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}
Aug 3, 2016, 11:19 am
#61
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Radisson Rewards Gold, Best Western Diamond Select
Posts: 1,856
If there are no fees for booking new awards within 21 days that's a big benefit for a lot of people.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:29 am
#62
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
There is only one area where I can see that this is an "improvement", but certainly not for Platinums or 1Ks, who could always redeposit for free.
If you wanted a multi-city trip with multiple stopovers, say ORD-MUC(stop)-MUC-FCO(stop)-FCO-LHR(stop)-LHR-ORD, you'll have to pay an additional 15000 for one of those intra-europe legs, but at least if you change your mind on the whole thing you'll pay one redeposit fee instead of 2 because now at least this type of award on one ticket is possible.
If you wanted a multi-city trip with multiple stopovers, say ORD-MUC(stop)-MUC-FCO(stop)-FCO-LHR(stop)-LHR-ORD, you'll have to pay an additional 15000 for one of those intra-europe legs, but at least if you change your mind on the whole thing you'll pay one redeposit fee instead of 2 because now at least this type of award on one ticket is possible.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:33 am
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,633
Aug 3, 2016, 11:34 am
#64
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1P-1MM, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 3,930
The chart on the information site doesn't say anything about booking fees. I assume that this is because they have not changed and there is still a booking fee for new awards within 21 days.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:36 am
#65
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Saginaw, MI (MBS)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Marriott Titanium w/Lifetime Plat, Hilton LIfetime ♢, National Exec, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,722
Let me get this straight on the domestic stopover change...
I fly from the airport that United hates the most--Our first flight of the day isn't until after ~9:30AM, with service only to ORD--getting to ORD around 10AM, 7 days a week
I like to take my family to Hawaii every year on miles. As there are no good connections for us getting to ORD so late in the morning, we always fly to ORD the night before, spend the night, and usually go straight to HNL/OGG around 9AM the next morning.
The way I read this now is that I'll have to cough up an additional 10,000 miles/person (X4) to do it this way? 40,000 extra miles for what we used to get for nothing?
...Or, tell me I'm reading it wrong.
I fly from the airport that United hates the most--Our first flight of the day isn't until after ~9:30AM, with service only to ORD--getting to ORD around 10AM, 7 days a week
I like to take my family to Hawaii every year on miles. As there are no good connections for us getting to ORD so late in the morning, we always fly to ORD the night before, spend the night, and usually go straight to HNL/OGG around 9AM the next morning.
The way I read this now is that I'll have to cough up an additional 10,000 miles/person (X4) to do it this way? 40,000 extra miles for what we used to get for nothing?
...Or, tell me I'm reading it wrong.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:36 am
#66
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Tucson, AZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott LT Titanium, AA LT Gold, Radisson Gold, Hertz PC, HP Masters emeritus (sigh)
Posts: 445
Aug 3, 2016, 11:47 am
#67
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 24
Let me get this straight on the domestic stopover change...
I fly from the airport that United hates the most--Our first flight of the day isn't until after ~9:30AM, with service only to ORD--getting to ORD around 10AM, 7 days a week
I like to take my family to Hawaii every year on miles. As there are no good connections for us getting to ORD so late in the morning, we always fly to ORD the night before, spend the night, and usually go straight to HNL/OGG around 9AM the next morning.
The way I read this now is that I'll have to cough up an additional 10,000 miles/person (X4) to do it this way? 40,000 extra miles for what we used to get for nothing?
...Or, tell me I'm reading it wrong.
I fly from the airport that United hates the most--Our first flight of the day isn't until after ~9:30AM, with service only to ORD--getting to ORD around 10AM, 7 days a week
I like to take my family to Hawaii every year on miles. As there are no good connections for us getting to ORD so late in the morning, we always fly to ORD the night before, spend the night, and usually go straight to HNL/OGG around 9AM the next morning.
The way I read this now is that I'll have to cough up an additional 10,000 miles/person (X4) to do it this way? 40,000 extra miles for what we used to get for nothing?
...Or, tell me I'm reading it wrong.
