update about 1K one-way award
Mar 3, 2005, 3:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SDJ (Sendai, Japan)
Programs: UA
Posts: 283
update about 1K one-way award
Today I got a rather detailed reply from a UA agent (who seems very knowledgeable) to my previous question regarding the 1K one-way award. I cannot copy-and-paste the full text here because it is supposed to be "private and confidential" as usual, but the highlights are:
- The often-quoted paragraph in profile "S*MPI/EXCEPTIONS" was supposed to be used only when combining a saver award with a standard award to make a round trip.
- The "Level 4 Empowerment" required in that profile had been suspended as of August 28, 2002.
- In addition, that part of text had been deleted from the system. The profile exists only for the case if empowerment comes back in the future.
So, according to this agent, any success cases after August 28, 2002 must have been real exceptions...
- The often-quoted paragraph in profile "S*MPI/EXCEPTIONS" was supposed to be used only when combining a saver award with a standard award to make a round trip.
- The "Level 4 Empowerment" required in that profile had been suspended as of August 28, 2002.
- In addition, that part of text had been deleted from the system. The profile exists only for the case if empowerment comes back in the future.
So, according to this agent, any success cases after August 28, 2002 must have been real exceptions...
Mar 3, 2005, 4:44 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The road less traveled
Programs: UA Gold MM, AA EXP, Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HHonors Diamond, Natl EE, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 5,118
Thanks for the update. I was never successful in booking a one-way award... guess now I know why. 
Mar 5, 2005, 1:45 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SFO, 5 year 1K but mostly local these days
Posts: 412
I don't agree with the supposed reason stated above. The text in the profile does not indicate that this would be the reason at all and I doubt that many agents at this point actually know the real reason. The profile has been around for quite a while and most agents don't even know of its existence.
I managed to use it (took three calls though), last summer when moving from the US to Europe which could be considered to be a good and reason for using it but I did not even have to mention it. The agent read the profile and executed it with no problems. The two previous agents either just flatly denied the profiles existence or said that it was not valid.
Try calling again...
I managed to use it (took three calls though), last summer when moving from the US to Europe which could be considered to be a good and reason for using it but I did not even have to mention it. The agent read the profile and executed it with no problems. The two previous agents either just flatly denied the profiles existence or said that it was not valid.
Try calling again...
Mar 5, 2005, 6:50 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SDJ (Sendai, Japan)
Programs: UA
Posts: 283
I myself don't want to agree with this agent 
and (since many agents, even supervisors, are just not knowledeable enough) calling back for a sufficient number of times will work for sure 
, but his/her explanation was: the profile does not state everything since it is only for internal use by trained employees, and the text
> - THIS EXCEPTION CAN ONLY BE CONSIDERED WHEN TRAVEL IS
> WITHIN THE SAME CABIN. SEE EXAMPLE:
> EX. * SAVER XF-OUTBOUND / STANDARD F-RETURN *
is an indication that it is supposed to be in combination with a standard award. Also, he/she says that the profile (which I found in FT and sent to the UA customer service) is truncated and missing some context. This explanation sounds convincing to me, unfortunately...
and (since many agents, even supervisors, are just not knowledeable enough) calling back for a sufficient number of times will work for sure , but his/her explanation was: the profile does not state everything since it is only for internal use by trained employees, and the text> - THIS EXCEPTION CAN ONLY BE CONSIDERED WHEN TRAVEL IS
> WITHIN THE SAME CABIN. SEE EXAMPLE:
> EX. * SAVER XF-OUTBOUND / STANDARD F-RETURN *
is an indication that it is supposed to be in combination with a standard award. Also, he/she says that the profile (which I found in FT and sent to the UA customer service) is truncated and missing some context. This explanation sounds convincing to me, unfortunately...
Mar 5, 2005, 2:29 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: United GS, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 787
I've had multiple agents tell me that the 1k one way award has beed dead for a while. I think its just a combination of some people on here who used it a few years back and are now telling people about it, and a few others who may have gotten a clueless agent to somehow book it for them thats keeping it alive on FT.
Mar 5, 2005, 3:13 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Loyal to Myself
Posts: 8,303
I had no problem obtaining one on my first call for travel in September of 2004. It was booked in mid-July, 2004. LAX-SIN in F.
