Fair trade for first class flight leg?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 14
Fair trade for first class flight leg?
Good morning,
I attempted to search for this answer first and couldnt find it. Sorry for posting in error if thats the case, but i figured this would be better resource prior to calling united.
I booked travel to cozumel from toronto pearson on 11/9 through Chicago ORD. The airline changed it recently, and I want to make sure I am not losing anything due to which leg was the international business class. I am guessing it was due to the short window on clearing customs from Canada to Us and boarding next flight.
11/9
UA 1769 6am YYZ > ORD 6:47 AM coach
UA 1771 7:48am ORD > CZM 12:35pm Business
11/9
UA 2424 7:51am YYZ > IAH 10:39am Business
UA 1549 12:08 IAH > CZM 3:20pm Coach
I attempted to search for this answer first and couldnt find it. Sorry for posting in error if thats the case, but i figured this would be better resource prior to calling united.
I booked travel to cozumel from toronto pearson on 11/9 through Chicago ORD. The airline changed it recently, and I want to make sure I am not losing anything due to which leg was the international business class. I am guessing it was due to the short window on clearing customs from Canada to Us and boarding next flight.
11/9
UA 1769 6am YYZ > ORD 6:47 AM coach
UA 1771 7:48am ORD > CZM 12:35pm Business
11/9
UA 2424 7:51am YYZ > IAH 10:39am Business
UA 1549 12:08 IAH > CZM 3:20pm Coach
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Welcome to flyertalk!
You'll clear customs in YYZ, so it doesn't matter through which US airport you connect.
Did you pay cash or award miles for this ticket? Depending upon which, you may have a strong argument to be moved to Business for IAH-CZM, assuming the flight is served by two-cabin aircraft.
You'll clear customs in YYZ, so it doesn't matter through which US airport you connect.
Did you pay cash or award miles for this ticket? Depending upon which, you may have a strong argument to be moved to Business for IAH-CZM, assuming the flight is served by two-cabin aircraft.
#3
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
UA's International Business Class for North America, is essentially the same as UA's Domestic F. It is not equivalent to TPAC/TATL Polaris Business.
The new route has a little less of the total time in International Business and slightly more total travel time.
For both of the International Bussiness flights, the meal would be breakfast
You would have lounge access at YYZ on the new itin vs lounge access at ORD for the previous itin
So roughly equivalent (arriving a bit later)
The new route has a little less of the total time in International Business and slightly more total travel time.
For both of the International Bussiness flights, the meal would be breakfast
You would have lounge access at YYZ on the new itin vs lounge access at ORD for the previous itin
So roughly equivalent (arriving a bit later)
#4
Join Date: May 2001
Location: HNL
Posts: 1,015
I am assuming this is an award?? Given that UA changed the flights on you, I would certainly request that they clear you into business, if that's what you paid for. Business award space is not available, but they can force it in situations like this where they unvoluntarily change your itinerary. Or, at a minimum, waitlist you for business on the flight to CZM. That way you will clear into the front cabin if upgrade space opens up.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 14
Welcome to flyertalk!
You'll clear customs in YYZ, so it doesn't matter through which US airport you connect.
Did you pay cash or award miles for this ticket? Depending upon which, you may have a strong argument to be moved to Business for IAH-CZM, assuming the flight is served by two-cabin aircraft.
You'll clear customs in YYZ, so it doesn't matter through which US airport you connect.
Did you pay cash or award miles for this ticket? Depending upon which, you may have a strong argument to be moved to Business for IAH-CZM, assuming the flight is served by two-cabin aircraft.
Used chase travel points. Chase is pestering me to accept or deny the change. Figured I could try to barter an upgrade or something since at the very least my flight arrives 3 hours later to the destination.
If the original flight would allow lounge access on a <60 minute connection, that would have been useless. I also have the visa infinite lounge access as well, if this is the same lounge, im guessing i would be able to just bring 2 additional people into the lounge instead of just the two ticketed passengers on business fare.
I dont know why one of the segments was coach when I booked. It was a decent fare and the coach leg was relatively short.
I see the similar flight YYZ > ORD > IAH > CZM is all First or Business for about $50 more a ticket. Do I have a case for pushing for both current (YYZ>IAH and IAH> CZM) into Business/first?
