MikeLaw

It seems like the last four or five flights I've checked have been cheaper on UAL.com. I have a trip to SFO in March for pleasure that I can move the dates a couple days on either end and I couldn't find any two dates that weren't significantly cheaper on UAL. Most were a lot cheaper. On my preferred dates, they were almost $200 less. This has held true on trips to MCO, DTW and BOS, although the cost difference was smaller for the other trips.

The UAL website won't show all the same connections on US, but it usually shows three or so that are sensible. I know that there are a lot of complexities in pricing, but it seems odd that the best way to book my US flights has been through the UAL codeshare for the last several trips I've checked. I assume they have to give some of the money to UAL, so it has to be costing US a lot.

CPRich

Last week I saved several hundred dollars booking a UA codeshare connection on US metal, then switching to my regular, later, non-codeshare, US non-stop flight - left an hour later and arrived an hour earlier.

It's become an interesting exercise to optimize price and schedules.

snod08

I am glad you pointed this out. I recently had to buy a one-way on US (only option with flight times, etc). And it was about 45$ cheaper on UAL!
I was glad I checked out different sites before buying!

CMK10

Last July I booked RDU-CLT-PHX through UAL.com and it was a couple hundred dollars cheaper.

MattNeedsMiles

Am I correct in assuming that you either A) have a travel budget or B) have to foot the bill for your travel?

It would have never occured to me to check another website for better pricing as it doesn't come out of my pocket. Now, obviously if the 4:00 flight is $800 and the 6:30 is $300, I'm on the 6:30, but other than that, it is what it is.

formeraa

I always check the codeshare partner's website just in case it shows a cheaper fare. Most of my travel is leisure, which comes out of my pocket. Why pay more than you need to -- even if it's your employer's money? I guess some of you work for companies with very large pockets. At my smaller company, I feel personally responsible to locate the lowest fare -- within reason, of course.

CPRich

No, there are plenty of travel sites that aggregate fares from airline sites - Kayak, etc. Mine is a corporate portal. I don't feel right charging my client $600 for a direct flight when I can leave an hour earlier, get home an hour later (with an 80% chance of getting the direct flight anyway) for $200. I treat my client's money like my own - I've found that works well.

MattNeedsMiles

Personal travel - no brainer. Obviously you are going to hunt for the best deal. I just spend so much time booking the flight, the car, the hotel that I can't imagine going to US, then codeshares, then for hotel MR, then HL then for cars Hertz, then Avis. It would drive me crazy.

CPRich, I do like your logic, the downside of course switching over to a direct with no room in F.

CLTUSCAPTIVE

I book through a company-mandated travel agency website and my last trip CLT-LGA-BOS was $130 cheaper booking the UA codeshare than THE EXACT SAME FLIGHTS on US! For the life of me I can't figure out the logic that US uses to try to get a premium for tickets on the same exact planes...I did check the nonstop on US, it was, literally, over 3 times the price of the connection. I can see charging a reasonable premium, say $50 - $100 for the nonstop, but not three times the connection fare ($600 more). If this is their strategy for returning to profitability, I think they are serious trouble.

CPRich

True. I gave up two confirmed F upgrades (which also surprised me, as it was a UA ticket) for 21C, but getting home 15 minutes before the kids' bed time vs. 45 minutes after outweighs an F seat any day.

BigErn

Out of curiosity, if you book through UAL on a US flight, do you still stand to get upgraded if you have US Preferred Status?

chris4096

Yes. I've done this several times.

MikeLaw

^^^ This makes you a lot more money in the long run. I don't know why so many people don't get this.

So long as you credit your US FF# and not your UA#. I do this all the time.

StrandedinLA

Yeah really. Also, I often use $20 dollar bills for TP when I'm too lazy to go see if there's another roll in the cabinet.

MattNeedsMiles

Let's not get carried away, I only use $1s if I find myself in that situation. I think anyone that is required to be on the road week after week and is not required to "bargain hunt" would do the same thing. Do you also stay at a Motel 6 when you travel on the company dime?