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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 507435 times)

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #260 on: December 12, 2013, 12:26:17 AM »
This article is so well-written! So clear!

Offline Dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #261 on: December 12, 2013, 12:26:47 AM »
This article is so well-written! So clear!
Thanks, appreciate it.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Moshe123

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #262 on: December 12, 2013, 12:28:47 AM »
Thanks, appreciate it.

Spoonfeeding... Who knows? It might become much harder now...

Offline Dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #263 on: December 12, 2013, 12:32:17 AM »
I don't think it will become much harder.

First of all it requires X/XN space which isn't all that common either on the TLV route.
Second it requires HUCA, which most people don't have patience for.

It's strategically useful, but I don't see it becoming commonplace.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline jmansour

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #264 on: December 12, 2013, 12:36:59 AM »
Thanks, appreciate it.

Really was an awesome article, i think its too much work for most people anyway

Offline sky121

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #265 on: December 12, 2013, 12:39:10 AM »
Hope so. I've used it only twice but it's a great tip :)
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline philbenjoe

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #266 on: December 12, 2013, 12:54:17 AM »
thanx. very well written. it does take time and patience to do and agree with you that it will not be popular.
"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" Dr Seuss

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #267 on: December 12, 2013, 03:33:06 AM »
Dan, awesome article! :)

Offline TAVI

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #268 on: December 12, 2013, 10:21:19 AM »
indeed, greatly explained. never tried it before, but will give it a shot now. thanks dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #269 on: December 12, 2013, 11:56:33 AM »
I am looking at the same day to TLV as Dan booked in the post, but I want to fly on the evening flight. There is no saver availability on the night flight, how hard or what would it cost to change it if I book the earlier one?

Offline shimbo

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #270 on: December 18, 2013, 08:36:09 PM »
I booked an award following the instructions in Dan's post, its been over an hour and a half and my account has not been debited any miles and it has not been ticketed, although my credit card shows a pending charge (and I was charged the $25 booking fee even though the agent said I would not be charged).
Attached is a screenshot of what the reservation now says. How long should I wait before I call back? It also only says waitlisted for I even though I am a United cardmember and so I should get IN, although that may be fixed once it tickets.

Offline shimbo

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #271 on: December 18, 2013, 08:48:15 PM »
FTR, I was just reading through the United Award ticket rules, and it seems to clearly spell out that you can do this type of wait list ticket. (I.E. if you point any agent to United's webpage they should help you with it).

Here is the text from the site:

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.
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/types.aspx (you need to expand the rules at the bottom of the page)

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #272 on: December 18, 2013, 10:47:28 PM »
I booked an award following the instructions in Dan's post, its been over an hour and a half and my account has not been debited any miles and it has not been ticketed, although my credit card shows a pending charge (and I was charged the $25 booking fee even though the agent said I would not be charged).
Attached is a screenshot of what the reservation now says. How long should I wait before I call back? It also only says waitlisted for I even though I am a United cardmember and so I should get IN, although that may be fixed once it tickets.
Looks correct to me.

Offline shimbo

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #273 on: December 18, 2013, 10:49:23 PM »
Looks correct to me.
it is not ticketed yet

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #274 on: December 18, 2013, 10:50:11 PM »
it is not ticketed yet
Weird. Not sure why.

Offline E

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #275 on: December 18, 2013, 10:57:31 PM »
so recently tried this on a standard econ award to Saver Business (15K less) showed wait-listed as class I and 24 hours before fell off, when I got to airport I told the agent where to look he asked his manager who in turn asked her manager. he came over and smiled and said "you are saying the right words in the wrong context" ?? I tried arguing but as most Israelis he couldn't give a &%$* I walked away before making any problems for myself.

Offline shimbo

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #276 on: December 19, 2013, 08:14:53 AM »
FTR, I was just reading through the United Award ticket rules, and it seems to clearly spell out that you can do this type of wait list ticket. (I.E. if you point any agent to United's webpage they should help you with it).

Here is the text from the site:

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.
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/types.aspx (you need to expand the rules at the bottom of the page)
It finally ticketed at 3 am, but only debited 80k from my account, even though originally it said 120k. It still says "I class requested". Do I need to cancel and start over?

Offline Dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #277 on: December 19, 2013, 08:41:15 AM »
Probably
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline shimbo

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #278 on: December 19, 2013, 08:44:04 AM »
Probably
OK Thanks. Here we go again :)

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #279 on: December 19, 2013, 09:06:31 AM »
Any way to expedite the redeposit of the miles?