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
You can ask Chase. Especially if one of your original aircraft didn’t have a business class cabin, you can argue that you have a business class fare that happened to contain an economy class seating assignment. I don’t know how far you’ll get, but you can try.
#7
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Join Date: Oct 2006
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Posts: 14,888
if OP has PP access, there’s also lounge access at both YYZ and IAH. For YYZ, it’s the plaza premium lounge - though last time I was there (Feb, I think) it was still the temporary location that is basically a walled off section by gate F55 I think - but there is still a hot buffet - not sure what happened to a new permanent location (or where that will be). At IAH, I believe there’s both an AF or KLM lounge that one can use with PP.
#8
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 14
UA1769 now arrives at 7:05 rather than 6:47 (though it still leaves at 6:00, somewhat of an odd schedule change. UA on their own website is only offering the IAH connection or the before mentioned ORD-IAH-CZM routing, so really through IAH arriving at 3 pm is your only choice. I’d first push chase to book you all in first, and cite the later arrival time as justification. If they don’t budge, I’d check the price of a new booking and consider canceling for a refund and booking anew.
From: Toronto, ON (YYZ-Pearson Intl.)
To: Chicago, IL (ORD-O'Hare Intl.)
Status: CONFIRMEDDepart: 6:00 AM
Arrive: 6:47 AM
Class: Coach
Equipment: Embraer ERJ-170
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
Actually, I think that's something else -- perhaps the replacement flight for that morning's YYZ-ORD? Flight 1769 would have been a mainline flight, so an Airbus or a Boeing.
That doesn't explain the mixed cabin, but it might explain the timing of the schedule change -- it wouldn't surprise me if the United Express flights were blocked for more time, either to handle operational delays or because the mainline jets cruise at a slightly higher speed.
That doesn't explain the mixed cabin, but it might explain the timing of the schedule change -- it wouldn't surprise me if the United Express flights were blocked for more time, either to handle operational delays or because the mainline jets cruise at a slightly higher speed.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,414
My schedule has UA1769 YYZ-ORD as a daily 73G blocked for 0600-0705. I'm guessing the schedule change was replacing the E70 with mainline, although not immediately obvious why that would result in an 18-minute increase in block time. Maybe has to do with where frame usually comes from and guards against inbound delays, who knows.
The key here is why was OP booked into Economy on the first segment originally and how was the ticket constructed? In the likely case of a single premium fare component, he should probably be entitled to Business the whole way through with this schedule change, but it might require a bit of pushing especially since it's an agency ticket.
The key here is why was OP booked into Economy on the first segment originally and how was the ticket constructed? In the likely case of a single premium fare component, he should probably be entitled to Business the whole way through with this schedule change, but it might require a bit of pushing especially since it's an agency ticket.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 14
My schedule has UA1769 YYZ-ORD as a daily 73G blocked for 0600-0705. I'm guessing the schedule change was replacing the E70 with mainline, although not immediately obvious why that would result in an 18-minute increase in block time. Maybe has to do with where frame usually comes from and guards against inbound delays, who knows.
The key here is why was OP booked into Economy on the first segment originally and how was the ticket constructed? In the likely case of a single premium fare component, he should probably be entitled to Business the whole way through with this schedule change, but it might require a bit of pushing especially since it's an agency ticket.
The key here is why was OP booked into Economy on the first segment originally and how was the ticket constructed? In the likely case of a single premium fare component, he should probably be entitled to Business the whole way through with this schedule change, but it might require a bit of pushing especially since it's an agency ticket.
Just wanted to thank everyone for the help and friendly welcomes. Seems like a good place to be for a forum.
Im going to call them and push for business for both legs, especially since i am just starting out as a "premium" flyer and will continue to only book more expensive flights as I go.
Ill post reply and advise what the outcome was.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 14
Thought I would have a much more difficult time. Chase agreed with asking to be put in first/business for both legs, and they called United.
United placed both legs into first class.
Thank you everyone for your assistance.
United placed both legs into first class.
Thank you everyone for your assistance.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Thanks for reporting back! ^ Enjoy the lounges and the big seats. And CZM.
#15
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729