Zero business class saver awards for SFO-SYD on ual.bomb for next 331 days
Feb 16, 2007, 6:14 pm
#1
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Zero business class saver awards for SFO-SYD on ual.bomb for next 331 days
Have been saving up for some time to fly to Australia at the end of the year. Tried the award search on ual.bomb for 1 business class saver award seat any date between March and end of schedule. Zero. Nada. No seats whatsover. 
Tried LAX-SYD - no dice, same result. (I don't think there are any other UA-metal routes to Australia but let me know if I missed one).
Out of curiousity I then tried searching for an F saver award seat - surprisingly there were a few scattered seats in May, December and January. Strangely, too, the inventory changed slightly when routing SYD-SFO-SYD (maybe they reserve some seats for people living outside US
) Also found plenty of Y space outside of December - UA is clearly happy to maintain the facade by offering to cash in miles for the cattle car on off peak dates.
By some miracle I reached a US-based CSR who found 2 C seats (saver) on NZ for SFO-AKL-SYD
but alas could not even confirm Y for the return (any date). Can't waitlist for a *A award, so I guess we will see if anything opens up in the next 3 days and then perhaps keep checking for a more preferable routing and/or class. I was told I can't fly via HKG or SIN because that violates the continent rule (though HNL is ok so that may be yet another option).
I knew that UA was getting tightfisted with the C saver awards, but zero inventory over 331 days means that UA is basically lying about availability of C saver awards to Australia (with F not far behind on the mendacity scale).
If ual.bomb is not accurate (as we presume) then UA should just disable it for these routings. OR maybe just eliminate the C saver award and stop lying. Or if it exists at least provide some transparency about when inventory loads.
I know there are 100s of rants on this topic but I haven't see one that checked inventory every day. I also know that I didn't have any problem last year booking C seats on One World to Europe using AA miles. From what I've seen AA and its partners actually load inventory in each class at the 331 day mark - it's not as transparent as we would like but at least more than zero.
Curious to hear what success others have had with C inventory to/from New Zealand and Australia, and when it might open up.
Tried LAX-SYD - no dice, same result. (I don't think there are any other UA-metal routes to Australia but let me know if I missed one).Out of curiousity I then tried searching for an F saver award seat - surprisingly there were a few scattered seats in May, December and January. Strangely, too, the inventory changed slightly when routing SYD-SFO-SYD (maybe they reserve some seats for people living outside US
) Also found plenty of Y space outside of December - UA is clearly happy to maintain the facade by offering to cash in miles for the cattle car on off peak dates. By some miracle I reached a US-based CSR who found 2 C seats (saver) on NZ for SFO-AKL-SYD
but alas could not even confirm Y for the return (any date). Can't waitlist for a *A award, so I guess we will see if anything opens up in the next 3 days and then perhaps keep checking for a more preferable routing and/or class. I was told I can't fly via HKG or SIN because that violates the continent rule (though HNL is ok so that may be yet another option).I knew that UA was getting tightfisted with the C saver awards, but zero inventory over 331 days means that UA is basically lying about availability of C saver awards to Australia (with F not far behind on the mendacity scale).
If ual.bomb is not accurate (as we presume) then UA should just disable it for these routings. OR maybe just eliminate the C saver award and stop lying. Or if it exists at least provide some transparency about when inventory loads. I know there are 100s of rants on this topic but I haven't see one that checked inventory every day. I also know that I didn't have any problem last year booking C seats on One World to Europe using AA miles. From what I've seen AA and its partners actually load inventory in each class at the 331 day mark - it's not as transparent as we would like but at least more than zero.
Curious to hear what success others have had with C inventory to/from New Zealand and Australia, and when it might open up.
Feb 16, 2007, 6:19 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Los Angeles
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Posts: 4,039
I also know that I didn't have any problem last year booking C seats on One World to Europe using AA miles. From what I've seen AA and its partners actually load inventory in each class at the 331 day mark - it's not as transparent as we would like but at least more than zero.
Feb 16, 2007, 6:26 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,685
Look this Monday...connect thru LAX has (2) NC. Also I bet you can find standard on any day. High demand markets=tough to find saver, ez to find standard. Low demand markets/times=ez to find any kind. Given the number of carriers and demand to OZ, and the demand to burn miles instead of paying the fares, and the desire to sit in much comfort for long flights, logic would state this would be tough to find saver awards. But like I said, try this Monday...took me 20 seconds to find them.
Feb 16, 2007, 7:06 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: PDX again!
Posts: 512
I got PDX-LAX-AKL MEL-SYD-SFO-PDX on NZ and UA C-Saver for Xmas and New Years... wouldn't say it's easy, but they are there.
