Is this a fare break?
Jul 29, 2019, 12:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K; DL DM; IHG Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold; Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 237
Is this a fare break?
EWR - SFO in P class
SFO - LAX in Y class
This was sold on the app and the website as a single ticket.
According to ITA Matrix, it's one fare: VAP30UPN
Pulled up fare routing on Expert Flyer (not sure if this helps at all):
So...
1. Is this itinerary considered a fare break? If it is, does this mean I can't SDC?
2. If the fare is VAP30UPN, is this a V class fare? If so, why are the ticketed segments P and Y?
SFO - LAX in Y class
This was sold on the app and the website as a single ticket.
According to ITA Matrix, it's one fare: VAP30UPN
Pulled up fare routing on Expert Flyer (not sure if this helps at all):
So...
1. Is this itinerary considered a fare break? If it is, does this mean I can't SDC?
2. If the fare is VAP30UPN, is this a V class fare? If so, why are the ticketed segments P and Y?
Jul 29, 2019, 12:35 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
2. It's not a V class fare. It's a P class fare. Do they happen to be running a one-cabin airplane from SFO to LAX that day?
Jul 29, 2019, 12:51 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K; DL DM; IHG Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold; Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 237
The SFO-LAX flight has two cabins, but currently showing: J9 JN9 C6 D1 Z0 ZN0 P0 PN0 PZ0. It's an A320.
Jul 29, 2019, 1:27 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
Okay that's what I thought until I read this thread and another thread. But it looks like they've come to the consensus that P-UPDI is still considered P.
The SFO-LAX flight has two cabins, but currently showing: J9 JN9 C6 D1 Z0 ZN0 P0 PN0 PZ0. It's an A320.
The SFO-LAX flight has two cabins, but currently showing: J9 JN9 C6 D1 Z0 ZN0 P0 PN0 PZ0. It's an A320.
Are you sure about the fare? United is now listing fare rules in the itinerary details. What fare does it show there?
Jul 29, 2019, 1:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,378
Ef booking class says
FIRST CLASS SELL-UP OW NON-REF FARES P
BOOKING CODE EXCEPTIONS
VIA UA Y PERMITTED WHEN PRIME NOT AVAILABLE AND
P PERMITTED
U booked into P in first leg. And since second leg had no P (but should have Y), it dumped you into Y, and the entire ticket passed the booking code/rules checks
FIRST CLASS SELL-UP OW NON-REF FARES P
BOOKING CODE EXCEPTIONS
VIA UA Y PERMITTED WHEN PRIME NOT AVAILABLE AND
P PERMITTED
Jul 29, 2019, 2:27 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
I've never seen the website do this, except when the second flight didn't have an F cabin. Otherwise, it tends to use married inventory, and it wouldn't have sold the P at all. It would have kicked the whole flight up to a higher fare.
Jul 29, 2019, 3:21 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K; DL DM; IHG Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold; Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 237
Jul 29, 2019, 3:45 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Virtuoso Travel Agent, Commercial Pilot
Posts: 2,117
This. It is a legal routing, etc., but it would be very unusual for united.com to offer it because of the way that married segment logic is implemented on united.com. Third party sites and travel agents would have a bit easier time booking it, and I suspect that Hipmunk could force it through on united.com too if you entered from there.
Jul 29, 2019, 4:17 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,952
I dunno if this is a sign that the website has gotten smarter, because IMO it's certainly better to capture the sale right away rather than lose it over the lack of P on the much-shorter segment.
Jul 29, 2019, 4:25 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
I'm not sure if I understand what you are saying. Methinks UA would much rather try to get someone to buy a c/d/j fare over z and p, which was probably available for a much higher cost.
Jul 29, 2019, 4:46 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
In general the website lists the cheapest option available given the search criteria, because United knows (some of) its customers are price-sensitive and they will sell more tickets if they show the cheaper price.
Jul 29, 2019, 6:11 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,378
so the engine picked the next available thing - one leg in business, one leg in economy. can even do EWR-SFO Y, SFO-LAX J. expensive ticket
you can see it on UA website, though there are big red words saying "mixed cabin" and its usually ranked below the other nonstop/non-mixed cabin itinerary
EWR-LAX (with 1 stop), 9/9 monday. EWR-IAH is on an airbus A319 as Y, IAH-LAX is on a 737-900 as P
Last edited by paperwastage; Jul 29, 2019 at 6:20 pm
Jul 29, 2019, 6:58 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
OP: If that is actually the fare you booked, and you find a knowledgeable agent who knows how to do it, you're eligible to waitlist for a P seat on the short leg. It may actually be worth your time to try to do that, because if the waitlist clears, it should make SDC more straightforward.
Jul 29, 2019, 10:12 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K; DL DM; IHG Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold; Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 237
Is there a trick to finding a knowledgeable agent? Or should I just wait until P availability shows up on SFO-LAX and ask an agent if it’s possible to “waitlist” then?
Jul 29, 2019, 10:41 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,391
If P does open, don't ask about waitlisting -- just say "I have a P class ticket and I saw that P inventory opened up, so I was wondering if I could be placed into it."