website issue + phantom flight
 

hey guys, I'll try to keep this short...

I noticed via hotwire that UA runs flight 861 from GRU-GIG. However, it is impossible to book this flight in any fashion via the united.com website. I called the premier line as well as united.com support and they were perplexed and couldn't figure out what was going on, nor could they book the flight if i wanted to. If you attempt to do a one way from GRU-GIG the united.com website says that "United does not offer service between Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG). Please modify your search criteria."


I noticed all of this when seaching for a RT from from AUS-GIG departing 12/04 and returning 12/10 on kayak/hotwire. In those itineraries flight 861 shows up as TAM 8283 for both the IAD-GRU and GRU-GIG legs. However, if you check the united flight status it's actually flight 861 for both legs and it appears to be operated by united. I even checked the flight status for tomorrow and the entire plane is nearly empty. I guess it's hard for people to book it if the united.com support can't do it either :)

Anyway, the AUS-IAD-GRU-GIG option obviously doesn't show up as a possible itinerary on united.com because of this problem, nor do any other possible itineraries from any other origin point that could utilize the GRU-GIG leg.

In this case my desired itinerary (on hotwire) is $1082 vs. 1500-1900 normally. I'd like to just book it on united.com. Does anyone think i should just risk it and book on hotwire??

thanks!

I just tried a quick search and it came right up -

http://i46.tinypic.com/35lulh3.png

Please read my thread more carefully. Your showing an itinerary though ORD. The itinerary im talking about it AUS-IAD-GRU-GIG

UA is not permitted to sell flights intra-Brazil. You can only take the GRU-GIG/GIG-GRU flights if it's part of a connection to/from the US. That's why it doesn't come up when you try and book it as a one way. Similarly.. you can't purchase flights on UA from SYD-MEL in Australia.. but they do fly it.

Note flight 861 in the above example IAD-GIG shows a stop in GRU. Your desired flights do indeed show up at United.com but they're quite a bit more expensive than what you can get from Hotwire.

Also, for arguments sake, just try booking a 1 way from GRU-GIG and see what happens.

okay thanks. that explains that part. however, it still doesn't explain why the AUS-IAD-GRU-GIG option is not available on united.com.

It is available.. I just found it.. but the fare is $1,967... just put in AUS-GIG with a 12/4-12/10 date and you'll find:

12/4
UA5585 AUS-IAD
UA861 IAD-GIG (stop at GRU)

12/10
UA861 GIG-IAD (stop at GRU)
UA3701 IAD-AUS

Q class, fare $1,967.

You have to scroll down a ways to find these options on the flight selection list. Other options through IAH & PTY are cheaper. The TAM code share sounds like a great deal.. I would take it if I didn't care about using a GPU..it will likely not be upgradeable except with miles+copay.

Actually, you can
 

Are you trying to do it as a multi-stop itinerary AUS-IAD-GRU-GIG? If so, that's probably why it won't price out, because United can't fly you from GRU to GIG as a stand-alone ticket. However, if you look for AUS-IAD-GIG, it'll price it out just fine for you. UA3773 AUS-IAD, connecting to UA861 IAD-GIG (with a stop at GIG).

Exactly - sorry, didn't realize that the ORD part was critical ;)

A random date (Jan 18) AUS-IAD-GRU-GIG $1,294 (OW) UA5488 (or UA3627)/ UA816 on united.com

If you still can not find it, use multicity to force IAD (preference seems to be ORD) but not GRU-GIG.

The fare I'm seeing is a UA flight to IAD and JJ coded UA flights IAD-GRU-GIG and v.v.. It's actually a JJ fare all the way through.

CO's systems won't let them sell codeshares for their own metal. The flights you want are JJ-coded UA flights, so I don't think you will be able to get them. Plus I doubt they would fare it as codeshare anyway (you need it to fare as JJ).

The fare is available at other agencies, so if you don't like Hotwire, you can book it elsewhere. But I don't think booking direct thru UA is an option.

I ran into something like this a year ago when CO/UA were still marketed separately. I had a CO voucher that I wanted to use, so CO had to book it, but UA had a lower fare than CO, even though the flights were CO metal (they were still filing fares separately at the time).

There was no way to get CO to book the UA-coded CO flights, but I got UA to book them with Apollo, then got CO to take it over and fare it, so it worked.

Since we're on CO's systems now, CO's system limitations would likely apply.