Cheap same day round trip anywhere
Jul 19, 2018, 8:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: IAH
Posts: 35
Cheap same day round trip anywhere
So it looks like I’ll be short of 1K this year by 8 legs and am curious to know if there is any easy way to search same day round trip flights on any day anywhere looking for the cheapest price. I’m flying out of IAH.
Jul 19, 2018, 8:37 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,944
If you still have trips left this year, use the “same day change” to increase your segment count. This will cost you nothing, but just extra time. Otherwise, you can try to originate from AUS or another nearby city. This will give you a minimum of four segments if you fly AUS-IAH-XXX. Good luck.
Jul 19, 2018, 8:43 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,370
Or matrix.itasoftware.com , where you can search for an entire month at a time. You do have to put destinations, but you can try like 25 at a time. In the Advanced Controls, put ua+ (at least one ua segment) or ua ua+ (at least 2, etc.) in the routing codes boxes, then f !bc=n in the extension code boxes (to avoid basic economy, which won't earn PQSes). Select a calendar, a date, and 0 nights.
Jul 19, 2018, 8:47 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: UA Million Mile, Mileage Plus Premier 1K, SkyMiles Gold Medallion, AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 875
ORD, DFW, ATL, EWR... a bunch of major cities have sub $200 r/t fares for same day travel on UA for random dates throughout the rest of the year. Use Google Flights (set UA as the airline, IAH as the airport, and 0 day trip for the duration).
Jul 19, 2018, 11:07 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,023
If you are looking primarily for segments, there are flights from IAH to GRB/ATW through ORD for around $250 roundtrip in main cabin (4 segments) available in the Fall. There are cheap fares to MSP and PHL in the Fall, but they require non-stop flights. AUS -ABQ with a connection can be done for around $200 roundtrip in main cabin.
Jul 20, 2018, 11:13 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: IAH
Posts: 35
If you still have trips left this year, use the “same day change” to increase your segment count. This will cost you nothing, but just extra time. Otherwise, you can try to originate from AUS or another nearby city. This will give you a minimum of four segments if you fly AUS-IAH-XXX. Good luck.
Jul 20, 2018, 11:17 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,370
You can often add a segment when you do a same-day change; for example, instead of CLE-IAH, you might be able to fly CLE-IAD-IAH and pick up an extra segment.
Jul 20, 2018, 12:19 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Programs: UA 1K, UA .53 MM, Marriott Gold, Nexus, GE, TSA Pre, Hertz PC
Posts: 581
The free SDC benefit is one of the best premier perks, IMO. To @jsloan's point in the previous post, it's not uncommon to SDC from ORD-SFO to ORD-TUS-SFO....
While frowned upon by the FT community, it's also possible to SDC a 2nd time, once you've departed. For example, before boarding your ORD-SFO flight, you could SDC to ORD-TUS-SFO. And then, before boarding your TUS-SFO flight, you could SDC to TUS-LAX-SFO. As others have mentioned, it's an easy way to pick up PQM's and PQS' if you have the time.
Jul 20, 2018, 12:52 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Pacific
Programs: UA GS, Lifetime 4 MM, BA Gold, , Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite, Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 476
If you are doing a mileage/segment run, IAH-ORD flights are very cheap (under $200). If you are looking to maximize segments, you could look at United Express flights.
Jul 20, 2018, 12:57 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
My SFO-LAX last weekend became SFO-FAT and FAT-LAX in same E-175 aircraft. Best of all, SFO-FAT and FAT-LAX were upgraded to first class shortly after SDC.
Jul 20, 2018, 2:12 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,381
+1. The SFO-LAX can be like $50 OW. Do this SDC stuff and you can get your 8 segments in quite literally no time.
Jul 20, 2018, 4:15 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
I also SDCed LAX-SFO to LAX-SAN and SAN-SFO. But decided to go home early instead of playing this fun game. Standby successfully for a 2 pm LAX-SFO oversold flight. Adding segments is fairly easy, but requires time and patience.
Jul 22, 2018, 8:41 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: IAH
Posts: 35
How do you go about adding the extra segment? I have a flight tomorrow morning IAH-MSY and back again MSY-IAH tomorrow evening. I looked at the United app and only see the ability to change my flight, not add a segment.
Jul 22, 2018, 9:14 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
There are many options available when you go from hub to hub.