Use of Systemwides
 

I think I'll be out of luck, but wnated to check with experts before I call UA.

I'm flying LAX-SIN on flight 1 (stopover in HKG). I know that 1 Systemwide will take me all the way to SIN even if there had been a change of flight numbers.

On the way back, I am flying UA 2; however, I am stopping for about 50 hours in HKG before leaving for LAX.

Other than using three Systemwides (no thanks), am I correct that I will be out of luck for an upgrade from SIN to HKG?

Thanks.

Always Flyin,

I believe your assumption is correct. I recently went ORD-NRT-PVG with a 26 hour stopover in Tokyo. Because I was over the 24 maximum stopover limit, I would have needed to use another SW to upgrade the NRT-PVG portion from C to F.

However, I have heard that sometimes there are some special rules that apply to flight thru Tokyo...so maybe someone else can tell us if this was unique to Tokyo or standard practice. In my limited experience with SW upgrades certs., I don't ever believe that I've heard of anyone breaking on up on a stopover of more than 24 hours.

I have had no problems using the 24 hour rule on international flights, but agree that any stop over 24hs. would mean usage of 3 certs. I would decide with part of the return leg you wish to be upgraded, and then apply the second SWide accordingly, or if you like to roll the dice, use the cert. upon check-in of your first return leg and try to get the boarding pass for your final leg (ie. after the 50 hour stopover) at that same moment. If the computer allows the agent to do this, you may luck out and may get the whole return leg upgraded with only one coupon.... (but this would be bending the rules). Good luck !! - Do let us know how is goes.


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Gaucho100K

Yes 24 hours seems to be the limit, and I arrange my long flights carefully to take that into account when using SYS. Last week or so flying MEL-LAX-SEA-LAX-ORD-DUS the agent at SEA point blank refused to issue me the First boarding passes SEA-LAX-ORD-DUS as "I'd had my stopover in Seattle".

I very politely agreed I had stopped in Seattle, had taken an afternoon tour, then had drinks and dinner for 5 hours with a bunch of FT'ers and then had a nice restful sleep at the Doubletree, but I had not in fact made a legal "Stopover" as I'd arrived only 21 hours earlier.

This cut no ice with her, so she phoned the It'l rate desk to find out how much to charge me for the SEA-LAX leg she said was illegal, and to "have clarified to me" the stopover rule. Interesting to watch her face as they explained it as I stood there. btw she then "waived" the illegal return leg to LAX. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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~ Glen ~

LAX-HKG-SIN. HKG is a layover and not a stopover. On international itineraries, "A STOPOVER OCCURS WHEN THE PASSENGER DOES NOT DEPART AN INTERMEDIATE POINT WITHIN 24 HOURS."

On your way back, forget the upgrade from SIN-HKG. The flight is short of 4 hours.

seawolf,

Can you please elaborate on the stopover rule (an int'l stop of greater than 24 hrs.)? I thought that a C Class ticket yielded a (free) stopover, but my last experience proved that assumption false. Is this where I got it into my head that Tokyo is different from other int'l stopover points on a C Class ticket? Or, am I just inventing a perk that I wish United would grant to us?

I flew ORD-PVG a couple of weeks ago and stopped in Tokyo overnight to see a colleague (this is one of the two normal routes to PVG from ORD...through NRT or SFO). Instead of booking a C class ticket to PVG and taking a "free" 26 hour stop in Tokyo, I needed to purchase a ticket to Tokyo, and then another separate segment to PVG from NRT. The price difference between ORD-PVG and ORD-NRT is/was substantial.

How does this stopover rule work overseas?

JohnnyGlobal posted: I would hope that C would, because a cheapie Economy sometimes will. I was just pricing an el-cheapo from LAX-HKG-SIN-NRT-LAX in discounted Economy and even this low fare permited one stopover anywhere except Hawaii. Two day stopover in Hong Kong...no problem. Additional stopovers could be purchased for $125 each.

But to answer your question, there is no "general rule." The "rules" on this are determined by the particular fare basis that you purchased, although it's has been my experience that most C fare rules are fairly consistant, and I'm a bit surprised your C fare did not permit at least one stopover.

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 11-19-2000).]

The stopover in HKG on the way back is free. That's not the problem. I just wanted to upgrade the whole way back. But I'm sure not going to waste a Systemwide for the short flight from SIN to HKG. It'll be put to good use on the long haul two days later from HKG to LAX...

Thanks for input. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Looks like I wasn't.

Following up on my previous post, if you don't stopover, the systemwide will carry you thru all the way to either a stopover point or your final destination.

So, in Always Flyin's case, using a systemwide for the return SIN-HKG would mean that he will need another systemwide from HKG-LAX because he stayed in HKG for more than 24 hours. If he stayed less than 24 hours, he would be doing a layover in HKG and the systemwide he "used" in SIN would carry him all the way to LAX.

Hmm. Just realized that this thread is my 777 posting.

[This message has been edited by seawolf (edited 11-20-2000).]

PremEx,

I may be dreaming this, but I swear that United has told me that Tokyo is treated differently in regard to stopovers--even with C class tickets.

Have you ever heard of something like this? I've always heard travelers complaining about how expensive tickets to Tokyo are, versus tickets to places like Beijing (did) and Shanghai, that go through Tokyo on certain connections from the US.

Perhaps I am completely mistaken, but United would NOT simply sell me a C Class ticket ORD-PVG, letting me stay overnight in NRT before catching the NRT-PVG connecting flight a day later. I spoke with three different agents and each claimed that there is a "special rule" when flying through Japan.

I'm confused.

Agree with seawolf... flight is short (less than four hours... don't see any way of using only one syswide for the return legs... i'm flying this leg tomorrow and the cs rep told me that economy is wide open... so hopefully you'll get to stretch a bit on that leg

Johnny Global I can't speak for paid C, but on my cheapo Economy Tickets I can have one stopover anywhere except Hawaii. On my most recent flight, I was holding a 2 day stopover in NRT but later changed the stopover to HKG. I've stopped over in NRT many times. I've never heard anything "special" about NRT, just HNL. Maybe it's a restriction on paid C tickets?

United Reservations just reconfimed my ability to stopover at NRT. The fare basis for my ticket is HNXPXSG.

Thanks, PremEx...I certainly don't understand what the trouble was with my particular experience. Perhaps next time I should be somewhat less accepting of the bill of goods that I'm being sold! It never did sound right, but when those agents start thowing out, "this is an XYZ fare, not a 123 fare..." type jargon, I typically tend to just stop arguing and accept my punishment. No more! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Some cheap Biz class (and probably first class as well) fares do NOT allow a stopover. Generally if the further stop has a lower market price than the stopover point. One example of this used to be able to be seen on Expedia. For an example, Price YYZ-MXP (Milan) in biz class. Generally CP's price for the nonstop was about $1700 RT. KL would match that price IF there was not a stopover in AMS. Pull up "fare rules" and see. (Other fares in the $3k range for biz do allow the stopover).

Remember that a 23 hour stopover does -not- count against any free stopovers.

JL

What's the maximum for the stopover? Or does that always depend upon fare rules? Is there a general stopover maximum?