Oct 22, 2018, 6:09 pm
Last edit by: drewguy
Hello – We would like to share some information that will help answer some of your questions. We're continuing to roll out our signature United Polaris® direct-aisle-access seating, adding at least one aircraft with United Polaris seating every 10 days on average from now through 2020.To support this effort, we performed a system update this past weekend to redefine some of our cabin booking classes, which includes no longer offering United Polaris first class. As a result, any United Polaris first class tickets will now be designated as United Polaris business class. We will be reaching out to all customers impacted by these changes.We’ve also re-aligned some of our booking codes. Notably, you’ll see that we aren’t using F, A classes anymore, and R and RN, which were upgrade classes before, is now PZ. PZ has the same availability as the booking codes it replaced.Premium cabin booking codes for United domestic and international flights are now as follows:
Thanks,
- UA Insider
- Revenue: J, C, D, Z, P
- Award: JN, ZN, IN, I
- Upgrade: PN, PZ
Thanks,
- UA Insider
- R/RN for upgrades has been replaced by PZ
- suggest: search for PZ space
- F, A fare classes have been removed
- suggest: no known workaround yet for 016- ticketing F or A on partners? (google flights may work?)
- O, ON fare classes have been removed
- suggest: --
- PN is still used for GS upgrades and 1K Instant Upgrades
Summary of Current Fare Codes (thanks jgreen1024)
Revenue buckets (PQM earnings)
J - Full Fare Business (300%)
C - Full Fare Business (200%)
D - Full Fare Business (200%)
Z - Discount Business (200%)
P - Deep Discount Business (150%)
Y - Full Fare Coach (150%)
B - Full Fare Coach (150%)
M - Discount Coach (100%)
E - Discount Coach (100%)
U - Discount Coach (100%)
H - Discount Coach (100%)
Q - Discount Coach (100%)
V - Discount Coach (100%)
W - Deep Discount Coach (100%)
S - Deep Discount Coach (100%)
T - Deep Discount Coach (100%)
L - Deep Discount Coach (100%)
K - Deep Discount Coach (100%)
G - Deep Discount Coach (100%)
N - Basic Economy (0%)
Saver Award Seats
IN - Elite Saver Business Award
I - Saver Business Award
XN - Elite Saver Coach Award
X - Saver Coach Award
Standard Award Seats
JN - Elite/CC Business Award
ZN - Business Award
YN - Elite/CC Coach Award
Upgrade Awards
PN - GS upgrade, Instant upgrade for 1K
PZ - Upgrade to Business/Domestic F
Changes to UA's Fare Classes (19-20 October 2018)
Dec 1, 2018, 11:18 am
#257
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 11
Newly minted Platinum here.
is it expected that the vast majority of flights I’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have PZ = 0? I’m normally based out of SFO, so I can see why availability is slim, but I’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single PZ > 0 flight.
also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
is it expected that the vast majority of flights I’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have PZ = 0? I’m normally based out of SFO, so I can see why availability is slim, but I’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single PZ > 0 flight.
also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
Dec 1, 2018, 11:30 am
#258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,419
is it expected that the vast majority of flights I’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have PZ = 0? I’m normally based out of SFO, so I can see why availability is slim, but I’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single PZ > 0 flight.
also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
UA is extremely stingy with PZ availability, especially domestic, and especially out of SFO. You may have more luck with flights that are near departure, but, of course, the no-advance-purchase fare can be pretty high.
Dec 1, 2018, 12:22 pm
#259
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,424
Newly minted Platinum here.
is it expected that the vast majority of flights I’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have PZ = 0? I’m normally based out of SFO, so I can see why availability is slim, but I’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single PZ > 0 flight.
also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
is it expected that the vast majority of flights I’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have PZ = 0? I’m normally based out of SFO, so I can see why availability is slim, but I’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single PZ > 0 flight.
also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
Dec 1, 2018, 12:42 pm
#260
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
Dec 1, 2018, 9:34 pm
#261
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SFO, TPE, HNL
Programs: UA GS 4MM, RCC life member (paid), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, CLEAR
Posts: 1,824
newly minted platinum here.
Is it expected that the vast majority of flights i’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have pz = 0? I’m normally based out of sfo, so i can see why availability is slim, but i’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single pz > 0 flight.
