Apr 4, 2014, 10:50 am
Last edit by: cesco.g
There are two categories of US cities involved, DL hubs and other, generally secondary, airports.
From some DL Hubs, UA P fares are valid to a much wider range of cities in Europe:
SLC/MSP/DTW/ATL/CVG/MEM-AMS/MXP/FCO/CDG/MLA/VCE/TRN/FLR/NAP/PMO/CTA/BUD/PRG/CPH/IST/WAW/ARN/OSL/KRK/PRG/TLL/RIX/etc
(but not JFK nor LAX?)
Other airports are valid to a smaller set of cities in Europe:
BOS/SJC/SMF/MOD/BWI/BUR/ONT/SNA/PSP/HNL/SEA/PDX/AUS/PIT/TUS/TPA/ALB/etc/etc-AMS/MXP/FCO/CDG/MLA/VCE/TRN/FLR/NAP/PMO/CTA/etc
Most UA hubs don't have the fare filed (not SFO for sure), but apparently EWR has at least EWR-VCE/NCE (but not EWR-MXP/PMO/FCO/CDG)
Some destinations in Europe have a slightly higher base fare:
MRS/LYS
(please add more cities to either origin or destination side that are valid)
Be careful in your airline selection - there are PQM/RDM implications to this. For example, for the UA program, UA P earns 150% PQM/RDM, LH P earns 100% PQM/RDM, and it appears that OS P earns nothing.
Similarly it looks like UA P class credited to Aegean (A3) earns nothing. Visit this United webpage then click on the Star Alliance partner to determine mileage earnings.
From some DL Hubs, UA P fares are valid to a much wider range of cities in Europe:
SLC/MSP/DTW/ATL/CVG/MEM-AMS/MXP/FCO/CDG/MLA/VCE/TRN/FLR/NAP/PMO/CTA/BUD/PRG/CPH/IST/WAW/ARN/OSL/KRK/PRG/TLL/RIX/etc
(but not JFK nor LAX?)
Other airports are valid to a smaller set of cities in Europe:
BOS/SJC/SMF/MOD/BWI/BUR/ONT/SNA/PSP/HNL/SEA/PDX/AUS/PIT/TUS/TPA/ALB/etc/etc-AMS/MXP/FCO/CDG/MLA/VCE/TRN/FLR/NAP/PMO/CTA/etc
Most UA hubs don't have the fare filed (not SFO for sure), but apparently EWR has at least EWR-VCE/NCE (but not EWR-MXP/PMO/FCO/CDG)
Some destinations in Europe have a slightly higher base fare:
MRS/LYS
(please add more cities to either origin or destination side that are valid)
Be careful in your airline selection - there are PQM/RDM implications to this. For example, for the UA program, UA P earns 150% PQM/RDM, LH P earns 100% PQM/RDM, and it appears that OS P earns nothing.
Similarly it looks like UA P class credited to Aegean (A3) earns nothing. Visit this United webpage then click on the Star Alliance partner to determine mileage earnings.
[FARE GONE] Lots of UA ATL-AMS (and other cities) Z fares; less than $2k for July
Apr 2, 2014, 10:49 am
#211
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: ORD
Programs: UA, AA, Marriott, National, Sixt
Posts: 749
totally dead, fares were unloaded, I'm very sad.
note to self: pull trigger first, find perfect routing later. always have 24h cancellations.
I found the perfect routing via SWISS that earns 200% on A3, only to have priceline tell me fare not available since I pulled trigger at 8:55AM Pacific...
thanks to op again, though.
note to self: pull trigger first, find perfect routing later. always have 24h cancellations.
I found the perfect routing via SWISS that earns 200% on A3, only to have priceline tell me fare not available since I pulled trigger at 8:55AM Pacific...
thanks to op again, though.
Apr 2, 2014, 10:50 am
#212
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: TPA
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 341
Definitely nice while it lasted!!
BF seat map is completely full for IAD-FCO on 7/3 now. Was mostly empty yesterday. Guessing a lot of us may be on that segment.
Nice that the ticket can still be changed with the 24 hr rule under the same pricing.
BF seat map is completely full for IAD-FCO on 7/3 now. Was mostly empty yesterday. Guessing a lot of us may be on that segment.
Nice that the ticket can still be changed with the 24 hr rule under the same pricing.
Apr 2, 2014, 10:52 am
#213
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,503
If the fuel dump were explicitly mentioned here, it would have helped get the price down into the $980-$1100 range roundtrip total, if not even marginally better than that.
Use of some international overseas extra segments helped with that, but those weren't the only routes that could be used as a third sector/segment to help drive down the price to well below $1400 roundtrip.
I'm not going to go into the merits and demerits of discussing FD in fleeting published fare deals posted on FT, but the airlines aren't as eager in killing FDs as in adjusting fares directly.
Use of some international overseas extra segments helped with that, but those weren't the only routes that could be used as a third sector/segment to help drive down the price to well below $1400 roundtrip.
I'm not going to go into the merits and demerits of discussing FD in fleeting published fare deals posted on FT, but the airlines aren't as eager in killing FDs as in adjusting fares directly.
