aacharya

EWR-HNL, as there'd never be a first class class published for the other flight.

I think BF seats are in the "I" bucket. O is for three-class F.

MSUspartans

So, since via United.com the flights are "linked" in availability. (ie, if I search DTW-HNL all the flights come up) I just want to search the EWR-HNL first/business saver. When/if it shows availability then I g to the website and try to book the whole thing... correct?

If I don't care the exact flight either I just make a few alerts for what shows on united.com?

hm..

First - Saver Award (O)
First - Standard Award (FN)
First - Upgrades (ON)
First/Business - Saver Award and Alliance Upgrades (I)
First/Business - Saver Award for Plat Elites (IN)
First/Business - Standard Award (ZN)
First/Business - Standard Award & Y Class Upgrade for Elites (JN)
First/Business - Upgrade from B/M Class for Elites (PN)
First/Business - Upgrade with Miles/GPU/RPU/CPU for Elites (RN)
First/Business - Upgrade with Miles/GPU/RPU/CPU R/RN (R)

So I will cover all the seats up there without messing up the search from the alliance upgrades?

fjfv19

It is important to note that since you cannot set an alert for DTW-HNL and vice versa, you need to set an alert for each segment. You need the appropriate saver award availability in first/BusinessFirst for both segments for the award to price correctly. If you get the award availability for EWR-HNL in I as previously noted, book it. Then, once you get the availability on DTW-EWR in saver, book that as well. You can't just set an alert for DTW-HNL...many combinations of flights can work for that routing.

MSUspartans

The problem I see with that is that it costs more miles then... right?

The whole one way trip is 40k DTW-EWR(or wherever)-HNL
If I book in pieces isn't it DTW-EWR 12,500 --- EWR-HNL 40k?

Duke787

Whichever leg opens up first book it online (presuming it shows up on .bomb), and then when the other leg becomes available call it in immediately and have it added to your existing reservation (aka whichever leg you already have booked). It should re-price to the appropriate DTW - HNL one way saver/ standard price at that time.

craz

No apologies necessary!

Problem was if someone simply read what was then the last page and your post where you said Nothing was avaialble , they would have been correct in thinking UA Blocked off ALL Award flights. All I did was to try and get people to realize that if they are Flex they can find some Biz or Y seats.

I didnt check it but could be even NRT-FRA-JFK-SFO was available in Biz. A person might have to build it as NRT-JFK and then have JFK-SFO added. I dont usually scratch my Right ear with my Left hand. But if a person didnt care what the routing was as long as it wasnt in Y and they could get it using their Miles, some might actually route it that very long way, especially if they wanted a Stopover in Europe for Free

I didnt check beyond NRT-JFK but Im sure other routes from FRA were available maybe even a FRA-SFO non-stop be it LH or UA or a LX via ZRH to LA then UA to SFO.For those who have the time and are Plats+ no change fees its not that bad scoring something and then going back to pique it to where it may open up offering something better in options.

I recently had a XYZ-DUS-FRA overnight PHL. Didnt really want it,alot of extra taxes but took the best that was available. T-1 week LH opened the XYZ-FRA non-stop and grabbed that, but the early flight to FRA didnt open so still meant Overnighting

But I Agree with Everyone the non-stops NRT-USA just arent there on UA, they were some on ANA to ORD

MSUspartans

thanks.

FlyWorld

So I have just double checked and, there is not one single seat with saver availability in J or in F on UA or NH from NRT or KIX to SFO from Jul 1 to Aug 31. Not one.

The "nonstop flights only" option is *NOT* checked, so, this seems to also indicate there isn't any flight from that origin to that destination in that time period on any *A carrier. For example, OZ through ICN, which in the past was always an option for Japan-SFO. And, this is also meaning no availability on any UA or NH or OZ flight from KIX or NRT to SFO via a logical gateway such as LAX or SEA. And, when I separately search NRT to LAX or SEA, I also get the same results as to SFO. Oddly, though, when I enter LAX or SEA then hit "search" it comes back with SFO as the destination again. Don't know if this is yet another SHARES or .bomb bug on top of the problem.

I did find about 4 days in 60 day period that had some saver Y availability today. When I looked yesterday, that did not even exist.

aacharya

No, it's the same. There's a lot to learn about award ticketing -there's a good thread here on the topic.

milepig

This is what I was seeing for ORD-NRT as well (UA and NH) not a single seat.

craz

Found ; 8/22 NRT-MUC LH 12:40p-5:45p (overnight)

8/23 MUC-JFK LH 11:45a-2:55pm

8/23 JFK-SFO UA 6:30p-10p

1- JFK-SFO for July didnt exist I admitt

2- there were other dates in Aug out of NRT after 8/17 and not before some were Mixed = Y and C (no I wouldnt want to pay for C and be stuck in Y for a long haul) but I wouldnt be at all surprised to see availabilty open up later on

3- I too wouldnt want to have to end up flying on what I found but if a person was dead set on an award tkt Beggers cant be Chosers

I remember yrs ago with PMCO booking a EWR-DCA-CLE-ORD then AZ ORD-FCO-TLV flew in the end EWR-BOS-FCO-TLV with BOS-FCO-TLV on AZ it was that or close to $2k for a Y tkt at least it was Biz but AZ was the pits. (ElCheapos back then were $700 if that much so $2k was way up there, BF was running $2400 I think as a D)

So I do practice what I preach, when I say grab what you can grab when you can grab it and pique it afterwards if you are able. If I didnt have a high enough status (no change fees) Im not sure if I would play the game, since most of my fine piquing is done < 21 days out and close to 50% of it on my OutBound date.Thats for either direction and at times Ive changed my Outbound airport EWR to JFK or vice versa date of Departure

On avg I would say I have close to a dz changes per Award trip

FlyWorld

I know the NRT-SFO pattern very well.

What's happening now on that route is unprecedented.

It's not clear to me if there is something being done systemwide, or, if there is something that has eliminated inventory specifically in that date range specifically between Japan and the US West Coast.

Comments like yours suggest that availability might still be normal for other routes.

craz

I wouldnt use the word 'normal' but theres not much Europe-US either be it UA or a partner.

A person needs to go back to the ANA search days (although I only used UA.com) and plug in the different Hubs to see what if anything pops up and that they can piece together.Its far from perfect but if a person is Flex and doesnt mind long layovers or Overnight at times its possible to pull it off but I admitt its very far from an Ideal situation and 1 that I myself would prefer to avoid if at all possible.

But its far from saying Outright Nothing at All exists. A few options do exist more in Aug then July but extremely far from being Ideal I admitt. Some were via CAI on EgyptAir. Didnt look via IST TK usually had some options

uastarflyer

I had to grab NRT-DEN award on the 787 and buy a 1-way to SFO. Y travel.

And that was back in Feb for July travel. It had already been zeroed out on 852 and 838. LAX zeroed out too.

craz

I just checked AA Nothing NRT-SFO in July except 7/23 and that was HA HND-HNL then AS with a stop to SFO 1 flight in Saver Biz the whole month of July! I searched asking 1 way NRT-SFO so maybe there would have been something if I played AA like I did UA. But fact is AA was no better if anything its worse then UA

Late August had some dates but 1/2 the amount the UA showed me when I played it via JFK and only last week of Aug while UA was showing from 8/17