Email from UA Marketing: "Explore the globe | Use miles on 28 Star Alliance Partners"
Sep 13, 2010, 5:19 pm
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: UA 1k, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, PC Plat
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Email from UA Marketing: "Explore the globe | Use miles on 28 Star Alliance Partners"
I think this is the first time in a while I've seen email marketing for redeeming on *A airlines, but maybe I'm mistaken.
Anyway, I thought I'd post it because it's unlikely UA/MP would want to encourage this unless they currently have a "deficit" in terms of redemption across airlines (i.e. more miles from other programs have been used to redeem for UA award seats than MP miles used for other airlines) and want to even it out before end of calendar year to make numbers look nice.
Also, do they really think that Dusseldorf is appealing?
Anyway, I thought I'd post it because it's unlikely UA/MP would want to encourage this unless they currently have a "deficit" in terms of redemption across airlines (i.e. more miles from other programs have been used to redeem for UA award seats than MP miles used for other airlines) and want to even it out before end of calendar year to make numbers look nice.
Did you know you can use Mileage Plus® miles for award travel on 28 Star Alliance® airlines? That means you can fly to more than 1,000 destinations around the globe with miles.
Here are just a few of the places you can go:
- Nassau, Bahamas on US Airways
- Cairo, Egypt on EgyptAir
- Istanbul, Turkey on Turkish Airlines
- Copenhagen, Denmark on Scandinavian Airlines
- Johannesburg, South Africa on South African Airways
- Dusseldorf, Germany on Lufthansa
- Kyoto, Japan on All Nippon Airways (ANA)
There are two ways to book your award on Star Alliance partners:
- Book online for travel with United, Continental and US Airways.
- Call United Reservations* at 1-888-674-4680 to book with all 28 Star Alliance partner airlines.
Learn more and check out the Saver/Star Alliance Award chart for a complete listing of the miles required for roundtrip travel to and from all the regions flown by United®, United Express® and Star Alliance airlines.
Book Now
Remember, Star Awards are limited and go fast. Book early to secure your seat.
Here are just a few of the places you can go:
- Nassau, Bahamas on US Airways
- Cairo, Egypt on EgyptAir
- Istanbul, Turkey on Turkish Airlines
- Copenhagen, Denmark on Scandinavian Airlines
- Johannesburg, South Africa on South African Airways
- Dusseldorf, Germany on Lufthansa
- Kyoto, Japan on All Nippon Airways (ANA)
There are two ways to book your award on Star Alliance partners:
- Book online for travel with United, Continental and US Airways.
- Call United Reservations* at 1-888-674-4680 to book with all 28 Star Alliance partner airlines.
Learn more and check out the Saver/Star Alliance Award chart for a complete listing of the miles required for roundtrip travel to and from all the regions flown by United®, United Express® and Star Alliance airlines.
Book Now
Remember, Star Awards are limited and go fast. Book early to secure your seat.
Also, do they really think that Dusseldorf is appealing?
Sep 13, 2010, 5:20 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near SEA
Programs: UA MM, AS MVPG75K, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 7,969
Argh! Wish they would just drop StarNet Blocking instead of encouraging people to redeem MORE on partners.
Sep 13, 2010, 5:23 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: San Diego
Programs: IC Platinum Ambassador, UA Mileage Plus, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 852
sdcarver
Sep 13, 2010, 5:30 pm
#4
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Sep 13, 2010, 5:32 pm
#5
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
Posts: 21,597
When I first saw the email, I thought that it was going to let me book * travel online.. Of course I that was wrong, after I read the entire email..
At least it didn't say that my 100K RDMs could get me a r/t ticket..
Sep 13, 2010, 7:35 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Marylebone
Programs: BA/BD Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,873
Wow UA, impressive!
With one hand, you guide us to redeem on Star Alliance partners.
With the other, you utilize Starnet Blocking to prevent us from doing so easily.
With one hand, you guide us to redeem on Star Alliance partners.
With the other, you utilize Starnet Blocking to prevent us from doing so easily.
Sep 13, 2010, 7:58 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1MM/1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 6,830
Well, to be sure, this email is referring to Y awards, not C/F. IIRC, Y awards aren't blocked anywhere near as much as premium awards.
Sep 14, 2010, 1:07 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Nexus, GE
Posts: 2,122
I'd be much more excited if they also included a website enhancement that allowed us to search for *A awards online. I'm just now trying to put together a European vacation for the parents that will include 2 award Y tickets (for them) and one paid ticket for me...I imagine I might be posting for help in a few weeks.
Sep 14, 2010, 2:11 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 4
Dusseldorf is of course appealing, we have:
- The longest beer hall (in fact it is the the old town, Altstadt) where you can drink beer everywhere
- Beautiful scenery along the Rhine
- Nice Christmas market in the entire December (until Christmas)
- Very international atmosphere with many people from all over the world working here.
So, come visit Dusseldorf !! Just hope that this does not mean the flights to Dusseldorf starts getting more expensive with the increased demand.
- The longest beer hall (in fact it is the the old town, Altstadt) where you can drink beer everywhere
- Beautiful scenery along the Rhine
- Nice Christmas market in the entire December (until Christmas)
- Very international atmosphere with many people from all over the world working here.
So, come visit Dusseldorf !! Just hope that this does not mean the flights to Dusseldorf starts getting more expensive with the increased demand.
Sep 15, 2010, 7:15 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Colorado Springs
Programs: UAMP Gold Million Miler; American, Delta, Southwest; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt; Marriott, A-Plus
Posts: 33
Saver awards go fast?
Or are they mostly non-existent. My non-Premier friend got 2 saver seats to Hawaii and me, the 1K for many years, couldn't get the routing that he had. I cannot imagine seats on Star partners is any easier.
Sep 15, 2010, 8:13 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MDW/ORD and the late lamented Meigs Field...
Programs: UA 1MM Premier 1K, Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium/ LT
Posts: 1,229
As I said elsewhere, there seems to be a push on by UA to reduce the number of outstanding MP miles on its books. Although this push is contradicted by other marketing mailers encouraging earning miles (from other sources - so perhaps that brings in $$$ from retailers/hotels/etc. who have to buy the points), I'm guessing there's a balance sheet target related to the merger settlement date.
You'd think they'd loosen up *A blocking to encourage usage, but perhaps the cost-benefit analysis isn't worth it.
You'd think they'd loosen up *A blocking to encourage usage, but perhaps the cost-benefit analysis isn't worth it.