1. domestic stopovers are going away, so really you should be asking if it will be priced as two one-way tickets. your airport - ord and ord-hnl. I don't believe this is the case
2. If you search a one-way far and a valid routing is your airport - ORD - HNL with 22 hours in ORD, that's still just a your airport - HNL ticket. You don't have a stopover under current rules because it's < 24 hours and you don't have an "excursionist perk" under new rules because it's simply a one way ticket your airport - HNL with a layover in ord there's no stopover if it's a valid fare according to normal routing rules which it probably is.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:48 am
#68
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion; IHG Platinum; Marriott Gold; Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,071
Complain to United
I emailed a complaint to the Mileage Plus department about the new punitive fee being imposed on Premier Platinum members. It might not help but it couldn't hurt. Others should do the same.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:51 am
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,406
ne:EWR-MUC<destination>MUC-EWR<stopover>EWR-SFO which essentially get you a free domestic segment on international awards.
Aug 3, 2016, 11:57 am
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
Very disappointing that they are doing this. I would've thought Oscar was going to put an end to the anti-FF behavior, but I guess not
Last edited by goalie; Aug 3, 2016 at 4:43 pm Reason: removed quote of deleted post
Aug 3, 2016, 12:02 pm
#71
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Saginaw, MI (MBS)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Marriott Titanium w/Lifetime Plat, Hilton LIfetime ♢, National Exec, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,722
I don't agree with how you're interpreting the rules.
1. domestic stopovers are going away, so really you should be asking if it will be priced as two one-way tickets. your airport - ord and ord-hnl. I don't believe this is the case
2. If you search a one-way far and a valid routing is your airport - ORD - HNL with 22 hours in ORD, that's still just a your airport - HNL ticket. You don't have a stopover under current rules because it's < 24 hours and you don't have an "excursionist perk" under new rules because it's simply a one way ticket your airport - HNL with a layover in ord there's no stopover if it's a valid fare according to normal routing rules which it probably is.
1. domestic stopovers are going away, so really you should be asking if it will be priced as two one-way tickets. your airport - ord and ord-hnl. I don't believe this is the case
2. If you search a one-way far and a valid routing is your airport - ORD - HNL with 22 hours in ORD, that's still just a your airport - HNL ticket. You don't have a stopover under current rules because it's < 24 hours and you don't have an "excursionist perk" under new rules because it's simply a one way ticket your airport - HNL with a layover in ord there's no stopover if it's a valid fare according to normal routing rules which it probably is.
My kids are young, and are morning people, arriving the islands at 8PM (2am back home) is tough...Not to mention it's nearly impossible to get saver F on the ORD-LAX/SFO. The nonstops out of ORD to the islands are a godsend.
Aug 3, 2016, 12:03 pm
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,014
Aug 3, 2016, 12:07 pm
#73
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 24
I believe it's 4 hours for domestic, the less-than-24-hours I understand to be only for international. Currently, the way we do it does not show up in any search, except for two one-ways, I currently must call in and have the MBS-ORD flight manually added. It's legal, but the website likes to push the same-day options only...All through the west coast. Doing the way we do it does technically make it a stopover.
My kids are young, and are morning people, arriving the islands at 8PM (2am back home) is tough...Not to mention it's nearly impossible to get saver F on the ORD-LAX/SFO. The nonstops out of ORD are a godsend.
My kids are young, and are morning people, arriving the islands at 8PM (2am back home) is tough...Not to mention it's nearly impossible to get saver F on the ORD-LAX/SFO. The nonstops out of ORD are a godsend.
My guess would be it will still be a valid one-way ticket routing so it'll still work under the new rules, but it's tough to say for sure.
Aug 3, 2016, 12:08 pm
#74
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,192
As a Gold I like that the change/redeposit fee is lower.
I certainly have concerns about this Excursionist Perk and how layovers are priced, but with such garbage IT I'm sure there will be loopholes.
Most of my intl awards are one way, so no huge effect for me, but I get that it may have a big impact on others.
I certainly have concerns about this Excursionist Perk and how layovers are priced, but with such garbage IT I'm sure there will be loopholes.
Most of my intl awards are one way, so no huge effect for me, but I get that it may have a big impact on others.
Aug 3, 2016, 12:10 pm
#75
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Florida
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 276
UA said they're goal was to simplify award travel. It was fine the way it was. How many general members with a couple thousand miles are booking stopovers in Europe on the way to Asia. The only people doing that are people who understand the rules and have enough miles to pay for the trip. (So not a general member) This simplification was stupid and completly unnecessary.
You're better than this Oscar.
You're better than this Oscar.