AC Metal Question
 

Hi Folks,

I have an important 3 multi-city business trip in the States, Here are the flights I'm looking at - all in Business Class:

• Flight 1
  • AC 706
  • YYZ - LGA
  • 10 AM - 11:26 AM
• Flight 2
  • UA 240
  • EWR - LAX
  • 7 AM - 9:45 AM
• Flight 3
  • AC 792
  • LAX - YYZ
  • 11:45 AM - 7:15 PM

I called the AC Reservation line last night and the agent over the phone said she can't even allow booking Flight 2 because it is UA. She recommended me to purchase seperate tickets for these flights. Why is it that I can book on UA Metal via the UA website and not on AC? Should I go through a travel agency? It costs more to purchase separate tickets.

Much appreciated to help this traveller out.

The agent is not right, I put in a random date and it can be issued under AC stock.


Actually UA stock will be $130 cheaper at CAD 2928.28 all in.

That looks like travel agent witchcraft. I often have to book YYZ-US (stop) US-US (stop) US-YYZ trips and can never do it as a multi city on AC website. The multi city tool on AC website coughs up "It is not possible to search for flights which have both an origin and a destination in the United States." (red font in original.) If I am missing the secret password to making it do it, I'd love to know it.

If you repeatedly try to commit sabotage on AC, you risk repercussions.

If any word in that statement is incorrect, I apologize. I learned it from people who work at the airport.

Someone should add the IWATA usage of "sabotage" to the AC forum terminology wiki.

Many UA fares do allow plating on another carrier's stock but include a fee for doing so. US$100 is what I've usually seen - which is right around C$130. But if AQD is important, I can easily see it being worth someone's while to pay it.

There are many things bookable by AC that can't be searched for on the website. I know you can't phone AC, but you can try using Google Flights or Matrix to push it through online. Or this may be a case where it's worthwhile to pay a TA $50 to book it for you. I believe there are a few who hang out on this board who would understand exactly what you want to accomplish.

I usually just book the two one ways or open-jaw on AC and then separate leg on UA. Would it save me money to book on one ticket? I have never questioned that, actually.

Same, I do a lot of AC open jaw and then book one-ways between cities in the middle.

Sure, no AQD and it may or may not be more expensive, but the real reason to do so is flexibility. If I am flying YOW - X and Y - YOW on AC and then I need to move around my X - Y flight for whatever reason I can do so without screwing around with my entire ticket.

With AC, sometimes it's cheaper to do one-ways rather than round trip. Can depend on fare PoS and taxes. With UA, it usually doesn't matter, because they determine PoS based on your billing address.

Booking it on one ticket, issued by AC, would get you AQD for everything. But also gives you less flexibility (except in limited cases, e.g. that a major schedule change to one flight would likely now allow you to cancel the entire trip, if you so chose). Intrinsically, it's neither right nor wrong.

Agree - flexibility if the flights are on different dates. I have one upcoming where I know the UA B to C date, but am undecided about the A-B and C-A dates or flights on those dates. Plus, I will book A-B on flight pass and C-A one way purchase ticket, net of a credit amount I need to burn.