why no F award seats on connecting flights with int'l biz awards?
Aug 16, 2019, 9:49 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
why no F award seats on connecting flights with int'l biz awards?
I have 4 international J saver award tickets booked. I was able to easily find saver biz space on the TATL and TPAC flights on both UA metal and partners. But I can never seem to get a F award seat on the UA flights to/from MCI that connect with the overseas flights.
I have MCI-ORD in econ, ORD-NRT in J
I have ICN-SFO in J, SFO-MCI in econ
I have MCI-ORD in econ, ORD-CPH in J
I have ARN-IAD in J, IAD-MCI in econ
Has anyone ever gotten a saver F seat on the connecting domestic flight for a saver biz award? Is this just the way UA doles out saver awards?
I have MCI-ORD in econ, ORD-NRT in J
I have ICN-SFO in J, SFO-MCI in econ
I have MCI-ORD in econ, ORD-CPH in J
I have ARN-IAD in J, IAD-MCI in econ
Has anyone ever gotten a saver F seat on the connecting domestic flight for a saver biz award? Is this just the way UA doles out saver awards?
Aug 16, 2019, 9:53 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Yes.
Aug 16, 2019, 10:02 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,416
I do think it's kind of silly that they don't use MSC to open more IN/I space on domestic connectors, but that's the way it works. Waitlists can be successful sometimes, but they're always a gamble.
Aug 16, 2019, 10:08 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
As someone who flies a lot of J and F saver awards, I concur with jsloan. Theoretically, waitlisting can be an effective strategy, but in practice, I've had mixed results. The biggest problem for me was that I never seemed to get added to the UG waitlist as a UA CC holder for CPU (years ago, it worked fine for me) which was one of the reasons that I recently cancelled all of my UA cards, even though I am on pace for 200K miles of UA flying this year. I now put all of my air travel on my CSR.
Aug 16, 2019, 10:09 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Palm Desert, CA
Programs: UA Lifetime Plat; 2 MM; Amex Rewards; Hyatt Plat; Marriott Plat.
Posts: 259
I agree with the previous comments-I always seem to get put into coach on the domestic legs and waitlisted for F. More often than not, the F space does not clear. I have had some success at check in where sympathetic gate agents moved me up on the upgrade list. It is a crapshoot.
Aug 16, 2019, 10:12 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,526
I have noticed this continuously over the past few months. I suspect that UA is low-balling customers, figuring that they will still book the award (at J prices of course) if the long-haul segment is in J and the domestic segment(s) are in Y. They may be correct in their assessment (as your willingness to book indicates). In many cases, though, the domestic segments I have found are trans-con or nearly so, so it's not trivial. Really chintzy in my opinion, and I assume it's intentional.
Aug 16, 2019, 10:24 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
I have noticed this continuously over the past few months. I suspect that UA is low-balling customers, figuring that they will still book the award (at J prices of course) if the long-haul segment is in J and the domestic segment(s) are in Y. They may be correct in their assessment (as your willingness to book indicates). In many cases, though, the domestic segments I have found are trans-con or nearly so, so it's not trivial. Really chintzy in my opinion, and I assume it's intentional.
Aug 16, 2019, 11:24 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
I have noticed this continuously over the past few months. I suspect that UA is low-balling customers, figuring that they will still book the award (at J prices of course) if the long-haul segment is in J and the domestic segment(s) are in Y. They may be correct in their assessment (as your willingness to book indicates). In many cases, though, the domestic segments I have found are trans-con or nearly so, so it's not trivial. Really chintzy in my opinion, and I assume it's intentional.
When the award travel have been for others then I do call and ask about the domestic leg to ensure the person is on the waitlist.
However, in fairness it does tell me at time of booking it is a mixed reservation but I thought this meant I paid less in miles although not sure how the new dynamic pricing is going to impact that if at all.
Aug 16, 2019, 11:44 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Once a somebody now a nobody
Posts: 515
I think UA is the stingiest of the big three for domestic F saver awards..at least outside of 7 days. I'm based in ORD and can't tell you the last time I saw a saver F award for a domestic segment available. Of course I find UA miles to be the easiest to use to get Int'l awards, both UA and on Star partners. Each program has it's pros/cons and unfortunately saver F domestically is not a strength of mileage plus.
Aug 16, 2019, 11:46 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Any change from dynamic pricing will be for the worse.
Aug 16, 2019, 11:49 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,526
Aug 16, 2019, 11:54 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
I think UA is the stingiest of the big three for domestic F saver awards..at least outside of 7 days. I'm based in ORD and can't tell you the last time I saw a saver F award for a domestic segment available. Of course I find UA miles to be the easiest to use to get Int'l awards, both UA and on Star partners. Each program has it's pros/cons and unfortunately saver F domestically is not a strength of mileage plus.
I will ask to be waitlisted for F on the 4 awards I have ticketed and hope by some miracle one or all clear. I have no status with UA so unlikely I would be upgraded. Do I call for the waitlist or is this something I can do online myself?
Aug 16, 2019, 11:56 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
There are two realistic possibilities:
- No change from the current policy, meaning that the fare (in miles) will be the same whether the domestic leg is in economy or in first, and you will be allowed to waitlist for first because you've already paid for it
- The ability to book mixed classes will be removed, except where the domestic flight is a one-cabin aircraft (and maybe if the domestic flight is full in F). You'll be given the choice of an economy fare or a business class fare.
With no status, I'd check the weather and try to avoid calling if there are storms in a hub somewhere.
Aug 16, 2019, 12:13 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Once a somebody now a nobody
Posts: 515
I think AA is the easiest to find saver F awards domestically of the big three...especially with an Expertflyer subscription. I'm sure certain airports are easier than others, but I've blown north of 400k Avios over the last decade out of ORD strictly on domestic AA awards. YMMV