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- R/RN for upgrades has been replaced by PZ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)
Oct 20, 2018, 6:16 pm
#106
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
i wonder if that is just an issue with the earliest set of flights using PZ inventory. I had thought the announcement was new inventory is used for all flights starting Monday 10/22. (My flight earlier today still had me booked in R when I flew it)
Oct 20, 2018, 6:30 pm
#107
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 35
Actually, yes you are right, but it’s weird because R and RN show only for the flights that also still show F/A. The ones that are J (like PS) don’t have it anymore. Hopefully just some transition issue. For a minute there, and it wouldn’t be below UA to do this, would have looked like they were eliminating the ability to see upgrade inventory close to check in
Oct 20, 2018, 6:44 pm
#108
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Portland OR
Programs: United 1K 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 560
Thanks for the heads up with the GF cabin opening up on the 3-Class 772s. I took the plunge and switched from 7H to 1K on my Christmas flight SFO-LHR I’m a 1K booker on a P fare).
Ill be watching it like a hawk, especially as though while it’s still holding 7H is still shown as occupied. It’s rather a coincidence that someone came along and took the seat I’d just vacated within 15 minutes, or it’s an issue and I’ll get swept back into the 2-4-2.
Ill be watching it like a hawk, especially as though while it’s still holding 7H is still shown as occupied. It’s rather a coincidence that someone came along and took the seat I’d just vacated within 15 minutes, or it’s an issue and I’ll get swept back into the 2-4-2.
Oct 20, 2018, 7:05 pm
#110
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
Ill be watching it like a hawk, especially as though while it’s still holding 7H is still shown as occupied. It’s rather a coincidence that someone came along and took the seat I’d just vacated within 15 minutes, or it’s an issue and I’ll get swept back into the 2-4-2.
Oct 20, 2018, 7:41 pm
#111
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Latin America and USA
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold
Posts: 456
SFO-TPE and TPE-SFO are my most frequent flights - depending on the situation I usually buy W, P, Z, or unfortunately S/K sometimes. Just bought a ticket four days ago and pricing seemed normal, I guess I got lucky!
Oct 20, 2018, 8:45 pm
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
Has anyone else noticed that PZ availability seems to have entirely disappeared sometime over the past few hours? I've been deciding between a few dates for SFO-AKL and there were at least 3 dates available in January as recently as this morning that showed PZ>0. All three dates now show PZ0. I've also checked 5 other routing/date combinations I had been considering for the return, out of SYD or NRT with R>0 showing earlier in the week (hadn't checked earlier today) - all now show PZ0 as well.
I called to ask and the agent verified that there is no PZ availability showing for SFO-AKL for all of January... same for TYO-SFO in January (not sure if she checked both NRT and HND though).
I called to ask and the agent verified that there is no PZ availability showing for SFO-AKL for all of January... same for TYO-SFO in January (not sure if she checked both NRT and HND though).
Oct 20, 2018, 9:04 pm
#114
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
But overall I agree, don't see much sense in UA's decision to drop the F/A fare codes. It makes their code structure inconsistent with their two main JV partners, LH and NH (and undercuts all the progress they've made in recent years aligning booking codes).
Oct 20, 2018, 9:06 pm
#115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
The number of people who (1) fly *A paid F, and (2) care about whose ticket stock their paid F travel plates on, and (3) will start flying other airlines instead of calling UA to plate the ticket 016 represent far less profit to UA than the cost of maintaining a separate fare code structure for certain UA codeshare flights. Also, don't forget UA has a joint venture with the LH group so they still get revenue from off-plated LH F travel.
Oct 21, 2018, 5:19 am
#116
Join Date: May 2001
Location: TPA 50%/BKK 30%/HKG 20%
Programs: UA 1K MM - AF G – TK G – AZ Ex – Hilton D – Marriott G – IHG P
Posts: 1,990
So... PZ is showing up, but it seems to be 0 everywhere. This evening SIN-SFO on Monday the 29th (7 days from now) has 22 seats (with 6 available in the morning) and PZ=0. Is anyone seeing PZ≠0?
Oct 21, 2018, 6:03 am
#117
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
You're surprised that SIN-SFO is PZ0? I'd be surprised if it were not. They typically don't even open P on those flights within a week or two of departure. They want to sell all those seats as D fares or higher.
Oct 21, 2018, 6:09 am
#118
Join Date: May 2001
Location: TPA 50%/BKK 30%/HKG 20%
Programs: UA 1K MM - AF G – TK G – AZ Ex – Hilton D – Marriott G – IHG P
Posts: 1,990
Ok, that's good to know.
I'm surprised when they're running two flights a day and we are only a week out that it is 0, yes. I get SIN upgrades quite often right around this time of year. I think there is very little chance they'll sell 28 seats out in a week.
Oct 21, 2018, 6:26 am
#119
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
I didn't say they would sell them, I said UA wants to sell them as D fares of higher. IME they are exercising quite a bit of inventory discipline on the SFO-SIN route. It's very common to see nothing lower than D for sale even with a wide-open cabin.
Oct 21, 2018, 6:48 am
#120
Join Date: May 2001
Location: TPA 50%/BKK 30%/HKG 20%
Programs: UA 1K MM - AF G – TK G – AZ Ex – Hilton D – Marriott G – IHG P
Posts: 1,990
Ok understood. But how would adding PZ=2 prevent them from selling D? You think upgraders would undercut the D sales somehow?