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}
Jun 8, 2019, 1:25 am
#3256
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
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Jun 8, 2019, 2:51 am
#3258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,364
The combination of both, and I'd throw in O2 also.
The flight already has Everyday award space available (at 155K), so I assume you're talking about Saver award space (60K). Saver awards book into I class (or IN, for Platinum / 1K/ GS members), which has lower priority than PN and PZ, which are the upgrade fare classes.
Right now, you've got a fairly full plane, including a bunch of people in Premium Economy who may wish to upgrade (O2 - two available PE seats), and you've only got 7 available business class seats (J7). UA thinks they can sell the seats without discounting them (P0), and, even if they're wrong, they will likely clear any upgrades before they'd open award space. Upgrades would be waitlisted right now (PN0 - GS upgrades; PZ0 - non-GS upgrades).
I would be extremely surprised if they ever opened any saver Business award space on this flight.
The flight already has Everyday award space available (at 155K), so I assume you're talking about Saver award space (60K). Saver awards book into I class (or IN, for Platinum / 1K/ GS members), which has lower priority than PN and PZ, which are the upgrade fare classes.
Right now, you've got a fairly full plane, including a bunch of people in Premium Economy who may wish to upgrade (O2 - two available PE seats), and you've only got 7 available business class seats (J7). UA thinks they can sell the seats without discounting them (P0), and, even if they're wrong, they will likely clear any upgrades before they'd open award space. Upgrades would be waitlisted right now (PN0 - GS upgrades; PZ0 - non-GS upgrades).
I would be extremely surprised if they ever opened any saver Business award space on this flight.
Jun 8, 2019, 9:01 am
#3259
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,122
If you have the extra miles, I'd also look at LH455 it is J9C9 and the business class seat map for that date is at least 50% unassigned. I know that is not a guarantee of availability, but it is suggestive of availability 4 days out.
Last edited by cheltzel; Jun 8, 2019 at 10:10 am Reason: add missing text
Jun 8, 2019, 9:48 am
#3260
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Location: PHX
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Jun 8, 2019, 3:43 pm
#3261
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: PNW
Programs: AS 100K
Posts: 1,548
thanks kacee, cheltzel, jsloan for your input.
I'm hoping LX releases a J award that day. For that same day, the LX ZRH flight is at J3 C3. I think if they open anything, it'll be at 24hrs out.
I'm hoping LX releases a J award that day. For that same day, the LX ZRH flight is at J3 C3. I think if they open anything, it'll be at 24hrs out.
Jun 8, 2019, 8:08 pm
#3262
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
Trying to find a miles ticket but coming up with crappy results so switched to non miles to see availability and didn't change it to round trip.
But there is still something wrong though. If I search each segment individually there is plenty of miles availability but if I search the entire trip I get very little availability.
How do you filter for long domestic layovers? I could swear there used to be a filter for that
But there is still something wrong though. If I search each segment individually there is plenty of miles availability but if I search the entire trip I get very little availability.
How do you filter for long domestic layovers? I could swear there used to be a filter for that
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 8, 2019 at 9:00 pm Reason: split post
Jun 8, 2019, 8:21 pm
#3263
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
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Posts: 56,420
Try narrowing your search by connection point, and see if you get the options you want. You can also call, and tell them that you were unable to book online if they try to charge you a booking fee.
Jun 8, 2019, 8:54 pm
#3264
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
By connection point do you mean using the preferred and avoid airport filters? Is there a way to calculate the amount of miles needed before calling in?
Jun 8, 2019, 9:00 pm
#3265
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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If you see availability one-way in each direction, the RT price should be the two OWs combined.
Jun 8, 2019, 10:12 pm
#3266
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 304
PEK isn't my final destination though and using multi city just adds up the points and fees of each segment. Man this sucks! Earlier this year the entire trip was 80K + about $50 for econ, now its 100K + $90. Thanks for your help though!
Jun 8, 2019, 10:22 pm
#3267
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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It's not at all clear exactly what you are trying to book. You're not going to get best answers here without providing full information, including specific destination/routing and dates.
Jun 8, 2019, 11:16 pm
#3268
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,364
(b) If you absolutely must connect in PEK, give yourself an extremely long layover.
(c) The cost (in terms of dollars) is based upon the taxes for each flight, which can differ based upon the routing. There may also be a close-in award booking fee (less than 21 days prior to departure, and status less than Platinum). These haven’t changed from earlier this year and don’t depend upon the number of miles charged.
It sounds like you’re trying to fly something like SFO-PEK-BKK, and you’re not seeing the same results that you get it you search SFO-PEK and PEK-BKK separately. Unfortunately, there’s likely nothing that can be done about this. This was an intentional change by UA a couple of years ago — if an award doesn’t show up on a search from origin to destination, it can’t be booked. As you found, using multi-city search causes the award to be priced point-to-point.
That said, if you can find the award on a one-way SFO-BKK search, but not on a round-trip SFO-BKK / BKK-SFO search, that’s a situation where calling can help (and I think that’s what one of the earlier posters was assuming you were asking about). Also, if your actual flight is something like LAS-SFO-PEK-BKK, and you can find LAS-SFO and SFO-PEK-BKK, some people have reported success getting an agent to add the domestic flight to an international award. (I suspect that will be increasingly difficult going forward as they transition to all-dynamic pricing).
Jun 9, 2019, 1:26 am
#3269
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: UK/Australia
Programs: BAEC Silver, UA2MM, QF Platinum, VA Platinum., Volare Executive Club
Posts: 2,508
I have just booked an economy award CPH-ATH (SK), ATH-CAI (A3), CAI-DXB (MS), which is pretty much what I was looking for, for 25,000 miles.
All good, I thought, but when I read the small print I find that it is HBO, with each checked bag to cost an extra $150.
I thought all awards included some sort of checked bag allowance.
All good, I thought, but when I read the small print I find that it is HBO, with each checked bag to cost an extra $150.
I thought all awards included some sort of checked bag allowance.
Jun 9, 2019, 1:33 am
#3270
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,364
Checked baggage amounts are notoriously incorrect on award tickets, especially if you're getting this information from the operating carrier's website. What does your receipt say? (I assume this was a MileagePlus award, so it would be your receipt from United).