Jan 29, 2017, 11:59 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Years ago, there was a pattern of release award space at begin-of-schedule, some 330+ before travel. That is not longer the default situation. There may be some released at that time and a few weeks later but just as common for airlines to wait to see how the flight is selling versus historical data. Then if sales are falling behind, they may release some seats. If sold seats are on historical trends or better, the likelihood of awards space is less. Some airlines are more sophisticated than others and some like UA for their flights tend to hold onto space until closer to departure.
So in summary, predictable patterns are few and award space is getting harder to find.
Business award space for some routes can be nearly impossible to find and generally is never easy. BUT it can happen with some flexibility and perseverance.
A couple of suggestions for finding space
== Avoid peak travel periods -- seasons, days --- midweek tends to be better than weekends, be flexiable -- fixed dates are a killer
== Look early, look late, look all the time
== Partner space tends to be more available than UA space for international flights
== For those not starting at a hub, first look for "gateway" non-stop space to Europe or Asia. Find the long haul flight possibilities first and then build from there (or separate ticket to the gateway -- with plenty of buffer time)
What does "Advance seat assignments are restricted for this flight" mean?
What time (and time zone), how many days out does UA release awards for booking?
Previous Thread -- United Saver Award/Upgrade Inventory (& partners) - when is it released? [Archive]
So in summary, predictable patterns are few and award space is getting harder to find.
Business award space for some routes can be nearly impossible to find and generally is never easy. BUT it can happen with some flexibility and perseverance.
A couple of suggestions for finding space
== Avoid peak travel periods -- seasons, days --- midweek tends to be better than weekends, be flexiable -- fixed dates are a killer
== Look early, look late, look all the time
== Partner space tends to be more available than UA space for international flights
== For those not starting at a hub, first look for "gateway" non-stop space to Europe or Asia. Find the long haul flight possibilities first and then build from there (or separate ticket to the gateway -- with plenty of buffer time)
What does "Advance seat assignments are restricted for this flight" mean?
What time (and time zone), how many days out does UA release awards for booking?
Previous Thread -- United Saver Award/Upgrade Inventory (& partners) - when is it released? [Archive]
UA Saver Award/Upgrade Inventory (& partners)-when is it released? Ever any business?
Jul 26, 2025 | 2:20 pm
#391
Join Date: Apr 2019
Programs: UA
Posts: 62
Can someone with Plat/1K help search the IN price of SFO-BCN on 7/31? I can only see JN price 115k and curious how much cheaper IN is. I do have seats.aero pro, but it doesn't seem to show IN price? It does show IN9, but it's the same with expert mode on United.
Jul 26, 2025 | 3:21 pm
#392
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA LT 1K/DL Plat/Hilton LT ♦/Hyatt Carbonado/Wyndham ♦/Marriott PE .
Posts: 5,717
Just checked for you. It's 80K.
Jul 26, 2025 | 7:44 pm
#393
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: ORD/CLE
Programs: UA 1K HH Diamond Marriott Plat
Posts: 486
IN and PZ space to Australia seems to have been drastically cut in the last 72 hours. Not sure if downguages are coming or what but relatively open availability has been almost completely cut.
Jul 28, 2025 | 9:47 pm
#394
Join Date: May 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, WN A+, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Tit, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,213
Jul 29, 2025 | 12:07 am
#395
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Here
Programs: UA 1K 1.2MM, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond RA IC
Posts: 23,198
Jul 29, 2025 | 7:05 am
#396
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Earth
Posts: 976
Any guesses on when/if the release of I or PZ seats to Oz typically occurs for travel in early November? Each of the last couple of years I have been able to get a seat fairly close in. I have a little more of an idea of my dates this year so looking to lock it down earlier. Been watching over the past month or 2 have not seen an I or PZ seat on any Oz route for my date range of 11/3/-11/6 going down. Ty.
