United not offering any seats in TK so how to get it?
May 14, 2019, 6:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
United not offering any seats in TK so how to get it?
I am looking at ADB-IAH around August. I have been trying to book a flight for the last 6 months only to see no availability in UA website. I am trying to book this with United miles in Turkish airlines economy class.
Since United is not offering anything, I tried Singapore Airlines thinking that they are in Star Alliance but I can not register. There is a problem with their registration page for US residents. I have thank you points also so I can transfer there too.
Then I tried TK website and saw that they are offering the same flight for 45K miles and the tax is much higher too. If I were to buy this flight on UA it would have been 30K miles + $6.00 (I know because I buy ever year) but TK website is offering or $45K TK miles + $87. Why is same flight one way costing much more than UA website?
Is there another way to get ADB-IAH? UA is not even offering other options like ADB-MUC-IAH. I guess UA website algorithm is not set up that way? All the options given are ADB-IST-IAH but there are tons of other ways where UA can fly me to Houston but they do not show it.
Am I missing something here?
Since United is not offering anything, I tried Singapore Airlines thinking that they are in Star Alliance but I can not register. There is a problem with their registration page for US residents. I have thank you points also so I can transfer there too.
Then I tried TK website and saw that they are offering the same flight for 45K miles and the tax is much higher too. If I were to buy this flight on UA it would have been 30K miles + $6.00 (I know because I buy ever year) but TK website is offering or $45K TK miles + $87. Why is same flight one way costing much more than UA website?
Is there another way to get ADB-IAH? UA is not even offering other options like ADB-MUC-IAH. I guess UA website algorithm is not set up that way? All the options given are ADB-IST-IAH but there are tons of other ways where UA can fly me to Houston but they do not show it.
Am I missing something here?
May 14, 2019, 10:36 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
I am looking at ADB-IAH around August. I have been trying to book a flight for the last 6 months only to see no availability in UA website. I am trying to book this with United miles in Turkish airlines economy class.
Since United is not offering anything, I tried Singapore Airlines thinking that they are in Star Alliance but I can not register. There is a problem with their registration page for US residents. I have thank you points also so I can transfer there too.
Then I tried TK website and saw that they are offering the same flight for 45K miles and the tax is much higher too. If I were to buy this flight on UA it would have been 30K miles + $6.00 (I know because I buy ever year) but TK website is offering or $45K TK miles + $87. Why is same flight one way costing much more than UA website?
Is there another way to get ADB-IAH? UA is not even offering other options like ADB-MUC-IAH. I guess UA website algorithm is not set up that way? All the options given are ADB-IST-IAH but there are tons of other ways where UA can fly me to Houston but they do not show it.
Am I missing something here?
Since United is not offering anything, I tried Singapore Airlines thinking that they are in Star Alliance but I can not register. There is a problem with their registration page for US residents. I have thank you points also so I can transfer there too.
Then I tried TK website and saw that they are offering the same flight for 45K miles and the tax is much higher too. If I were to buy this flight on UA it would have been 30K miles + $6.00 (I know because I buy ever year) but TK website is offering or $45K TK miles + $87. Why is same flight one way costing much more than UA website?
Is there another way to get ADB-IAH? UA is not even offering other options like ADB-MUC-IAH. I guess UA website algorithm is not set up that way? All the options given are ADB-IST-IAH but there are tons of other ways where UA can fly me to Houston but they do not show it.
Am I missing something here?
Also, United is one of the rare carriers that doesn't surcharge for all of the taxes on award tickets. All European carriers charge for all of the taxes when purchasing an award ticket. In your case, $87 is a great number as usually that amount is much higher when booking an award ticket with TK Miles&Smiles on TK.
Indeed, August is a peak season for all ADB-IST on TK, IST-IAH on TK, ADB-MUC on LH so it's quite normal that there is no award ticket availability for Star Alliance partners.
By the way, when you mention,
Is there another way to get ADB-IAH? UA is not even offering other options like ADB-MUC-IAH. I guess UA website algorithm is not set up that way? All the options given are ADB-IST-IAH but there are tons of other ways where UA can fly me to Houston but they do not show it.
May 15, 2019, 12:03 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 310
To briefly add, when there is some economy saver class availability, you would be able to book it (most likely) both on United and TK for 30k miles. But, as there is no saver award availability, what you see on the TK website is the “full price” award ticket for 45.000 miles, which is not available to United
May 15, 2019, 2:09 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,026
You can't... using United miles.
It's pretty simple. If any airline doesn't make award space available - "award saver" in the American vernacular - then you can't book it using a partner's miles.
