Dec 27, 2016, 9:23 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United's Announcement and FAQ
Kacee's Interpretation
Main Impact Since October 6
Useful Links
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Award booking questions/ issues/ routing/ excursionist problems / help
Kacee's Interpretation
Main Impact Since October 6
- Fee Changes such as platinum members are subject to various award fees
- No more free stopover - replaced with Excursionist Perk
- Agents no longer have the ability to find routings that do not show up on united.com
- Manually constructing trips using multi-city search results in multiple award fares being charged
- Changing any segment MIGHT require current availability for all existing Os&Ds in the PNR (as if a brand new booking is made) - YMMV
- Singapore Airlines segments are priced separately (add-ons)
Useful Links
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Award booking questions/ issues/ routing/ excursionist problems / help
UA award booking,change questions/fees/issues/routing/excursionist problems {Archive}
Nov 21, 2016, 1:26 pm
#871
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH Silver, MR Plat Prem & LT Plat, Hyatt Plat,SPG Plat, Hertz PC, National EE, UA 1K
Posts: 3,407
Nov 21, 2016, 3:45 pm
#872
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
Booked an award reservation on Oct 3 for December travel. Today (Nov 17) used the website to change the flights (destination/origin as well as date), no fees charged. Later today, needed to make yet another change (destination/origin as well as date) on this reservation. Website wanted $50 change fee (for platinum elite).
Called in and was told for pre-Oct 6 reservations, you get one free change, but then your reservation is considered post-Oct 6 and the new rules of fees apply. The agent did give me an one time exception and waived the $50 fee. she did document in my reservation that this is an one time exception, and any future changes on this reservation will be subject to change fees.
Called in and was told for pre-Oct 6 reservations, you get one free change, but then your reservation is considered post-Oct 6 and the new rules of fees apply. The agent did give me an one time exception and waived the $50 fee. she did document in my reservation that this is an one time exception, and any future changes on this reservation will be subject to change fees.
I will try my hand to use .bomb for my changes, and then we'll see if yet an even more convenient nonstop opens. At which point I will truly be in same boat
P.S. Kind of shocked this actually worked fine ^ on .bomb but did not change outbound flight
Last edited by Boraxo; Nov 21, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Nov 21, 2016, 4:03 pm
#873
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SJC / DPS
Programs: AS G75K, UA Silver
Posts: 1,757
Problem comes when you want to add a leg later on, and most agents now will want to re-price everything (in which inventory may no longer be available)
Nov 21, 2016, 6:56 pm
#874
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,424
Nov 21, 2016, 7:17 pm
#875
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,694
Here is a new one from this morning:
Booked a saver first TATL ...with connecting flights in saver economy (direct on the website)
e.g: FRA-ORD (saver F); ORD-DFW (saver Y) (all on one ticket).
Called to "waitlist" ORD-DFW for saver First.
Told by agent "We cannot wait list anymore. We have a new system. You have to call every day and check".
Is this change for real???
Booked a saver first TATL ...with connecting flights in saver economy (direct on the website)
e.g: FRA-ORD (saver F); ORD-DFW (saver Y) (all on one ticket).
Called to "waitlist" ORD-DFW for saver First.
Told by agent "We cannot wait list anymore. We have a new system. You have to call every day and check".
Is this change for real???
Nov 21, 2016, 11:38 pm
#876
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,145
Nov 22, 2016, 6:43 am
#877
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 166
United Multiple Cities Award flights
Are there any stopover tricks to calculate awards these days. I am ultimately going from SEA to BZN to WASHINGTON. I wanted a stopover in BZN for 7 days before I continue on. Do I have to price this award separately?
How would it work if I wanted this to be a round trip back into SEA. Again does every leg price separately for awards these days?
How would it work if I wanted this to be a round trip back into SEA. Again does every leg price separately for awards these days?
Nov 22, 2016, 2:43 pm
#878
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: UA gold; WN A; PC plat; Marriott Gold
Posts: 425
Booked an award reservation on Oct 3 for December travel. Today (Nov 17) used the website to change the flights (destination/origin as well as date), no fees charged. Later today, needed to make yet another change (destination/origin as well as date) on this reservation. Website wanted $50 change fee (for platinum elite).
