anc-ord772

I was pleasantly surprised to see LIS-LHR-LAX (TP/NZ) Business availability for my exact date in Jan. I didn't know NZ made business class space available, but perhaps award difficulty is only for US<->New Zealand.

United wanted 70k miles, but I snagged it via Aeroplan for 46k Amex MR (20% transfer bonus currently). Aeroplan taxes were an additional $120 over MileagePlus, but I'll take that and save 24k miles.

If anyone is interested availability remains in Jan.

shekhar

Oh boy !!!!!

United is worse than I thought. This is height of greediness. I wasted two days to make anything work but nothing seems to work. some examples how bad it is

1. NRT to IAD - three connections available in business saver with 20 hours of domestic connection with IAD to ORD available . So I thought I will book NRT to ORD and book paid ticket from ORD to IAD... and NRT to IAD is not available as saver ticket . This is available if you book connecting flight but not directly !! strange and absurd

2. Called united center and spoke to 2 agents based in Philippines : No Sir there is nothing we can do ... whatever computer says ....( if thats the case why would I call , I can just see on computer and never call !!!! )

3. I tried multiple different pair .. and there is lot more alaibvilty city by city but when you do direct - it doesn't show up ! and Agent can't do anything ....

I have 400k miles and now sure how to use it ...;(

2.

Repooc17

110K on NH F. Give yourself the time back ^

cfischer

Did you check united.com if the non-stop shows X or I available? There is usually no married segment logic for award tickets, but if you post you dates we can verify.
If you go through ORD you could book NRT-ORD-XXX and skip ORD-XXX. Have a separate ticket on e.g. AA for ORD-YYY.

shekhar

Thanks for reply and suggestions.... I did click non stop and than city by city ...anyways i rechecked ...all disappeared

Another help ...

I am looking a flight from India to IAD for 4 people... I can see three tickets are available as economy for full flight India to IAD ... When i do city by city search than i see following

India - City A - 3 economy seats and 4 business class
City A to IAD - 4 economy seats

So i am thinking booking like this
3 economy tickets from India to IAD
1 multi city ( india to City A business and City A to IAD - economy ) - and pay mutlicity miles

Question : If i book 3 economy tickets - can i upgrade to business for the first leg ... as there will another 3 seats available( that will be all 4 of us) .Do you think united will charge me business class flight miles (85K) or they will insist for multicity and it will be same? I am ok paying business class miles for this whole flight (85K) as this will give a option for possible upgrade if available for second leg...
I want to avoid multicity for all passenger because it will cost 90 K miles and i loose the possible upgrade for second leg ..

Please advice ..I have never faced this situation before !!! .. and i need help ... I asked the question to united center ( phil) - not able to get a answer .... I dont want to transfer 300 k miles and stuck with united . I have maily UR points

once again thanks for your help !!!!

shekhar

Update !!!
To see what happens i booked one economy ticket with miles and then i called united center ...again to Phil and spent 45 minutes and even spoke to superior . He said he cant upgrade as business saver . I would have to do as multicity. He said he has no power to do anything. Whatever is there in the system is there. He agreed that this could be a business saver award ticket but there is no way to fix this ... He just apologized .

Looks like whatever shows online is there ... no common sense or nothing can be done...

Let me know if any one else any other experience/advice . I am planning to call tomorrow to see if i can get connected to US center ...to see if something can be done...

thanks once again

WineCountryUA

You will find that experience reported time and time again in this thread.
Occasionally you hear of success but most reports match yours. You might try Web Support or request they reach out to the Fare Desk but those have also not worked for many.

flyupfront

I'm traveling using UA miles. Ticketed business class award ticket BKK-FRA (TG), FRA-ORD (UA), ORD-DSM (UA). Right now there's no availability for F seats on any of these flights. If something does open up between now and travel time, can I pay extra miles required + change fee to get first class seating on the available segment?

jsloan

You can call UA now and waitlist for an O award on FRA-ORD, assuming that it’s operated as a three-class flight. (UA is phasing out Global First class; some future flights with three cabins are being sold as two-cabin flights in order to guard against disruption as they continue to remove the F cabin from more and more aircraft).

