Sep 17, 2016, 6:19 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Booking on United.com (016 ticket)
Pro
-Category bonus with United Chase Credit cards (ie- the Explorer Card earns two miles per dollar spent on United.com but not on Lufthansa.com, for example)
- Deal directly with UA on UA schedule changes
- UA change rules are generally more generous
Con
- Many partner flights will be booked as UA codeshare and this can make some things more difficult or impossible -- such as *A upgrades, seat assignments, actual partner fare class is hidden, ..
- While not a major thing, in irrops, codeshares can be an extra issue for the agent
= Due to plating restrictions, partners may not allow UA access to the partners best fares
Partner site
Pro
- Native flight numbers (No codeshare issues)
- Deal directly with partner for partner schedule changes
- Access to partner's lowest fares
Unclear
- partner flights will earn PQPs based on miles and multiple and UA operated flights will earn PQPs in the fare method -- which may be hard to determine in advance
Not hard rule which is better but a good chance for higher cost tickets PQPs on 016 ticket are better, and also for lower cost fares, you need to run the numbers.
Does not matter
-PQP earning & UA Lifetime mileage earning is unaffected by booking method
- On UA operated flight your UA elite benefits fully apply and you can use PlusPoints or miles to upgrade
Pro
-Category bonus with United Chase Credit cards (ie- the Explorer Card earns two miles per dollar spent on United.com but not on Lufthansa.com, for example)
- Deal directly with UA on UA schedule changes
- UA change rules are generally more generous
Con
- Many partner flights will be booked as UA codeshare and this can make some things more difficult or impossible -- such as *A upgrades, seat assignments, actual partner fare class is hidden, ..
- While not a major thing, in irrops, codeshares can be an extra issue for the agent
= Due to plating restrictions, partners may not allow UA access to the partners best fares
Partner site
Pro
- Native flight numbers (No codeshare issues)
- Deal directly with partner for partner schedule changes
- Access to partner's lowest fares
Unclear
- partner flights will earn PQPs based on miles and multiple and UA operated flights will earn PQPs in the fare method -- which may be hard to determine in advance
Not hard rule which is better but a good chance for higher cost tickets PQPs on 016 ticket are better, and also for lower cost fares, you need to run the numbers.
Does not matter
-PQP earning & UA Lifetime mileage earning is unaffected by booking method
- On UA operated flight your UA elite benefits fully apply and you can use PlusPoints or miles to upgrade
Pro/Cons of booking flights on partner site vs united.com
Oct 5, 2018, 8:11 pm
#91
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Alvesta, Sweden
Programs: SAS Diamond, UA Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 140
Thank you so much for all of these very helpful links I will check them all out. I do understand codeshares as I always must use them flying my typical itineraries from Scandinavia to US as both of my “home” airports (GOT/CPH) are not directly serviced my UA. When I do go on UA site and restrict to UA only flights lots of choices come up but many are really operated entirely by LH. Other than going through the details of all of them, I don’t know any other way to ensure I’m on UA metal which at the moment, is my preference. As for Polaris flights I did see the posts and site for routes but doesn’t seem to show much other than the new planes (not the refitted ones) and only ones I think I saw involving EU go to either SFO or IAD, is this still the case presently? (I was hoping maybe it was updated to include more options. aldo for me PQDs don’t matter because I reside outside of the US but I am trying to go for the lifetime miles when possible. Obviously can only do that when flying US domestic or thtough the EU airports that UA directly services such as Germany or England etc
Again though, thank you SO MUCH for this invaluable info—and so quickly!!! Always a pleasure 😉
Again though, thank you SO MUCH for this invaluable info—and so quickly!!! Always a pleasure 😉
Oct 5, 2018, 8:32 pm
#92
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,772
Oct 5, 2018, 9:11 pm
#93
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Alvesta, Sweden
Programs: SAS Diamond, UA Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 140
Sure. Maybe I am not doing something right but using my most recent searching as an example Got-lax or vice versa, while all options come up saying UA, some say operated by LH and some say operated in part by LH. I certainly realize that due to needing the codeshare I at least must have an LH from Got but then the long haul comes up as UA but in reality some choices are actually LH flights (those saying “operated by LH” rather than those saying “operated in part by LH”) please let me know if there is something I am doing incorrectly as I’d certainly love to learn how to do it, if possible, to eliminate the ones fully operated by LH!
