CPT from ORD question - cheapest *A routing not on UA.com {plating restrictions}

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Jul 5, 2018, 2:01 pm

#16

findark

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Note that only UA metal PQD counts for GS.

jsloan likes this.

Jul 5, 2018, 2:16 pm

#17

DA201

Join Date: Sep 2015

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tmo454

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Although I am well past the 12k Spend I only have a few more long hauls this year. Trying to get the golden goose of GS for the first time. Sitting at 36K spend so far so I need all the PQD's I can get but was hoping to spread it around on a few trips and not spend 14K on one flight...

Anyway, thanks again for the help, Always appreciated.

If you want to max PQDs and UA metal, there are some $4-$5k business fares on IAD/IAH-FRA-CPT with the first segment on UA and the second one on LH. The fares are only on certain dates and would require a positioning flight from ORD, but if you really want GS...

Jul 5, 2018, 3:16 pm

#18

tmo454

Original Poster

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Quote:

Originally Posted by DA201

I think that is what i'll end up doing, Better to get something for it than nothing.

Jul 5, 2018, 3:24 pm

#19

prestonh

Join Date: Jan 2007

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There's a P fare via IAD/ZRH that can be booked without plating restrictions. Whether UA will book it when you call YMMV.

Jul 5, 2018, 4:26 pm

#20

WineCountryUA

Moderator: United Airlines

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prestonh

There's a P fare via IAD/ZRH that can be booked without plating restrictions. Whether UA will book it when you call YMMV.

With 45 !! hours of layovers on the outboard -- I'd pass.

Jul 5, 2018, 4:39 pm

#21

sweetsleep

Join Date: Sep 2014

Location: Nashville,TN

Programs: AA Gold Elite

Posts: 601

Isn't Austrian airlines *A? They fly to CPT. Have you looked at fares on Austrian?

Jul 5, 2018, 6:12 pm

#22

amtrakusa

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: Washington DC

Programs: Delta DM CO PE OZ GE AMTRAK

Posts: 524

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmo454

Hello All,

I need to travel to Cape Town in October from Chicago. Trying to book in J class, if I look on the United site there are a few options but all of them over $11,000 for Business Class. However if I look on Kayak I see an option with Turkish for around $4,000. Knowing that Turkish is a Star Alliance member, why can't I see that option with United? If I book through Turkish can I change it to a 016 ticket number as I believe I get additional PQM's or PQD's right?

United is not interested in selling you J class on Turkish airline, especially on cheap fares, at least not on united.com. Maybe a travel agent can help you.

Jul 5, 2018, 6:36 pm

#23

cfischer

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Quote:

Originally Posted by prestonh

There's a P fare via IAD/ZRH that can be booked without plating restrictions. Whether UA will book it when you call YMMV.

You can ticket this on 016. Just one caveat ... the WK flight ZRH-CPT will only earn 100% PQM and not 200% like an LX operated flight would.

Jul 5, 2018, 8:36 pm

#24

WineCountryUA

Moderator: United Airlines

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Quote:

Originally Posted by amtrakusa

United is not interested in selling you J class on Turkish airline, especially on cheap fares, at least not on united.com. Maybe a travel agent can help you.

For that particular TK fare, not on 016 ticket stock, which was the OP's query

Jul 6, 2018, 12:56 am

#25

FlyerTalker70

Join Date: Nov 2017

Posts: 3,359

Quote:

Originally Posted by WineCountryUA

Booking on TK ticket stock will not provide UA PQDs. Booking a TK flight will not provide LT BIS.
What you are running into is called "plating restrictions", many airlines are restriction their best fares to only be purchased on their ticket stock or a few others. This is undermining the value of alliances and has been around for years but these restrictions have been significantly increasing over the past year or two.

Very understandable this is a surprise to many, it is one of those "insider" things that most travelers are not aware of but is regularly discussed on FT.

I'd like to second that observation. It used to be that it was always cheaper to have UA ticket an AC flight between Canada/USA (in some cases it was 50% less than what AC was charging!) However recently that has changed and either you cannot ticket it on UA or if you can it's in a silly fare bucket that is order of magnitude more than what AC is charging. This start happening perhaps a month ago between AC and UA. However, if you have an itinerary that has a mixture of UA and *A partner segments those segments/sectors are still priced cheaper than if you bought them separately from the airline so at least we still have that!

Safe Travels,

James

Jul 6, 2018, 6:57 am

#26

seenitall

Join Date: Oct 2009

Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G

Posts: 881

Quote:

Originally Posted by WineCountryUA

With 45 !! hours of layovers on the outboard -- I'd pass.

Don't exaggerate. It's only 35 hours of layovers.

jsloan likes this.

Jul 9, 2018, 8:05 am

#27

omaralt

Join Date: Nov 2015

Posts: 770

and this is exactly why being a free agent makes the most sense.. especially when flying in J/F since you get most of the benefits of having status (lounge access, priority boarding, etc). and it makes life so much easier...