chinatraderjmr

I just tried this method on a one way BKK-SIN in Biz on TG. The UA web site wanted $789.00 For the same TG flight that cost $529 thru TG, Expedia & Orbitz. So even the Biz & First fares can be higher bought thru UA.COM. booked it as award & changed to paid res instead. The UA site was selling it under the C chucked, not sure what bucket the others were selling it under but biz class is biz class for my needs. Certainly not worth an extra $260 just to earn PQD's

You are correct. The fare states "only avail for tickets PURCHASED in India.........Thanks. (Still a great way to save $$ for those who will be going to India anyway & flying back to the US in F (and assume J)

Mike Jacoubowsky

Let's hope we feel that way mid-December!

Meantime, nice to know everyone's seen the same things I have. If you try to buy a ticket offered as an award, it will book into a very high fare class. Been that way for some time. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the change (not being able to book other carriers effectively) happened about the same time we adopted the CO-style website.

chinatraderjmr

When UA had actual ticket offices staffed by real people, I always bought tickets in other carriers. Never had a problem. If they could do it thorn, they can do it now. Only reason I can think of that they won't is either word from the top or just laziness

Mike Jacoubowsky

OK, seriously, this "the network" stuff that Jeff talks about? It's real. If you go back in time, before all the consolidation, it just wasn't always practical to route you entirely on United. Or any other single carrier. Things are different today. United flies most everywhere, and where they don't, someone in *A likely does. The exceptions are so rare (places UA or *A can't get you) that they likely amount to rounding errors in significance.

So I don't think it's laziness, nor United trying to make life difficult for you. Rather, it's United doing its best to keep you captive, because they can. United has the route structure, and the frequency.

chinatraderjmr

True, but they don't have the customer service nor the trust of the public. ( while their 2 competitors are spending millions on those things). UA can scream route structure & 787 till the cows come home but every day they treat us like fools, the HVF will leave for greener pastures. There is no mass exodus now but the flood gates are opening slowly. TWA, PA, EASTERNS demise didn't happen over night. It took years but at some point crap is crap & the biggest problem as I see it is UA truly thinks we are morons

Mike Jacoubowsky

All true. I was just answering the question asked. Plenty of other threads here about UA's customer service in general, and my point was that not booking flights on alternative carriers didn't happen because of a deterioration in customer service. Rather it was a normal evolution away from such bookings as UA became an increasingly self-contained solution for air travel.

PV_Premier

To your first bolded point, True true true. CO operated on a "captive" mentality, so does the new UA. shouldn't surprise anyone here that this is the new UA strategy.

But to your 2nd bolded point:

False. False. False.

There are tons of places that UA doesn't go, nor can they get you there via the most logical routing primarily on UA metal...but *A can. Look at Southern S Am. (eg, SCL), much of Africa (eg, JNB), and New Zealand (eg, the whole effing country) for a few examples. UA is basically saying "our pax don't need to go there, and if they do, they can either deal with our [junk] routings or pay us out the nose for 'real' PQMs on our partner carriers".

To me that is an unacceptable way to be acting as an alliance member, and has contributed greatly to my departure from the UA FF ranks.

Mike Jacoubowsky

I'd previously mentioned that if UA can't get you there, *A can (and UA will book said ticket). Are you saying that you cannot book a destination on ua.com to places served by *A but not UA? I haven't had that issue, nor is that the subject of the thread.

Col Ronson

You can't buy ANZ discount fares on UA.com. They only sell Y/B tickets which are $4500+

Nevermind the NZ discount fares don't even accure miles on UA, which is most likely a decision made by UA to force you onto 839/863 to SYD instead of taking NZ1 to AKL.

xox

Great thread. I've flown B fares on TG to BKK (in the old days when there was a direct LAX-BKK flight) and upgraded to C using miles. So I'm wondering whether I will be able to call United and book a B fare on TG on 016 stock. At a reasonable price. ITA Matrix quotes $1820 for the RT B fare for LAX-ICN-BKK-RGN (which I think is cheap) but when I try booking the award LAX-ICN-BKK-RGN and paying with cash, .com wants about $4850 (which is probably booked in Y).

Mbenz

I noticed when the merger happened I lost ability to book to certain places, such as cities in Africa serviced by South African Airways. used to book on 016 stock UA-LH-SA flights no problem at the lowest price offered by anyone. After the merger I couldn't make it work and phoned many times but they couldn't book it at lower than B fare so moved to ticketing on LH mostly and sometimes AC. That is what is making PQDs tough for me.

UnitedFFinAsia

I am booking some UA tickets flying on US while I still can on 016 ticket stock. I don't see this continuing much longer. Might need to move back abroad next year.

emcampbe

Just note that for any travel on US after March 30, you won't earn RDM or PQ anything.

chavala

I'm surprised US award tickets are still available thru Jan 2015.

Mike Jacoubowsky

Could be that there are some requirements to continue, according to contracts in place, until the final something-or-other in the merger is completed. There are likely no contracts in place to offer/honor RDMs and PQMs because, after all, those are subject to change without notice.