Oct 19, 2018, 1:12 pm
#94
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,772
Sure. Maybe I am not doing something right but using my most recent searching as an example Got-lax or vice versa, while all options come up saying UA, some say operated by LH and some say operated in part by LH. I certainly realize that due to needing the codeshare I at least must have an LH from Got but then the long haul comes up as UA but in reality some choices are actually LH flights (those saying “operated by LH” rather than those saying “operated in part by LH”) please let me know if there is something I am doing incorrectly as I’d certainly love to learn how to do it, if possible, to eliminate the ones fully operated by LH!
However since GOT is not serviced by UA, GOT-LAX by UA only yields no options at all. So the UA only option will not work for you. Additionally, as a common connection out of GOT is FRA, and there is no direct FRA-LAX light on UA, united.com will suggest the FRA-LAX non-stop -- thinking most passengers prefer a minimum of connections. Flight search engines are designed to optimize -- price, travel time, connections, .... and a variety of other factors. And likely some preference for UA operated flights.
So what you need is a way to force UA flights on some segments but not all. United.com does not offer that. There are third-party tools, such as ITA Matrix (now owned by Google) that has a powerful command language that can do such searchs (but it does talk some time to learn)
ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread
ITA-Matrix-PowerTools - Userscript for Orbitz/DL/UA/AA/BA/CZ/IB/LA/LH/LX/TK
Oct 20, 2018, 5:04 am
#95
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Alvesta, Sweden
Programs: SAS Diamond, UA Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 140
Ok, I understand what you are saying. Perhaps I can spend more time with that tool and at least try to educate myself some although i am sorry to say but I’m far from technical. I do very much appreciate all of your many suggestions and help. Thank you again so much!
Oct 20, 2018, 2:47 pm
#96
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,772
Ok, I understand what you are saying. Perhaps I can spend more time with that tool and at least try to educate myself some although i am sorry to say but I’m far from technical. I do very much appreciate all of your many suggestions and help. Thank you again so much!
Oct 20, 2018, 3:20 pm
#97
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Alvesta, Sweden
Programs: SAS Diamond, UA Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 140
Thank you again, I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time doing that already but unfortunately pricing changes quite remarkably if I don’t have at least the GOT flight attached to the long haul. I’ve tried all the scenarios even in both directions but cheapest appears to be GOT-LAX with adding the LAX-PHX separately. (GOT-LAX alone is much higher than with the GOT flight added) Ive now flown this a several times already, with LH, TK and now UA and find it quite difficult to get my bags checked in all the way through on my outgoing because even though they’re all star alliance flights, when checking in at GOT, there obviously aren’t any United personnel and the reps that are there whether at LH or TK are typically 3rd party and don’t have the ability to combine my pnr’s correctly. Going back though, when checking in with United at PHX, they are able to manipulate things enough properly so my bags go all the way through. I wish there wasn’t such a sibstantial price difference but unfortunately there is. Guess all I can really do is continue in the way I have because I am enjoying the UA long haul experience more than LH and for whatever reason, most likely fare class (I always do cheapest bsns fare) getting more miles booking/flying with UA but paying more too which I was hoping to not have to do!
Dec 28, 2018, 8:06 am
#98
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PEK, AUS, WAS, HKG
Programs: CX Gold
Posts: 1,122
Any disadvantages of buying LH group flights on united.com?
I will be flying frequently from HKG to Europe in future. Recently I found that united.com actually can sell LH group flights at the same price as lufthansa.com. I am wondering if there are any disadvantages of buying LH group flights from UA? In case of IRROPs who should I contact? Thanks!
Dec 28, 2018, 11:56 am
#100
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,882
I'd ask what advantage there is to buying from UA?
The two reasons that would probably be most common are PQD and mileage earning. If you're doing a lot of HKG-EU, are you still a US resident, as if you are living in at a foreign address, the PQD can be waived if you change your address. If not, and you need the PQD, then UA would be the only way to get that.
