Last edit by: johnnywho
The fare allows you to travel on the island hopper (UA132/133) westbound and/or eastbound. HKG or MNL are both possible turnarounds and the fare is combinable with NH either way.
Who are going for this run?
UA132
UA133
Who are going for this run?
UA132
- Jan 19: westleyl, jayhawk17
- Mar 18: Mateuszz
- Mar 31: johnnywho,jetsflier
UA133
- Jan 21: westleyl, jayhawk17
- Feb 4: Spectre17, daisyatl
- Apr 1: johnnywho, jetsflier
- May 13: sexykitten7
UA - LAX-SFO-HIKA-Guam and return via UA Pacific Islands $442 <2.8cps
#152
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club (Silver), Le Club Accor (Silver)
Posts: 672
Having followed this thread since it started and played around for hours on Google Flights, I think I know the answer to this question but I'll ask anyway: Is there any way whatsoever to get something between 1 and 24 hours in both Micronesia and the Marshall Islands using this fare construction? I'm visiting every country in the world and these two are expensive to reach, but I think are worth longer than the 40-60 minutes you might get stepping off and back on the same plane. Only TKK seems to get an "extra" flight the day before the Island Hopper but the fare jumps up when you try and force this stop.
Cheers
Cheers
#153
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA: Platinum
Posts: 49
I don't think so, but you could probably get off the flight and "miss" the connection. However, I don't think the Island Hopper is a daily flight so you would be stuck on the island for a couple days at least...
#154
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
Possibly via SDC/Standby?
Having followed this thread since it started and played around for hours on Google Flights, I think I know the answer to this question but I'll ask anyway: Is there any way whatsoever to get something between 1 and 24 hours in both Micronesia and the Marshall Islands using this fare construction? I'm visiting every country in the world and these two are expensive to reach, but I think are worth longer than the 40-60 minutes you might get stepping off and back on the same plane. Only TKK seems to get an "extra" flight the day before the Island Hopper but the fare jumps up when you try and force this stop.
Cheers
Cheers
An option to consider is performing a same-day change. What you could (in theory) do is call up UA on the day before your scheduled flight to TKK and request to be put on the earlier TKK flight that day (this can also be done online via the United desktop site).It may also be possible to request this change at the airport, some UA agents over there are former Continental Mike agents who are known to provide this flexibility to customers. The cost to perform the same day change is $75 (or free if you're UA Gold or above) with no fare difference change. There's no guarantee this will work since it depends on the availability of seats in the fare class you booked. It might also be possible to request standby for the earlier flight and would be based on whether Y was full for that flight.
If this scheme does work then you would be in TKK for a day while maintaining the rest of the itinerary.
Safe Travels,
James
#155
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,271
Having followed this thread since it started and played around for hours on Google Flights, I think I know the answer to this question but I'll ask anyway: Is there any way whatsoever to get something between 1 and 24 hours in both Micronesia and the Marshall Islands using this fare construction? I'm visiting every country in the world and these two are expensive to reach, but I think are worth longer than the 40-60 minutes you might get stepping off and back on the same plane. Only TKK seems to get an "extra" flight the day before the Island Hopper but the fare jumps up when you try and force this stop.
Cheers
Cheers
#156
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club (Silver), Le Club Accor (Silver)
Posts: 672
I'm flexible. I could fly this route in either direction and pretty much any time from April onwards. As the flights generally operate at the same times on the same days each week, I'm working on the assumption if it doesn't work one week it won't work any week in that timetable period.
If you can find something though I'll buy you a pint in Guam!
#157
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,271
I'm flexible. I could fly this route in either direction and pretty much any time from April onwards. As the flights generally operate at the same times on the same days each week, I'm working on the assumption if it doesn't work one week it won't work any week in that timetable period.
- Saturday around 3pm
- Sunday around 2am
- Monday around 3pm
- Tuesday around 3pm
- Thursday around 3pm
If you're going the other direction, here's the departure times for GUM-TKK:
- Friday around 8am
- Saturday around 8pm
- Sunday around 8am
- Monday around 8am
- Wednesday around 8am
Or am I looking at this all wrong? haha
#159
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,271
Technically it's your 2nd post ...here's your first post: LINK But, anyway, welcome (back) to FT!
#160
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: IAH
Programs: UA GS, TK Gold
Posts: 304
After schedule change I was on direct GUM-HNL. Called in to revert and now I am UA133 via TKK, PNI, KSA and MAJ. However, each segment is listed individually on the reservation at ua.com.
On positive side, I will get more PQMs and I'm CPU eligible for GUM-MAJ.
Do I need to worry about the not scanning the boarding passes at TKK, PNI etc? Appreciate the suggestions. thank you!
On positive side, I will get more PQMs and I'm CPU eligible for GUM-MAJ.
Do I need to worry about the not scanning the boarding passes at TKK, PNI etc? Appreciate the suggestions. thank you!