You either are flexible on dates / destination, or you pay cash...
It's pretty simple. If any airline doesn't make award space available - "award saver" in the American vernacular - then you can't book it using a partner's miles.
You either are flexible on dates / destination, or you pay cash...
May 15, 2019, 8:51 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
Unfortunately, you are missing something; the award ticket system in for *A partners are different. To purchase a Star Alliance Award, there must exactly be available seats on the award ticket fare class bucket for your flight, this means that for Turkish Airlines Economy flights, the flight must have X fare class availability and for Business Class flights, the flight must have I fare class availability.
Also, United is one of the rare carriers that doesn't surcharge for all of the taxes on award tickets. All European carriers charge for all of the taxes when purchasing an award ticket. In your case, $87 is a great number as usually that amount is much higher when booking an award ticket with TK Miles&Smiles on TK.
Indeed, August is a peak season for all ADB-IST on TK, IST-IAH on TK, ADB-MUC on LH so it's quite normal that there is no award ticket availability for Star Alliance partners.
By the way, when you mention,
what do you mean? In the first part of your post, you have mentioned that United is not offering anything and now you mention that you have an ADB-IST-IAH option and seeking for a Lufthansa option.
Also, United is one of the rare carriers that doesn't surcharge for all of the taxes on award tickets. All European carriers charge for all of the taxes when purchasing an award ticket. In your case, $87 is a great number as usually that amount is much higher when booking an award ticket with TK Miles&Smiles on TK.
Indeed, August is a peak season for all ADB-IST on TK, IST-IAH on TK, ADB-MUC on LH so it's quite normal that there is no award ticket availability for Star Alliance partners.
By the way, when you mention,
what do you mean? In the first part of your post, you have mentioned that United is not offering anything and now you mention that you have an ADB-IST-IAH option and seeking for a Lufthansa option.
So if i want to fly adb to iah you would expect that UA would show any available option but they do not
So they offer adb-ist-iah but they could offer adb-muc--iah bit they don't
I know it is available because i can book it by choosing each leg seperately like adb-muc and muc-iah. I can buy it if i want to but costs more than tk 45k miles. Adb-muc is 15k and muc-iah is 55k so total is 70k miles
Why should i be investigating one by one? UA website is not working properly. Who knows maybe there are other options but i can not try one by one. Or maybe I am missing something
May 15, 2019, 8:55 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
To briefly add, when there is some economy saver class availability, you would be able to book it (most likely) both on United and TK for 30k miles. But, as there is no saver award availability, what you see on the TK website is the “full price” award ticket for 45.000 miles, which is not available to United
1) does expertflyer alert when x class of tk seat available on united website?
2) if you compare adb-iah to iah-adb both round trip, would it be cheaper to buy the one originating from Turkey?
I was not able to try yet cuz may 2020 is not for sale yet
May 15, 2019, 10:10 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
We here at TK would happily sell a few in-laws for an award booking interface like UA’s.
1 - I’m under the impression that that kind of scenario is exactly what those alerts were for.
2 - I find RT tickets ex US going east always more expensive than coming the other way.
2 - I find RT tickets ex US going east always more expensive than coming the other way.
May 15, 2019, 10:32 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
You can try to force connection through MUC using United advanced search features and putting MUC as the connecting airport. That said, there is no promise that it would work - most likely it would not work.
May 15, 2019, 10:41 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: TK E+, RJ S, AZ E
Posts: 1,868
This is for UA forum not the TK forum - but United is working exactly as United designed it to be. You can no longer stitch together legs of an award trip. It is either comes up with the search or it does not. If it does not, you cannot book it as one award, only as two. This has been the case for some time now.
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May 15, 2019, 10:51 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
Internal flights in Japan are always a special beast though, as they are opened for relatively short time frame - and I'm not sure if there are special rules about them.
In any case, this should be best discussed at the United forum.
May 15, 2019, 12:56 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
So I wanted to create an alert for TK 33 from IST to IAH on 8/13/2019
But expertflyer shows error saying
Turkish Airlines Seat Maps are only available within 100 days of departure.
It does not make sense. It is less than 100 days now
But expertflyer shows error saying
Turkish Airlines Seat Maps are only available within 100 days of departure.
It does not make sense. It is less than 100 days now
May 15, 2019, 2:29 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: TK E+, RJ S, AZ E
Posts: 1,868
Why are you trying to create a seat alert and not an award alert?
May 15, 2019, 2:44 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,026
May 15, 2019, 10:09 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: TK E+, RJ S, AZ E
Posts: 1,868