Mileage earning advantage will depend on the type of fares you are buying - in some cases, UA being $-based earning can be an advantage (mainly higher fares, but potentially also on lower fares where LH will credit, say, 50%) but on others, it will be better with an LH ticket.
I can see some very small other advantages (profile already setup on UA, so no need to re-type your passenger information, for example), but those are so minuscule that its hardly a consideration. For IRROPS, anything any day of would be operating carrier would take care of you. Anything in advance, i.e. schedule change, you'll need to talk to UA as issuing carrier. There can also be some 'pass the buck' here between operating and ticketing carrier. So all else being equal, I'd book directly with LH - generally booking with the operating carrier is going to be easier in terms of changes, etc, so would go with that.
On the other hand, no matter who the ticketing carrier is, the thing that will be the same is flying LH. Not sure what cabin class, but I just got off UA and LH long-hauls a couple of days ago (UA 777 and LH 748), and man, the LH economy seats are narrow. I normally don't notice these things too much, but it was hard not to.
The two reasons that would probably be most common are PQD and mileage earning. If you're doing a lot of HKG-EU, are you still a US resident, as if you are living in at a foreign address, the PQD can be waived if you change your address. If not, and you need the PQD, then UA would be the only way to get that.
Mileage earning advantage will depend on the type of fares you are buying - in some cases, UA being $-based earning can be an advantage (mainly higher fares, but potentially also on lower fares where LH will credit, say, 50%) but on others, it will be better with an LH ticket.
I can see some very small other advantages (profile already setup on UA, so no need to re-type your passenger information, for example), but those are so minuscule that its hardly a consideration. For IRROPS, anything any day of would be operating carrier would take care of you. Anything in advance, i.e. schedule change, you'll need to talk to UA as issuing carrier. There can also be some 'pass the buck' here between operating and ticketing carrier. So all else being equal, I'd book directly with LH - generally booking with the operating carrier is going to be easier in terms of changes, etc, so would go with that.
On the other hand, no matter who the ticketing carrier is, the thing that will be the same is flying LH. Not sure what cabin class, but I just got off UA and LH long-hauls a couple of days ago (UA 777 and LH 748), and man, the LH economy seats are narrow. I normally don't notice these things too much, but it was hard not to.
Dec 28, 2018, 12:40 pm
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,686
On the other hand, no matter who the ticketing carrier is, the thing that will be the same is flying LH. Not sure what cabin class, but I just got off UA and LH long-hauls a couple of days ago (UA 777 and LH 748), and man, the LH economy seats are narrow. I normally don't notice these things too much, but it was hard not to.
Apr 2, 2019, 11:08 am
#103
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: MSP
Programs: DL MM (thanks PMNW!), DL PM, UA PLT, just about every darn hotel program-generally GOLD type level
Posts: 783
Earning PQD on partner-ticketed Code-shares
Hi all!
I swear I searched but did not find answer so I fear the answer is NO
On Delta I can earn PQD (MQD in Delta-speak) on non-Delta ticketed flights. Does UA offer this in any circumstance? I am finding some good prices on SQ
Thanks!
I swear I searched but did not find answer so I fear the answer is NO
On Delta I can earn PQD (MQD in Delta-speak) on non-Delta ticketed flights. Does UA offer this in any circumstance? I am finding some good prices on SQ
Thanks!
Apr 2, 2019, 11:10 am
#104
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,772
For UA, to earn PQDs it must be
1) a UA operated flight (any ticket stock)
or
2) A partner operated flight on 016 ticket stock
nothing else
flight numbers mean nothing
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 2, 2019 at 12:02 pm Reason: (any ticket stock)
Apr 2, 2019, 11:27 am
#105
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
This is a weak spot of United unfortunately. You have to have a ticket on 016 or be flying a United segment (and will earn only for those United segments) as noted above.
SQ has lots of great fares (I think there's like $900 west coast-Singapore premium economy fares). You will earn some miles but no qualifying dollars. Sucks.
SQ has lots of great fares (I think there's like $900 west coast-Singapore premium economy fares). You will earn some miles but no qualifying dollars. Sucks.