Apr 3, 2019, 8:38 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the master thread is UA MP Saver Award/Upgrade Inventory (& partners) -when is it released?
United Saver Award/Upgrade Inventory (& partners) - when is it released? [Archive]
Sep 9, 2015, 11:51 am
#2416
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: MDT
Programs: DL, AA
Posts: 390
Right, but I imagine their inventory is updated at the same time everyday. Asking how many days out a saver award is released seems to be impossible to know but I'd like to think there is a time each day the inventory is updated. In any event, I ended up getting the tickets I needed so it doesn't impact me right now but it would still be helpful for others to know.
Sep 9, 2015, 5:59 pm
#2417
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: lax
Programs: 1k
Posts: 440
I'm looking for economy saver tickets on a specific route and was wondering if anyone knows what time the inventory is updated each night/morning. I found a post from a couple years ago but I didn't find anything more definitive or recent.
"I did some more experimentation last night but I fell asleep for a couple of hours in the middle of my testing so I didn't get the definitive answer. The awards were not loaded by midnight pacific time. The new awards were active sometime before 3 AM pacific. So, I'm thinking they load on the hour and that this means that the awards would have been loaded either at 1 AM pacific (4 AM eastern) or 2 AM pacific (5 AM eastern). I'll try to confirm this another night."
"I did some more experimentation last night but I fell asleep for a couple of hours in the middle of my testing so I didn't get the definitive answer. The awards were not loaded by midnight pacific time. The new awards were active sometime before 3 AM pacific. So, I'm thinking they load on the hour and that this means that the awards would have been loaded either at 1 AM pacific (4 AM eastern) or 2 AM pacific (5 AM eastern). I'll try to confirm this another night."
Thanks let us know. I think you are pretty close on your times from my experience anyway.I have not seen it change in the middle of the day for me, which is always to SEAsia.
Sep 10, 2015, 12:04 pm
#2418
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: MDT
Programs: DL, AA
Posts: 390
That was a quote from skimthetrees back in June of 2012.
Sep 17, 2015, 12:13 pm
#2419
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA Premier Gold, Starwood Gold, Plat AE, CO PP MC, Marriott Rewards Plat, Virgin Elevate Gold
Posts: 1,416
I want to fly LAX-EZE in Business F, flexible days, booking within next week?
Am wondering how successful most folks are with waiting until the very last day or 2 before a flight before booking a ticket.
I want to go in BusinessFirst or First, and i want the Saver award level
I am searching months in advance, and once in a while, a flight will pop up , usually on crappy partners like Copa
HOWEVER, I am noticing on a somewhat regular basis, availability on the day of or day before departure (e.g., if I wanted to fly in the next few hours, there is a flight LAX-IAH, then the IAH-EZE connecting flight TODAY available for 55K miles - an excellent deal !)
Do some of you do this on a regular basis, i.e., wait until the very last minute?
I want to go in BusinessFirst or First, and i want the Saver award level
I am searching months in advance, and once in a while, a flight will pop up , usually on crappy partners like Copa
HOWEVER, I am noticing on a somewhat regular basis, availability on the day of or day before departure (e.g., if I wanted to fly in the next few hours, there is a flight LAX-IAH, then the IAH-EZE connecting flight TODAY available for 55K miles - an excellent deal !)
Do some of you do this on a regular basis, i.e., wait until the very last minute?
Sep 17, 2015, 12:25 pm
#2421
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,648
if the trip is flexible, this is a perfectly viable strategy and i've used it regularly. if you need to be there on a specific day for a specific duration of time, consider booking something less desirable (ie, standard award or saver on CM) and then changing to saver if/when it opens up at the last minute.
Sep 17, 2015, 12:31 pm
#2422
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
Another (back-up) option is to look at flights into Brazil (GIG, GRU), with a "local" connection to/from EZE.
Sep 17, 2015, 12:36 pm
#2423
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: BWI<MCI< PHL<DEN<SCL<EZE<CHO<PHL<ABE
Programs: UA Silver / FA
Posts: 939
if the trip is flexible, this is a perfectly viable strategy and i've used it regularly. if you need to be there on a specific day for a specific duration of time, consider booking something less desirable (ie, standard award or saver on CM) and then changing to saver if/when it opens up at the last minute.
