Okay, what's the deal here? United Mileage Plus points...HELP!

[MommyBryn]

So we're trying to book our flights for our trip in Jan, but United is telling us they're 50,000 pts/ticket. If that's the case, we can't go. We haven't recieved any notification of change, and the chart I was using still says 25,000- http://www.united.com/ual/asset/MP_awards_chart_INAE_061016.pdf
However, then I see this on the same page where they give the previous link, saying 50,000-
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,,59,00.html

So WTH is it!??! When I talk to United on the phone they say the 25,000 pts are only "per availability". But WHAT availability are they talking about? (Because it's not seats) I mean, is one supposed to call in and ask about their availability for 25,000 pt tickets and THEN plan their vacation around that, or what? I know we ran into this last time (minus the discrepancy on the website) but finally got through to a real person that gave us the tickets for 25,000 each.

Please help!! This stinks.

 

[crashbb]

So we're trying to book our flights for our trip in Jan, but United is telling us they're 50,000 pts/ticket. If that's the case, we can't go. We haven't recieved any notification of change, and the chart I was using still says 25,000- http://www.united.com/ual/asset/MP_awards_chart_INAE_061016.pdf
However, then I see this on the same page where they give the previous link, saying 50,000-
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,,59,00.html

So WTH is it!??! When I talk to United on the phone they say the 25,000 pts are only "per availability". But WHAT availability are they talking about? (Because it's not seats) I mean, is one supposed to call in and ask about their availability for 25,000 pt tickets and THEN plan their vacation around that, or what? I know we ran into this last time (minus the discrepancy on the website) but finally got through to a real person that gave us the tickets for 25,000 each.

Please help!! This stinks.

Well, as the title on each chart state, the first chart you showed was for MP SAVER AWARDS while the second chard is for STANDARD AWARDS. There is no discrepancy.

And yes, they do mean available seats. Just as not all economy seats are going to be available for the cheapest economy fare, not all seats are available for Saver Awards. The first, however many, people to use points for seats on a given flight get Saver Awards and the rest get Standard awards.

I'm not really sure about the problem of checking for availability. The same issue comes up when paying with cash - do you make sure that there a cheap tickets before you book your hotel/whatever, or make sure you can get good hotel rates and then look for airfare? That question comes up here all the time (and there isn't really a "right" answer).

ETA - you don't have to call in to check, you can use the on-line availability checker, the same way you would use the website to check for revenue air fares. https://travel.united.com/ube/award/us/awardShop.do

 

[MommyBryn]

Well the Saver ones is what we're trying to get and they're saying 50,000 everytime we call. And we've specifically picked the flights based on seat availability, so we know there are PLENTY of seats.

 

[MommyBryn]

double post

 

[bavaria]

I use saver points all the time on UA to book flights within the US for 25,000 miles.

Are you trying to book multiple seats on one record? if so, try one by one. Why not book online?

I find UA MP is one of the most generous for availability of saver awards.

 

[crashbb]

Just because there are seats on the plane, doesn't mean that Saver seats are available. The exact same way that the cheapest fare for economy seats sell out long before the economy section is full.

UA may only put 10 (or whatever) seats in the Saver group - once these are gone, you can only get regular award seats.

It doesn't matter that they are both economy seats - the point is that one chart is for SAVER (think Early Bird) and the other is for STANDARD (think Regular dinner), there is no discrepancy.

AND - seating chart does NOT reflect seat availability (for a number of reasons that have been gone over in previous posts, but don't effect the outcome of this discussion).

 

[MommyBryn]

Just because there are seats on the plane, doesn't mean that Saver seats are available. The exact same way that the cheapest fare for economy seats sell out long before the economy section is full.

Okay, but see, that's what I'm getting at. How in the world is anyone supposed to know unless they call and find out what flights they can get before even considering any other aspect of their vacation?

We can only book so far ahead because we're a farming family and decisions can't be made very far ahead of time (this is actually the earliest we've ever done it). So what should I do, just call and have them find me a flight with saver availability?

 

[crashbb]

By using the online availability tool, at the link I provided.

I also second Bavaria's suggestion of trying to book 1 ticket at a time. It is the same thing we suggest to those buying multiple revenue tickets - it will put everyone in the same fare bracket, so if there are 3 available cheap tickets (either points or cash) and you are trying for 4 tickets, it will charge everyone the more expensive amount. If you reduce the number of tickets in each transaction, you'd get three for the cheap price and only one for the more expensive price.

I'm still not sure how this is any different from wanting to know if there would be cheap airfare (i.e. revenue fares) when planning a vacation?

 

[MommyBryn]

Sorry, I'm not as educated on all this as some of you (yet! LOL). I missed that link the first time. Thanks. I'll go ahead and try one ticket at a time. Yikes I hope this works...

