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All you need to know:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/38212

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/types.aspx
Click on "United air travel award rules:"
"You may redeem miles for travel in United Global FirstSM, United First®, United Business® or United BusinessFirst® , even if the space is not available. In these cases, United Economy in the same award type must be confirmed, and the front cabin will be waitlisted. For example, a Saver United First award must be confirmed in Saver United Economy to be eligible for waitlisting. If the courtesy waitlist does not clear, it will expire 24 hours before itinerary departure, and you will automatically be added to the airport upgrade standby list upon check-in. In these cases, you will be confirmed on a space-available basis by a United airport representative at the gate once the flight has closed for check-in. For United BusinessFirst and United Business travel awards, the difference in miles will be refunded when the United BusinessFirst or United Business class segment of the trip could not be confirmed. Waitlist requests may only be made over the phone with your local United Reservations office"


« Last edited by HolyNyc on February 02, 2015, 08:51:46 AM »

Author Topic: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability  (Read 505858 times)

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #380 on: January 30, 2014, 01:08:05 PM »
I know that. But here he is flying in business Zurich to Rome.
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #381 on: January 30, 2014, 01:09:53 PM »
I know that. But here he is flying in business Zurich to Rome.
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23569
Quote
Say you are coming from Los Angeles, even if you clear into first class on the LAX-EWR flight, as long as you don’t clear on the international EWR-TLV flight you will still get the 20,000 miles each way refund!

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #382 on: January 30, 2014, 01:13:50 PM »
You may be right, but it's still not the same exact story.
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #383 on: January 30, 2014, 01:15:59 PM »
I'm not sure the cases are comparable. There the business is UA metal. Here it's lx metal
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline drewguy33

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #384 on: January 30, 2014, 01:24:03 PM »
I'm hoping it's not even an issue obviously.
Has anyone booked a plan B and not gone in business before?

But if it happens I'm hoping at least I'll get 25,000 miles back and they would only charge me the 15,000 extra miles it would be to fly business on 2nd flight as a worst case scenario.

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #385 on: January 30, 2014, 01:32:13 PM »
I'm not sure the cases are comparable. There the business is UA metal. Here it's lx metal
Why would that make a difference?

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #386 on: January 30, 2014, 01:42:09 PM »
I'm hoping it's not even an issue obviously.
Has anyone booked a plan B and not gone in business before?

But if it happens I'm hoping at least I'll get 25,000 miles back and they would only charge me the 15,000 extra miles it would be to fly business on 2nd flight as a worst case scenario.
Jaywhy may be 100% right. However the 25,000 miles I believe you would for sure be able to get back.
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline TC610

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #387 on: January 30, 2014, 04:48:06 PM »
All legs of my outbound award flight was booked in I.
All legs of my return award flight was originally booked in X.

Return is MLE-IST-EDI-EWR-CLE.  Business saver is available for MLE-IST-EDI.  I called to have MLE-IST-EDI booked in business saver and the agent complied.  I tried explaining what I wanted for the EDI-EWR leg (manually issue a business class saver award and book me in coach), but she didn't understand.  I just told her to waitlist me (with the intent of HUCAing).

I look at my reservation and now I see:

Depart:
Male, Maldives (MLE)
Arrive:
Istanbul, Turkey (IST)
Fare Class: Business (I)

Depart:
Istanbul, Turkey (IST)
Arrive:
Fare Class: Business (I)

Depart:
Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI)
Arrive:
New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty)
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200
Fare Class: United Economy (X) - (I class requested)


Depart:
New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty)
Arrive:
Cleveland, OH (CLE)
Fare Class: United Economy (X)


An extra 20k per PAX was deducted from my account to rebook my first 2 legs in Business.  Does this mean she booked the Plan B correctly, even though she said she would just waitlist me?

Also, my longest leg is MLE-IST.  Am I still entitled to get the 20k per pax returned to my account if I don't clear in business?

FTR - the odd routing is there because there is no business or coach saver availability between IST-EWR for the date I need to return to the US, and EDI-EWR is UA metal.


Offline MoGro17

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #388 on: January 30, 2014, 06:18:27 PM »
So here's the story:
I booked this whole long, fancy trip during peak times with miles. The whole shebang costed 290k for two people in 1st and business all the way. There is no question that I could NOT have pulled it off without the support and the knowledge of the Forumfolk, by the way. I just wanted to say thanks.

