Stealth Devaluation: The Disappearance Of Mixed Cabin Awards
Sep 4, 2023, 7:59 am
#1
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Stealth Devaluation: The Disappearance Of Mixed Cabin Awards
Before the May Massacre to United's hidden saver award chart rates, United.com used to offer domestic saver coach connecting to international saver business. You would just pay the international saver business rate.
For the past few months, I haven't seen the option come up at all. Even if there's domestic save coach, it won't offer it as a mixed cabin award connecting to international saver business. Instead it forces the whole award to the dynamic/everyday priced award. The only "workaround" is to book it as a multi-city, which means paying the saver domestic rate and the saver international rate.
Anyone else notice this stealth devaluation? Is there any other workaround to get the mixed cabin award?
For the past few months, I haven't seen the option come up at all. Even if there's domestic save coach, it won't offer it as a mixed cabin award connecting to international saver business. Instead it forces the whole award to the dynamic/everyday priced award. The only "workaround" is to book it as a multi-city, which means paying the saver domestic rate and the saver international rate.
Anyone else notice this stealth devaluation? Is there any other workaround to get the mixed cabin award?
Sep 4, 2023, 8:31 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
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Are you referring to to JN or I awards, I can still see domestic X paired with partner I awards (for example search ZRH - SFO next spring) so assume they would for United I awards. However I availability has all but disappeared except for Plat/1K members who can access IN.
Sep 4, 2023, 9:06 am
#4
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Are you referring to to JN or I awards, I can still see domestic X paired with partner I awards (for example search ZRH - SFO next spring) so assume they would for United I awards. However I availability has all but disappeared except for Plat/1K members who can access IN.
Sep 4, 2023, 9:16 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: Former UA1K transitioning to WFBF mentality
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Agree. Domestic X/XN used to be common for connections to int’l IN/I, but now UA is holding those domestic segments back for $. For instance, IAH-ORD/EWR-Europe will either not have any availability on domestic flight in X/XN, or it will only have availability on 6am departure with 8hr layover …
Sep 4, 2023, 10:24 am
#6
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Ugh, yeah, that's gone. Must still be bookable over the phone? Not being able to get XN for a feeder to connect to a TATL/TPAC IN would be a huge devaluation ... probably unintended by UA.
Sep 4, 2023, 1:17 pm
#8
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Just absurd.
Sep 4, 2023, 1:58 pm
#9
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Sep 4, 2023, 2:04 pm
#10
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Sep 4, 2023, 2:14 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2009
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You are one of the reasons that I've shifted most of my paid premium cabin travel to DL. I am no longer willing to take an extra connection just to fly UA. UA miles will soon be equal to Skypesos in value.
Sep 4, 2023, 2:48 pm
#12
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By the way, thank you so much for your informative and watchman-like posts here. I don't pay close enough attention to UA's devaluations and price increases because I am so busy with my business. But now, anytime I see a post from you, I pay immediate attention because I know that something has happened that's going to cost me more money or miles.
You are one of the reasons that I've shifted most of my paid premium cabin travel to DL. I am no longer willing to take an extra connection just to fly UA. UA miles will soon be equal to Skypesos in value.
You are one of the reasons that I've shifted most of my paid premium cabin travel to DL. I am no longer willing to take an extra connection just to fly UA. UA miles will soon be equal to Skypesos in value.
I still find more value in UA miles than DL miles, but it's much closer than it's ever been before. This is just another move to make it even closer.
Sep 4, 2023, 3:02 pm
#13
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Must be a clerical error since they still allow XN in conjunction with partner awards; I don't see how possibly it was intended to no longer offer that for UA-op connections but continue to offer it for *A.
Sep 4, 2023, 3:24 pm
#14
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I miss the days when phone agents could mix and match saver award segments, but those are long gone.
Sep 4, 2023, 3:28 pm
#15
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They can ... if you get a good one. Had a manual pricing more than once this year ...