Sep 25, 2018, 8:54 pm
Last edit by: gengar
Upgrades to business class on EVA Air (BR) using United Airlines (UA) miles can be achieved via Star Alliance Upgrade Awards (SAUA). On BR, booking classes Y, B, and K are eligible for SAUA.
Reference links:
The general (not UA-specific) SAUA on BR thread on this FT forum: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eva-...award-eva.html
Official UA information page about SAUA: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...de-awards.html
Official UA interactive award mileage chart: https://www.united.com/web/en-us/app...ardTravel.aspx
Official UA page to request SAUA (requires login): https://www.united.com/web/en-us/app...rdUpgrade.aspx
There exists limited debate as to whether SAUA availability on BR is tied to fare bucket "I" or fare bucket "Z". Initial confusion arises from the fact that fare bucket "I" is what indicates SAUA availability on many other *A carriers; therefore by default "I" is the fare bucket often associated with SAUA and is listed in some third-party tools such as KVS.
However, extensive reports from FT'ers indicate that SAUA availability on BR is actually tied to fare bucket "Z"; a total of nine different FT'ers have reported upgrading via SAUA despite I=0, with many of these FT'ers reporting Z>0. Additionally, at least one FT'er has reported being unable to upgrade when I>0 and Z=0. (For reference, see posts [63] [64] [65] [70] [71] [72] [76] [77] in the general SAUA thread and post [118] from this thread.)
Z fare bucket on BR is not displayed on BR's website or on third-party tools such as ExpertFlyer; the only way to check Z availability is to call BR directly. FT'ers have suggested calling the Taipei call center (internationally, +886 225011999 ) and specifically not mentioning SAUA or upgrades and only asking for Z fare bucket information, as discussing SAUA can only serve to confuse the phone agent.
Reference links:
The general (not UA-specific) SAUA on BR thread on this FT forum: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eva-...award-eva.html
Official UA information page about SAUA: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...de-awards.html
Official UA interactive award mileage chart: https://www.united.com/web/en-us/app...ardTravel.aspx
Official UA page to request SAUA (requires login): https://www.united.com/web/en-us/app...rdUpgrade.aspx
There exists limited debate as to whether SAUA availability on BR is tied to fare bucket "I" or fare bucket "Z". Initial confusion arises from the fact that fare bucket "I" is what indicates SAUA availability on many other *A carriers; therefore by default "I" is the fare bucket often associated with SAUA and is listed in some third-party tools such as KVS.
However, extensive reports from FT'ers indicate that SAUA availability on BR is actually tied to fare bucket "Z"; a total of nine different FT'ers have reported upgrading via SAUA despite I=0, with many of these FT'ers reporting Z>0. Additionally, at least one FT'er has reported being unable to upgrade when I>0 and Z=0. (For reference, see posts [63] [64] [65] [70] [71] [72] [76] [77] in the general SAUA thread and post [118] from this thread.)
Z fare bucket on BR is not displayed on BR's website or on third-party tools such as ExpertFlyer; the only way to check Z availability is to call BR directly. FT'ers have suggested calling the Taipei call center (internationally, +886 225011999 ) and specifically not mentioning SAUA or upgrades and only asking for Z fare bucket information, as discussing SAUA can only serve to confuse the phone agent.
Steps to EVA upgrade w/ UnitedMiles
Sep 29, 2015, 11:09 pm
#91
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Macau SAR China
Posts: 58
I have spent several days trying to use UA miles to upgrade from economy B to Business on EVA. IAH-TPE-MNL. No success. 3 out of 4 EVA agents says they CANNOT unmarry the segments so the upgrade can be done. UA cant do anything.
Has anyone really been able to get EVA to unmarry segments for upgrade with UA miles???
Has anyone really been able to get EVA to unmarry segments for upgrade with UA miles???
Sep 30, 2015, 10:41 pm
#93
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-P, and Chase-ing the sapphire dragon
Posts: 95
Yes, but I called their TPE line and had to ask for a supervisor. Upon getting it unmarried, it still didn't work, but also might have been minutes within the 24 hour prior to departure rule that prevented it since I literally was on the phone for such a long time. On my return leg BKK-TPE-LAX, I didn't get it unmarried, and got the TPE-LAX leg upgraded - who knew...but that was also hell. I think this deal is over, unless someone recently has gotten it to work. But really misleading to advertise it still with so many errors!
Sep 30, 2015, 10:56 pm
#94
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,205
The best option is using a travel agent who can find B class when the segments are not married, and when they are married (to cover them from a debit memo), then book the segments unmarried and ticket accordingly - then the reservation can be passed to you for upgrading and should be clean for the upgrade.
