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UA award booking,change questions/fees/issues/routing/excursionist problems {Archive}

Old Dec 27, 2016, 9:23 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United's Announcement and FAQ

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)

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This is an archive thread, the active thread is Award booking questions/ issues/ routing/ excursionist problems / help
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UA award booking,change questions/fees/issues/routing/excursionist problems {Archive}

Old Jul 14, 2019, 3:46 pm
  #3406  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,145
Originally Posted by alanjudy
Well, I'm thinking it doesn't hurt to try to make the change. The economy ticket from Windhoek to Lusaka is around $350, so that's $700 we'd save, not insubstantial. The worse thing that could happen is the agent refuses to do it, in which case I'll either try again, or book it as 2 separate one-ways. The one I spoke with last night said it should be OK to make the change esp. since I have to call them to book anyways.

Now, British Airways waives the fee when you want to turn a one-way into a round-trip if the availability for the return is not available when you book the outbound. I wish United would do that!

Good advice on verifying with ET. I will do that!
I recently booked
May 2020 IAD-JNB-CPT (2 x 80k) one way tickets
June 2020 WDH-ADD-IAD (2 x 80k) one way tickets
In a perfect world I'd have added my CPT-WDH in the middle as an excursionist flight, but I'd absolutely have lost out on my preferred IAD-JNB-CPT flight. It disappeared after I grabbed 2 tickets. My WDH-ADD-IAD also disappeared after I bought 2 tickets. It was more important to me that I got my preferred long hauls over a free intra-Africa excursionist (I'll be paying $500ish for that).

Your priority may be different. Im just glad I took the FT advice when I asked for it way back and grabbed one ways ASAP.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 7:38 pm
  #3407  
FTA
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
Is a long layover supposed to unmarry the ticket?

No status. Multicity reward booking.

One segment is at 5AM. Tried to change just this segment to the previous day by myself online but couldn't figure out how. Called and was told the layover is too long (about 10 hours) and the system is treating it as a separate flight.

I was able to do this about 2 years ago without any fees. Have things really changed? Thank you.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 7:41 pm
  #3408  
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Location: Austin, TX
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Originally Posted by FTA
One segment is at 5AM. Tried to change just this segment to the previous day by myself online but couldn't figure out how.
What cities are involved? What airlines?
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 7:42 pm
  #3409  
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Posts: 52,110
Originally Posted by FTA
Called and was told the layover is too long (about 10 hours) and the system is treating it as a separate flight.
Is the award domestic or international? In general, 4 hours is the limit for domestic itineraries, and 24 hours for international.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 7:50 pm
  #3410  
FTA
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
The long layover is right before an international flight, flying from domestic regional to ORD. Regional is United Express. International is United.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 8:02 pm
  #3411  
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It sounds like the new policy of not allowing segment-by-segment awards may be coming into play.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 8:04 pm
  #3412  
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Posts: 304
Originally Posted by mahasamatman
It sounds like the new policy of not allowing segment-by-segment awards may be coming into play.
Haven't heard about this. Link or explain please.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 8:06 pm
  #3413  
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Originally Posted by FTA
Haven't heard about this. Link or explain please.
You can only book complete awards from source to destination as the United search engine provides. You can no longer manually assemble an award with available segments. So, just because AAA-XXX and XXX-BBB are both available doesn't mean you can book the award unless the search engine returns AAA-XXX-BBB as a valid option. It's been this way for a year or two now.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 8:11 pm
  #3414  
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Originally Posted by mahasamatman
You can only book complete awards from source to destination as the United search engine provides. You can no longer manually assemble an award with available segments. So, just because AAA-XXX and XXX-BBB are both available doesn't mean you can book the award unless the search engine returns AAA-XXX-BBB as a valid option. It's been this way for a year or two now.
Correct; and, I agree, that's likely what the problem is.

If a schedule change occurred (or occurs), you can probably get UA to move the connecting flight to the night before. Otherwise, yes, I suspect this will now price as two awards.
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Old Jul 15, 2019, 8:54 pm
  #3415  
FTA
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Enhancements! Thank you

Last edited by FTA; Jul 15, 2019 at 9:02 pm
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 4:10 am
  #3416  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 41
Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding award changes. I booked a United award for travel on OZ metal LAX-ICN-PVG in October. This was originally in F class, but has since been changed to J as Asiana will no longer offer F. I still get to keep my assigned seating in the First class suite for LAX-ICN leg. I would like to change the second leg from ICN-PVG to ICN-HKG. My only concern is will I lose my (F) seat for the first leg by doing so since United would have to reissue my ticket? Appreciate any help or insight!
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 6:33 am
  #3417  
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Originally Posted by spunkyt83
Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding award changes. I booked a United award for travel on OZ metal LAX-ICN-PVG in October. This was originally in F class, but has since been changed to J as Asiana will no longer offer F. I still get to keep my assigned seating in the First class suite for LAX-ICN leg. I would like to change the second leg from ICN-PVG to ICN-HKG. My only concern is will I lose my (F) seat for the first leg by doing so since United would have to reissue my ticket? Appreciate any help or insight!
Reports are that you need your entire new itinerary available to make the change, and United will indeed reissue. If you search now do you see LAX-ICN-HKG available with F?
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 7:15 am
  #3418  
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Originally Posted by spunkyt83
Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding award changes. I booked a United award for travel on OZ metal LAX-ICN-PVG in October. This was originally in F class, but has since been changed to J as Asiana will no longer offer F. I still get to keep my assigned seating in the First class suite for LAX-ICN leg. I would like to change the second leg from ICN-PVG to ICN-HKG. My only concern is will I lose my (F) seat for the first leg by doing so since United would have to reissue my ticket? Appreciate any help or insight!
This is probably an Asiana question. UA will reissue the ticket if you make the change; don't know whether OZ will keep your seat assignment.
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 8:16 am
  #3419  
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Originally Posted by findark
don't know whether OZ will keep your seat assignment.
Based on my past experience with OZ awards, the seat assignment will be lost.
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Old Jul 19, 2019, 6:16 pm
  #3420  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 41
Originally Posted by findark
This is probably an Asiana question. UA will reissue the ticket if you make the change; don't know whether OZ will keep your seat assignment.
Thank you. I did try reaching out to OZ and they said it depends on whether UA will reissue. So I'm guessing if they do reissue, seat will be lost.

Originally Posted by fumje
Reports are that you need your entire new itinerary available to make the change, and United will indeed reissue. If you search now do you see LAX-ICN-HKG available with F?
There isn't any availability with F since that class doesn't exist. But there isn't any availability in J either. However, when I spoke to United, they said they can rebook and keep first leg in J and second in Y (which i'm fine with), but again, no guarantees on seat.

Originally Posted by Kacee
Based on my past experience with OZ awards, the seat assignment will be lost.
Thank you for letting me know!

Thanks everyone for your help!
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