Trying to book Air Canada flights on United-not working
Feb 4, 2019, 9:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,055
Trying to book Air Canada flights on United-not working
Hello,
I have been out of the game for a while...
Trying to book tickets from ORD (or YYZ to Grenada (GND). Air Canada has directs flights ex YYZ
I want to book these on United.com either using my United miles or even purchasing them so I get PQD/PQM credit...but it shows no flights available...even though they are Star Alliance.
What am I doing wrong?
I have been out of the game for a while...
Trying to book tickets from ORD (or YYZ to Grenada (GND). Air Canada has directs flights ex YYZ
I want to book these on United.com either using my United miles or even purchasing them so I get PQD/PQM credit...but it shows no flights available...even though they are Star Alliance.
What am I doing wrong?
Feb 4, 2019, 9:43 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YEG
Programs: UA 1K, AC SE, WJ Gold
Posts: 352
I believe only those routes covered by the limited joint venture between AC and UA will book for purchase via United.com. As for why awards don’t show, I can’t say. I do see the AC direct and they don’t show for me either on an award search.
Feb 4, 2019, 12:04 pm
#3
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,849
As for awards, if there is no saver space (not uncommon) then the flight will not show.
Feb 4, 2019, 4:54 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,038
You'll have to call to book this, but it should be no problem as long as ORD-YYZ is on a UA-code and preferably on a UA-operated flight. May not the most cost effective thing to do, but it certainly looks possible to me.
Feb 4, 2019, 10:24 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: AC75 MM
Posts: 959
Maybe a different issue but I have given up my attempt today to fly ORD-YVR on United.
Quoted price was US$215, and after entering all my info and CC details I get an error - repeatedly.
If I go to the UA Canadian site the price (for the same flight) is C$420 (US$320). Not paying that if its available for US$215!
Anyhow AA is $150 for a direct flight so I'll forgo the lounge access I get from my *A status and save my employer the difference.
Quoted price was US$215, and after entering all my info and CC details I get an error - repeatedly.
If I go to the UA Canadian site the price (for the same flight) is C$420 (US$320). Not paying that if its available for US$215!
Anyhow AA is $150 for a direct flight so I'll forgo the lounge access I get from my *A status and save my employer the difference.
Feb 4, 2019, 10:45 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,396
Maybe a different issue but I have given up my attempt today to fly ORD-YVR on United.
Quoted price was US$215, and after entering all my info and CC details I get an error - repeatedly.
If I go to the UA Canadian site the price (for the same flight) is C$420 (US$320). Not paying that if its available for US$215!
Quoted price was US$215, and after entering all my info and CC details I get an error - repeatedly.
If I go to the UA Canadian site the price (for the same flight) is C$420 (US$320). Not paying that if its available for US$215!
A US-based OTA (Expedia, Orbitz, etc.) will offer you the US POS price.
Feb 5, 2019, 12:20 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
UA isn’t a general travel agent and won’t book all revenue flights on even partner carriers. They should allow for a redemption on any *A flight, presuming there is saver availability (save for the airlines that aren’t working right now, of which AC is fine). If there is no ‘fixed mileage’ (equivalent to saver on UA) availability on the AC (really, Rouge) segment, then you won’t see anything come up on UAs site.
One thing to check is is if you are looking on the right days. YYZ-GND doesn’t appear to be a daily flight. Also poorly timed for connections. I can’t see the app allowing anything revenue on what I checked, but do see Awards on days where Aeroplan is showing fixed mielage availavility. Do note that there flight leaves fairly early from YYZ, depending on the day I see anywhere between 6:30 and 9:30am, so you’ll have to arrive the night before. The return arrives YYZ in mid-evening, between 7:30 and 9:00 pm depending on day so connecting onward same-day is limited to non-existent.
Also note this flight is operated by Rouge. So just know what you’re getting...not even regular AC standards.
One thing to check is is if you are looking on the right days. YYZ-GND doesn’t appear to be a daily flight. Also poorly timed for connections. I can’t see the app allowing anything revenue on what I checked, but do see Awards on days where Aeroplan is showing fixed mielage availavility. Do note that there flight leaves fairly early from YYZ, depending on the day I see anywhere between 6:30 and 9:30am, so you’ll have to arrive the night before. The return arrives YYZ in mid-evening, between 7:30 and 9:00 pm depending on day so connecting onward same-day is limited to non-existent.
Also note this flight is operated by Rouge. So just know what you’re getting...not even regular AC standards.
Nov 4, 2021, 8:29 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 843
I'm traveling transborder for the first time since the start of the pandemic, and I was looking at booking ORD-YUL (paid economy tickets). At first, my initial travel dates were outbound 06DEC, return 12DEC. UA shows a couple of UAEx CRJs (they almost never fly anything larger than a 50-seater on this route, which is annoying, but I digress...) and an Air Canada Jazz 175. The return showed just a single CRJ on UA.
Later on I went to Air Canada and noticed that they actually have several flights on 175s and CRJ900s, as well as selling UA's CRJ flight. The return had a couple of Jazz 175s on top of the UA flight (and, in that case, regardless of my aircraft preference, Air Canada's flight was timed much better for my needs).
My outbound date wound up changing one day earlier, and again, UA is only showing their sole CRJ for the Sunday, whereas Air Canada has 2 or 3 extra flights of their own.
I would up booking direct with Air Canada because there's no way to get the flight times I prefer when booking through UA. As it has been a couple of years, I don't remember if it was always the case that UA showed a more limited selection of ORD-YUL flights, but given the extreme lack of frequencies at the moment (not to mention the fact that what's left is on CRJs; at least an EMB-145 would be moderately tolerable), it really makes it appear as if there isn't much availability in that market if you're just looking at UA.
Anyone know why UA would only codeshare some, but not all of the ORD-YUL frequencies, and none on Sunday?
Later on I went to Air Canada and noticed that they actually have several flights on 175s and CRJ900s, as well as selling UA's CRJ flight. The return had a couple of Jazz 175s on top of the UA flight (and, in that case, regardless of my aircraft preference, Air Canada's flight was timed much better for my needs).
My outbound date wound up changing one day earlier, and again, UA is only showing their sole CRJ for the Sunday, whereas Air Canada has 2 or 3 extra flights of their own.
I would up booking direct with Air Canada because there's no way to get the flight times I prefer when booking through UA. As it has been a couple of years, I don't remember if it was always the case that UA showed a more limited selection of ORD-YUL flights, but given the extreme lack of frequencies at the moment (not to mention the fact that what's left is on CRJs; at least an EMB-145 would be moderately tolerable), it really makes it appear as if there isn't much availability in that market if you're just looking at UA.
Anyone know why UA would only codeshare some, but not all of the ORD-YUL frequencies, and none on Sunday?