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Old Jan 19, 2017, 10:23 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Main Impact
  • 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.)
  • 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.


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UA award booking, change questions / issues / routing / excursionist problems / help

   
Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:32 pm
  #46  
formerly 1984SW
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
Well. I posted this in the ANA forum, but ANA F is wide open from 4/1 - 6/10 for SFO-TYO and vv. Jump on that for not many more miles.
That may be a good deal for SFO-TYO, but I'm traveling MID-BKK. Have you priced MID-SFO + TYO-BKK? It's really a great alternate. e.g MID-SFO the week in April I'm traveling is over 100k miles (and $2000+ cash) one-way in J.
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:34 pm
  #47  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Originally Posted by wpcoe
That may be a good deal for SFO-TYO, but I'm traveling MID-BKK. Have you priced MID-SFO + TYO-BKK? It's really a great alternate. e.g MID-SFO the week in April I'm traveling is $2000+ one-way in J.
Try other cities easily reachable from MID if it won't show up. I found this just because I wanted to see what options UA would give me now for my (already booked) DEN-BKK flights. It popped up DEN-SFO in Y, SFO-NRT in F, NRT-BKK in C.

Here's options from MEX:

Last edited by JayhawkCO; Jan 25, 2023 at 2:40 pm
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:37 pm
  #48  
formerly 1984SW
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
Try other cities easily reachable from MID if it won't show up. I found this just because I wanted to see what options UA would give me now for my (already booked) DEN-BKK flights. It popped up DEN-SFO in Y, SFO-NRT in F, NRT-BKK in C.
Trust me, I have. I spent at least an hour a day checking flights from not only my home of MID, but also, IAH, LAX, SFO, SEA, YVR, YYZ, NYC/EWR, IAD, MIA, MEX and CUN. That's how I ended up with the SFO-ICN-BKK ticket. And, not only UA MP, but AS, AC and AV (LifeMiles). Now I get to do it all over again.
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:46 pm
  #49  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Sort by the righthand column.
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:49 pm
  #50  
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: 66,731
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
Try other cities easily reachable from MID if it won't show up. I found this just because I wanted to see what options UA would give me now for my (already booked) DEN-BKK flights. It popped up DEN-SFO in Y, SFO-NRT in F, NRT-BKK in C.

Here's options from MEX:
You did notice they were 44-45 hour trips with long layovers at SFO or TKO (with change of airports)
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:53 pm
  #51  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
You did notice they were 44-45 hour trips with long layovers at SFO or TKO (with change of airports)
A) Beggars can't be choosers (not calling wpcoe a beggar, but you get it).
B) Not all the routings have airport changes. Plenty of just MEX-SFO-NRT-BKK routings.
C) I didn't check every day. This was just a random day in the middle of May I searched.
D) I'd be willing to travel an extra 5-6 hours overall to fly in F instead of Y. YMMV.
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:54 pm
  #52  
formerly 1984SW
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
Sort by the righthand column.
The first one has Y on HND-BKK (a 6.5 hour flight), the second one has Y on MEX-SFO (A ~5 hour flight) plus Y on HND-BKK, and the third one is Y on MEX-SFO. None of those appeal to me, but now I get – and appreciate – your point to search for F awards!👍🏼 You've added an additional hour to my daily searches! 🤣
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 2:56 pm
  #53  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Originally Posted by wpcoe
The first one has Y on HND-BKK (a 6.5 hour flight), the second one has Y on MEX-SFO (A ~5 hour flight) plus Y on HND-BKK, and the third one is Y on MEX-SFO. None of those appeal to me, but now I get – and appreciate – your point to search for F awards!👍🏼 You've added an additional hour to my daily searches! 🤣
The third one on my example was C in every leg (other than the F leg). It did have an airport change from HND-NRT.

