DebBrown

R space is an upgrade, right? What's the code for a C class award seat? Anyone ever seen these on this route?

Deb

WineCountryUA

yes , R/RN
yes , I/IN

see wiki of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...uckets-ua.html for more

Yes, AMS is "easier" to find than LHR or FRA

ReadyforNextTrip

We've used UA points for multiple flights in the past, but we've been watching for United saver possibilities from EWR to DEL for a couple of months now and no luck. Our trip to a wedding in India is for February 2016. Does anyone have any idea about whether there are ever any saver seats made available on UA flight from EWR to DEL?

LaserSailor

Saver coach yes. Saver Business/First I would not count on it if your schedule is not flexible like wedding plans.

Kacee

I see lots of availability on partners in both economy and business throughout February. The UA nonstop is obviously much tougher. If you have to fly on specific days, you may have to be a bit flexible in terms of your routing.

Echelon

It takes patience and persistence. Inventory opens up all the time, but often not in the class you want.

It's a great search engine.

Dieuwer

Is there a schedule of *A airlines listing the approximate date at which they release saver award seats to MileagePlus?

jsmirand

What a journey it has been. From loyal UAL flyer where my wife and I have 750k miles, recalling the days where we always flew United to Hawaii, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Through a combination of buying F, upgrading coach, we represented a healthy combined revenue share to UA.

A few years back, as both Silvers or PremEx (varied by year), Smisek destroyed any incentive to remain, and we switched to US Air, which strangely enough, proved much better, with about 40% complimentary first class upgrade rates out of their PHX hub, with affordable Business (Envoy) class upgrades to Europe which were mostly available, whereas UA by comparison was trying to make us lucky to get split at T-24 hours to get E+.

I recall initially how the move to eject silvers out of E+ was thought about Smisek deeply concerned to 'protect' the E+ cabin for their high 1k+ flyers; how funny, what rose colored glasses that turned out to be.

Back to United, my wife and are sitting on 500k miles with zero EQMs, and have been trying to work a 8-12 dayish vacation plan around these. Literally, almost nothing is available to Europe or South Pacific in a Business or better cabin. And UA has lost my confidence, I would not consider flying UA coach over a pond, even for free. I tried searching many major European capitals: FRA, Munich, Brussels, CDG, Spain, even LHR and buying connections from there.... From ORD, from SFO, from LAX, from DEN. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Not in Q1 16, Q2 16, Q4 15. Nothing. Star alliance LH premium cabin has also become very hard. Plenty of economy seats, but I just don't want to spend my vacation on UA economy over the pond.

So what to do? Should I just cash these miles in for a couple mac laptops, a TV or two?

Are others in my situation, sitting on many miles, unwilling to spend time on UA economy over the pond, doing what I would never have considered, cash the mileage for shopping, then be done, completely, once and for all, with UA?

John

747FC

I feel your pain....

After 30 years of using miles for our yearly F vacations on UA, it is tougher and tougher to get these premium seats. Where we used to go in F on UA, we sometimes need to book J on a partner.

That being said, just came back from LHR, and flew UA F both ways. We are also scheduled next year to return from FRA in F. Unfortunately our trip to Asia is in J on a partner as UA F did not open up on the right date for us...yet.

Keep trying. Reserve in a lower class, and keep on checking because J and F do sometimes open up....

kthpence

Here's a quick search of SFO-FRA in FEB/MAR 2016 - tons of award space in J, mostly all with LH (which is much preferable anyway). I'm not sure you were looking in the right places? It may be worth it to use an award booking agency if you don't want to put in the effort to look for flights.

Kacee

Virtually all the "availability" reflected by the green on that calendar consists of connecting itineraries with a lengthy domestic segment in Y. And of course nothing on UA metal - all 70K one-way partner awards. Saver TATL business awards from SFO are really tough . . . easier from ORD, IAD or EWR.

I don't think there's any question that UA long-haul award availability has gotten consistently worse over the past six months (and it wasn't that great six months ago). I have noticed in particular that UA doesn't release I on TPACs even on flights that are R9 and have a wide open J cabin. Not even within 24 hours of departure.

And yet they continue to heavily push miles for sale. If they didn't have the ADA to protect them, they would get sued for deceptive marketing practices.

pinkblanket

I want to share my experience of having a United agent on the phone releasing two saver award spaces for me.

I booked two saver award business class seats on AMS-YYZ-DEN flight on Air Canada. I made the booking in summer 2015 for flight in October 2015. At that time, United had a special deal where we can book on partner flight for 57,500 miles instead of the usual 70,000 miles.

Fast forward a few months later, I had to make a change on the schedule due to work, and conveniently, I saw the YYZ-DEN flight also had an aircraft change and schedule change. So I tried to find availability for AMS-whatever airport-DEN. After spending sometime, I found some convoluted route AMS-DUB-YYZ-YYC-DEN with only the transatlantic portion in business and the rest in economy (for two people).

I called United asking to get this new route due to schedule change of the original flight, and yet the United agent offered me a simple route: AMS-IAD-DEN. I said "But United.com shows that route is only available on Standard award." Agent said "Yes, but I can open two Saver Award seats for you because of the schedule change on your Toronto-Denver flight." Since it was due to schedule change, I did not have to pay the award change fee or the $75 close-in booking fee.

So, I was surprised that agent had the ability to open such availability. In the end, I get to spend 2 x 57,500-mile Saver Award even though United.com showed no Saver availability. FYI, I have no status with United.

kthpence

Not really, no. Mostly all of what I saw was SFO-SEA-FRA, so only 2 hours in X, which can be waitlisted and potentially moved into I. To me, that's not too bad at all, and I much prefer to spend the miles on *A instead of UA TATL, especially when you are stuck on EIGHT abreast in J on the 777.

jsmirand

I want to thank you for re-encouraging me to search. When I ranted yesterday, it was a reflection of many months of searching the last of which was about a month back, and over summer and early fall, my recollection was a much much lower level of awards and I became fairly discouraged at the ability to construct a premium cabin itinerary abroad for a roughly 10 day trip.

Encouraged by your posting, I searched again today and found a workable itinerary, my wife and I on global first from ORD to MUC, then CDG back to SFO.

But we begin from PHX. When I added PHX as my true start point instead of a larger gateway city to Europe, all the global first and many business class options would disappear.

Overall I can deal with funding our domestic segment to ORD or a return home from SFO (possibly may go domestic on AA as that is where I transitioned elite level and UA didn't make it easier on that portion of the award anyhow), the important thing was to translate the UA miles into a substantial over the pond premium cabin experience. So thank you... I guess no two free mac books for now, or maybe I have miles for one mac book after this booking.

John

Kacee

Much of what I saw was ex-ORD, EWR, or IAD. So minimum 3.5 hours in Y if you're trying to fly from SFO. And see OP's response, above . . . unable to find any connectors to PHX.