Award tickets to Hawaii and family illness
Dec 4, 2008, 9:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Programs: DL 2MM/PM, HH LT <>, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,283
Award tickets to Hawaii and family illness
Our Mom is ill and my Sis is holding onto two econ award tix BOS - HNL. She's cancelled the accomodations but can't bring herself to give up those hard won saver award seats. The return is about sixty days after departure.
What would you advise her? Redeposit - what's the fee? Change the dates - what's the fee? Is it even possible to change the dates without knowing what award categories are available?
Is there any possibility of avoiding the redeposit fee by pleading illness?
I'm a Deltoid; haven't flown United regularly in ages.
Thanks for any advice!
Jim
What would you advise her? Redeposit - what's the fee? Change the dates - what's the fee? Is it even possible to change the dates without knowing what award categories are available?
Is there any possibility of avoiding the redeposit fee by pleading illness?
I'm a Deltoid; haven't flown United regularly in ages.
Thanks for any advice!
Jim
Dec 4, 2008, 9:29 pm
#2
Company Representative - United Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: United Public Relations
Posts: 151
I'm sure others will chime in with unofficial advice, but I believe the official response is that it would require a change or re-deposit fee which may be $150 depending on when she made the reservations (this fee changed a little while back and could be less).
Best wishes to your family,
United PR
Best wishes to your family,
United PR
Dec 4, 2008, 9:43 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Unless they are 1Ks (or miles from 1Ks acct) they are going have to pay the redeposit fees. I dont really understand the rest of the post, are the thinking of changing the dates and going anyways?? If so I think that should be fee-free since its the same routing/destination just date change, so as long as no close-in fees would apply. To change the dates they'd have to have award availabilty available.
Good luck, hope the illness isn't anything too bad.
Good luck, hope the illness isn't anything too bad.
Dec 4, 2008, 10:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2004
Programs: AA 'kettle', Marriott Gold, ICH Gld, Hertz 5*
Posts: 5,258
OP, what's your routing? As long as XY seats on the exact routing are available, and you're currently not within the close-in ticketing period, there should be no fees. As an example, with departure on 10/1/09 and return on 10/20/09 through SFO, I'm currently seeing at least 4 XY seats. IMO, push the dates out as far as possible and then figure it out later. Even if the close-in fee applies, for the 35K invested in each tickets, IMO it's worth it to pay the fee and change the dates.
Here's the link for info on award fees:
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...50994,00.html?
Here's the link for info on award fees:
http://www.united.com/page/article/0...50994,00.html?
Dec 4, 2008, 11:02 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,939
There will be a fee from $100-$150 to redeposit the miles. Awards are going up, so if you cancel this, to rebook will cost you more miles in the future. If the routing remains the same, you can push the date out free of charge up to a year. Some suggest doing this anyway and hope for a schedule change. You can sometimes use a schedule change as reason to cancel the ticket/redopsit the miles without fees.
Dec 5, 2008, 5:33 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Programs: DL 2MM/PM, HH LT <>, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,283
I believe the routing is BOS-ORD-HNL. Sounds like changing the dates is the way to go, so long as they can find dates with open saver awards right?
Jim
Jim
Dec 5, 2008, 7:31 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: DFW, 3.5 MM, AA EXP, LIFETIME PLATINUM, MARRIOTT LIFETIME PLATINUM, STARWOOD AMBASSADOR 223 NIGHTS, AND LIFETIME GOLD, HILTON DIAMOND, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE ELITE
Posts: 5,847
I am sincerely sorry to hear of your family member's illness, and wish a speedy recovery.
I don't fly United, so unfortunately, I can't help you with your question - although from reading the posts here, you appear to be receiving very good advice.
Seasons Greetings.
I don't fly United, so unfortunately, I can't help you with your question - although from reading the posts here, you appear to be receiving very good advice.
Seasons Greetings.
Dec 5, 2008, 8:10 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Plat, AS MVP, HH Gold, MR Gold
Posts: 1,848
Unless you need the miles for something else now, reschedule it for some dates in the distant future when you might want to go, or otherwise, there might be some schedule change that would allow you to recredit the miles for free (generally change of greater than 90 minutes in arrival or departure). If you're really looking for the free recredit, schedule short layovers if possible, that will be more likely to cause you to take the next flight if there's a small schedule change of one of your connections.
Dec 5, 2008, 9:13 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Programs: DL 2MM/PM, HH LT <>, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,283
Thanks for the advice and the kind words.
Jim
Jim