zig2

Can the call center do that? I mean, I can definitely do it online, but will the call center be willing to do that?

BJfly

I have read that award bookings are first available 330 days before travel. I want to book a vacation where I will be away for 2 weeks. Does that mean that I have to book 316 days out or the return date won't be open for award travel? If so, doesn't that reduce the likelihood of getting the outbound flights I want?

Is it true that there is no hope of getting 4 award tickets on the same flight?

Thank you.

BJfly

mahasamatman

While nothing will be available until 330 or 331 days before travel, there is no guarantee that anything will open up at that time, or that availability will be best at that time. If you're looking at a popular route in Business Class, it's very likely that no inventory will open up for several months. Whether you can find four seats or not will depend on the route and class as well.

WineCountryUA

A couple of strategies can be used -- some work better for elites who have most award fees waived.
- Book each direction as an OW, downside is in the case of you deciding to cancel the fees are doubled.

- Book an 1 day trip and change return when preferred return date opens up -- may occur a fee for change depending on status.

One warning seats (especially premium cabin) do not always open up at 330 days.
Also seats on partner flights can be available earlier or later.
And UA tends to open up inventory a few days earlier than 330 days (Paid sometimes earlier than award).
If you book that earlier you may not be able to do seat assignments for days or weeks.


impossible, no
possible, yes
For some routes/cabins challenging, definitely

BJfly

Just an update to thank you all for the helpful replies. I ended up booking as two one way awards, each booking made exactly 330 days out.

As a surprising bonus, I Was able to get enough seats to bring along an extra person. So 5 outbound business class most of the way with only 2 business and 3 economy for a short short connection which gets us all the way to destination. And then 5 economy seats on the return (again, a connection). All saver awards.

Not the nonstop flights I would have chosen if there were more options, but all in all worked out much better than I anticipated and was hassle free to book, which also suprised me. All on star alliance code shares - UAL metal didn't offer saver redemption.

I'll check periodically to see if any business seats open up on the short outbound connection and if so, I'll post again regarding my success (or lack of) in getting those to replace the economy.

Thank you flyer forums.

BJfly

WineCountryUA

Congrats on the success and thanks for reporting back.

BJfly

Another good update: nonstop savers opened up for all 5 tickets on the return. I had to call, but they switched us no problem. No charge due to gold status.

BJfly

expo

looking at SFO-BKK routes for next May, both award and paid.

i've noticed exactly 330/331 days out, only codeshare on ANA (thru NRT) seems to be available (both award and paid). but i also know UA does a nonstop every day from SFO-NRT.

looking back a few days prior though i'm now seeing the UA-metal flights.

is this a common/known thing?

Portolan

Booked a United/LH J award today 334 days out. Some partner economy awards were up 3 days ago (this is on the beta site, not that it should matter...like the saved searches).

I now routinely set my alert to start checking about 331+7 days. Did exactly the same thing (and lead time) a couple of weeks ago for the outbound.

Only idiosyncrasy is that seat assignments for the UA segments won't take on the day of booking, but usually work the next day or two. Ironically, the LH seat assignments worked immediately after booking.

anc-ord772

@:-) Ah, that's why that was happening. Res agent couldn't assign them either.

expo

yeah, that i always notice with seat assignments (i try to book SFO-HNL that far out).

i'll give it a few more days for BKK!

Slickdilla

Is it 12:01 CST?

Also, can you still pay business saver price to wait list if none are available, and confirm in economy? Do you have to call? Do they charge fee?

WineCountryUA

Generally appears be 3-6AM Eastern. but it is not a fix time.
Yes you can waitlist and if booked at the higher award level, there will be no fee if successful. This can only be done by a phone agent, See wiki of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ns-issues.html for more.

Kacee

UA doesn't really work that way. There's not a schedule of award releases.

Air Houston

Oh, there may be a schedule, but to the passenger it is completely opaque and there is no consistency or predictability, meaning there is no fixed time when seats are always released. So you can't sit by the computer at 12:01 and snag a seat the moment it becomes available. However, if you're flying OMA-ORD the second week of December there is plenty of saver availability, no wait listing required!