Layover on award became 8 hours with schedule change
#1
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Layover on award became 8 hours with schedule change
I had booked STL-IAH-TPE with points in business class several months ago for Saturday, September 28th (IAH-TPE leaving at 1 AM on Sunday). IAH-TPE is on EVA. My layover in IAH was about 4 hours, which was long but not unreasonable. I just got a notification of a schedule change on the STL-IAH flight, my layover is now about 8 hours long, which is unacceptable. And that's the last STL-IAH flight of the day, so I'm trying to figure out what my options are here.
As I understand it, in the event of schedule changes, United cannot force an award seat on partners, but they can on their own metal. Instead of leaving Saturday, I could leave Friday if it's late enough in the day. It looks like there is an award seat on EVA's YYZ-TPE flight the day before (leaving at 1 AM on Saturday). There's no AC availability on STL-YYZ, and while it looks like there is availability on United from STL-DEN-YYZ, that's a bit of a crappy routing, and leaves too early for me on Friday. There is an STL-ORD-YYZ routing on all UA metal that lets me leave STL late enough, and I have a reasonable layover time in ORD and YYZ, but there's no award availability on it.
If I call United, would I have a shot at them putting me on STL-ORD-YYZ-TPE, leaving a day earlier? I don't have any status with them, but I'm hoping they can accommodate me a bit, because I really don't want to kill 8 hours in IAH.
As I understand it, in the event of schedule changes, United cannot force an award seat on partners, but they can on their own metal. Instead of leaving Saturday, I could leave Friday if it's late enough in the day. It looks like there is an award seat on EVA's YYZ-TPE flight the day before (leaving at 1 AM on Saturday). There's no AC availability on STL-YYZ, and while it looks like there is availability on United from STL-DEN-YYZ, that's a bit of a crappy routing, and leaves too early for me on Friday. There is an STL-ORD-YYZ routing on all UA metal that lets me leave STL late enough, and I have a reasonable layover time in ORD and YYZ, but there's no award availability on it.
If I call United, would I have a shot at them putting me on STL-ORD-YYZ-TPE, leaving a day earlier? I don't have any status with them, but I'm hoping they can accommodate me a bit, because I really don't want to kill 8 hours in IAH.
#3
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That said, I'm not sure STL-ORD-YYZ-TPE is any better than STL-IAH-TPE with eight hours in IAH. You'd have Polaris lounge access at IAH.
#4
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Youre probably right. And I thought about seeing if I could be put on the earliest STL-IAH flight to spend a day in Houston, but TBH I would like to spend another day in Taipei if possible and if I can take advantage of this to do that, I will.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 15, 2019 at 7:14 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
#5
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You're risking a miss at ORD. IAH is a much more reliable airport for connecting.
#6
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Hmm true. The connection at ORD was a couple hours so I had a buffer there. But ORD is unpredictable.
Let me ask this, if I change it to the early STL-IAH flight and have like a 17 hour layover there, will they hold onto my checked bag for that long? Or is it an option to change it so I fly into IAH the night before (I have enough points for a free hotel), collect my checked bag and return Saturday evening for the TPE flight?
If it's best to stick with IAH, I'd rather make the most of a long layover and see a couple things in the city. The NASA space center is right up my alley and I've never had Whataburger
Let me ask this, if I change it to the early STL-IAH flight and have like a 17 hour layover there, will they hold onto my checked bag for that long? Or is it an option to change it so I fly into IAH the night before (I have enough points for a free hotel), collect my checked bag and return Saturday evening for the TPE flight?
If it's best to stick with IAH, I'd rather make the most of a long layover and see a couple things in the city. The NASA space center is right up my alley and I've never had Whataburger
#7
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I wouldn't expect them to let you fly out the night before, although I could see a sympathetic agent letting you take the morning flight.
Skip whateverburger and get some decent texmex.
Skip whateverburger and get some decent texmex.
#8
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If I get on the early flight, will they hold my checked bag that long at IAH or will I have to collect it and do something with it?
#9
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...
Let me ask this, if I change it to the early STL-IAH flight and have like a 17 hour layover there, will they hold onto my checked bag for that long? Or is it an option to change it so I fly into IAH the night before (I have enough points for a free hotel), collect my checked bag and return Saturday evening for the TPE flight?...
Let me ask this, if I change it to the early STL-IAH flight and have like a 17 hour layover there, will they hold onto my checked bag for that long? Or is it an option to change it so I fly into IAH the night before (I have enough points for a free hotel), collect my checked bag and return Saturday evening for the TPE flight?...
Same day connections usually yes ( a few agents enforce a 13-hour limit -- an old, no longer listed limitation).
Overnight, long layover/connection check through baggage question (consolidated)
#10
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UA generally will not checkthru on overnight connections - same variation among check-in agents on this.
Same day connections usually yes ( a few agents enforce a 13-hour limit -- an old, no longer listed limitation).
Overnight, long layover/connection check through baggage question (consolidated)
Same day connections usually yes ( a few agents enforce a 13-hour limit -- an old, no longer listed limitation).
Overnight, long layover/connection check through baggage question (consolidated)
#11
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#12
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No Polaris Lounge yet in IAH, right?
BR is also pretty good with ensuring your checked bags are forwarded to them as they are the ones who are left holding the bag, pun intended, per IATA rules if you don't get your bag in TPE.
If flying BR is a treat, I would try to see if you can find any of their day time flights (afternoon out of LAX/SFO) as you get lunch/dinner service rather than somewhat abbreviated late nigh supper on these overnight flights. BR 7 leaves out of the other side of the SFO International Terminal though. LAX TBIT is s hike from UA but well worth a visit. Neither flights' J inventory is easy to come by.
BR is also pretty good with ensuring your checked bags are forwarded to them as they are the ones who are left holding the bag, pun intended, per IATA rules if you don't get your bag in TPE.
If flying BR is a treat, I would try to see if you can find any of their day time flights (afternoon out of LAX/SFO) as you get lunch/dinner service rather than somewhat abbreviated late nigh supper on these overnight flights. BR 7 leaves out of the other side of the SFO International Terminal though. LAX TBIT is s hike from UA but well worth a visit. Neither flights' J inventory is easy to come by.
#13
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IAH has a Polaris Lounge, see
IAH Polaris lounge (E11/12 - top fl) -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
IAH Polaris lounge (E11/12 - top fl) -- Reviews, Experiences, Q&A, ...
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