rankourabu

Really, because I see lots of international business and first class tickets to every corner in the world.....

As for domestic, what do people expect, availability to be the same, while capacity is reduced, and every kettle with a sign up bonus credit card is redeeming for domestic tickets on united.com because they dont know any better, obviously that will be the first source to dry up.

FlyerChrisK

^^^

kb1992

Please, kettles do not dry up saver domestic XY awards.

UA used to release them at 330 day mark, but not anymore.

As people start to book spring and summer 2012 travel, more and more will find out about this.

NY is 1K inventory for economy awards. It is a joke now.

I am amazed that some people still do NOT have a clue after reading posts in this thread.

belfordrocks

I DO have a clue, but I'm saying it doesn't matter becuase there are partner/CO awards that fulfil the same need.

kb1992

Say you find partner awards from IAD/ORD/SFO/LAX to SIN or HKG or SYD.

If you live in BOS or many of these US cities other than IAD/ORD/SFO/LAX, how do you get to the gateway cities if UA has no XY available?

Do you drive? Walk? Take a bus? Taxi? Buy another ticket?

Doesn't matter?

So much for the clue.

bdraco

Rack up some connections and then waitlist the non-stop.

DELee

You're going to plan a multi-$K, multi-continent vacation with your spouse and kids for 2012 and key to your travel is waitlisting some/all? What if you've got younger children - and they don't clear the list. Try that with your spouse and money. Oh, and those hotel and other reservations don't work if you don't get there to check-in. You got to be kidding.

David

belfordrocks

Then you could fly US metal via PHL/CLT/DCA or Continental via IAH/CLE. Don't limit the options and then complain- because it may be harder, but to say that UA miles are now unspendable is quite silly and bizarre.

UA-NYC

IIRC if you have *A partners on an int'l itin, you can't waitlist a nonstop, nor can you waitlist a higher class of service if only a lower class of service is available (like domestic XY->XF on a full XC/XF ticket).

kb1992

Are you kidding?

Say you have a family vacation travel BOS-SFO-HKG on *A

But UA has no XY between BOS and LAX/ORD/SFO/IAD.

So you should do BOS-DCA-CLT-SFO on US?

How do you waitlist for UA nonstop? The rule clearly says no.

BTW you may have to stay at SFO for extra night since there isn't enough time for connection.

Try this with your spouse, children, and your own time, and money.

Great advice.

rankourabu

If there was no XY BOS-hub, I would just go
BOS-YYZ/YUL-HKG on AC
BOS-FRA/MUC-HKG on LH
BOS-ZRH-HKG on LX
BOS-LHR-HKG on VS

So many options out there... lack of UA metal awards is irrelevant unless you live in a place with absolutely no other option.

And while techincally true you cannot waitlist - you can change awards for free if orgin/dest is the same up to 21 days out. So if you really want those seats, you ll keep checking daily - but of course that takes effort - its much easier to just whine that there is no awards available....

kb1992

There are many, many more American cities where UA serves but absolutely no *A carrier.

That is how serious this issue is.

Even for few cities like BOS where *A serves, there are still problems. AC has cut BOS-YYZ awards so much since it's served by small planes. Have you tried and see that going through Europe often results in very long layovers. Instead of 20 hours BOS-ORD-HKG, you look at 30 hours BOS-MUC/FRA-HKG.

Not sure your spouse and kids likes this idea.

*A only serves handful of cities in USA. (Let's exclude US/CO for now). So for folks in all other cities, XY availability on UA is critical.

It looks really really bad. I never imagined that UA could be worse than DL.

Don't know how anyone can deny that.

Lack of XY on UA is catastrophic for most people. It's a change occurred few months ago. A significant downgrade of MP benefit.

rankourabu

hardly. I just looked at BUF (a small airport like you mentioned)... I can get to any hub at anytime domestically until the end of schedule

Also checked BOS-YYZ, there are non-stops available every day until end of schedule (missing may 5 days in a year) ... hardly catastrophic.. and I dont know how that can be described as "cut so much"

*Alliance serves a handful of cities in the USA? LH alone flies to 17 US destinations

flyer4512

So what is this secret booking ( secret because I never heard of it) that you are using. ?

I am looking on UA, CO and partner flights on both sites . I find next to nothing MSP/BDL R/T for 25 K Saturday to Saturday travel starting late May 2012.

If I am looking in the wrong spot please let me know


Thanks

belfordrocks

^^+1

Absolutely- the amount of options available is still very high- not a legimitate reason to whinge or claim that United miles are now useless.