United Selling Premium Economy Awards
Dec 5, 2018, 1:19 pm
#1
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United Selling Premium Economy Awards
Apologies if this was reported elsewhere but likely warrants its own thread (or merge into existing thread if appropriate). Looks like UA is now selling Premium Economy awards on UA metal. Pricing is absurd with Premium Economy (allegedly saver level) coming in at a whopping 120k miles OW to Europe
Dec 5, 2018, 1:27 pm
#2
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They are pretty clearly Standard Awards as they use last-seat inventory and are midway between Economy Standard and Business Standard.
120k each way to Europe, 135k to Japan and North Asia, and 140k to South Asia
120k each way to Europe, 135k to Japan and North Asia, and 140k to South Asia
Dec 5, 2018, 3:44 pm
#3
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Location: Houston
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Dec 5, 2018, 3:47 pm
#4
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They still haven't published an award table for PE. One would guess that a Saver award would be between Saver Y and Saver J, of course, but so far I haven't heard of any inventory.
Dec 5, 2018, 3:49 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,011
Any idea what the new saver bucket is? I would think RN is upgrade availability, and ON is standard award availability. I would have guessed AN, but that’s not a valid fare bucket. Maybe I?
Dec 5, 2018, 4:24 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 312
Yesterday I saw ON bucket at 45k on CDG-EWR-SFO for some date in August next year. That price puts it square in the middle of econ at 30 and biz at 60. Perhaps they're not planning on having a separate saver PE award bucket until there is a unified star alliance one?
Dec 5, 2018, 4:30 pm
#7
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That would be a really distressing step toward wholly dynamic award pricing, but it's hard to find it surprising..
Dec 5, 2018, 4:43 pm
#8
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But from the sounds of it at the moment there may not be a saver category so this is the lowest level currently available if one wants PE.
Dec 5, 2018, 4:50 pm
#9
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I really hope UA doesn't go to dynamic award pricing.. but, on the other hand, saver-priced awards that book into JN or YN would be fantastic for SDC purposes. So if they do move in that direction -- and it's not like we could stop them -- at least there'd be a silver lining.
Dec 5, 2018, 5:01 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Dec 6, 2018, 3:12 am
#11
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rockin' the Bakken
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Posts: 978
Wholly dynamic pricing would be a practical deal breaker for me with earning miles. I mostly use mine for relatively short, domestic flights where I can usually get over $0.02/mile value and over $0.04 if last minute. If dynamic pricing came in, it would probably cost an absurd amount of miles for me to use. Yet, like you said, hardly surprising. I've actually been able to find several saver awards this year, to my surprise, that fit with my schedule. I think this has actually been one of my most successful years as far as value is concerned.