Reward Waitlisting - Does it ever work?
Dec 4, 2001, 9:57 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 217
Reward Waitlisting - Does it ever work?
I have waitlisted for certain days on at least 10 reward itineraries- some of them more than 6 months out - and never had any luck. (None of these dates were peak dates either.)
Have many of you received the dates you waitlisted for? Did CO call and tell you or e-mail you?
Is there any strategy to be employed?
Have many of you received the dates you waitlisted for? Did CO call and tell you or e-mail you?
Is there any strategy to be employed?
Dec 4, 2001, 10:11 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
What elite status do you hold, if any?
Dec 4, 2001, 10:18 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K/*G
Posts: 2,397
What route are you waitlisting for?
I've never had to waitlist for an award trip, just an award upgrade. I've never been called when it's available -- I have to call when I see it open up.
Good luck.
Daniel
I've never had to waitlist for an award trip, just an award upgrade. I've never been called when it's available -- I have to call when I see it open up.
Good luck.
Daniel
Dec 4, 2001, 11:27 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: San Francisco (Marin County), CA
Programs: UA Global Services, AA Lifetime ExecPlat, LH HON Circle, SQ PPS Solitaire, Hyatt Courtesy Card
Posts: 3,002
Concur. Usually do not get called, sometimes do. Just had a reward waitlist clear for some BF seats from Brussels in very early 2002 for 4 people, 2 platinums & 2 golds, all 4 cleared at the same time, 29 days out.
Dec 5, 2001, 2:00 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 468
I got cleared in August when I was Silver for a flight from SJO (costa rica) to EWR.
Dec 5, 2001, 6:26 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Sugar Land, Tx
Posts: 518
Don't feel bad, I've been trying to get reward travel IAH-NAS for April 14-21 for 4 months now and they can't accomodate me.
Dec 5, 2001, 9:46 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,157
In my case, it is usually rare that they do call. And when they do, lately, it is that annoying recording, that doesn't give you the record locator. I usually have 2 or 3 pending CO reservations, and I have to go through each of them to figure out what "changed" (which could range from an upgrade to a cancelled flight, who knows).
However, my waitlist clearance percentage is pretty high (can only recall one incident in the last year or so where I wasn't upgraded to BF with miles). This is the case even for my wife, who's a lowly silver and has had clearances even after the CSR strongly suggested that I take her off the list since her chances for an upgrade were "nil".
Dec 5, 2001, 10:12 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 217
I am Gold and the routes vary. Its usually my return date thats full, so I end up putting that date on the waitlist and reserving a return a day or two out.
I just wanted to know how real the waitlist is because so far I havent had any success with it. But I'll hold off my skepticism for a few more tries.
For those of you that didnt get calls (but cleared the waitlist) - did you just call to reconfirm and SURPRISE! you got the dates you wanted?
I just wanted to know how real the waitlist is because so far I havent had any success with it. But I'll hold off my skepticism for a few more tries.
For those of you that didnt get calls (but cleared the waitlist) - did you just call to reconfirm and SURPRISE! you got the dates you wanted?
Dec 8, 2001, 6:05 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Nashua, NH
Posts: 253
I have been waitlisted on numerous award tickets and have always cleared. They don't alway call to let you know but I usually check every couple weeks.
Dec 19, 2001, 3:00 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: SPG Plat, lowly UA Silver
Posts: 191
I've been on a waitlist for a K fare BF upgrade prior to the "30 day window" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum.../003887.html). I'm at 25 days out now and my flight has been showing Z3 on ITN prior to and after the window passed. I'm platinum so I assume I have some priority on the list. (right?) So is it just that rev management is being stingy in opening up seats?
Dec 19, 2001, 4:10 pm
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Potomac Falls, VA
Programs: AA Plat 2MM, MR Gold, Avis Pref
Posts: 41,109
Why would you take the wife (silver) off the wait list? What would you gain by taking her off the list? what would you lose by leaving her on the list?
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Pickles:
This is the case even for my wife, who's a lowly silver and has had clearances even after the CSR strongly suggested that I take her off the list since her chances for an upgrade were "nil". </font>
This is the case even for my wife, who's a lowly silver and has had clearances even after the CSR strongly suggested that I take her off the list since her chances for an upgrade were "nil". </font>
Dec 19, 2001, 9:19 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,227
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TrojanHorse:
Why would you take the wife (silver) off the wait list? What would you gain by taking her off the list? what would you lose by leaving her on the list?
</font>
Why would you take the wife (silver) off the wait list? What would you gain by taking her off the list? what would you lose by leaving her on the list?
</font>
Dec 20, 2001, 8:38 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Huntsville AL, previously Kwajalein - Republic of the Marshall Islands
Programs: CO Plat, DL Plat
Posts: 284
When Kwaj boy & I were silvers in Jan '01 we booked F/C reward seats @ 40000 miles each from KWA to CNS to travel in Dec '01; the segment from GUM to CNS was waitlisted for F/C (booked in Y) and cleared in May '01. So that took 4 months but CO didn't call or email to let us know the seats had cleared. Luckily I have access to a local airport agent who kept checking and kept me informed!
Now we are in the same predicament again for next year to KIX and PEK....no matter how early you book these things it seems that F/C is ALWAYS "waitlisted".
Now we are in the same predicament again for next year to KIX and PEK....no matter how early you book these things it seems that F/C is ALWAYS "waitlisted".