On the flip, Europe is much easier to capitalize on this strategy due to the amount of partners, connections and direct routes.
Also, lack of lie-flats aside. I personally wouldn't rate Copa as "crappy". I've had several great experiences on them with little to no IRROPS.
Sep 17, 2015, 1:01 pm
#2424
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Am wondering how successful most folks are with waiting until the very last day or 2 before a flight before booking a ticket.
I want to go in BusinessFirst or First, and i want the Saver award level
I am searching months in advance, and once in a while, a flight will pop up , usually on crappy partners like Copa
HOWEVER, I am noticing on a somewhat regular basis, availability on the day of or day before departure (e.g., if I wanted to fly in the next few hours, there is a flight LAX-IAH, then the IAH-EZE connecting flight TODAY available for 55K miles - an excellent deal !)
Do some of you do this on a regular basis, i.e., wait until the very last minute?
I want to go in BusinessFirst or First, and i want the Saver award level
I am searching months in advance, and once in a while, a flight will pop up , usually on crappy partners like Copa
HOWEVER, I am noticing on a somewhat regular basis, availability on the day of or day before departure (e.g., if I wanted to fly in the next few hours, there is a flight LAX-IAH, then the IAH-EZE connecting flight TODAY available for 55K miles - an excellent deal !)
Do some of you do this on a regular basis, i.e., wait until the very last minute?
I have noticed many times that the domestic flight is the limiting factor of late. If the main segment is available, you can book it and then tack on the domestic portion when it opens up...or worst case, pay for revenue flight to position to IAH.
Sep 17, 2015, 3:20 pm
#2425
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA Premier Gold, Starwood Gold, Plat AE, CO PP MC, Marriott Rewards Plat, Virgin Elevate Gold
Posts: 1,416
Are you searching only for the entire route, or just the main (IAH->EZE) segment for C/F availability?
I have noticed many times that the domestic flight is the limiting factor of late. If the main segment is available, you can book it and then tack on the domestic portion when it opens up...or worst case, pay for revenue flight to position to IAH.
I have noticed many times that the domestic flight is the limiting factor of late. If the main segment is available, you can book it and then tack on the domestic portion when it opens up...or worst case, pay for revenue flight to position to IAH.
If I know I can get a confirmed BF seat IAH-EZE even if it means a coach seat for the LAX-IAH routing, I will do it.
Sep 18, 2015, 8:10 am
#2426
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
United F Class Saver awards EU-USA Low Season
Looking at some award availability on New Years Day (which I thought was a light travel day) and there are absolutely no F saver tickets from Europe to anywhere in the USA. Is this typical where they block it a few months in advance and release space much closer in kind of like LH?
Sep 18, 2015, 8:26 am
#2427
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
Looking at some award availability on New Years Day (which I thought was a light travel day) and there are absolutely no F saver tickets from Europe to anywhere in the USA. Is this typical where they block it a few months in advance and release space much closer in kind of like LH?
Sep 18, 2015, 10:13 am
#2428
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Plat, SPG & Marriott Gold, CC Silver
Posts: 541
Looking at some award availability on New Years Day (which I thought was a light travel day) and there are absolutely no F saver tickets from Europe to anywhere in the USA. Is this typical where they block it a few months in advance and release space much closer in kind of like LH?
Sep 18, 2015, 10:28 am
#2429
Join Date: May 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, WN A+, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Amb, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,129
I've been looking for Asia-SFO awards after New Years for months now and haven't seen anything open up yet. Loads look quite light, so optimistic availability will get better much closer to desired departure date. Same limited availability also applies for AA and oneworld partners.
Sep 18, 2015, 1:10 pm
#2430
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
Anecdotally, I've reached the same conclusion. United wants to grab as many suckers as it can before releasing saver awards.
Last edited by goalie; Sep 19, 2015 at 11:03 am Reason: changed airline reference to the actual airline name