DCA writer

I'm having a difficult time booking a trip to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress at the start of March. United's site isn't showing any of the usual Lufthansa connecting flights from MUC or FRA for a 2/28 departure from IAD, save one or two outrageously expensive ones involving Y fares. They exist, as I can see on Kayak, but UA doesn't seem capable of selling them yet.

This leaves only a few options of varying crappiness: connect in EWR for the nonstop to BCN and spend the night in an E- middle seat (E+ got sold out on that flight weeks ago), wait six hours in BRU (at least it apparently has a good lounge now), or fly to MAD and take the train.

This also screws up my flight home. The BCN-EWR nonstop is down to E+ middle seats on 3/5 and 3/6, and UA isn't showing any ex-BCN layovers in the EU much longer than an hour.

At first, I thought I was looking too soon, but I checked and last year I was able to book my MWC travel in mid-November. What's the holdup?

mduell

I'm not seeing an UA x/FRA LH itins for cheap on Kayak 2/28-3/5.

edit: Found your problem, the FRA/MUC-BCN flights are zeroed out by LH in every or almost every bucket the 1st:

LH 1810 0 MUC
03/01/15 8:55 BCN
03/01/15 11:00 321
Daily
76% / 17m J9 C0 D0 Z0 P0 Y9 B0 M0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0

LH 1126 0 FRA
03/01/15 10:10 BCN
03/01/15 12:10 321
Daily
74% / 13m J9 C0 D0 Z0 P0 Y9 B0 M0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0

LH 1128 0 FRA
03/01/15 12:55 BCN
03/01/15 14:55 321
Daily
60% / 19m J0 C0 D0 Z0 P0 Y0 B0 M0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0

Maybe just an oddity while they shuffle some fare/availability/schedules over the weekend? Try again this week.

DCA writer

Thanks for checking, mduell. It's definitely an oddity, and I should have clarified upfront that today isn't the first time I've checked. I've seen the same scant results each time I've searched for flights since late October--resulting in four different "Barcelona is wondering where you are" e-mails from UA.

(That e-mail retargeting ad campaign would be far more effective if it indicated that the selection or pricing had improved since my last visit to the site. As is, it's like the generic "any interest?" follow-up e-mail from a PR rep.)

mduell

I see LH selling $1400 fares LH x/FRA LH, but I don't even see the married segment availability... I wonder what's going on here.

Duke787

What about OS on the outbound? Looks like you can route via VIE with a 2 hour layover for about $9 more than the BRU option (assuming return BCN - EWR - IAD).

DCA writer

So, this is still a royal mess. UA is only showing (some) Y Lufthansa fares on connections from FRA or MUC to BCN. I called and the agent said, basically, sometimes LH doesn't release inventory to us. Well, that's great, but sometimes I need to fly to Europe--and while I can book through another *A site, then I lose out on a large sum of PQDs.

flyerdude88, where did you see the OS routing? .bomb doesn't show anything cheaper than $2,500 or so.

I read through the "Will UA issue tickets on partner airlines if no UA/*A flight on itinerary?" thread, and I gotta admit the workarounds there are new to me. Should I have just given the agent a list of flight numbers on *A carriers and asked her to book them?

aacharya

Try booking one of these "easier" way:

1. Use google.com/flights - which will give a link to UA and the booking page at the end.

2. Book as an award ticket, and on the 2nd to last page, it will offer the revenue ticket.

DCA writer

@:-)

I am greatly enlightened. And the "buy via United" link yields a regular fare; no need for an award-travel workaround. This seems to be the solution I was looking for. Tnx, aacharya.

aacharya

I'm honestly happy it worked out for you!

DCA writer

One other thing I just realized: This Google-powered hack also seems to let you book LH's premium economy via United's site. The FRA-IAD leg I'm considering books into an N fare, discount premium economy. It has an LH flight number--no codeshare--but it will still count as a PQD expenditure, right?

I did find one workable two-stop itinerary on United (TP to LIS, UA to EWR and then DCA), and I'm enough of a nerd to be tempted by the chance to try out a new airport. Plus, that's $150 or so less. But the LH option looks a whole lot more attractive when I'd have 38 inches of seat pitch, not 31.

mduell

LH operated flights, regardless of codeshare number, on 016 stock count toward PQD as long as the booking class earns RDM.