Jan 19, 2017, 10:23 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Main Impact
Useful Links
EveryDay Awards - UA MP award changes 1 Nov 2017 (Everyday award/dynamic price, No RTW, No Show fee,..)
principle change - Standard awards being replaced by "EveryDay Award" with variable pricing
What is the Excursionist Perk?
Previous thread -- UA award booking,change questions/fees/issues/routing/excursionist problems {Archive}
- No more free stopover - replaced with Excursionist Perk
- Agents no longer have the ability to find routings or build itineraries 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 basically requires current availability for all existing Os&Ds in the PNR (as if a brand new booking is made)
- Singapore Airlines segments are priced separately (add-ons)
Useful Links
EveryDay Awards - UA MP award changes 1 Nov 2017 (Everyday award/dynamic price, No RTW, No Show fee,..)
principle change - Standard awards being replaced by "EveryDay Award" with variable pricing
What is the Excursionist Perk?
The Excursionist Perk is a free one-way award within select multi-city itineraries. Members who book an itinerary with three or more one-way awards will be eligible to receive one of those one-way awards for free, if it meets all of these conditions:
The Excursionist Perk cannot be in the MileagePlus defined region where your travel originates. (For example, if your journey begins in North America, you will only receive the Excursionist Perk if travel is within a region outside of North America.)
The Excursionist Perk cannot be in the MileagePlus defined region where your travel originates. (For example, if your journey begins in North America, you will only receive the Excursionist Perk if travel is within a region outside of North America.)
- Travel must end in the same MileagePlus defined region where travel originates.
- The origin and destination of the Excursionist Perk is within a single MileagePlus defined region.
- The cabin of service and award type of the free one-way award is the same or lower than the one-way award preceding it.
- If two or more one-way awards qualify for this benefit, only the first occurrence will be free.
Previous thread -- UA award booking,change questions/fees/issues/routing/excursionist problems {Archive}
UA award booking, change questions / issues / routing / excursionist problems / help
Jan 31, 2024, 12:46 pm
#1021
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,228
I'm not entirely following what you're asking, but in general, there are two downsides to having multiple tickets that jointly make up a single journey. (There are no real downsides to having two separate tickets, one being the outbound of a trip and one being the return, except that you don't get to benefit from any possible round-trip discount). The first is that you will generally need an extra step to get your bag tagged through to your destination. The second is that in the event of a delay on one ticket such that you arrive too late to make it onto the first flight of the second ticket, neither airline is obliged to rebook you, whereas if it were a single ticket, the airline that arrived late would be obligated to figure out how to get you to your destination. The major upside to having multiple tickets is that you often save lots of money or miles. In general, I'd recommend leaving a longer buffer between two separately-ticketed itineraries than you might if it were on a single ticket.
Note that if both itineraries are operated by UA, they're generally quite good about taking care of passengers even if they are on separate tickets.
Note that if both itineraries are operated by UA, they're generally quite good about taking care of passengers even if they are on separate tickets.
I will give plenty of time. We are probably flying United and a partner east or west to Asia.
Jan 31, 2024, 12:57 pm
#1022
Join Date: Mar 2023
Posts: 195
I've been trying to book a US-->EU-->EU long haul to short haul award ticket on LX/OS. When I click on it to book I get a pop up that the LX (long haul) flight is no longer available. Then when I search the next day or two the award doesn't show as available. Then when I search the next day or two after that it'll show as available but I get the same pop up when I try to book. This has been going on for several weeks. I was wondering if anyone knows what's going on.
Edit: meant to quote Elvasoshexai
Edit: meant to quote Elvasoshexai
Jan 31, 2024, 1:00 pm
#1023
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,361
No. It's a perfectly well-understood practice. I did it as recently as a week ago, and I have a flight booked later this year where I'll do it again.
Jan 31, 2024, 4:03 pm
#1024
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: FAT
Posts: 146
I have an award with excursionist perk. I'm starting to see better flights pop up in saver space but would like not to be an I Blew Up My Award statistic.
1. If I want to rebook my first set of flights do I need the proper level of award availability showing for all flights?
2. If it all shows as available online am I good to make the change myself online? No phantom issues with LH, LX, or OS?
1. If I want to rebook my first set of flights do I need the proper level of award availability showing for all flights?
2. If it all shows as available online am I good to make the change myself online? No phantom issues with LH, LX, or OS?
Feb 1, 2024, 5:04 am
#1025
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: UA1K, *G & Wife of UA1K MM
Posts: 3,431
I have an award with excursionist perk. I'm starting to see better flights pop up in saver space but would like not to be an I Blew Up My Award statistic.