 

[bavaria]

Okay, but see, that's what I'm getting at. How in the world is anyone supposed to know unless they call and find out what flights they can get before even considering any other aspect of their vacation?

I don't understand the question. I take many vacations throughout the year on points, and I can't plan ahead. I log in and book what I can when I can.

If you are calling in there are phone booking fees, FYI.

Why not take the time to check online for availability? there is a calendar which shows you what dates are open for your route.

 

[MommyBryn]

I don't understand the question. I take many vacations throughout the year on points, and I can't plan ahead. I log in and book what I can when I can.

If you are calling in there are phone booking fees, FYI.

Why not take the time to check online for availability? there is a calendar which shows you what dates are open for your route.

I have been checking online, but apparently I wasn't using the one that shows the "saver" points seat availability.

 

[crashbb]

I have been checking online, but apparently I wasn't using the one that shows the "saver" points seat availability.

It's possible that there are none available. I put in some random dates/cities and was able to find some for 25,000.

If you post your dates/cities, I'll give it a quick look to see if you are missing anything.

Did you try just 1 ticket?

 

[cotomom]

If I may enter a piggyback question regarding United...

I have 2 seats for 25,000 miles on the LAX - MCO rt, 7/10 - 7/26/09 on the nonstops.

Now it only shows 50,000 miles availability on those flights.

Any chance that they'll open up more 25,000 mile seats or did I take virtually the only 2 on the flights? I thought I was plenty far out, maybe too far out or ?

thanks for any help you can provide!!!

 

[MommyBryn]

I have a similar question now...as I'm trying 1 ticket at a time. I can find flights for up to 2 people, but if I put in 3 it says they're not available. Does that mean they only have exactly 2 saver seats left? Or if I book those 2, could I then book 2 more, and so on? Any idea?

 

[bavaria]

I have a similar question now...as I'm trying 1 ticket at a time. I can find flights for up to 2 people, but if I put in 3 it says they're not available. Does that mean they only have exactly 2 saver seats left? Or if I book those 2, could I then book 2 more, and so on? Any idea?

Most likely 2 seats left. I know many families here split up to use miles and fly with one parent and one child on first flight, then one parent and one child on second flight.

That is the reality of using miles for a larger group ie more than two tickets.

 

[DebbieB]

I have a similar question now...as I'm trying 1 ticket at a time. I can find flights for up to 2 people, but if I put in 3 it says they're not available. Does that mean they only have exactly 2 saver seats left? Or if I book those 2, could I then book 2 more, and so on? Any idea?

There are probably only 2 left. The airlines don't put many seats up for the lower level tickets. I know USAir rarely puts up 25,000 for PIT-MCO unless you leave in the evening and come home early in the morning.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

If I may enter a piggyback question regarding United...

I have 2 seats for 25,000 miles on the LAX - MCO rt, 7/10 - 7/26/09 on the nonstops.

Now it only shows 50,000 miles availability on those flights.

Any chance that they'll open up more 25,000 mile seats or did I take virtually the only 2 on the flights? I thought I was plenty far out, maybe too far out or ?

thanks for any help you can provide!!!

Based on my limited experience in booking on UA, there may be more saver seats released from time to time, but only UA knows when or if that might happen. Assuming the flight is not really popular, I would guess that more seats will come available a month or so before the travel date.

My DB and SIL started looking to book 2 saver awards to HI about 6 months prior to their August travel dates, but couldn't find any availability for the outbound until a month prior. At that time, there were as many as 9 seats on some of the flights!

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[seashoreCM]

Just my experience: Using United's on line booking of award tickets, they show a calendar with dates of a certain color when saver awards are supposedly available. But when I click on those dates, the system comes back with no availability, even for just one seat.

I've done it enough times unsuccessfully to suspect there is some finickyness in the system. Either that or there are always large numbers of people all across the country all trying to click and book the same itinerary at the same time I am.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[MommyBryn]

Just my experience: Using United's on line booking of award tickets, they show a calendar with dates of a certain color when saver awards are supposedly available. But when I click on those dates, the system comes back with no availability, even for just one seat.

I've done it enough times unsuccessfully to suspect there is some finickyness in the system. Either that or there are always large numbers of people all across the country all trying to click and book the same itinerary at the same time I am.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Yeah, I had that problem too.

Well, back with an update. My mom ended up doing the booking for me when I wasn't able to lats night. We spent all day yesterday on the phone with United and all sorts of people. Originally they could give us 6 25,000pt tickets but on 2 were on a different flight (kinda pointless when it's a family vacation and we're all coming/going from the same place...plus, we need the help with the babies). The website was giving us all sorts of different results each time we'd use it, which was weird. Anyway, mom my eventually got on the phone with someone who she could actually understand, was actually NICE, and found us 6 25,000pt tickets on the smae flights AND at good times! The other people had said that wouldn't work, and barely spoke english, to top it off. So we're going, and still have 2 tickets left over!