#163
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PWM
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 1,328
Trip Report - Island Hopper Ticketing
I stumbled across this wonderful find by @ck3kk last October (actually on my birthday): LAX-SFO-HKG-GUM-TKK-PNI-KSA-MAJ-HNL-LAX for $450 which includes an eastbound island hopper (IH) on the return. Since it’s a HKG fare, you cannot stop in GUM. In fact, the longest connection was 4 hours so I basically flew non-stop for 2.5 days (aka the Lucky method). Ticketed for 11MAY since it was the farthest out (e.g. warmest weather). I did the same for a $450 SAN-EUR fare last year. Although in retrospect, May was almost too warm for the South Pacific.
While I used to live in SAN, I am now in sunny PWM so I had to position (preferably with some recovery time as suggested here). Booked a great revenue sale PWM-EWR-SFO-SAN outbound for $121-- the lowest SAN-PWM fare I’ve ever seen and it stuck around for over a month IIRC! Used a discounted coach award (10k) to get to LAX. Coming back I was going to do LAX-SAN//SAN-PWM but realized that would cost too many miles (22.5k). Remembered that UA has wacky award routings and sure enough, they were selling LAX-SAN(red-eye)ORD-PWM for 12.5k. The only problem was I wanted to stop in SAN, not connect. I took my chances on an SDC. After all, I could still fly home “early” if I felt up to it. Normally I’d book these awards as revenue fares for status but I plan on falling to Silver next year because I’m starting grad school (again).
So one IH and 3 positioning itins later I was all set. Not! While GUM-HNL nonstop is not CPU eligible, the IH segments are. The trouble is in the ticketing. They were ticketed as a direct flight (aka thru flight) and thus, one would need upgrade space on all segments in order to clear. Not good odds. The trick is to split the segments so you can clear individually. I was lucky and got an agent to do a force split on my first call. Shortly after splitting, I checked the upgrade offers. The mileage upgrade (MUA) offer was unbelievable! Only $75+20k miles compared to the regular price of $1200+60k miles. I took it in a heartbeat and all IH segments cleared instantly while the rest were waitlisted.
My biggest fear was misconnecting before I got to the IH segments. Flights to SAN went well. The trouble started with the SAN-LAX. It posted a 30 min ATC delay which we expected to worsen. I got a lovely agent in SAN to rebook me SAN-SFO nonstop (She cancelled the award ticket and changed the first IH itin segment to SAN-SFO). Crisis averted. Rest of it went off without a hitch. SFO-HKG cleared into Polaris at T-24 and HKG-GUM and HNL-LAX were battlefield upgrades. Only coach segment was the impromptu SAN-SFO rebook. Also caught an upgrade on LAX-SAN so that made 9 first class flights in a row
I was gonna wait until SAN to SDC my return but I thought I’d try at LAX. Well the agents can’t really touch award tickets so I had to call in. Got a fabulous agent who pushed my SAN-PWM segments out 2 days so I now had my free stopover LAX-SAN//SAN-EWR-PWM. I really wanted the same itin as my outbound (SAN-SFO-EWR-PWM) for the ps free food (the old fashioned is amazing) so I reticketed that with tight connections (35 and 49 min). There was saver space for both changes. Well that plan went downhill when the SAN-SFO flight posted an ATC delay (seeing a pattern here) that would have blown my connections. Protected on the original itin SAN-EWR-PWM, boarded, rolling ATC delay on tarmac, eventually took off and landed 1 hr late. EWR-PWM was delayed but they soon cancelled it. The next day’s 5 flights were completely booked. I spent the night at a not-so-nearby hotel and trudged back around noon to waitlist for the 12:30 fight out. Was already overbooked and went out even (no SBYs). Thankfully I got on the 3 pm flight and made it back to PWM.
In summary, an eventful trip in all the right places. And I’m done traveling for the year. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful info.
While I used to live in SAN, I am now in sunny PWM so I had to position (preferably with some recovery time as suggested here). Booked a great revenue sale PWM-EWR-SFO-SAN outbound for $121-- the lowest SAN-PWM fare I’ve ever seen and it stuck around for over a month IIRC! Used a discounted coach award (10k) to get to LAX. Coming back I was going to do LAX-SAN//SAN-PWM but realized that would cost too many miles (22.5k). Remembered that UA has wacky award routings and sure enough, they were selling LAX-SAN(red-eye)ORD-PWM for 12.5k. The only problem was I wanted to stop in SAN, not connect. I took my chances on an SDC. After all, I could still fly home “early” if I felt up to it. Normally I’d book these awards as revenue fares for status but I plan on falling to Silver next year because I’m starting grad school (again).