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Old Jan 25, 2023, 3:02 pm
  #54  
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: 66,731
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
A) ....
D) I'd be willing to travel an extra 5-6 hours overall to fly in F instead of Y. YMMV.
But an extra 20 hours??
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 3:06 pm
  #55  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
But an extra 20 hours??
The quickest flight from Mérida to Bangkok on *A airlines appears to be, from a quick Kayak search, 32h 10m. If I had to do that in Y or 44 hours in C/F, I'd probably be okay with that. Again, YMMV. Not my call to say what others think is acceptable, but just trying to provide options.
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 3:11 pm
  #56  
formerly 1984SW
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
The third one on my example was C in every leg (other than the F leg). It did have an airport change from HND-NRT.

I need to be in BKK by the end of April, and I can't seem to even get an F column to appear until 03-May. But, I will keep checking every day until I can book something and will be sure to be alert for an F column, if/when it appears.

[edited to add:] The third option in my search results was different than yours, but that happens. Also, the above itin has 21 hours of airport sits, which is what I think WineCountryUA was commenting on. It's not off-putting to me, although the airport change is kind of. The 143k "fares" don't show up on a calendar search, either. e.g. When I search MEX-BKK, award travel, F, it shows 200k in the calendar for 10-May. If I click on 10-May it does show the 143k fare. That means I need to check each individual day to find them. Oh, well.
Last edited by wpcoe; Jan 25, 2023 at 3:19 pm
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Old Jan 25, 2023, 3:15 pm
  #57  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Originally Posted by wpcoe
I need to be in BKK by the end of April, and I can't seem to even get an F column to appear until 03-May. But, I will keep checking every day until I can book something and will be sure to be alert for an F column, if/when it appears.
Looks like availability is already drying up. I looked specifically at 4/1 earlier for SFO-TYO and it had 5 seats available combined on both flights. Now there are zero. That's why I put the info out as quickly as I could because I figured it wouldn't last too long. I'm seeing availability MEX-TYO 4/17-4/19. Just not all the way to BKK on those dates. The MEX-SFO flight is in Y, but you might be able to waitlist for I and/or pay to upgrade. Just trying to find you options.

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Old Jan 25, 2023, 3:24 pm
  #58  
formerly 1984SW
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Originally Posted by JayhawkCO
Looks like availability is already drying up. I looked specifically at 4/1 earlier for SFO-TYO and it had 5 seats available combined on both flights. Now there are zero. That's why I put the info out as quickly as I could because I figured it wouldn't last too long. I'm seeing availability MEX-TYO 4/17-4/19. Just not all the way to BKK on those dates. The MEX-SFO flight is in Y, but you might be able to waitlist for I and/or pay to upgrade. Just trying to find you options.
Thanks for that. I'm going to go radio silent here as my personal needs probably don't interest the vast majority of FT readers. You've done well to point me (and all FT readers) to the JL F availability.
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Old Jan 26, 2023, 6:41 am
  #59  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: AAdvantage, Krisflyer, Velocity
Posts: 125
Can someone please help me? I've tried searching the forums. This change with how savers awards are displayed is doing my head in. As described here: https://thepointsguy.com/news/united...partner-miles/

So I am trying to book a Star Alliance business RTW trip and without being able to see availability on Expert Flyer website for United, it's a struggle to even get a valid route.

Please tell me how I can find United award saver flights that are valid to book using non-united star alliance redemptions.
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Old Jan 26, 2023, 6:50 am
  #60  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aurora, CO
Programs: Statusless and proud
Posts: 7,582
Originally Posted by zan5hin
Can someone please help me? I've tried searching the forums. This change with how savers awards are displayed is doing my head in. As described here: https://thepointsguy.com/news/united...partner-miles/

So I am trying to book a Star Alliance business RTW trip and without being able to see availability on Expert Flyer website for United, it's a struggle to even get a valid route.

Please tell me how I can find United award saver flights that are valid to book using non-united star alliance redemptions.
Is this a RTW award using some other *A program's miles? Or is this revenue RTW?
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