Aug 29, 2025 | 7:02 am
#397
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium, LTP; IHG Platinum
Posts: 7,934
UA is not going to open up XN spaces for tomorrow's flights
The flights (ORF-DEN-OGG) that I have been monitored for the past few days have many seats available: Y9 YN9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 HN9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 L9 K9 G9 N9 XN0. However, RIC-DEN-OGG have XN3 with fewer seats available. Y9 YN9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 HN9 Q8 V8 W8 S7 T7 L6 K6 G6 N9 XN3.
My bet is that I will have to fly out of RIC tomorrow, which I have reserved. But I prefer to fly out of ORF. I guess that UA is not going to help me out.
My bet is that I will have to fly out of RIC tomorrow, which I have reserved. But I prefer to fly out of ORF. I guess that UA is not going to help me out.
Aug 30, 2025 | 10:41 am
#398
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DEN
Posts: 794
I'm sure it's partially due to the changes to IN recently but this seems ridiculous. UA 853 (SFO-TPE) tonight (14 hours from now) is showing 11 J seats available, is IN9 and PZ9 (and RN9, so P+ is wide open too) and still I0. So is the logic here that they'd rather the Polaris seats go to non-revs or remain empty than take someone without status or a branded chase card's 100k miles?
Aug 30, 2025 | 11:16 am
#399
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 2MM 1K
Posts: 16,550
I'm sure it's partially due to the changes to IN recently but this seems ridiculous. UA 853 (SFO-TPE) tonight (14 hours from now) is showing 11 J seats available, is IN9 and PZ9 (and RN9, so P+ is wide open too) and still I0. So is the logic here that they'd rather the Polaris seats go to non-revs or remain empty than take someone without status or a branded chase card's 100k miles?
Aug 30, 2025 | 11:34 am
#400
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DEN
Posts: 794
Sep 17, 2025 | 3:30 pm
#401
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: United Mileage Plus
Posts: 1,674
Has any UA MP member paid recently for the "throne seat" selection on LX 777 flights?
Just trying to get an idea of how much they'd want.
There are business saver awards on LX metal but UA MP members would not get to choose their seats unless they paid for specific seats.
Just trying to get an idea of how much they'd want.
There are business saver awards on LX metal but UA MP members would not get to choose their seats unless they paid for specific seats.
Sep 17, 2025 | 4:18 pm
#402
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,050
Anywhere from 150 to 265 CHF.
https://www.swiss.com/be/en/book-and...ation#business
All non-throne seats in long-haul J should be free to select.
https://www.swiss.com/be/en/book-and...ation#business
All non-throne seats in long-haul J should be free to select.
Sep 17, 2025 | 10:12 pm
#404
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,050
196 CHF for east coast and ORD.
My most exciting and/or highest value MP redemptions over the years have been: 1) short-haul one-ways outside North America where non-LCC revenue fares wouldve otherwise been exorbitant (in Y or J); 2) SAUAs on BR due to a combination of reasonable Y/B fare, relatively low mileage requirement, and excellent product; and 3) a one-way on UA/LH from the US to Central Asia for the same price as US to Europe, i.e., a 7+ hour LH flight basically for free. So yes, there are times when redeeming for vanilla products like UA and LH make sense for me, but I recognize they are somewhat niche cases.
I get what you're saying. No doubt the soft product is nothing to write home about (or it is, but that letter will be a complaint), and I think I'm in the minority that doesn't find the hard product great either. But relative to other MP redemptions, I don't find myself finding that many places where the partner redemption a clear winner. Maybe NH J/F, TK J for the culinary novelty? LH F, though less compelling at the recent rates? The use cases where a premium partner redemption is a clear winner exist, but they're infrequent. I suppose for Europe travel that may change as LX and LH transition to Allegris, but the soft product there is spotty, apparently getting worse with how LH is staffing it, and then there's the whole diversity of seating possibilities in J, most of which are probably no better than Polaris even if an upgrade from the current miserable hard product.
Jan 3, 2026 | 10:37 am
#405
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, ALL Accor Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 10,665
I was just able to grab saver J space (30k miles one way in the IN bucket) on EWR-SFO in late summer on a widebody. I feel like I just won the lottery.