BF SaverPass Question
 

This may have been answered before, but I haven't been able to find anything. Currently, we are holding two SLeezy Pass reservations in coach EWR-FCO-EWR over Xmas new years. The planes are very full. On the return trip however, it looks like BF is about 50% open, but only sleezypass awards are available; and I'm not willing to fork over 125,000 miles for each ticket. Assuming that CO doesn't fill BF prior to flight time, will there come a time where they might make the seats available as SaverPass? Any strategy to try and do this? Can we wait list? I'm assuming that we're SOL unless they just turn up as SaverPass available, but any thoughts would be appreciated.

You cannot wait list for SaverPass. You can book coach now and vigilantly monitor for SP to become available, call to redeposit your current and snag the SP. Problem is both OB and IB may not become available at the same time.

This is not entirely true. If there are Y seats available you can redeem a BF reward, seated in Y, and waitlist for the BF seat. It is known as "Plan B" and there is a rather detailed explanation in the FAQ.

thanks. I am aware of Plan B, but we have Y Easypass, not SaverPass. I thought you had to do it by booking a Y with SaverP. Can we do it with EasyPass Y seats?

Usually BF saver's don't come availble after the regular awards.

Where are you getting that idea from? CO doesn't release all award inventory at 330 days out and then no more after that. Quite the opposite, really. If you want to plan that far you you'll probably have to go for slEasyPass but if you wait a bit the Saver rewards show up later.

But the OP was asking about waitlisting specifically for Saverpass while holding EZPass coach - as I read it, SleazyPass BF is available, just not SaverPass.

Do you need the nonstop, or are you willing to take a connection? And use alternate airports (e.g., JFK)?

I know Xmas can be tough, but there's still stuff out there using some random connections.

e.g., searching 12/22 EWR-DUS-FCO is available in LH biz on EWR-DUS (coach on DUS-FCO) at the saver level. You can always book a connection like that, and request the nonstop BF Saver on waitlist since it's the same award.

Nope. Must be SaverPass Coach award seats.

thanks, that's what I thought. But I wonder why. Logic is that you are booked on a flight in Y, paid in BF, and waitlisting for BF. WHy should it matter if the booking in Y is SP or EP? Can you refer me to the written rule?

thanks. I know. I actually had EWR-GVA-FCO and FCO-LHR-BOS-EWR with the TATL in BF on CO and switched to the non-stop on wife's orders.

Read the FAQ post about it and the linked thread.

The reason you have to be on a Saver reward to begin with in Y is that the reward is actually issued as a Saver reward in BF. That requires a Saver seat, regardless of cabin; it cannot book into other inventory.

If there are no saver seats in either cabin then you cannot pull it off but Plan B is an option for many folks in many scenarios to have a "standby" option available.

This is from the CO website:

FRONT CABIN WAITLISTING: A customer may redeem a First or Business Class travel reward, even if the space is not available. In these cases, Economy Class in the same reward type must be confirmed, and the front cabin will be waitlisted. For example, a SaverPass First Class reward must be confirmed in SaverPass Economy Class to be eligible for waitlisting. If the courtesy waitlist does not clear, it will expire 24 hours before itinerary departure, and the customer will automatically be added to the airport upgrade standby list upon check-in. In these cases, customers will be cleared on a space-available basis by a Continental airport representative at the gate once the flight has closed for check-in. For BusinessFirst travel rewards, the difference in miles will be refunded when the BusinessFirst segment of the trip could not be confirmed. Waitlist requests may only be made over the phone with your local Continental Reservations office.

Holding slEasyPass and Saverpass comes available
 

I just got off the phone with CO....As it stands I am holding tickets NYC-GIG for the upcoming holidays. Outbound UA F Saver (50k) and return CO EZ Pass (125k). Well I just checked on a US flight SaverPass is now available...yet the only way to now snag it is to cancel my current res. and see if my very hard to get UA F will go back into inventory (dont count on it!)

She told me that it is in the works in the CO computer system to be able to pull this off VERY SOON...as in the next few days to weeks. Has anyone else heard of this? Being able to change flights, get a credit for the mileage difference without having to cancel/ redeposit the whole reservation and then re-book? I would love it if they could do that today!!

It is very frustrating knowing that the seats that I want are avaiable for 75k less miles, yet due to a technicality (which they are changing soon, supposedly), I am stuck!!

Generally as far as I know, you must cancel an award, the miles are redeposited (and may take a while to show up), amd you book a new award. You also pay any penalty depending on elite status for the redeposit. The biggest problem in doing this (assuming you have enough miles in your account to book a new award without waiting for miles to be credited) is that you take a chance of losing a part of the award in a class that may or may not show still be obtainable. Most agents will say you have to redeposit and start from scratch, and your hard to find standard award might not go into inventory. However, I have had an agent hold a portion of a reservation in limbo while booking a new reservation.