1. If I want to rebook my first set of flights do I need the proper level of award availability showing for all flights?
2. If it all shows as available online am I good to make the change myself online? No phantom issues with LH, LX, or OS?
1. If I want to rebook my first set of flights do I need the proper level of award availability showing for all flights?
2. If it all shows as available online am I good to make the change myself online? No phantom issues with LH, LX, or OS?
Feb 1, 2024, 5:41 pm
#1026
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DFW
Posts: 111
I just successfully got a favorable rerouting from SYD-LAX-IAH-DFW to SYD-SFO-DFW after my IAH connection time was reduced to 65 minutes (mainline to express), despite no I availability on that route. Originally this was mixed cabin (Polaris I saver and domestic XN). It is now all in JN (yay!). However, it is now listed as needing the ticket to be reissued. Is this something that should happen automatically, and if so when? Do I need to call? Is there any risk of losing my domestic J if someone notices?
Feb 1, 2024, 5:49 pm
#1027
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,361
I just successfully got a favorable rerouting from SYD-LAX-IAH-DFW to SYD-SFO-DFW after my IAH connection time was reduced to 65 minutes (mainline to express), despite no I availability on that route. Originally this was mixed cabin (Polaris I saver and domestic XN). It is now all in JN (yay!). However, it is now listed as needing the ticket to be reissued. Is this something that should happen automatically, and if so when? Do I need to call? Is there any risk of losing my domestic J if someone notices?
How long has it been? Protection in JN is very much nonstandard and I do think reissuance is likely to be necessary. If it's been 24+ hours, call. Don't say anything more than "it says my ticket needs to be reissued," lest they put you back into I -- or worse, I/XN.
Feb 1, 2024, 5:56 pm
#1028
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DFW
Posts: 111
65 minutes is a good 20 minutes longer than many of my IAH connections.
How long has it been? Protection in JN is very much nonstandard and I do think reissuance is likely to be necessary. If it's been 24+ hours, call. Don't say anything more than "it says my ticket needs to be reissued," lest they put you back into I -- or worse, I/XN.
How long has it been? Protection in JN is very much nonstandard and I do think reissuance is likely to be necessary. If it's been 24+ hours, call. Don't say anything more than "it says my ticket needs to be reissued," lest they put you back into I -- or worse, I/XN.
Thank you. It's only been a couple of hours. This time tomorrow, I'll call and do just that. The Premier agent seemed somewhat dubious of my "concerned about the connection" call (I've done an I->D in that amount of time, just -- and only because I know not to follow the herd to that awful TSA rescreen) and certainly knew what I was doing; but she seemed happy enough to try to help.
Feb 1, 2024, 9:47 pm
#1030
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: 66,769
Additional miles can bd used to rebook an award into business by rebooking the award or by waitlisting (if UA operated)
Neither of the above can be used if booked with non-UA program miles.
Any award can be cash upgraded if offered -- check UA site for offer.
And award cash upgraded to PremPlus then can be upgraded PlusPoint or UA miles.
Feb 2, 2024, 12:12 am
#1031
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,361
Also, neither of the above is an option if the desired flight is operated by someone besides UA. It's unclear to me if the question was about LH/TK miles being used to book a UA flight or MileagePlus miles being used to book an LH/TK flight.
Feb 2, 2024, 8:41 am
#1032
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 222
Thank you. Apologies about the confusion - I intended to ask about MileagePlus miles being used to book an LH/TK flight.
Feb 2, 2024, 1:52 pm
#1033
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: 35,376
Feb 2, 2024, 1:57 pm
#1034
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,361
Feb 3, 2024, 3:07 pm
#1035
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DFW
Posts: 111
65 minutes is a good 20 minutes longer than many of my IAH connections.
How long has it been? Protection in JN is very much nonstandard and I do think reissuance is likely to be necessary. If it's been 24+ hours, call. Don't say anything more than "it says my ticket needs to be reissued," lest they put you back into I -- or worse, I/XN.
How long has it been? Protection in JN is very much nonstandard and I do think reissuance is likely to be necessary. If it's been 24+ hours, call. Don't say anything more than "it says my ticket needs to be reissued," lest they put you back into I -- or worse, I/XN.