Oct 2, 2015, 2:05 am
#95
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Macau SAR China
Posts: 58
To answer your other question, over the past few years I've had a 100% success rate upgrading just the long haul portion of my EVA flights (typically LAX-TPE-MFM RT) using UA miles. This was until my most recent trip this past July (MFM-TPE-LAX and IAH-TPE-MFM) where I ran into the married segments issue (or possibly bad UA IT) and ended up paying cash to upgrade.
Last edited by grant2112; Oct 2, 2015 at 2:06 am Reason: typo
Oct 2, 2015, 12:12 pm
#97
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,205
dvrhsl - I'm confused. If the first agent unmarried the ticket, then why the need for agents #2 through 4? Or did the first agent simply say they would unmarry the ticket but then never followed through with it?
To answer your other question, over the past few years I've had a 100% success rate upgrading just the long haul portion of my EVA flights (typically LAX-TPE-MFM RT) using UA miles. This was until my most recent trip this past July (MFM-TPE-LAX and IAH-TPE-MFM) where I ran into the married segments issue (or possibly bad UA IT) and ended up paying cash to upgrade.
To answer your other question, over the past few years I've had a 100% success rate upgrading just the long haul portion of my EVA flights (typically LAX-TPE-MFM RT) using UA miles. This was until my most recent trip this past July (MFM-TPE-LAX and IAH-TPE-MFM) where I ran into the married segments issue (or possibly bad UA IT) and ended up paying cash to upgrade.
If you can get an EVA agent to unmarry the segments, make sure they reissue the ticket and you receive a new confirmation email with a new or appended ticket number.
Oct 4, 2015, 6:48 pm
#98
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Macau SAR China
Posts: 58
My guess is they needed to unmarry the segments then reissue the ticket to complete the "break" - but they probably rebooked the segments and either kept the ticket open or did an internal revalidation that left it with a flag somewhere that blocked the upgrade.
If you can get an EVA agent to unmarry the segments, make sure they reissue the ticket and you receive a new confirmation email with a new or appended ticket number.
If you can get an EVA agent to unmarry the segments, make sure they reissue the ticket and you receive a new confirmation email with a new or appended ticket number.
Oct 4, 2015, 7:18 pm
#99
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,205
Oct 4, 2015, 9:12 pm
#100
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Macau SAR China
Posts: 58
Nov 21, 2015, 9:23 am
#103
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 8
Maybe it is and maybe it isn't all about tickets being married or unmarried, but it is not working as before. Last two months, I have tried multiple times in trying to get the upgrade processed from a "B" fare on EVA flights (following all suggestions listed here and more, wasting valuable time, and being on the phone with incapable agents for far too long) and ended up unsuccessful. I know it has worked in the past. These agents on the phone talks to us like we are flying for the first time and don't know what we are talking about. Most of us on these forums, I believe, are expert, seasoned flyers and we don't become 1K for flying once in a while.
Something else interesting happened just yesterday flying HAN-ICN-LAX on ASIANA "B" fare, which is *A upgradable utilizing UA miles. Looked like there were still at least 5 business class revenue seats available ICN-LAX. I tried upgrading that leg multiple times a day without success and time came to check in for my flights, so I gave up and checked in to hopefully attain better seats. Once checked in for the heck of it, I went thru the upgrade process online and there was an availability, so I click to confirm and the process deducts 30K miles and then comes up with an error and could not complete the upgrade process. My account shows 30K deducted for upgrade and them immediate redeposit of 30K. I called UA (hopeless), they tell me its because I checked in already so went thru getting my self uncheck in, and tried the upgrade and now it tells me not available... I was not about to get on the phone with UA again because talking to them is total waste of time. I tried the same process of checking in and seeing about upgrade, same thing happened... Oh well... Needless to say, paying for upgradeable fares so that you can utilize UA miles to upgrade has not been working out as before. Something got to have changed or is not working... Totally peeved with this whole process!!!
Something else interesting happened just yesterday flying HAN-ICN-LAX on ASIANA "B" fare, which is *A upgradable utilizing UA miles. Looked like there were still at least 5 business class revenue seats available ICN-LAX. I tried upgrading that leg multiple times a day without success and time came to check in for my flights, so I gave up and checked in to hopefully attain better seats. Once checked in for the heck of it, I went thru the upgrade process online and there was an availability, so I click to confirm and the process deducts 30K miles and then comes up with an error and could not complete the upgrade process. My account shows 30K deducted for upgrade and them immediate redeposit of 30K. I called UA (hopeless), they tell me its because I checked in already so went thru getting my self uncheck in, and tried the upgrade and now it tells me not available... I was not about to get on the phone with UA again because talking to them is total waste of time. I tried the same process of checking in and seeing about upgrade, same thing happened... Oh well... Needless to say, paying for upgradeable fares so that you can utilize UA miles to upgrade has not been working out as before. Something got to have changed or is not working... Totally peeved with this whole process!!!