Feb 16, 2007, 10:25 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Posts: 106
Go NZ anyway
I've flown on C both with united and Air NZ and I'd take the NZ ticket any day over united. I live in sydney and do the SYD-SFO flight regularly and if I could have a choice I'd definitely spend the extra few hours to go via NZ, plus gives you a chance to stop over in New Zealand.
Feb 17, 2007, 8:03 am
#6
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If OP is correct I'd be most surprised to learn that.
Did you call an agent and ask -- they can search a month or three spread pretty fast.
dot.bomb did not get that nickname accidentally.
Did you call an agent and ask -- they can search a month or three spread pretty fast.
dot.bomb did not get that nickname accidentally.
Feb 17, 2007, 10:29 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 502
Having tried for several years to snag a business seat to SYD, I came to a funky observation. Perhaps someone can verify it, or explain what I'm missing.
Usually I'm looking for a flight to SYD, returning 1-2 weeks later to the US.
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Usually I'm looking for a flight to SYD, returning 1-2 weeks later to the US.
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Feb 17, 2007, 1:00 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bay Area, CA
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Posts: 69
I've flown on C both with united and Air NZ and I'd take the NZ ticket any day over united. I live in sydney and do the SYD-SFO flight regularly and if I could have a choice I'd definitely spend the extra few hours to go via NZ, plus gives you a chance to stop over in New Zealand.
Feb 17, 2007, 3:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2004
Programs: AA 'kettle', Marriott Gold, ICH Gld, Hertz 5*
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I did exactly what the OP did/is doing for our Oz trip just completed and saw almost exactly the same thing, even down to economy (XY) seats. I booked the first XY's for our dates which came up and then patiently waited, checking both XC and XF. Never saw any XC. Finally, in August, either someone screwed up or IM opined they would never sell F to Oz in the middle of summer there, and XF went to R9. Phoned immediately. At the time, 1P, so had to pay re-deposit fee, as, at the time of the original Y reservations, I did not have sufficient RDM's to book XF and ticket XY for myself and my wife.
Moral of the story: Be patient and, IMO, watch F rather than C. Pigs may fly and you might see the new F-suite on a 744 at the end of the year
No experience with NZ's new C on award tix, but would imagine patience would be necessary there as well. Definitely would like to try that in the future ^
Pat
Moral of the story: Be patient and, IMO, watch F rather than C. Pigs may fly and you might see the new F-suite on a 744 at the end of the year
No experience with NZ's new C on award tix, but would imagine patience would be necessary there as well. Definitely would like to try that in the future ^
Pat
Feb 17, 2007, 5:03 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Well, I can say I slept better in Y on my last SFO-SYD trip than I did in the current F-suite on our recent LAX-SYD vacation. Here's to hoping that the new suites sleep better than they look.
Pat
Pat
Feb 17, 2007, 7:35 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Having tried for several years to snag a business seat to SYD, I came to a funky observation. Perhaps someone can verify it, or explain what I'm missing.
Usually I'm looking for a flight to SYD, returning 1-2 weeks later to the US.
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Usually I'm looking for a flight to SYD, returning 1-2 weeks later to the US.
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Feb 17, 2007, 8:24 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SAN
Programs: UA GS/1K/MM, VA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 5,581
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Feb 17, 2007, 8:26 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA, AA
Posts: 4,039
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320x320)
Sure, but the issue also exists vv... if that's causing US to have problems constructing rts then 'they' will have the same problems.
Originally Posted by kkirksea
Having tried for several years to snag a business seat to SYD, I came to a funky observation. Perhaps someone can verify it, or explain what I'm missing.
Usually I'm looking for a flight to SYD, returning 1-2 weeks later to the US.
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
Usually I'm looking for a flight to SYD, returning 1-2 weeks later to the US.
Seats appear to be freed up in time order. For example, seats may be made available 300+ days ahead, rolling forward.
Meanwhile, over in AUSTRALIA, those folk are also monitoring the seat availability... 300+ days out rolling forward.
Doesn't this mean that the Aussies have a slight edge... in that they are able to reserve RETURN seats ( to SYD ) just when I am just able to see possible OUTBOUND seats... but I'm still waiting for RETURN (from SYD) seats to the US to become set up?
Meanwhile, from the Aussie perspective, they can reserve seats LAX/SFO - SYD/MEL further out in the schedule as return flights, completing their roundtrip... while at that point we're still waiting another week for OUR return flights to become available for selecting?
I'm wondering if UA reviewed it's rewards stats.. that it'd show a disproportionate share of the rewards seats goes to Australian members?
Or does UA release the seats in larger blocks of time to avoid this advantage issue... or does UA/Australian folk go through different mechanisms and see different availability of saver seats?
