Award Ticket Rules - SEA-NYC (EWR)-NYC (JFK)-IST
 

Had an bizarre conversation today with UA 1K Desk:

I'm trying to book a UA award ticket from PDX-EWR+JFK-IST+IST-HRG. I have the JFK-IST-HRG segments on TK locked and loaded, now I'm just trying to connect a domestic segment from PDX-NYC. Our only nonstop ex-PDX to NYC is EWR and the only nonstop to IST is via JFK. Both, by UA's definition are classified as NYC (EWR, LGA, JFK).

1K says award rules don't permit an open jaw, even if the departure/arrival city is identical (not an open jaw). What seems bizarre to me is that .bomb sells revenue tickets that arrive and depart different NYC airports...so why can't they issue an award ticket like that too?

Is there any logic in this? Do these rules apply to other cities UA sells as one city (WAS, SFO, NYC, etc.)? Is this a hang up and call back situation or is there truth in this?

Many thanks!

You most certainly can do this. Call back!

I've booked like this many times; it is not an open-jaw for EWR/JFK. Call again and press the agent, reminding them that they are the same city for routing rules.

HUCA (and again and again until you get satisfaction).

The agent must be an ex-CO one, since it was a problem before during ex-CO time because ex-CO did not treat EWR as co-terminals for LGA/JFK. Now it should not be a problem anymore.

Good luck on calling back.

:rolleyes:

This sort of thing was just fine on CO in the old days, too. And last time I had a massive fight about this with an agent it was in the much beloved HNL call center.

Why not just accept that the agent was wrong in this case and remember that it doesn't matter which side of the company they came from before because now they have to apply the current rules, something many agents are quite competent at and something which some other agents struggle with routinely. Just like they did 5 years ago before the merger.

Uggggg...
 

Still getting the same response. Does it make any difference that this is a one-way award?

The other hiccup seems to be that the connection in IST to HRG is 20hrs. It's the only available connection to HRG via IST, so it's not like a really have a choice. The agents keep saying that if the connection <4hrs in IST, I could fly into any NYC airport and include this as part of the award ticket.

I'm on my third call into 1K. :td: Not how I wanted to spend my weekend. :mad:

No.

Remind them that on an international itinerary anything <24 hours is a connection; 4 hours is only for wholly domestic trips.

Ask for a supervisor next time if the balk again.

I realize that these rules are complex - but UA's customer service and lack of knowledge of their own rules is really getting embarrassing. I have also run into this same issue - and even when reading the rules to them directly from their own website I had to HUACA....

Getting angry!
 

Now I'm angry. I've called five times and still no dice. Same response over and over again.

Would it make any difference if the domestic segment is Y Saver and the international segments are C Saver? I should think not but I could be wrong.

Help! I'm worried inventory will disappear soon...

No, there's no problem with a mixed award; it should price as saver business award N. America to Europe.

You have JFK-IST booked already, right? As a 1K, you will at some point be able to add PDX-JFK via SFO, although that will probably be in Y.

:td: This kind of thing is depressing and reminiscent of DL SM.

The UA service degradation continues. We all know UA has such rules and we want to save our time and the agent time - so management needs to ensure the agents know their own company rules!!