Called in and was told for pre-Oct 6 reservations, you get one free change, but then your reservation is considered post-Oct 6 and the new rules of fees apply. The agent did give me an one time exception and waived the $50 fee. she did document in my reservation that this is an one time exception, and any future changes on this reservation will be subject to change fees.
Called in and was told for pre-Oct 6 reservations, you get one free change, but then your reservation is considered post-Oct 6 and the new rules of fees apply. The agent did give me an one time exception and waived the $50 fee. she did document in my reservation that this is an one time exception, and any future changes on this reservation will be subject to change fees.
1. I have another award reservation like the one I mentioned above - booked pre Oct 6, changed origin & destination & date post Oct 6 online and it was free. Then I wanted to make another change (just date) and website wants to charge $50. Called customer service (escalated to supervisor) and also tried twitter direct message, both channels refused to waive the $50 fee. Did DOT complaint and the united agent responding was able to help me make the change and waive the fee.
2. I have yet another award reservation, booked pre Oct 6. Post Oct 6, changed only travel date online and it was free. Now when i try to make dummy changes (including destination/origin), I can see that website is not asking for change fee. This agrees with Wine's comment that changing just the travel date does not trigger a re-ticket, so the reservation is still considered pre-Oct 6.
Nov 22, 2016, 2:50 pm
#879
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,694
Nov 22, 2016, 3:23 pm
#880
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
I'd be curious if someone has gotten waitlisting to work since Oct 6.
Nov 22, 2016, 5:05 pm
#881
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,018
Tried to waitlist for saver F (booked Saver Y) (domestic US flight).
Called 3 times - all of them said they cannot wait list any more.
One agent agreed they used to do it ....then she said they do "cannot" do it anymore (she kind of meant that the functionality of wait listing was taken away in the system change that happened recently).
Called 3 times - all of them said they cannot wait list any more.
One agent agreed they used to do it ....then she said they do "cannot" do it anymore (she kind of meant that the functionality of wait listing was taken away in the system change that happened recently).
Nov 22, 2016, 5:11 pm
#882
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,145
Tried to waitlist for saver F (booked Saver Y) (domestic US flight).
Called 3 times - all of them said they cannot wait list any more.
One agent agreed they used to do it ....then she said they do "cannot" do it anymore (she kind of meant that the functionality of wait listing was taken away in the system change that happened recently).
Called 3 times - all of them said they cannot wait list any more.
One agent agreed they used to do it ....then she said they do "cannot" do it anymore (she kind of meant that the functionality of wait listing was taken away in the system change that happened recently).
Nov 22, 2016, 5:13 pm
#883
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
Tried to waitlist for saver F (booked Saver Y) (domestic US flight).
Called 3 times - all of them said they cannot wait list any more.
One agent agreed they used to do it ....then she said they do "cannot" do it anymore (she kind of meant that the functionality of wait listing was taken away in the system change that happened recently).
Called 3 times - all of them said they cannot wait list any more.
One agent agreed they used to do it ....then she said they do "cannot" do it anymore (she kind of meant that the functionality of wait listing was taken away in the system change that happened recently).
Dec 5, 2016, 7:03 am
#884
Formerly known as CollegeFlyer
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: JRA
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA PLT, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 6,716
Arghh this "new system" is so frustrating! Agents keep being unable to book specific segments with inventory available (even non-married inventory) and only being able to book (or saying they are only able to book) specific routing sets that "the computer" offers them. Which is frustrating on a routing like NYC-SIN where the computer keeps suggesting routings on Air China with long connections in PEK (ugh that airport) when space is available on TG/LH via Europe. And the computer happily suggests SOME TG/LH routings through Europe, but coincidentally only the segments that don't have F space, so the computer only offers the Y awards..while not listing the segments that do have F space unless you do a segment-by-segment separate search. 
Dec 5, 2016, 7:29 am
#885
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,895
Arghh this "new system" is so frustrating! Agents keep being unable to book specific segments with inventory available (even non-married inventory) and only being able to book (or saying they are only able to book) specific routing sets that "the computer" offers them. Which is frustrating on a routing like NYC-SIN where the computer keeps suggesting routings on Air China with long connections in PEK (ugh that airport) when space is available on TG/LH via Europe. And the computer happily suggests SOME TG/LH routings through Europe, but coincidentally only the segments that don't have F space, so the computer only offers the Y awards..while not listing the segments that do have F space unless you do a segment-by-segment separate search.