Jan 25, 2019, 10:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Message on UA.com when searching for awards outside USA
updated evening (PST) 27 Feb 2019 to
previously
Plus ANA(now restored).
updated evening (PST) 27 Feb 2019 to
Award travel on Singapore Airlines is temporarily unavailable. Our airline partner is diligently working with us to address this situation.
Award travel on Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal and THAI is temporarily unavailable through MileagePlus.
— We’re working on making these awards available, and you may still be able to find awards on other partners.
— We’re working on making these awards available, and you may still be able to find awards on other partners.
All UA award space for TP&TG (gone - now back?) & SQ still gone??
Feb 23, 2019, 10:35 am
#286
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 81
So in a small small delayed way, there is some impact from complaining to DOT.
All the info I found on https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer
Feb 24, 2019, 6:27 am
#287
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: United Mileage Plus
Posts: 2
I was able to get TG segments in J booked through Web Support via the premier line rep. First had to book originating ex US and return open jaw via website, with confirmation #, she was able to book excursionist perk on TG. Original premier desk agent was able to grab not only TG but SQ seats be held, but interestingly could not see LH seat ex US. This is a regional J seats on TG and SQ.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:14 pm
#288
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
Sorry if this has already been answered. I have not looked through the entire thread.
Is UA Web Support generally able to book award seats on SQ/TG for you? Or is mutaco's success story above a one-off?
Is UA Web Support generally able to book award seats on SQ/TG for you? Or is mutaco's success story above a one-off?
Feb 26, 2019, 12:10 am
#289
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Feb 26, 2019, 3:08 am
#290
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: UA 1K/MM, EK Gold, CX Silver
Posts: 880
I wonder if it is related to the change in booking classes UA recently did with the Premium Economy introduction. In any case, some of the hysteria here seems a little over the top (people with flights in 6 months they want to change....). We really have no idea of the detailed cause, no reason to think that UA is blocking anything they can see and no reason to assume that UA is acting in bad faith. To the best of my knowledge, UA is happy for us to use the miles and get them off the books as long as there is minimal cost in lost revenue. As a former IT person, I can think of a million reasons this could happen - perhaps SQ etc have changed the way they report available award space in a particular system which UA sees, and other airlines use a different GDS.
I am also sympathetic to the complexity of fixing things like this in the complicated mess that is an airline booking system today, with layer after layer of thing on top of legacy systems, communicating as though we were in the days of dialup. (Ever wondered why we see things like Y4? It is because in the dial up days, systems communicated every x hours by dialing up, so they gave each partner 4 seats to sell, and they would "replenish" them next time the 2 different systems communicated by dialup.)
Hopefully it will be fixed fairly soon.
I am also sympathetic to the complexity of fixing things like this in the complicated mess that is an airline booking system today, with layer after layer of thing on top of legacy systems, communicating as though we were in the days of dialup. (Ever wondered why we see things like Y4? It is because in the dial up days, systems communicated every x hours by dialing up, so they gave each partner 4 seats to sell, and they would "replenish" them next time the 2 different systems communicated by dialup.)
Hopefully it will be fixed fairly soon.
Feb 26, 2019, 3:15 am
#291
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
Kacee, do you know why they are not "supposed to book TG or SQ awards" ?
I was wondering if there was some reciprocal dispute or other / same technical issue between TG and UA affecting both sides because Thai gave the excuse that the booking was "too long." when I tried to book the connecting flights to and from Houston. In the two months it took me to book the trip on Thai, they gave me a lot of excuses and incorrect statements on several issues for a first class booking, so I was just wondering if there was the same root cause the generates the issues on the THAI side and the UA side?
I was wondering if there was some reciprocal dispute or other / same technical issue between TG and UA affecting both sides because Thai gave the excuse that the booking was "too long." when I tried to book the connecting flights to and from Houston. In the two months it took me to book the trip on Thai, they gave me a lot of excuses and incorrect statements on several issues for a first class booking, so I was just wondering if there was the same root cause the generates the issues on the THAI side and the UA side?
Feb 26, 2019, 7:33 am
#292
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
We don't know the real reason. We have UA's explanation, namely that there are "technical problems" on the SQ and TG side. That does not seem credible for a variety of reasons. This does recall the lengthy period when SQ awards were unavailable on the website due to a dispute over reimbursement rates. As you note, there were also quite a few recent reports of problems with TG awards not ticketing properly (though I ticketed two with no issues in early January).
Feb 26, 2019, 8:17 am
#293
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
Feb 26, 2019, 9:27 am
#294
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
I just want to know are they really working on it, or is it gone for good as this message from a “United exec” implies? :
Unfortunately, due to technical issue is not on the United side, and until further notice we are unable to book award travel on TAP Portgual(TP),Thai Airways (TG) and Singapore Airlines (SQ). The United system and the other airline systems are not communicating. Customers have been advised and made aware of the situation and we apologize for the inconvenience. Effective February 6, 2019 we will no longer book award travel on these carriers.
Unfortunately, due to technical issue is not on the United side, and until further notice we are unable to book award travel on TAP Portgual(TP),Thai Airways (TG) and Singapore Airlines (SQ). The United system and the other airline systems are not communicating. Customers have been advised and made aware of the situation and we apologize for the inconvenience. Effective February 6, 2019 we will no longer book award travel on these carriers.
Feb 26, 2019, 10:10 am
#295
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,324
Pure speculation on my part, but I agree that it's likely related to this. LH has had Premium Economy for a while and is unaffected; UA introduce it and perhaps there's a mismatch between the airlines referenced and UA's systems that's causing awards to show, or not to show, in the correct classes. Could be a coincidence like the vanished PZ inventory too but seems like a lot of mishandling timed closely around the Premium Plus launch...
Feb 26, 2019, 12:35 pm
#296
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
Yesterday I was able to successfully upgrade a TG flight (TG stock) from B to I using UA miles.
Today I get an error trying to use UA miles or GPU on an NH flight (016 ticket)
Today I get an error trying to use UA miles or GPU on an NH flight (016 ticket)
Feb 26, 2019, 2:27 pm
#297
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: UA Plat, 2MM
Posts: 1,860
Don't expect UA to "fix" this in the near and distant future. It must be some financial benefit to UA and thus it will continue for a long, long, long time. Sorry, but after 35+ years with UA, this looks like another one of their lies.
Feb 26, 2019, 7:03 pm
#298
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,378
If Web Support has the ability to book it, and we are hearing about anecdotes of them helping with these award bookings, then it must be worth calling Web Support. No?
Feb 26, 2019, 7:36 pm
#299
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 973
Yes it is definitely worth calling web support. There is no such thing as "they are not supposed to".. If you cannot book online, then next thing to do is call web support. UA can see the seats on TG, TP and perhaps even SQ, they have a glitch and they are no hurry to fix. The problem is not with TG or SQ or TP.
Feb 26, 2019, 8:22 pm
#300
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,256
The current situation is a feature, not a bug.