Fare Bucket for Military/Government ticket
Jun 11, 2019, 7:31 am
#16
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
As soon as your AO approves your authorization, you can call your CTO (SATO usually) to get the reservation ticketed. At least in my organization there is no additional fee to do this and the ticket is unrestricted and can be refunded should you need it. I fly full Y fares a lot and this is invaluable to getting instant upgrades into PN to clear.
Jun 11, 2019, 7:32 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 148
Do you request early ticketing through the AO?
On a separate note, if I am flying out of DC to San Diego, which has city pairs with SAN from all three airports (IAD, DCA, BWI), do I have to select one airport over the other? I am closest to IAD and would prefer to fly UA (out of IAD).
Thank you all for the help!
On a separate note, if I am flying out of DC to San Diego, which has city pairs with SAN from all three airports (IAD, DCA, BWI), do I have to select one airport over the other? I am closest to IAD and would prefer to fly UA (out of IAD).
Thank you all for the help!
Jun 11, 2019, 8:58 am
#18
Join Date: May 2006
Location: STL
Programs: UA Platinum, AA Platinum Pro, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,429
Do you request early ticketing through the AO?
On a separate note, if I am flying out of DC to San Diego, which has city pairs with SAN from all three airports (IAD, DCA, BWI), do I have to select one airport over the other? I am closest to IAD and would prefer to fly UA (out of IAD).
Thank you all for the help!
On a separate note, if I am flying out of DC to San Diego, which has city pairs with SAN from all three airports (IAD, DCA, BWI), do I have to select one airport over the other? I am closest to IAD and would prefer to fly UA (out of IAD).
Thank you all for the help!
As to your second question, again that depends on how specific your AO reviews the costs or work policies. Usually you are able to opt for one WAS airport versus another, but in the past I have had IAD bookings disapproved and told I had to book DCA because it resulted in greater savings to the taxpayer. Of course I was able to show subsequent savings were offset by baggage fees associated with flying on an airline I didn't hold status on, or rental car pricing, but it really can depend on each situation.
Jun 11, 2019, 9:04 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: YYZ
Programs: HHonors Silver, AC Altitude 35K, AAdvantage, SkyMiles, Bonvoy Silver and a few more
Posts: 565
My routing
Jun 11, 2019, 9:19 am
#20
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 148
Early ticketing is requested through SATO; if the AO doesn't approve/sign off then SATO will not push it to the queue. You may want to make them aware though since I'm not sure how your AO is booking it and you would want to review the fare rules associated with the ticket before doing anything. If you push it to ticket, then need to cancel, it may have different penalties. "Most" gov't fares are refundable, but if your AO should select a "commercial fare with penalties" its because they found a cheaper fare than what is being offered in city pairs. This is rare, but it happens.
As to your second question, again that depends on how specific your AO reviews the costs or work policies. Usually you are able to opt for one WAS airport versus another, but in the past I have had IAD bookings disapproved and told I had to book DCA because it resulted in greater savings to the taxpayer. Of course I was able to show subsequent savings were offset by baggage fees associated with flying on an airline I didn't hold status on, or rental car pricing, but it really can depend on each situation.
As to your second question, again that depends on how specific your AO reviews the costs or work policies. Usually you are able to opt for one WAS airport versus another, but in the past I have had IAD bookings disapproved and told I had to book DCA because it resulted in greater savings to the taxpayer. Of course I was able to show subsequent savings were offset by baggage fees associated with flying on an airline I didn't hold status on, or rental car pricing, but it really can depend on each situation.
Jun 11, 2019, 9:29 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
As soon as your AO approves your authorization, you can call your CTO (SATO usually) to get the reservation ticketed. At least in my organization there is no additional fee to do this and the ticket is unrestricted and can be refunded should you need it. I fly full Y fares a lot and this is invaluable to getting instant upgrades into PN to clear.
Jun 11, 2019, 9:47 am
#22
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
Last week, SATO booked a trip for me in full Y. Although it was not yet ticketed, about 2 hours later I got the message in the App that I had an upgrade into PN for one segment and to click on it. Actually that made me think that the trip was ticketed and I was wondering why I could not choose a Preferred seat on the CR2 (I could choose Economy + seats in the other flights). But after that I read that it will only be ticketed next week.
You should be able to select an E+ seat once booked via the United website. Maybe none available, the CRJ200 only has 4 E+ seats on the whole aircraft (first row). Have you tried calling the United government desk?
Jun 11, 2019, 9:56 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ventura
Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
Posts: 288
I've tried to do something similar, electing to pay the difference for a YCA (non-capacity controlled) city pair fare instead of the _CA but SATO says that that move is not allowed.
