UA X/DEN UA X/FRA UA BAH 100.00YCA NUC100.00 END. Flying on UA marketed flights with transfer sin DEN and FRA less than 24 hours each. These are considered connections.
2) SFO UA X/DEN UA FRA UA BAH 100.00YCA NUC100.00 END. Flying on UA marketed flights with transfers in DEN less than 24 hours and transfer in FRA greater than 24 hours. Transfer in DEN is a connection, transfer in FRA is a stopover. The stopover is included in the fare. Whether the UA codeshare is allowed to be used for FRA-BAH after a stopover is a different question, but doesn't affect the ability to do a stopover if the fare permits it.
3) SFO UA X/DEN UA FRA OA BAH 100.00YCA NUC100.00 END. Same as #2, except assuming the codeshare can't be used coming off a stopover. OA has to be some other permitted carrier as dictated by the YCA fare.
4) SFO UA X/DEN UA FRA S50.00 UA BAH 100.00YCA NUC150.00 END. Same as #2-3, except a $50 charge applied for the stopover (if the fare rules dictated it.
None of these examples required a FRA-BAH fare filing. What you are describing is a fare break, which would be constructed as follows, with the FRA-BAH being on some type of OA, because as you pointed out UA would not have that fare filing. Importantly though, this is not a stopover even though in practice it may result in the exact same set of flights. This would the construction required if the SFO-BAH fare did not permit stopovers.
SFO UA X/DEN UA FRA 100.00YCA OA BAH 70.00YCA NUC170.00 END.
United did win the SFO-FRA YCA City Pair contract this FY. However, no airline was awarded a YCA fare between SFO and BAH.
OP will require a DG fare to get between SFO and BAH. OP will also require a Fly America exception to take the rest stop en route at FRA before continuing on to BAH.
OP’s approving official may wish to see a constructed travel worksheet that shows the price difference between a stopover en route or a rest day at the destination. Approving official may also wish to see the cost of taking the rest stop at other locations en route.