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}
Jul 2, 2019, 8:31 am
#3346
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
In order to get the extra segment without paying extra miles, the entire itinerary would need to appear on an origin to destination search -- so, you'd have to see BUD-VIE-LAX-SFO as an option on your search. (Or, if you see LH F, you'd need BUD-MUC/FRA-(US connecting city)-SFO). If the only way to see availability is to piece it together, an agent is likely to charge you piece-by-piece.
Jul 2, 2019, 8:36 am
#3347
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
OP has no status. While there is no 1K Desk, it's still the case that (a) HUCA is a greater investment without status, due to wait times, and (b) agents are more likely to bend rules for a 1K.It may work out -- that routing might be returned, or LH F might open, obviating the issue -- but I wouldn't count on getting through to an agent who will make an exception.
Jul 2, 2019, 8:37 am
#3348
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
I've had to do my fair share of fighting to get awards pieced together and it's probably much worse for a general member.
Jul 2, 2019, 8:41 am
#3349
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: GUM
Programs: OWE, *Gold, STE+, Globalist, Titanium, Spire, Diamond
Posts: 551
What is a useful way to approach phone agents to garner better success when calling to create silly/illogical but awesome value itineraries using Excursionist? Also if the outbound flight is in business/first, usually the excursionist leg will be in business/first even if the return leg is in economy. But if only the final leg of the outbound flight is in economy, then the website will automatically make the excursionist in economy and charge for business/first. Will phone agents work around this?
IE: Flying from Haneda (HND) to Papeete (PPT) via Beijing (PEK) and then Auckland (AKL). Direct flight from Narita (NRT) to AKL opened but no option online to marry with AKL to PPT (AKL-PPT only avail in Y). Took a few agents over the phone, but one finally made it work.
Now want to use Excursionist for a future trip in Africa out of Joburg by adding on a qualifying return leg as Osaka to Tokyo. So NRT-AKL-PPT//JNB-anywhere in Africa//OSA-TYO.
Usually this isn't a problem to do on the website, but when you add a leg, you also need to search the first leg again (NRT-AKL-PPT), followed by second leg (JNB-???), followed by return leg (OSA-TYO). But since my first leg isn't searchable online, the website will error out with availability and I'm assuming the only workaround is via phone.
But the problem I'm getting is (1) Agent cannot find space due to the same error found on website. (2) If an agent can work past (1), will not price excursionist correctly since initial logic doesn't see how excursionist applies on a convoluted routing.
Looking back, It would have probably been much easier if I did the excursionist routing before I changed HND-PEK-AKL-PPT to NRT-AKL-PPT rather than the other way around.
IE: Flying from Haneda (HND) to Papeete (PPT) via Beijing (PEK) and then Auckland (AKL). Direct flight from Narita (NRT) to AKL opened but no option online to marry with AKL to PPT (AKL-PPT only avail in Y). Took a few agents over the phone, but one finally made it work.
Now want to use Excursionist for a future trip in Africa out of Joburg by adding on a qualifying return leg as Osaka to Tokyo. So NRT-AKL-PPT//JNB-anywhere in Africa//OSA-TYO.
Usually this isn't a problem to do on the website, but when you add a leg, you also need to search the first leg again (NRT-AKL-PPT), followed by second leg (JNB-???), followed by return leg (OSA-TYO). But since my first leg isn't searchable online, the website will error out with availability and I'm assuming the only workaround is via phone.
But the problem I'm getting is (1) Agent cannot find space due to the same error found on website. (2) If an agent can work past (1), will not price excursionist correctly since initial logic doesn't see how excursionist applies on a convoluted routing.
Looking back, It would have probably been much easier if I did the excursionist routing before I changed HND-PEK-AKL-PPT to NRT-AKL-PPT rather than the other way around.
Jul 2, 2019, 8:54 am
#3350
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
The more people who call about this sort of itinerary, the sooner they''ll tighten the restrictions to remove the loopholes.
Jul 2, 2019, 11:48 am
#3351
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
I had a surprising experience recently that I thought I’d share. I was booked EWR>WAW>KBP in LO saver J and learned that my EWR>WAW segment would be delayed four hours, causing me to misconnect and lose an entire day of my trip to Kiev. I called UA and, despite the fact that I’ve dropped to a general member, found that my call was routed to “the Premier Desk,” at least if the helpful agent who answered was to be believed. Within a few minutes—and within two hours of takeoff—she had moved me to BOS>ZRH>KBP in LX saver J, as I hadn’t yet stepped onto my positioning flight to EWR.
I asked (repeatedly) if the fact that there was no current award availability on my later segments would be a problem, and she assured me it would not. She was right!
Emboldened, I tried the same thing when I decided to stay in Kiev an extra day. Another agent happily switched my KBP>IST>DUB routing to KBP>FRA>DUB the following day without touching my nonstop DUB>BOS award.
Has there been a softening of the rule that any change to an award ticket requires space on every segment in the itinerary, or is it still YMMV?
I asked (repeatedly) if the fact that there was no current award availability on my later segments would be a problem, and she assured me it would not. She was right!
Emboldened, I tried the same thing when I decided to stay in Kiev an extra day. Another agent happily switched my KBP>IST>DUB routing to KBP>FRA>DUB the following day without touching my nonstop DUB>BOS award.
Has there been a softening of the rule that any change to an award ticket requires space on every segment in the itinerary, or is it still YMMV?