Jun 11, 2019, 11:01 am
#25
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,418
Yes. I've always had the entire trip ticketed at least 3 days before the first departure. It's all on the same reservation locator/PNR so it has to be done that way (unless for some reason you wanted to book two one-way fares).
Jun 11, 2019, 11:51 am
#26
Join Date: May 2006
Location: STL
Programs: UA Platinum, AA Platinum Pro, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,429
Talk to your AO. By the book, electing to pay the fare difference is permitted but there is a process. IIRC, you need to get either sign the authorization or get the authorization approved for the cheapest flight, then talk to SATO to book you the flight you really want and they will note in your record that you will only get a reimbursement up to whatever that cheapest flight would have cost.
I've tried to do something similar, electing to pay the difference for a YCA (non-capacity controlled) city pair fare instead of the _CA but SATO says that that move is not allowed.
Jun 11, 2019, 12:24 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
In my experience, that only happens for instant upgrades and only happens in the app. It will let you confirm the upgrade, but when you get ticketed, it will revert back to economy and your AO will get a nastygram from SATO saying that you should not have upgraded.
You should be able to select an E+ seat once booked via the United website. Maybe none available, the CRJ200 only has 4 E+ seats on the whole aircraft (first row). Have you tried calling the United government desk?
The problem with the CR2 is that the week-end before last they changed and they made the Exit Row a Preferred row. It was not like that a few days earlier when my wife booked her seat in the Exit row. It's not too much of an issue as it's a 18 to 30 minutes flight wheels up-wheels down (the 30 minutes is that sometimes the plane has to way overshoot ORD). It's not really worth bothering United for so little......although I have no problems bothering my fellow FTers about this........
Jun 11, 2019, 1:16 pm
#28
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,132
DTS has no flight options from Toronto (YYZ) to Manta EC (MEC) or surrounding airports on either end. This means there's no GSA contract airfares between those city pairs (understandable).
Its not what you want but as a cursory search for something like from Houston/Dallas to Quito EC (UIO) yields all flights on AA. It wants to route you through MIA to UIO. Fare class it books in to is S on AA. No UA options at all. Basically if you wanted *A or UA options you'd have to go through the travel agent and try to piece something together to get from Canada to MEC.
EDIT: AA fare rules added as a pdf attachment, UA / DL would have similar conditions and restrictions, fare class unknown with those two.
Its not what you want but as a cursory search for something like from Houston/Dallas to Quito EC (UIO) yields all flights on AA. It wants to route you through MIA to UIO. Fare class it books in to is S on AA. No UA options at all. Basically if you wanted *A or UA options you'd have to go through the travel agent and try to piece something together to get from Canada to MEC.
EDIT: AA fare rules added as a pdf attachment, UA / DL would have similar conditions and restrictions, fare class unknown with those two.
Last edited by gmt4; Jun 11, 2019 at 1:35 pm Reason: Added attachment
Jun 11, 2019, 2:47 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: UA Premier 1K: PlAAtinum; DL SM, MM; Marriott Gold; CO Plat Emeritus; NW Plat Emeritus
Posts: 4,776
As soon as your AO approves your authorization, you can call your CTO (SATO usually) to get the reservation ticketed. At least in my organization there is no additional fee to do this and the ticket is unrestricted and can be refunded should you need it. I fly full Y fares a lot and this is invaluable to getting instant upgrades into PN to clear.
Jun 11, 2019, 8:07 pm
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: YYZ
Programs: HHonors Silver, AC Altitude 35K, AAdvantage, SkyMiles, Bonvoy Silver and a few more
Posts: 565
DTS has no flight options from Toronto (YYZ) to Manta EC (MEC) or surrounding airports on either end. This means there's no GSA contract airfares between those city pairs (understandable).
Its not what you want but as a cursory search for something like from Houston/Dallas to Quito EC (UIO) yields all flights on AA. It wants to route you through MIA to UIO. Fare class it books in to is S on AA. No UA options at all. Basically if you wanted *A or UA options you'd have to go through the travel agent and try to piece something together to get from Canada to MEC.
EDIT: AA fare rules added as a pdf attachment, UA / DL would have similar conditions and restrictions, fare class unknown with those two.
Its not what you want but as a cursory search for something like from Houston/Dallas to Quito EC (UIO) yields all flights on AA. It wants to route you through MIA to UIO. Fare class it books in to is S on AA. No UA options at all. Basically if you wanted *A or UA options you'd have to go through the travel agent and try to piece something together to get from Canada to MEC.
EDIT: AA fare rules added as a pdf attachment, UA / DL would have similar conditions and restrictions, fare class unknown with those two.
I think there is a contract for YYZ-IAH , so maybe they can build on that. Is it bad form to let SATO know a preferred routing based on ITA Matrix / Google Flights?