ytjk

Hey there---

So, what I want to do is book a EWR-MUC ticket that is GPU eligible on the way over (so I can upgrade it)...

But I'm trying to save some money on the way back, so E+ is fine. I'd like the lowest fare class I can get.

I don't see a way to select a W-fare on the way over without also getting one on the way back, which seems like a waste...

Is there a way to do this? Thanks in advance. I'm a 1K

YTJK

myperks

Kacee

Yes, assuming the fare rules allow that combination.

emcampbe

Lux Flyer

Use the ITA matrix and with the advanced search choose the fare classes you want for each segment. If it's available and there is a valid fare combination it will find it. If there's not a valid fare with that combination of classes it will break the fare and price it as individual legs.

lhrsfo

Kacee

It's considerably easier just to try the UA website, using the advanced search function to search by fare class. There's no way to click through ITA Matrix to book on UA, so even if Matrix says it's possible, you still have to find a way to actually book the ticket.
For a TATL, that's not going to be possible. UA won't offer a one-way discount fare (W or lower).

cfischer

Kacee

That is a seriously inferior option for multiple reasons.

It takes 30 seconds to run this search on united.com.

ytjk

Thanks everyone...

I feel like an idiot..

But -- for the dates or fares I happened to be looking at, indeed the suggestion from emcampbe was true....

"May very well be that that the cheapest price for the full round trip is W (or whatever the lowest upgrade-eligible fare class available is on the outbound). A K fare (for example) on the return may not be combinable with the W (or whatever) on the outbound, or the K fare available that will combine with a W May be higher than a W both ways."

anyway it was confusing me, I thought it was forcing the W fare into the table because I asked for it in the search. It also confused me because the search attributes aren't segment of the trip specific, so I thought it was just giving me a blanket W fare regardless.

Thanks all for the kind responses.

YTJK

Kacee

You will always have the option of combining "Requested Fare Class" on one direction with "Lowest Available" for the other provided the fare rules permit that combination.

cfischer

it is superior in cases where united.dumb bombs out ... otherwise, clearly the direct booking is superior.

jsloan

You can definitely select different columns for each part of a roundtrip or multi-city search, although it's important to double-check the confirmation page and make sure you're buying what you want. United.com will occasionally re-fare your search for no immediately apparent reason.

I would never attempt to purchase anything but the cheapest available fare on Priceline.

Kacee

Great point. The website is particularly prone to do this when you've elected to search by fare class.

cfischer

There are plenty of cases where this is fine and valid option. Not sure why cheapest fare only. Recent example: BOS-ZRH UA-coded LX-op in K-class, overnight in ZRH, then a WK flight to JTR in K-class, return on LH in P-class ATH-FRA-BOS. Priceline priced it perfectly and issued a 016 ticket. Good luck getting this on united.com at all or finding an agent willing/able to price this. If successful at all you'll probably spend an hour on the phone