However, one leg of my trip, ZUR-EWR in June, is in saver economy plus (I used a friend's P1K account so it was free. Awesome.).
I tried and tried, HUCAed and HUCAed, but they, at United, staunchly refused to set up a Plan B for me and instead took the economy miles and waitlisted me for "I" class. I even read the policy straight off of United's website but they refused to budge.

Now, I can sweat it out and hope that Saver business opens up and then I will quickly call to move it on up. But that leaves too much up to chance and is hardly the Forumfolk way  ;)

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get a proper Plan B set up without alerting United Brass and risk them changing the setup?

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #389 on: January 30, 2014, 06:53:25 PM »
So here's the story:
I booked this whole long, fancy trip during peak times with miles. The whole shebang costed 290k for two people in 1st and business all the way. There is no question that I could NOT have pulled it off without the support and the knowledge of the Forumfolk, by the way. I just wanted to say thanks.

However, one leg of my trip, ZUR-EWR in June, is in saver economy plus (I used a friend's P1K account so it was free. Awesome.).
I tried and tried, HUCAed and HUCAed, but they, at United, staunchly refused to set up a Plan B for me and instead took the economy miles and waitlisted me for "I" class. I even read the policy straight off of United's website but they refused to budge.

Now, I can sweat it out and hope that Saver business opens up and then I will quickly call to move it on up. But that leaves too much up to chance and is hardly the Forumfolk way  ;)

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get a proper Plan B set up without alerting United Brass and risk them changing the setup?
Have you tried having United call you? The agents there (former Continental agents) seem to know how to do it better than the normal United agents.
Have United call you
« Last Edit: January 30, 2014, 06:58:33 PM by Yehoshua »

Offline MoGro17

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #390 on: January 30, 2014, 11:23:02 PM »
Have you tried having United call you? The agents there (former Continental agents) seem to know how to do it better than the normal United agents.
Have United call you
That was my 1st move. They completely bungled it up.

Offline Ergel

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #391 on: January 31, 2014, 12:32:32 AM »
That was my 1st move. They completely bungled it up.

Is the zrh-ewr flight on ua metal?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline SamKey

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #392 on: January 31, 2014, 03:10:13 AM »
SUCCESS!!!!

Offline MoGro17

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #393 on: January 31, 2014, 09:39:12 AM »

Is the zrh-ewr flight on ua metal?
yes

Offline MoGro17

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #394 on: January 31, 2014, 09:39:44 AM »
Today is the day...
I gotta make my move on Plan B now or never...

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #395 on: January 31, 2014, 10:10:40 AM »
Today is the day...
I gotta make my move on Plan B now or never...
Best of luck!

Offline MoGro17

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #396 on: January 31, 2014, 10:26:38 AM »
Ha!!!!
SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#PlanBconfimed

Offline MoGro17

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #397 on: January 31, 2014, 10:33:38 AM »
Just an update on Plan B:

The United agents may claim that the system of charging Business amounts ONLY once you're confirmed in business is for YOUR benefit. "To save you the hassle of calling for refund in case you don't get it" she said. How cute  :D :D
You can by-pass it by specifically saying "I want you to charge me business amounts". Once again, show them the website rules on http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/types.aspx (expand the "United air travel award rules" link) that allow for you to be charged business even if its not available.

Also, HUCA HUCA HUCA

Offline SamKey

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #398 on: January 31, 2014, 12:45:23 PM »
Just an update on Plan B:

The United agents may claim that the system of charging Business amounts ONLY once you're confirmed in business is for YOUR benefit. "To save you the hassle of calling for refund in case you don't get it" she said. How cute  :D :D
You can by-pass it by specifically saying "I want you to charge me business amounts". Once again, show them the website rules on http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/types.aspx (expand the "United air travel award rules" link) that allow for you to be charged business even if its not available.

Also, HUCA HUCA HUCA
Or you can do what I did and get charged economy and be waitlisted

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #399 on: January 31, 2014, 12:50:29 PM »
Or you can do what I did and get charged economy and be waitlisted
No, my friend.
You can say what you think when you think what you say.