Also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
Is it expected that the vast majority of flights i’ve searched for, even picking dates and destinations randomly, have pz = 0? I’m normally based out of sfo, so i can see why availability is slim, but i’ve literally picked source and destination airports out of a hat and have yet to see a single pz > 0 flight.
Also, is there any way to actually search for a particular upgrade fare bucket? No right?
12/4/18 pz6
1/15/19 pz9
1/16/19 pz9
Dec 3, 2018, 9:16 am
#262
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: FRA ✈️ SFO
Posts: 68
Be Aware
I may have just got hit by this yesterday (among other things).
I have a 016 ticket with LH First (A) on long haul (AMS-MUC-SFO and back SFO-LAX-FRA-AMS). The return has a short haul connection flight, which was originally listed as booking class A United First. It all started with an eager LH service agent in Amsterdam who wanted to be helpful and get me onto an early flight to not miss my connection in MUC. Somehow my ticket got broken and the MUC-SFO ended up in Premium Economy on the boarding pass. I didn't realize until after security. I had that fixed by LH staff in the First class lounge in Munich. However, they probably ran into the issue with A no longer being available on the SFO-LAX flight and they also did somethings else wrong. In the end they issued a new ticket with that segment in D. When it then synced into the United system the whole return trip (including the LH First class flight LAX-FRA) got converted into booking class (D). Now the chaos was perfect.
Thanks to the 1K hotline, my ticket is back in order now. I should have called them in the beginning in Amsterdam. Sight.
I have a 016 ticket with LH First (A) on long haul (AMS-MUC-SFO and back SFO-LAX-FRA-AMS). The return has a short haul connection flight, which was originally listed as booking class A United First. It all started with an eager LH service agent in Amsterdam who wanted to be helpful and get me onto an early flight to not miss my connection in MUC. Somehow my ticket got broken and the MUC-SFO ended up in Premium Economy on the boarding pass. I didn't realize until after security. I had that fixed by LH staff in the First class lounge in Munich. However, they probably ran into the issue with A no longer being available on the SFO-LAX flight and they also did somethings else wrong. In the end they issued a new ticket with that segment in D. When it then synced into the United system the whole return trip (including the LH First class flight LAX-FRA) got converted into booking class (D). Now the chaos was perfect.
Thanks to the 1K hotline, my ticket is back in order now. I should have called them in the beginning in Amsterdam. Sight.
Jan 28, 2019, 12:31 pm
#263
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
I purchased Premium Plus a few weeks ago and it was R. Now when I look online to see what the latest price is I noticed Premium Plus is now A. if I look randomly I can see both R and A being used, so I guess they are reusing A.
Jan 28, 2019, 12:34 pm
#264
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
Jan 28, 2019, 8:29 pm
#265
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Jun 18, 2019, 12:02 pm
#266
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1K, BA
Posts: 6
Award space fare class for LH flights booked on UA
I am trying to find an award ticket for a direct FRA-LAX flight with LH in September on the UA website. On Sep 4, both the morning and afternoon flights show R6 availability when doing a "price" search, but if I do an "award travel" search, only the morning flights shows as being bookable with miles.
Isn't R class partner award space on the UA website? I am trying to find any saver award space for econ or business class.
Isn't R class partner award space on the UA website? I am trying to find any saver award space for econ or business class.
Jun 18, 2019, 12:05 pm
#267
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,424
I am trying to find an award ticket for a direct FRA-LAX flight with LH in September on the UA website. On Sep 4, both the morning and afternoon flights show R6 availability when doing a "price" search, but if I do an "award travel" search, only the morning flights shows as being bookable with miles.
Isn't R class partner award space on the UA website? I am trying to find any saver award space for econ or business class.
Isn't R class partner award space on the UA website? I am trying to find any saver award space for econ or business class.
R is not an award fare class, it is now revenue Premium Economy on UA.
Jun 18, 2019, 12:28 pm
#268
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1K, BA
Posts: 6
More generally, I am also interested in the interpretation of fare classes for LH (or partner airlines) in the UA search engine. I found a lot of information on the fare classes for UA flights, but not on those for partner airlines'.
Jun 18, 2019, 1:10 pm
#269
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Tools like Expert Flyer or KVS or .... are better.
Also, while many of the fare class structures are similar in *A, then are differences (such as Premium Economy) it is better to go to the forum for that airline to understand their fare structure.
Many *A carriers use I for business awards and upgrades and X for economy awards and upgrades.