Jul 3, 2019, 9:26 am
#3352
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Newport RI/HNL
Programs: UA 1K/ Hilton Diamond
Posts: 18
Award availability issues
In he past I have been able to make an award reservation from AAA-BBB when XN was available then add another flight when BBB-CCC becomes available with no problems. I tried the same thing now when I had EWR-HNL already booked and wanted to add PVD-EWR which now has XN but the agent couldn’t do it since there’s no XN on EWR-HNL and they said I had to buy a separate ticket. I know there have been a lot of changes recently but haven’t seen this one.
I also tried another routing where PVD-ORD and ORD-HNL each had XN open but wouldn’t come out to saver rates. The agent said something about IM not allowing it. By the way, these are flights before Nov 15th.
Has anyone had these issues with awards recently? All the changes are making it more and more difficult to use miles.
I also tried another routing where PVD-ORD and ORD-HNL each had XN open but wouldn’t come out to saver rates. The agent said something about IM not allowing it. By the way, these are flights before Nov 15th.
Has anyone had these issues with awards recently? All the changes are making it more and more difficult to use miles.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 3, 2019 at 11:08 am Reason: moved to exisiting discussion
Jul 3, 2019, 9:33 am
#3353
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
I tried the same thing now when I had EWR-HNL already booked and wanted to add PVD-EWR which now has XN but the agent couldn’t do it since there’s no XN on EWR-HNL and they said I had to buy a separate ticket. I know there have been a lot of changes recently but haven’t seen this one.
Jul 3, 2019, 9:50 am
#3354
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
As a 1K, I have had decent luck with HUCA to do things like this. It might actually be harder to put together two UA segments because of the married inventory issue; I was adding a UA domestic connector to an entirely SK itinerary. I find playing dumb to be the most effective strategy ("actually I found out I need to be in PVD, any chance we could change to add on this segment... I thought it should be the same number of miles?").
Jul 3, 2019, 10:16 am
#3355
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Newport RI/HNL
Programs: UA 1K/ Hilton Diamond
Posts: 18
As a 1K, I have had decent luck with HUCA to do things like this. It might actually be harder to put together two UA segments because of the married inventory issue; I was adding a UA domestic connector to an entirely SK itinerary. I find playing dumb to be the most effective strategy ("actually I found out I need to be in PVD, any chance we could change to add on this segment... I thought it should be the same number of miles?").
Jul 3, 2019, 11:04 am
#3356
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,654
I have an MP booked award for a TG/TK flights. Booked and ticketed a few months ago.
Today suddenly comes a "booking confirmation" email from UA, same flights, same pnr for the other carriers, but differnt UA ticket numbers.
Checked TG app - new ticket numbers visible. Not sure about TK yet (not as easy to check)
All seems ok, but knowing UA - should I be worried? And why would they do this?
Today suddenly comes a "booking confirmation" email from UA, same flights, same pnr for the other carriers, but differnt UA ticket numbers.
Checked TG app - new ticket numbers visible. Not sure about TK yet (not as easy to check)
All seems ok, but knowing UA - should I be worried? And why would they do this?
Jul 3, 2019, 11:23 am
#3357
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
I’ve had this happen before. They get a rogue reconfirmation from somewhere. In my case, it was no big deal. If everything still looks fine on the operating carriers’ sites, I wouldn’t stress over it.
Jul 3, 2019, 11:51 am
#3358
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
Have a question in regards to this:
"Changing any segment MIGHT require current availability for all existing Os&Ds in the PNR (as if a brand new booking is made) - YMMV"
I'm going to book a trip usa-usa, europe-europe (free), usa(XXX?)-usa(DTW).
I'm unsure of what I want my last leg to be. I want to book a Lufthansa first flight back to the united states, and from there go on to Detroit. It's just I can't predict what hub will have availability.
So my question is, if I book this award ticket right now, and fly the very first leg of this trip (which would be very soon, well before I can iron out the details for the last flights), can I still change those remaining legs? Should I expect additional fees or a full recalculation of price?
Sorry if that's confusing. Maybe a better way to phrase this is what happens after the first leg is flown in regarding to changing the remaining legs.
"Changing any segment MIGHT require current availability for all existing Os&Ds in the PNR (as if a brand new booking is made) - YMMV"
I'm going to book a trip usa-usa, europe-europe (free), usa(XXX?)-usa(DTW).
I'm unsure of what I want my last leg to be. I want to book a Lufthansa first flight back to the united states, and from there go on to Detroit. It's just I can't predict what hub will have availability.
So my question is, if I book this award ticket right now, and fly the very first leg of this trip (which would be very soon, well before I can iron out the details for the last flights), can I still change those remaining legs? Should I expect additional fees or a full recalculation of price?
Sorry if that's confusing. Maybe a better way to phrase this is what happens after the first leg is flown in regarding to changing the remaining legs.
Last edited by BThumme; Jul 3, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Jul 3, 2019, 3:49 pm
#3359
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AA EXP, HH Diamond, MR Gold, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,252
In he past I have been able to make an award reservation from AAA-BBB when XN was available then add another flight when BBB-CCC becomes available with no problems. I tried the same thing now when I had EWR-HNL already booked and wanted to add PVD-EWR which now has XN but the agent couldn’t do it since there’s no XN on EWR-HNL and they said I had to buy a separate ticket. I know there have been a lot of changes recently but haven’t seen this one.
Jul 3, 2019, 5:33 pm
#3360
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,654
To answer my own question, several hours later I got a notice of "change in reservation". Had to look very carefully to see that one of the flights is now arriving 10 minutes later. Will United reissue tickets for any minor schedule change?