Online Award Booking
Aug 2, 1999 | 1:50 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Everywhere
Programs: UA MM; DL SPG HH Gold
Posts: 635
Well, United has online award booking, but I don't think I'll ever have the chance to use it in its current form. It it limited to booking only award travel for yourself, and only domestic travel at that. Most of my awards are used for international tickets, and most of those include others on the itinerary. So while it's a great idea, it's still got a long way to go, IMHO.
Aug 2, 1999 | 1:54 pm
#4
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,619
I tried using UAL's system to check availability of seats, but much to my dismay I found that it does not properly handle requests for more than one seat. It will show all flights that have an available seat, even if you request more than one seat and the flights do not have enough seats to accomodate your request.
Aug 2, 1999 | 2:23 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Promoted to Chairman of the Most Wonderful Continental Airlines Highly Valuable OnePass Program Security and Ideological Purity Bureau
Posts: 4,129
Im waiting for Continental to start online booking. Its global partner NW has been doing so for a long time, and its starting to ANNOY ME that OnePass (definitely the better program between the two) members cant do the same.
However, I do remember taking a survey recently where adding online reward booking was one of the options listed under wanted improvements. Hope that means its soon to come.
However, I do remember taking a survey recently where adding online reward booking was one of the options listed under wanted improvements. Hope that means its soon to come.
Aug 2, 1999 | 4:05 pm
#8
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 1999
Location: PVD
Posts: 1,560
I have used NWA's online booking for award travel several times and found it very user-friendly. I booked my daughter a trip to Paris in January with her first choice of travel date, selected a good coach aisle seat from the seat map, and ordered her a vegetarian meal. It all went like clockwork (the booking and the travel). A good experience all around. I also booked a domestic trip for my husband in January and had a similarly good experience.
Aug 2, 1999 | 8:28 pm
#9
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Reno, NV (RNO)
Programs: AA LT Platinum, AS, UA Premier Silver, DL, HHonors Gold, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt, IHG Platinum
Posts: 4,723
A tip on UA's on-line booking: the reservations line permits booking award travel a full two days more in advance of the on-line system. So, if you are booking right at the 11 month maximum, call instead of trying on-line.
Aug 4, 1999 | 9:19 am
#10
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: SFO/JFK
Programs: Hilton: Diamond, Bonvoy: Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt: Platinum, AS: MVP Gold
Posts: 632
Used NW's site a number of times for checking availability; one time for actually booking.
One really annoying thing about the site is that if there is no avail on the date you selected, you have to go back to previous page and change your criteria. However, if there *is* avail, you get buttons at the bottom of the page that let you view avail for prev/next day!
One really annoying thing about the site is that if there is no avail on the date you selected, you have to go back to previous page and change your criteria. However, if there *is* avail, you get buttons at the bottom of the page that let you view avail for prev/next day!
Aug 4, 1999 | 3:56 pm
#11
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Ormond Beach, FL USA
Programs: Delta Flying Colonel, Lifetime Silver Medallion, Million Miler
Posts: 621
DELTA, are you reading this? Your recent website upgrade was fine. However, please consider this feature as well as redeeming awards is the biggest problem with the Skymiles program.
Aug 9, 1999 | 3:51 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Far forward aisle seat please!
Programs: UA MP, AA Advantage, IHG, HH
Posts: 322
I looked at United's Online booking feature and was not impressed. There are no provisions for international travel, open jaw, and companion booking. United needs more work on this new feature!
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Getting Closer to The Million Mile Dream!
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Getting Closer to The Million Mile Dream!
Aug 9, 1999 | 4:03 pm
#13
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
Programs: UA Gold & MM; DL & AA credit card dirt status; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Fool's Gold
Posts: 4,838
I used United's online system to book my PIP award. Went smoothly, although I had to call to pick the seat I wanted.
Aug 9, 1999 | 4:30 pm
#14
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Programs: AA2MM
Posts: 1,754
I can't comment on this one, as the boys in Dallas need to play catch-up, and do a serious upgrade for the AAdvantage portion of their site. And remember guys, KISS, keep it simple stupid; don't overload things with useless graphics, keep it simple, keep it clean, keep it fast. Oh, and how about throwing in some seat maps so we can pick our own seats?
Aug 9, 1999 | 8:01 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: SYD, GOT
Programs: BA GGL/GfL; SK EBG; QF LTG; Hilton LTD, A-Club Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,473
Gave up on QFs site, for similar reasons to the UA site (no open-jaw, intl or flexibility) and I wanted to specifically catch a flight via MEL to launceston from SYD not a direct and it just would not give me the option (I needed to fly at a specific time in the day). Called reservations they were able to do everything immediately over the phone, sympathised with the limited online system, no wait, pleasant attitude so why do it online - offers nothing but hassle.
Online has to offer advantages in terms of time, options or cost otherwise there is just no point. Of course that is not intended as an open excuse for airlines to under-staff their call centres so as to force us to go online.
Mark
Online has to offer advantages in terms of time, options or cost otherwise there is just no point. Of course that is not intended as an open excuse for airlines to under-staff their call centres so as to force us to go online.
Mark