everetl

Unfortunately the flights are almost empty up front. And last year this time there were plenty of flights available now for the summer. If everyone has booked these flights then why are they empty? It is not coincidental that there is not 1, and I repeat 1 flight available from IAH in MAY-AUG. And most likely to IAH as well.

Kacee

Finding front-cabin award seats to Europe during peak summer travel season is difficult and requires patience, tenacity, and a willingness to explore connections. These are probably the highest demand award seats UA has and they are difficult to snag. We might wish it were otherwise, but that's just the reality.

Further, it's not like there's nothing at all out there right now. There are connections through other UA hubs (ORD, EWR, IAD) in GF as well as connections on LH in J through various cities (including IAD on the 748).

+1
This same complaint ("UA hasn't opened any business award seats to Europe in June despite the cabin showing empty") is repeated over and over again in various threads. I guarantee you that by the time the plane takes off, those seats will be filled - and mostly by paying pax.

lexdevil

I agree with your observation, but possibly not your conclusion. Last year I booked a SFO-LHR RT in BF and GF in early November. I remember being shocked by the availability at the time. O9, I9 on non-stops throughout much of July and August. Here is my post about this crazy summer availability in early November of last year. In fact, I remember being so shocked that I though it might have been a mistake.

This year, I started checking in late October and there was NOTHING until last week. Then all of a sudden there was good availability SFO-LHR in GF for several July dates. Of course it was all O3, rather than the crazy availability of the previous year. Also, there are no return flights available as yet.

Though I was initially concerned that United was planning to clamp down on availability until after the new awards chart goes into effect, I am no longer convinced that this is what's going on (or that it is the only factor). Last year's wide open availability was really anomalous. In past years I have had to wait until December and January to find summer BF and GF availability, and it was almost always with a connection in ORD, EWR, etc., or it was connecting in Europe. In many cases there were only two seats available and I had to split us onto separate flights (which I was able to change as additional seats opened up). I tend to think that last year's wide open availability was the anomaly.

So...
I think it is possible that United is restricting availability until the new awards chart is implemented, but I don't think it is entirely clear yet. I'm hoping to see some availability for my August return flight appear in the next couple of months. I hope that you start to see some flights out of IAH. If I don't see anything by mid-January, I will join the chorus.

everetl

There is nothing out there right now non stop. That is my point. Of course I can find a connection. And it hasn't taken much tenacity in the past to find an award booking this far out for summer. It takes maybe some flexibility on the dates. That is it. I've done it that way the last 5 years. Nevertheless, I booked something just to have something changeable and it includes a stopover in NYC and I will see some friends or something. I have to be flexible like before, just a whole lot more flexible. Will see what opens up in the next 2 months but I wouldn't count on it. From a business sense it makes sense to limit or at least throttle saver/partner awards until Feb 1, otherwise the balance sheet for the rest of the year would be way off on heavy award bookings.

LarkSFO

I think you followed the exact strategy most here would recommend...

How long is your NYC layover? Can you find one with only two or three hours?

And, as others have said, now your work starts. Keep checking, babysit, hopefully find a better option.

Good luck!

everetl

Thanks but this is an almost unheard of strategy for me. Going to spend the weekend there to break the trip up.

As an example, there are 3 dailies to LHR from IAH, roughly 240 seats in both directions in C. From May - Sept that gives you 36,000 seats. Go try to find one in saver........that is not a coincidence.

Duke787

Hey Aaron (or others),

If I have an award ticket booked in J for next summer with the first leg booked in Y but waitlisted for F (no F currently available - the flight is a DCA - IAH connector to IAH - IST in TK J), if the waitlist clears after February 1st would I get hit with the higher mileage price? If so that's fine, but it's a short enough flight that I'd prefer to remove the waitlist request if it doesn't clear before February 1 so that I don't get hit with an additional mileage charge for the shortest leg of my trip, especially since it's a partner J award which would require a significant bump in mileage.

LufthansaFlyer

No one (AFAIK) has come up with a clear answer on this. A lot of ambiguity exists, but the common attitude is to assume that you would be hit for the higher miles cost if anything happened to your ticket after Feb 1.

Not getting clear answers from UA leads me to think worst case scenario.

RNE

UA will not hit you with additional mileage requirements after it has accepted your miles for waitlisted upgrades.

Madone59

I have PMed UAInsider and was told to "...be conservative..." My question was if I get a pre 2/1 C award, and F seats open up will the ticket be grandfathered and I will owe the old difference or will I be on the hook for another 40,000 miles if I make any changes.

Kacee

My bet is they reprice if you change to a new class of service.

I tend to agree with RNE a repricing is not going to happen just because a waitlisted segment clears from Y to J on a J itinerary.

UA-NYC

This isn't an upgrade situation, it's a cabin change

This really stinks that they've announced this yet can't give us real answers yet Just like the long list of PQD questions.

(I bet you get screwed in your case unfortunately)

kalendil

So, trying to figure out when an award ticket would be repriced at the higher rate after the changeover led me into the tall weeds of the Fare Rules. I found this:

FOR PPN
BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY - APPLIES WITHIN TKT VALIDITY
CERTAIN DOMESTIC REISSUE PROVISIONS MAY BE OVERRIDDEN BY
THOSE OF UA INTERNATIONAL FARES
NO CHARGE OR HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE
COMPONENTS- CATEGORY 19 DISCOUNTS APPLY AND
REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT TODAY
PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET-
1. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST
BE DOMESTIC
2. UA FARES GOVERNED BY SAME RULE ARE USED
3. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN
PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED
FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF
4. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM REISSUE DATE TO DEPARTURE
OF PRICING UNIT
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE REFUND RESIDUAL THEN
ADD-COLLECT - REFUND VIA ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT
ENDORSEMENT BOX- NEW ENDORSEMENTS.
OR -
FOR PPN
ANYTIME WITHIN TKT VALIDITY
CERTAIN DOMESTIC REISSUE PROVISIONS MAY BE OVERRIDDEN BY
THOSE OF UA INTERNATIONAL FARES
NO CHARGE OR HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE
COMPONENTS- CATEGORY 19 DISCOUNTS APPLY AND
REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED
PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET-
1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FLIGHT COUPON/FARE BREAKS
2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST
BE DOMESTIC
3. FULLY FLOWN FARE NOT REPRICED TO FURTHER POINT
4. CHANGE IS NO LATER THAN 21 DAYS ON/BEFORE DAY OF
ORIGINAL SCHEDULED FLIGHT
5. UA FARES GOVERNED BY SAME RULE ARE USED
6. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN
PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED
FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF
7. ALL RULE AND BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET
8. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE TO
DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE REFUND RESIDUAL THEN
ADD-COLLECT - REFUND VIA ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT
ENDORSEMENT BOX- HIGHER NON-REF AMOUNT.

Similar entries are listed for PPO and PPP.

My question is, what are PPN, PPO, and PPP, and does anyone know how to figure out which category a ticket is in? All three are listed on every award ticket rule sheet.

Madone59

Just picked the brain of a UA check-in agent who is a close friend......they have no idea what PPN, PPO, PPP is. Anyone have a ticket agent friend?

kalendil

I think the crux of the matter (and what UA Insider, the twitter account, the phone agents and the M+ contact email account can't seem to agree on) is "Will revalidation for date changes trigger reprice? Will revalidation of multiple segments trigger reprice?"

If not, I've got stuff I could ticket right now.

If yes, they need to *tell us.*