As for the TG flight — a good agent should be able to do what you suggest, as that’s the only partner flight on the itinerary. Similarly, if BKK-FRA opens up on LH F, you should — in theory — be able to change to it. However, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if you had to try several times to find an agent who knows how to do it if the FRA-ORD-DSM space has disappeared. Note that while LH doesn’t allow partner F award bookings until 14 days or fewer before departure, TG has no such rule. So, you should watch diligently, or consider an ExpertFlyer subscription to set up an alert. I know that TG routinely opens some partner F award space at T-330. I don’t know if they tend to open more as the flight approaches or not.

Note that the mileage upcharge for partner F is substantial.

Kmxu

I try to book MEL-ORF flights in business with UA miles. There is zero chance to get business award via LAX (the shorter routing). There are three alternatives via SIN and PEK (or PVG). The prices are very different:
option #1 : MEL-SIN-PVG (on SQ), PVG-EWR-ORF (on UA) for 80K miles, with SQ flights in economy;
option #2 : MEL-PEK (CA), PEK-EWR (CA) and EWR-ORF (UA) for 90K miles, with MEL-PEK (CA) in economy;
option #3 , MEL-SIN-PEK (on SQ), PEK-EWR (CA) and EWR-ORF (UA), all in business, but cost 135K with multiple destination search (6 hr layover at SIN; 3 hr layovers at PEK and EWR).
Is there any way to book option #3 with less than 135K miles (for example, 90K miles)? I read MatthewLAX's article on BoardArea; I doubt that I can do it myself. The one-way search does not produce option #3 .
Thanks.

Edit: Talked to a 1K agent and gave all four segments of option #3. The price she gave me was 250K miles (saver business). She plugged individual flights to her multiple-destination search. LOL. I mentioned that the award chart shows 90K for partner business saver (USA-Australia). She had no idea of what I was talking about.

Edit 2: I was able to book MEL-EWR (the same three segments of option #3) or MEL-IAD in saver business (90K miles plus taxes) myself. Now, I just need to call 1K line and hope that another 1K agent can add the short segment (EWR-ORF) without additional miles (other than $5.60 taxes).

Edit 3: Spent 32 min with a 1K agent to add the last segment (EWR-ORF) without additional miles. But she only added XN, not IN for me. That is okay because it is E175 aircraft. My wife will get upgrade to FC.

troytos

Hi
I try to book united excursionist and try to get one leg free but when I try it. it didn't work. website still charge me all 3 legs. Can anybody explain it to me why?

1 leg HKG-SYD
2 leg BKK-DPS
3 leg AKL-SIN

all in business saver


thanks

TakeTheATrain

The excursionist free segment can't be in the same region where your travel originates. HKG is in the South Asia region, and so is BKK, so you can't get BKK-DPS for free on that ticket.

JT00SWIM

Hi All,

I have 2 award tickets in business from DCA to HAN in less than two weeks. Two Questions:

1) What are the chances more flights open up in the two weeks, especially during Christmas time. Currently booked on Air canada and Asiana, but have been monitoring ANA and Eva for the same days flights and they have a good many seats open, but haven't opened up award space.

2) Is there any benefit in calling in to UA to try to get an agent to book the particular routing? Or, will it only show to them what we see on the website?

Hipplewm

If it isn't on the website, they don't have a special place to find seats, it isn't there

I just returned from SIN and EVA was opening seats 3-4 days out from departure

If you booked ONE RT ticket, and you try and change the return, the outbound still has to be available

It you booked 2 tickets, one OB and one return, then obviously, you only need that section to change it

myb821

Pretty sure thats really bad/incorrect information.......