Does SAA ever release more than 4 award seats?
Sep 20, 2018, 6:11 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: SEA once more (previously CDG and NRT)
Programs: Former DL DM and UA 1k, now a J class free agent (UA Gold, AS MVP Gold)
Posts: 2,450
I recently managed to book 4 tickets for MRU-JNB in J using United miles. That was all I needed, but more were available.
Feb 15, 2019, 7:00 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
I have been trying to find 2 J award seats from IAD to JNB (in the hope of trying their new J cabin on the 333), anytime in April or May 2019 but so far I haven't found a single date with 2 award seats. A very few dates with 1, though. I've tried via LHR too, and like IAD if there is availability it's only 1 seat. I'm using ExpertFlyer FYI.
I think I might book 1 J seat, and set an alert hoping that another one will come up at some point. I read on other threads that they tend to release awards closer to the date... not sure if my strategy is great though hah.
I think I might book 1 J seat, and set an alert hoping that another one will come up at some point. I read on other threads that they tend to release awards closer to the date... not sure if my strategy is great though hah.
Feb 16, 2019, 9:09 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Which airline's miles are you planning to use?
Feb 17, 2019, 12:16 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
On EF click on the Awards and Upgrades tab. Fill in the details for the trip you want choosing United as the airline. Do the search and look for the flight you want on the results page. (This will only be possible from the award release date - but test it on an earlier date to see how it works.). Click on the little tab with an exclamation mark and a pop-up box will appear in which you can set up the alert details.
Mods: This question probably belongs on the United board?
Mods: This question probably belongs on the United board?
Feb 19, 2019, 6:54 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
On EF click on the Awards and Upgrades tab. Fill in the details for the trip you want choosing United as the airline. Do the search and look for the flight you want on the results page. (This will only be possible from the award release date - but test it on an earlier date to see how it works.). Click on the little tab with an exclamation mark and a pop-up box will appear in which you can set up the alert details.
My example is a one-way IAD-CPT (Business saver award) on 14 Jan 2020. Preferred flight IAD-JNB (stop in ACC), JNB-CPT. SA210 & SA363.
20 Jan 2020, searching IAD-CPT on United.com
In EF Awards & Upgrades, if I search with UA as my airline I get results but none with available seats, and I don't see all the same results when running the same search on United.com. Searching UA on EF only seems to give me results where the first flight is UA, and is often, but not always, a TATL (e.g. IAD-FRA). I don't see the itineraries that are 100% SA (South African).
"UA" on EF
However, when I search EF Awards & Upgrades for SA, I do see the SA flights that show on United.com
"SA" on EF
Presumably I need to use a combination of United.com and EF depending on my needs. It will be my intention to grab flights ASAP when they are available (flying May 2020).
Is there somewhere on EF I can see how many seats (e.g. in "I" class) are available? EF just says Seats = "Yes"
Feb 20, 2019, 12:30 am
#22
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
That is puzzling - in more ways than one.
I think one part of the puzzle may be reliance on the EF availability shown for SA using SA Voyager miles. Because SA uses “Dynamic rewards” ( i.e. all seats are available as rewards - but the number of miles requires depends on the price of the seat) technically every flight will show as having availability. This is not the same availability that you need when using UA miles or the miles of any other partner airline, so it’s basically meaningless for your purposes.
Why EF is not finding/showing the same availability as United.com I don’t know. The denizens of the United board are more likely to have experience in this and be able to provide answers.
I think one part of the puzzle may be reliance on the EF availability shown for SA using SA Voyager miles. Because SA uses “Dynamic rewards” ( i.e. all seats are available as rewards - but the number of miles requires depends on the price of the seat) technically every flight will show as having availability. This is not the same availability that you need when using UA miles or the miles of any other partner airline, so it’s basically meaningless for your purposes.
Why EF is not finding/showing the same availability as United.com I don’t know. The denizens of the United board are more likely to have experience in this and be able to provide answers.
Feb 20, 2019, 7:44 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: N/A
Programs: UA 1K, BA Gold, LH/SN/LX Senator
Posts: 449
That is puzzling - in more ways than one.
I think one part of the puzzle may be reliance on the EF availability shown for SA using SA Voyager miles. Because SA uses “Dynamic rewards” ( i.e. all seats are available as rewards - but the number of miles requires depends on the price of the seat) technically every flight will show as having availability. This is not the same availability that you need when using UA miles or the miles of any other partner airline, so it’s basically meaningless for your purposes.
Why EF is not finding/showing the same availability as United.com I don’t know. The denizens of the United board are more likely to have experience in this and be able to provide answers.
I think one part of the puzzle may be reliance on the EF availability shown for SA using SA Voyager miles. Because SA uses “Dynamic rewards” ( i.e. all seats are available as rewards - but the number of miles requires depends on the price of the seat) technically every flight will show as having availability. This is not the same availability that you need when using UA miles or the miles of any other partner airline, so it’s basically meaningless for your purposes.
Why EF is not finding/showing the same availability as United.com I don’t know. The denizens of the United board are more likely to have experience in this and be able to provide answers.
Feb 20, 2019, 4:06 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,855
Feed the individual segments into united.com, IME it sometimes struggles to put segments together, especially if two different carriers other than UA are involved.
