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]
Feb 9, 2019, 9:26 pm
#3586
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,478
Feb 14, 2019, 8:36 am
#3587
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 38
IAH to Lim 2/15
Looks like tomorrow's flight is ZN9. I'm hoping to get saver business seats for the flight tomorrow and I'd like to think they'd open saver space given how empty the flight is. What time of day does United release seats typically? 24 hours before the flight or 12 Central? Appreciate any advice.
Feb 14, 2019, 8:54 am
#3588
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
Looks like tomorrow's flight is ZN9. I'm hoping to get saver business seats for the flight tomorrow and I'd like to think they'd open saver space given how empty the flight is. What time of day does United release seats typically? 24 hours before the flight or 12 Central? Appreciate any advice.
If you have a saver economy award on this flight, why not call and waitlist for business?
Feb 14, 2019, 9:34 am
#3589
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 38
Thanks for your help. As for WL'ing, I'd rather just pay the standard award price instead of risking enduring coach in united : )
Feb 24, 2019, 9:28 am
#3590
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 54
SFO HNL award availability in business class
Looking for 3 tickets in J on United on SFO-HNL route. How likely it is that UA would open such availability close to departure date? From what I have seen, they are initially offering only Y when availability window opens up... Thanks
Feb 24, 2019, 9:59 am
#3591
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,478
Very low probability. Maybe on one of the narrowbody flights, never on the 772. In general, expect to pay for F or fly in Y.
Feb 24, 2019, 12:07 pm
#3592
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,026
If you want saver awards, 3 off-season mid-week might be a remote possibility, but UA isn’t going to make them available until days before the flight. If you want to fly outside off-peak, midweek - either cough up the full miles or pay for it.
Feb 28, 2019, 12:25 pm
#3593
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 114
Posting mostly just to vent...but seeing a chart like this is quite infuriating due to it just picking up at the end of August like that...these are non stops from ZRH to ORD for this summer. This seems to be a pattern for all/most European cities with direct flights to ORD. The tough part was a good amount of days had zero flights available in J even on the earliest booking day possible.
Last edited by smurov; Feb 28, 2019 at 12:26 pm Reason: Typo
Feb 28, 2019, 1:47 pm
#3594
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,700
Posting mostly just to vent...but seeing a chart like this is quite infuriating due to it just picking up at the end of August like that...these are non stops from ZRH to ORD for this summer. This seems to be a pattern for all/most European cities with direct flights to ORD. The tough part was a good amount of days had zero flights available in J even on the earliest booking day possible.
OR are you saying that the calendar has a bug and says it should have availability nonstop, but doesn't?
Feb 28, 2019, 3:41 pm
#3595
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 114
Why is it infuriating? Summer is peak leisure travel to Europe vacation time. Why should UA have saver availability when it can have leisure passengers pay for upgrades / pay for business seating?
OR are you saying that the calendar has a bug and says it should have availability nonstop, but doesn't?
OR are you saying that the calendar has a bug and says it should have availability nonstop, but doesn't?
Not a great feeling to give more allegiance to a certain carrier, open more credit cards, use select shopping portals, and stockpile miles, only to have inventory diminished over time and it be more difficult to actually use those precious miles on what you want...but I digress...
Feb 28, 2019, 3:50 pm
#3596
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Feb 28, 2019, 3:54 pm
#3597
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,478
And I think it's generally true . . . award availability keeps getting worse and worse, with saver J TATL continuing to be extremely difficult.
Feb 28, 2019, 4:00 pm
#3598
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 114
For me, its that they push the cards on us, they release new cards, they put out milage bonuses on portals, etc. - is there a point at which it is not going to work out favorably for the airlines to do that, because people start focusing on other things like cash back cards or something else? All stemming from a lack of availability?
Feb 28, 2019, 4:05 pm
#3599
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,478
I can say that extreme diligence (check daily) has continued to work for me in finding award space. For example, I caught some NH space last week that was available for less than 24 hours.
There's also a lot to be said for focusing credit card spend on transferable currencies, such as Amex MR and Marriott, so you can transfer to programs that still offer decent availability.
Feb 28, 2019, 8:52 pm
#3600
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
If anything, the way that they're promoting the credit cards helps availability. Chase has a vested interest in people finding MileagePlus miles to be valuable. If UA cuts the program too much, they risk killing the golden goose. Besides which, UA actually has really good award availability for the awards the most people actually book -- domestic economy awards -- especially when you consider that many people will pay for domestic everyday awards. They might grumble, but they'll pay.
FlyerTalk is not representative of the flying public.