What is the most and least expensive ticket you ever bought on United, not OPM?
May 10, 2023, 9:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 302
What is the most and least expensive ticket you ever bought on United, not OPM?
Saw something similar on reddit and thought it was pretty interesting. So what is the most and least expensive ticket you have ever bought on United, out of your own pocket?
Most expensive: EWR - NRT R/T Dec. 2019, $3100 business, did it to make 1K and squeeze in a trip to Japan. Such a great decision in hindsight. Contributed in keeping 1K for 5 years and counting.
Least expensive: EWR - PHX One way, Feb. 2021, $59
Most expensive: EWR - NRT R/T Dec. 2019, $3100 business, did it to make 1K and squeeze in a trip to Japan. Such a great decision in hindsight. Contributed in keeping 1K for 5 years and counting.
Least expensive: EWR - PHX One way, Feb. 2021, $59
Last edited by azfanboy; May 10, 2023 at 9:37 am
May 10, 2023, 9:33 am
#2
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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Realize many on this forum are business owner, sole proprietors, .... and business travel expenses are personally managed, out-of-pocket.
Non-OPM does not infer leisure or personal travel
Non-OPM does not infer leisure or personal travel
May 10, 2023, 9:39 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 302
Good point, but I suppose if you were spending out of your own pocket, even if for business, feel free to throw in the thread.
May 10, 2023, 9:43 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,538
In the last 5 yrs:
Most expensive was LAX-SYD roundtrip on UA between Christmas and New Year; it was a relatively cheap business class fare by normal standards but most I paid for airfare: $2,700
Cheapest was IAD to LAX roundtrip for $89 (B2B MR in 2021). As expected, got CPU'd both ways.
Most expensive was LAX-SYD roundtrip on UA between Christmas and New Year; it was a relatively cheap business class fare by normal standards but most I paid for airfare: $2,700
Cheapest was IAD to LAX roundtrip for $89 (B2B MR in 2021). As expected, got CPU'd both ways.
May 10, 2023, 11:11 am
#6
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
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I don't remember the actual cost, but we flew a Circle Pacific years ago in Business Class. Probably around $5,000.
May 10, 2023, 11:25 am
#7
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,175
Most expensive personal economy ticket was a $3.2k ticket to Japan this January. Most expensive overall was a $4k-ish business ticket to BKK (after UA pulled out of NRT-BKK, meaning getting a C seat on the NH flight was a challenge if you didn't buy C). I'd have to go find the receipt for that one but feel like I landed it during a really nice fare sale and it was somewhere in the upper $3k/lower $4k range.
Cheapest would have been one of the "last minute deals" UA used to sell on their website each week, something like a $42 flight on one of the Indy Air routes (maybe to CLE?) where UA did indeed utterly destroy Independence Air. Cheapest regular fare was probably an $86 roundtrip IAD-MCO-IAD trip back in 2012 or thereabouts. I recall it being $86 because I also flew the same route for work a week later, and got in a spat with the expense department because they felt I didn't do enough due diligence in researching cheaper alternatives, and I said, "Over a $86 roundtrip ticket, you're claiming there might have been something CHEAPER and are wasting my time documenting there wasn't?!"
Cheapest would have been one of the "last minute deals" UA used to sell on their website each week, something like a $42 flight on one of the Indy Air routes (maybe to CLE?) where UA did indeed utterly destroy Independence Air. Cheapest regular fare was probably an $86 roundtrip IAD-MCO-IAD trip back in 2012 or thereabouts. I recall it being $86 because I also flew the same route for work a week later, and got in a spat with the expense department because they felt I didn't do enough due diligence in researching cheaper alternatives, and I said, "Over a $86 roundtrip ticket, you're claiming there might have been something CHEAPER and are wasting my time documenting there wasn't?!"
May 10, 2023, 12:47 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: USA
Programs: AA EXP, UA GLD, Bonvoy Titan, HH Dia, WoH Exp
Posts: 2,673
I remember taking advantage of this special Global First sale myself. Probably was ~ 10 years ago.
It was the most expensive ticket I bought on United. I was able to try ANA First on one leg of the RT ticket. Of course ANA First Lounge at NRT is/was miles ahead of United International First Lounges anywhere.
May 10, 2023, 1:37 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 302
Most expensive personal economy ticket was a $3.2k ticket to Japan this January. Most expensive overall was a $4k-ish business ticket to BKK (after UA pulled out of NRT-BKK, meaning getting a C seat on the NH flight was a challenge if you didn't buy C). I'd have to go find the receipt for that one but feel like I landed it during a really nice fare sale and it was somewhere in the upper $3k/lower $4k range.