So one IH and 3 positioning itins later I was all set. Not! While GUM-HNL nonstop is not CPU eligible, the IH segments are. The trouble is in the ticketing. They were ticketed as a direct flight (aka thru flight) and thus, one would need upgrade space on all segments in order to clear. Not good odds. The trick is to split the segments so you can clear individually. I was lucky and got an agent to do a force split on my first call. Shortly after splitting, I checked the upgrade offers. The mileage upgrade (MUA) offer was unbelievable! Only $75+20k miles compared to the regular price of $1200+60k miles. I took it in a heartbeat and all IH segments cleared instantly while the rest were waitlisted.
My biggest fear was misconnecting before I got to the IH segments. Flights to SAN went well. The trouble started with the SAN-LAX. It posted a 30 min ATC delay which we expected to worsen. I got a lovely agent in SAN to rebook me SAN-SFO nonstop (She cancelled the award ticket and changed the first IH itin segment to SAN-SFO). Crisis averted. Rest of it went off without a hitch. SFO-HKG cleared into Polaris at T-24 and HKG-GUM and HNL-LAX were battlefield upgrades. Only coach segment was the impromptu SAN-SFO rebook. Also caught an upgrade on LAX-SAN so that made 9 first class flights in a row
I was gonna wait until SAN to SDC my return but I thought I’d try at LAX. Well the agents can’t really touch award tickets so I had to call in. Got a fabulous agent who pushed my SAN-PWM segments out 2 days so I now had my free stopover LAX-SAN//SAN-EWR-PWM. I really wanted the same itin as my outbound (SAN-SFO-EWR-PWM) for the ps free food (the old fashioned is amazing) so I reticketed that with tight connections (35 and 49 min). There was saver space for both changes. Well that plan went downhill when the SAN-SFO flight posted an ATC delay (seeing a pattern here) that would have blown my connections. Protected on the original itin SAN-EWR-PWM, boarded, rolling ATC delay on tarmac, eventually took off and landed 1 hr late. EWR-PWM was delayed but they soon cancelled it. The next day’s 5 flights were completely booked. I spent the night at a not-so-nearby hotel and trudged back around noon to waitlist for the 12:30 fight out. Was already overbooked and went out even (no SBYs). Thankfully I got on the 3 pm flight and made it back to PWM.
In summary, an eventful trip in all the right places. And I’m done traveling for the year. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful info.
Last edited by sexykitten7; May 18, 2018 at 11:27 am Reason: added map, fixed typo/mistakes
#165
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)
Posts: 1,271
So one IH and 3 positioning itins later I was all set. Not! While GUM-HNL nonstop is not CPU eligible, the IH segments are. The trouble is in the ticketing. They were ticketed as a direct flight (aka thru flight) and thus, one would need upgrade space on all segments in order to clear. Not good odds. The trick is to split the segments so you can clear individually. I was lucky and got an agent to do a force split on my first call. Shortly after splitting, I checked the upgrade offers. The mileage upgrade (MUA) offer was unbelievable! Only $75+20k miles compared to the regular price of $1200+60k miles. I took it in a heartbeat and all IH segments cleared instantly while the rest were waitlisted.
My biggest fear was misconnecting before I got to the IH segments. Flights to SAN went well. The trouble started with the SAN-LAX. It posted a 30 min ATC delay which we expected to worsen. I got a lovely agent in SAN to rebook me SAN-SFO nonstop (She cancelled the award ticket and changed the first IH itin segment to SAN-SFO). Crisis averted. Rest of it went off without a hitch. HKG-SFO cleared into Polaris at T-24 and HKG-GUM and HNL-LAX were battlefield upgrades. Only coach segment was the impromptu SAN-SFO rebook. Also caught an upgrade on LAX-SAN so that made 9 first class flights in a row
My biggest fear was misconnecting before I got to the IH segments. Flights to SAN went well. The trouble started with the SAN-LAX. It posted a 30 min ATC delay which we expected to worsen. I got a lovely agent in SAN to rebook me SAN-SFO nonstop (She cancelled the award ticket and changed the first IH itin segment to SAN-SFO). Crisis averted. Rest of it went off without a hitch. HKG-SFO cleared into Polaris at T-24 and HKG-GUM and HNL-LAX were battlefield upgrades. Only coach segment was the impromptu SAN-SFO rebook. Also caught an upgrade on LAX-SAN so that made 9 first class flights in a row
- How do you get an agent to split the ticket? Were there any key words you need to use? What did you ask the agent specifically? I don't have an upcoming IH flight, but figure it might be useful for other flights, if need be.
- You mentioned the MUA offer for $75 and 20k miles. Was that for the whole route? Or just 1 direction or the other? When I've done a MUA offer before (for another flight, not an IH itinerary), it's been for either the outbound or the return, but doesn't cover all segments.
- You mentioned "HKG-SFO cleared into Polaris", but I think you mean "SFO-HKG cleared into Polaris", correct? Just thought you might want to update the trip report.
- You really got upgraded into Polaris on the SFO-HKG segment for part of the $75 and 20k miles MUA?!?! Wow!