Improving a UA Dividend Miles reservation
Sep 20, 2004, 3:15 pm
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2000
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Improving a UA Dividend Miles reservation
I'm holding an award reservation on UA to Hawaii involving two flight segments. I took whatever the USAirways rep said was available, and presumed I could try to get better flights later. I was told I could change flights (as long as they remained on UA) without a fee.
But when I called back to see if something better had opened up, I was told that the agent couldn't check individual flights -- the reward seats had to be available on the entire itinerary from point A to point B. So, for example, if you're starting at IAH and connecting in SFO for HNL, the reward seats have to be available all the way through on a "regular" connecting itinerary. You couldn't, for example, choose to book a morning flight to SFO and an evening flight that day to HNL -- hoping, of course, that a better connecting flight would open up later).
From my experience with other airlines, this makes it MUCH more difficult to "work" your reward itinerary to get close to what you want -- especially since US won't put me on any UA standby lists.
Does anyone know if this is official US policy, and if there's any way around it? Thanks.
But when I called back to see if something better had opened up, I was told that the agent couldn't check individual flights -- the reward seats had to be available on the entire itinerary from point A to point B. So, for example, if you're starting at IAH and connecting in SFO for HNL, the reward seats have to be available all the way through on a "regular" connecting itinerary. You couldn't, for example, choose to book a morning flight to SFO and an evening flight that day to HNL -- hoping, of course, that a better connecting flight would open up later).
From my experience with other airlines, this makes it MUCH more difficult to "work" your reward itinerary to get close to what you want -- especially since US won't put me on any UA standby lists.
Does anyone know if this is official US policy, and if there's any way around it? Thanks.
Sep 20, 2004, 7:10 pm
#2
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Chattanooga, TN, USA**US Airways Gold, Marriott Gold
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Originally Posted by iahphx
I'm holding an award reservation on UA to Hawaii involving two flight segments. I took whatever the USAirways rep said was available, and presumed I could try to get better flights later. I was told I could change flights (as long as they remained on UA) without a fee.
But when I called back to see if something better had opened up, I was told that the agent couldn't check individual flights -- the reward seats had to be available on the entire itinerary from point A to point B. So, for example, if you're starting at IAH and connecting in SFO for HNL, the reward seats have to be available all the way through on a "regular" connecting itinerary. You couldn't, for example, choose to book a morning flight to SFO and an evening flight that day to HNL -- hoping, of course, that a better connecting flight would open up later).
From my experience with other airlines, this makes it MUCH more difficult to "work" your reward itinerary to get close to what you want -- especially since US won't put me on any UA standby lists.
Does anyone know if this is official US policy, and if there's any way around it? Thanks.
But when I called back to see if something better had opened up, I was told that the agent couldn't check individual flights -- the reward seats had to be available on the entire itinerary from point A to point B. So, for example, if you're starting at IAH and connecting in SFO for HNL, the reward seats have to be available all the way through on a "regular" connecting itinerary. You couldn't, for example, choose to book a morning flight to SFO and an evening flight that day to HNL -- hoping, of course, that a better connecting flight would open up later).
From my experience with other airlines, this makes it MUCH more difficult to "work" your reward itinerary to get close to what you want -- especially since US won't put me on any UA standby lists.
Does anyone know if this is official US policy, and if there's any way around it? Thanks.
Sep 21, 2004, 2:09 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: YYJ
Posts: 4,137
Originally Posted by iahphx
I'm holding an award reservation on UA to Hawaii involving two flight segments. I took whatever the USAirways rep said was available, and presumed I could try to get better flights later. I was told I could change flights (as long as they remained on UA) without a fee.
But when I called back to see if something better had opened up, I was told that the agent couldn't check individual flights -- the reward seats had to be available on the entire itinerary from point A to point B. So, for example, if you're starting at IAH and connecting in SFO for HNL, the reward seats have to be available all the way through on a "regular" connecting itinerary. You couldn't, for example, choose to book a morning flight to SFO and an evening flight that day to HNL -- hoping, of course, that a better connecting flight would open up later).
From my experience with other airlines, this makes it MUCH more difficult to "work" your reward itinerary to get close to what you want -- especially since US won't put me on any UA standby lists.
Does anyone know if this is official US policy, and if there's any way around it? Thanks.
But when I called back to see if something better had opened up, I was told that the agent couldn't check individual flights -- the reward seats had to be available on the entire itinerary from point A to point B. So, for example, if you're starting at IAH and connecting in SFO for HNL, the reward seats have to be available all the way through on a "regular" connecting itinerary. You couldn't, for example, choose to book a morning flight to SFO and an evening flight that day to HNL -- hoping, of course, that a better connecting flight would open up later).
From my experience with other airlines, this makes it MUCH more difficult to "work" your reward itinerary to get close to what you want -- especially since US won't put me on any UA standby lists.
Does anyone know if this is official US policy, and if there's any way around it? Thanks.
Sep 21, 2004, 1:18 pm
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2000
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Originally Posted by cedric
Not sure if it is official policy, but if you do the legwork and search for availability yourself, in the past I did not have a problem when I said "book flight X on Y date, flight Z on A date" etc. Availability on UA flights can be discerned by signing up for mileage plus and then using UA's MP availability website.
Sep 21, 2004, 6:32 pm
#5
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Also took me 20 minutes on hold yesterday, but I must admit that the phone CSR was quite pleasant and helpful under what must be very trying circumstances.
Thanks for tip about checking UA inventory. Unfortunately it confirmed the same info I received from the CSR (i.e., little availability).
Thanks for tip about checking UA inventory. Unfortunately it confirmed the same info I received from the CSR (i.e., little availability).