Cheapest would have been one of the "last minute deals" UA used to sell on their website each week, something like a $42 flight on one of the Indy Air routes (maybe to CLE?) where UA did indeed utterly destroy Independence Air. Cheapest regular fare was probably an $86 roundtrip IAD-MCO-IAD trip back in 2012 or thereabouts. I recall it being $86 because I also flew the same route for work a week later, and got in a spat with the expense department because they felt I didn't do enough due diligence in researching cheaper alternatives, and I said, "Over a $86 roundtrip ticket, you're claiming there might have been something CHEAPER and are wasting my time documenting there wasn't?!"
Cheapest would have been one of the "last minute deals" UA used to sell on their website each week, something like a $42 flight on one of the Indy Air routes (maybe to CLE?) where UA did indeed utterly destroy Independence Air. Cheapest regular fare was probably an $86 roundtrip IAD-MCO-IAD trip back in 2012 or thereabouts. I recall it being $86 because I also flew the same route for work a week later, and got in a spat with the expense department because they felt I didn't do enough due diligence in researching cheaper alternatives, and I said, "Over a $86 roundtrip ticket, you're claiming there might have been something CHEAPER and are wasting my time documenting there wasn't?!"
May 10, 2023, 2:21 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco
Programs: All-Around Kettle
Posts: 3,291
I flew BOS-IAD many times for $30 each way, back when UA was in competition with Independence Air (2004-05). My then-gf [now Mrs. nnn] and I were also able to rack up enough credits in the Washington, D.C. "Around the World" promo for free round-trip tickets to Sydney. Those were the days.
May 10, 2023, 2:21 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 375
2-3 times a year fly Polaris EWR-TLV. Used to always be around $3500. Last few it’s been around $4500. August 2021 got it for $2400. Mainly nonstop but I’ve flown through Dulles and use SA partners as well. Only once or twice right after COVID’s main waves was I able to confirm pluspoints at booking and I won’t risk it. Swiss and then Lufthansa are my favorites when making a stop, Don’t like the narrow bodies on the flights from and to TLV from Europe. Swiss used to fly wide bodies but not anymore. Looking forward to my first experience on an A380 back from TLV through Munich this summer and bid on a first class upgrade as my fare bucket didn’t qualify for plus points on LH.
May 10, 2023, 2:43 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: MSP/ORD
Programs: UA 1MM/GS, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 319
Least expensive: About six years ago when United was trying to compete with Spirit on ORD-MSP, I once got a one-way fare (G fare code) for $35, and got upgraded. The taxi fare once I arrived at MSP was significantly more expensive than the plane ticket...
Most expensive: When I got married in 2016, for our honeymoon trip I bought first class on the 3-class SFO-LHR 747 flight for myself (and used miles for my fiancee), with the return LHR-ORD being in business; that ticket for me was $4,700.
Most expensive: When I got married in 2016, for our honeymoon trip I bought first class on the 3-class SFO-LHR 747 flight for myself (and used miles for my fiancee), with the return LHR-ORD being in business; that ticket for me was $4,700.
May 10, 2023, 2:53 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
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My most expensive was $1,800~ r/t for a W fare in May, 2012 LHR-SYD so I could attend OzFest in CBR and then meet my Uncle and Grandpa in LHR for the latter's 94th birthday. The fare ex-DEN was $2,500++ for a W fare, so I used 67.5K RDMs for DEN-FRA-LHR on LH F to position there and 50K CO RDMs (transferred from Amex) for LHR-YVR on VS and YVR-DEN on UAL.
Least expensive was likely my first mileage run in May, 2010. An FTer PM'd me to say DEN-TVC was on sale (Base Fare: 20.00 USD, Taxes & Fees: 50.20 USD, Total: 70.20 USD) and it could be routed via SFO and ORD. My Mom and I flew DEN-SFO-ORD-TVC, overnighted and returned TVC-ORD-SFO-DEN the following morning. This is also the first time I met an FTer in the wild! SanDiego1K and her husband were in the old UAL RCC on the F concourse at ORD (remember the tiny room) and spotted my FT tag
Least expensive was likely my first mileage run in May, 2010. An FTer PM'd me to say DEN-TVC was on sale (Base Fare: 20.00 USD, Taxes & Fees: 50.20 USD, Total: 70.20 USD) and it could be routed via SFO and ORD. My Mom and I flew DEN-SFO-ORD-TVC, overnighted and returned TVC-ORD-SFO-DEN the following morning. This is also the first time I met an FTer in the wild! SanDiego1K and her husband were in the old UAL RCC on the F concourse at ORD (remember the tiny room) and spotted my FT tag
May 10, 2023, 2:54 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NUE
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, SK Diamond, ITA Volare Club Executive, TK Elite
Posts: 365
Most expensive: FRA-LAS R/T Nov. 2021. $3369.07 in J. Did it to keep 1K for another year.
Least expensive: LAS-FAT R/T Nov. 2021 ~$146 in Y. Same day return for the sake of travel.
Least expensive: LAS-FAT R/T Nov. 2021 ~$146 in Y. Same day return for the sake of travel.