That said, in this case, if I had a simple trick, I would have shared. Good karma, and it would have saved a lot of folks some good money. There obviously wasn't enough time for a typical Flyertalker to "figure this out" by themselves in the amount of time they had.
Apr 2, 2014, 10:52 am
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,531
Apr 2, 2014, 11:00 am
#217
formerly known as DeltaNYC
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: YYZ, mostly...
Programs: AC SE100K / FB Platinum / BA Bronze / Marriott Ambassador (LT Plat) / Hilton Diamond / IHG Plat
Posts: 1,707
For once I am actually relieved that the fare has been pulled before I could decide. Little voices in my head were whispering crazy things like "it's no big deal to position to HNL from YYZ, just do it..."
It's a fantastic deal, so congrats to everyone who got in on it.
It's a fantastic deal, so congrats to everyone who got in on it.
Apr 2, 2014, 11:05 am
#218
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: TPA
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 341
Lol. I've changed my originally confirmed ATL-FCO ticket about 3 times so far. I'm deciding on whether to push the return out one day. The change fee (<24 hr) is $0, so it's nice that it isn't repricing changes at today's fare.
Definitely was good to just buy the ticket and then change the heck out of it, giving me a chance to look at planes, and ditching all my positioning flights.
Definitely was good to just buy the ticket and then change the heck out of it, giving me a chance to look at planes, and ditching all my positioning flights.
Apr 2, 2014, 11:16 am
#219
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 9,805
Agreed. But I increasingly find that people won't share ANY of their tricks on Flyertalk because of shut down fears -- a not unwarranted fear.
That said, in this case, if I had a simple trick, I would have shared. Good karma, and it would have saved a lot of folks some good money. There obviously wasn't enough time for a typical Flyertalker to "figure this out" by themselves in the amount of time they had.
That said, in this case, if I had a simple trick, I would have shared. Good karma, and it would have saved a lot of folks some good money. There obviously wasn't enough time for a typical Flyertalker to "figure this out" by themselves in the amount of time they had.
What would be infinitely more helpful is if people simply stated:
a) Whether or not a fare can be successfully tricked
b) Method (1x, 3x, OJ/DOJ, etc)
c) Resulting fare range, post-dump
No need for hints or vague suggestions. Just post everything or say nothing.
It would be a huge time-saver if I didn't try to trick fares that were un-trickable.. or fares with nonsensical 1x segments.
Apr 2, 2014, 11:20 am
#220
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,829
Possible explanation-
What we saw might have been a "mistake" airfare on Delta that triggered an automatic match through UA computers. Somehow it got in underneath the threshold level that kicks it back for human intervention. As I understand it, DL pulled the "sale" early on, but it took "humans" at UA a bit of time to unravel the damage.
Why would an airline have automated fare-matching mechanisms? Consider it a "doomsday" machine. If DL knows that UA will instantly match whatever they do, it takes the wind of out their sails when they have a sale. It keeps your competitor from doing something to steal your customers because they know you'll instantly react.
Because this was about half normal price for cheap biz fares, not 25% or something completely unbelievable, the computers matched it.
Totally theory based on no facts whatsoever.
Why would an airline have automated fare-matching mechanisms? Consider it a "doomsday" machine. If DL knows that UA will instantly match whatever they do, it takes the wind of out their sails when they have a sale. It keeps your competitor from doing something to steal your customers because they know you'll instantly react.
Because this was about half normal price for cheap biz fares, not 25% or something completely unbelievable, the computers matched it.
Totally theory based on no facts whatsoever.
Last edited by Mike Jacoubowsky; Apr 2, 2014 at 2:15 pm Reason: typos
Apr 2, 2014, 11:28 am
#221
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL Plat/2MM, HH Dia, PC Plat, MR Gold, ALL Sil.
Posts: 4,568
Even more interesting -- I can select a different destination for only the original fare difference (in my case, NCE instead of FCO, which is $62 more). Still in P class.
Apr 2, 2014, 11:33 am
#222
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVPG 75K
Posts: 260
What we saw might have been a "mistake" airfare on Delta that triggered an automatic match through UA computers. Somehow it got in underneath the trigger level that kicks it back for human intervention. As I understand it, DL pulled the "sale" early on, but it took "humans" at UA a bit of time to unravel the damage.
Apr 2, 2014, 11:35 am
#223
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,053
Well this has been quite a productive week. Got tickets in business class to EZE over thanksgiving for $1650, to Rio for Carnival for $2200 both on AA and then booked a labor day trip to NCE on Swiss for $1550. Just wanted to thank everyone here posts their findings! Hopefully I can find a deal at some point to contribute.
Apr 2, 2014, 11:40 am
#224
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, IC Amb
Posts: 5,548
Apr 2, 2014, 11:51 am
#225
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 6
link
Well this has been quite a productive week. Got tickets in business class to EZE over thanksgiving for $1650, to Rio for Carnival for $2200 both on AA and then booked a labor day trip to NCE on Swiss for $1550. Just wanted to thank everyone here posts their findings! Hopefully I can find a deal at some point to contribute.