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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 507394 times)

Offline AJK

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1320 on: April 29, 2015, 12:44:48 AM »
ok. But I should still be placed on the upgrade list, based on the award rules pasted below. So whats the practical difference? Can I still claim PR-1 status?

You may redeem miles for travel in United Global First, 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. 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 Customer Contact Center.
From http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/types.aspx

The award rules you posted refer to Plan B. You do not have a proper Plan B.
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Offline TAVI

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1321 on: May 03, 2015, 06:32:09 PM »
how many HUCAs does this usually take?

I'm trying to book a plan B award fro JFK-LAX, and have used the web-support call back line feature 4 times already without success. none of the agents had any idea of what i was talking about.

Offline mawmaw

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1322 on: May 03, 2015, 06:40:39 PM »
cant even get Y with saver on EWR-TLV :(

Offline TAVI

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1323 on: May 03, 2015, 09:13:58 PM »
how many HUCAs does this usually take?

I'm trying to book a plan B award fro JFK-LAX, and have used the web-support call back line feature 4 times already without success. none of the agents had any idea of what i was talking about.

it took 7 tries to get someone that said she was familiar with the procedure and really sounded like she knew what she was doing, and i thought i was in the clear.

but checking the reservation now, only 12.5K points were redeemed from the account, so i assume that she didnt do it right and i would have to call and redo the reservation right?


Offline keravelt

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1324 on: May 04, 2015, 02:29:35 PM »
The award rules you posted refer to Plan B. You do not have a proper Plan B.
Ok, this is how it panned out. I called back (HUCA a few times) and explained the miles should have been debited. They did so, without me having to cancel and rebook the entire reservation. Plan B worked perfectly. JFK-LAX, confirmed business 32 hours  before takeoff. LAX-MEL, confirmed in LAX. Thanks y'all

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1325 on: May 04, 2015, 02:35:19 PM »
Ok, this is how it panned out. I called back (HUCA a few times) and explained the miles should have been debited. They did so, without me having to cancel and rebook the entire reservation. Plan B worked perfectly. JFK-LAX, confirmed business 32 hours  before takeoff. LAX-MEL, confirmed in LAX. Thanks y'all
Nice! How did it confirm in LAX? Did you get PR1 status?
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1326 on: May 04, 2015, 03:57:24 PM »
Ok, this is how it panned out. I called back (HUCA a few times) and explained the miles should have been debited. They did so, without me having to cancel and rebook the entire reservation. Plan B worked perfectly. JFK-LAX, confirmed business 32 hours  before takeoff. LAX-MEL, confirmed in LAX. Thanks y'all
Awesome! Please do fill in the details - for LAX as ilherman asked and for JFK - did it automatically put you in J or you got an email and had to call in?

Offline D93

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1327 on: May 05, 2015, 03:43:18 PM »
Is it possible to set up a plan b to waitlist for J and F on the same reservation?
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Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1328 on: May 06, 2015, 10:05:03 AM »
Although my confirmation looks good, I noticed that in my recent account activity, it says I redeemed for a Standard award. Is that going to be an issue? (25K is the value of Saver Business on the flight.


Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1329 on: May 06, 2015, 10:40:21 AM »
Although my confirmation looks good, I noticed that in my recent account activity, it says I redeemed for a Standard award. Is that going to be an issue? (25K is the value of Saver Business on the flight.


Yes.
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Offline BarryLincoln

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1330 on: May 06, 2015, 10:57:12 AM »
Yes.

So in this case, if Plan B doesn't work, will he get debited the 25k for Standard Award or 12.5K for Saver Award?

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1331 on: May 06, 2015, 10:59:04 AM »

Offline BarryLincoln

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1332 on: May 06, 2015, 11:01:02 AM »
Only if I don't get into J?

How will United know that there was Y saver availability when you drew up your Plan B?  Maybe I'm being too medayek here...

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1333 on: May 06, 2015, 11:42:11 AM »
How will United know that there was Y saver availability when you drew up your Plan B?  Maybe I'm being too medayek here...
Huh? You can see my confirmation screenshot earlier in this thread. There was XN availability.

Offline BarryLincoln

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1334 on: May 06, 2015, 11:44:56 AM »
Huh? You can see my confirmation screenshot earlier in this thread. There was XN availability.
Got it.

Offline LAXtraveler

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1335 on: May 13, 2015, 10:43:25 PM »
I have a multi-city on hold where the main flights are in saver J but the feeder flights are only in saver Y. The agent told me that only at ticketing can the request be made for a Plan B. Is that right or should it be able to be set up prior to ticketing?

Offline LAXtraveler

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1336 on: May 14, 2015, 02:23:42 AM »
I have a multi-city on hold where the main flights are in saver J but the feeder flights are only in saver Y. The agent told me that only at ticketing can the request be made for a Plan B. Is that right or should it be able to be set up prior to ticketing?

Update on this:  Booked my tickets and they manually put in the "I Class Requested" at the same time I ticketed the itinerary.  Since the award is being issued as a "I" award for the overwater legs, I was deducted the business level miles no matter what. At this point my itinerary shows "I Class Requested" for the domestic flights and has been deducted the proper miles for a full I award on the entire journey.  I think it should be OK, but just want to make sure I am not missing anything.


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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1337 on: May 14, 2015, 07:26:32 AM »
Update on this:  Booked my tickets and they manually put in the "I Class Requested" at the same time I ticketed the itinerary.  Since the award is being issued as a "I" award for the overwater legs, I was deducted the business level miles no matter what. At this point my itinerary shows "I Class Requested" for the domestic flights and has been deducted the proper miles for a full I award on the entire journey.  I think it should be OK, but just want to make sure I am not missing anything.

Sounds right. Can you post a screen shot?

Offline rileywiles23

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1338 on: May 14, 2015, 09:49:54 AM »
If I book a UA economy ticket, with AC miles, can I do plan B if I have UA miles in my UA account ?
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #1339 on: May 14, 2015, 10:20:23 AM »
If I book a UA economy ticket, with AC miles, can I do plan B if I have UA miles in my UA account ?
No.