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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 507626 times)

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #620 on: June 29, 2014, 01:22:39 PM »
Dan's post: "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!"
Sounds like if I clear on int'l but not domestic, no refund. Correct?
Correct.

Offline alt123

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #621 on: June 29, 2014, 02:31:38 PM »
I can do plan B either CLE-ORD-CDG or CLE-EWR-CDG. Is there better chance to get the upgrade through Chicago?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #622 on: June 29, 2014, 02:33:25 PM »
I can do plan B either CLE-ORD-CDG or CLE-EWR-CDG. Is there better chance to get the upgrade through Chicago?

is it a bigger plane from ord? how do the loads look like?
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Offline alt123

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #623 on: June 29, 2014, 06:54:54 PM »
is it a bigger plane from ord? how do the loads look like?
Both are 777-200. Is there more demand for that route from NY area?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #624 on: July 07, 2014, 04:51:29 AM »
How good is TLV staff at checkin for Plan B?

I have a good opportunity for a flight this week. J=9 EWR-TLV, UA85. UA90 has J=2 but would do UA85 since it looks better.

I just don't want to transfer points over from UR if it they don't know to do it here.
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Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #625 on: July 07, 2014, 09:42:45 AM »
How good is TLV staff at checkin for Plan B?

I have a good opportunity for a flight this week. J=9 EWR-TLV, UA85. UA90 has J=2 but would do UA85 since it looks better.

I just don't want to transfer points over from UR if it they don't know to do it here.
I would go for it. Just go early enough to the airport.

When did you book the economy seat?
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #626 on: July 07, 2014, 09:45:25 AM »
I would go for it. Just go early enough to the airport.

When did you book the economy seat?

Didn't book it yet. Thinking if its worth an extra 30k miles
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Offline ckey

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #627 on: July 15, 2014, 07:53:59 AM »
I have a Plan B booked, and it says "IN class requested" even though we are only Premier Silver. I thought as silver it should be I. Will it still work?

Offline Joe4007

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #628 on: July 15, 2014, 08:08:51 AM »
I have a Plan B booked, and it says "IN class requested" even though we are only Premier Silver. I thought as silver it should be I. Will it still work?
Do you have the United CC?

Offline ckey

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #629 on: July 15, 2014, 08:15:59 AM »
Do you have the United CC?
Yes, but that usually only helps for XN not for IN.

Offline hr555

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #630 on: July 15, 2014, 08:18:42 AM »
I did Plan B EWR-ZRH for 2 PAX & it worked beautifully. I was watching Expert Mode for the same flight over a few days. They all had C9 X9 I0. Two days before the flight “I” opened up. The same happened to my date, but did not upgrade automatically. I asked “United to call me”. The first rep (sounded like an overseas rep) wanted to charge me $50 change fee plus additional taxes, which made no sense. I did HUCA & got a United.com rep which cleared me. Thanks Dan & all for your advice!!

Offline Joe4007

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #631 on: July 15, 2014, 08:34:01 AM »
Huh?

XN means he has the UA CC, which gives more availability.

IN is extra biz avialabilty for elites.

So even if he's in XN, that has nothing to do with IN.
From Dan's post it seems like you also get IN with a UMPE. Am I missing something here?
Quote
XN is expanded saver coach award space for logged-in elites and people who have the Chase United Explorer credit card. (That’s an incredibly valuable benefit of having the card, especially for a Plan B award as you’ll have expanded coach, business, and first class saver award space as well.

Offline ckey

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #632 on: July 15, 2014, 08:39:24 AM »
From Dan's post it seems like you also get IN with a UMPE. Am I missing something here?

On a standard search, CC holders only show XN, not IN. I think Dan just meant that by having increased coach availability, we can initiate a plan B (which requires coach availability) more easily. But I don't think it should allow me to book into IN.

Offline Joe4007

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #633 on: July 15, 2014, 08:44:47 AM »
On a standard search, CC holders only show XN, not IN. I think Dan just meant that by having increased coach availability, we can initiate a plan B (which requires coach availability) more easily. But I don't think it should allow me to book into IN.
Maybe, but I think his post is pretty clear as to what he meant.

Offline ckey

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #634 on: July 15, 2014, 08:49:33 AM »
Maybe, but I think his post is pretty clear as to what he meant.
Can we ask him to comment?  :)


Offline jaywhy

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #635 on: July 15, 2014, 09:12:53 AM »
I have a Plan B booked, and it says "IN class requested" even though we are only Premier Silver. I thought as silver it should be I. Will it still work?
IN is better than just I. IN is not to the exclusion of I, rather it includes all seats in the I bucket as well as additional seats in the IN bucket.
Nothing to worry about.

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #636 on: July 15, 2014, 09:26:02 AM »
IN is better than just I. IN is not to the exclusion of I, rather it includes all seats in the I bucket as well as additional seats in the IN bucket.
Nothing to worry about.

I understand that, my concern is if I am not eligible for IN then I may not get anything.

Offline jaywhy

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #637 on: July 15, 2014, 10:14:13 AM »
I understand that, my concern is if I am not eligible for IN then I may not get anything.
Nothing to worry about.

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #638 on: July 17, 2014, 04:50:25 PM »
After reading this whole thread (and the main site post of course) I am about to attempt my first Plan B, but I have one question.

The flight I want to book is from EWR-SFO. If I do not get confirmed until 24 hours before the flight, would an airport agent in JFK be able to give me PR-1 status, or would I have to go to EWR? (I want to be on top of the PR-1 list, but i don't want to shlep to EWR the day before the flight.)

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #639 on: July 17, 2014, 05:10:03 PM »

After reading this whole thread (and the main site post of course) I am about to attempt my first Plan B, but I have one question.

The flight I want to book is from EWR-SFO. If I do not get confirmed until 24 hours before the flight, would an airport agent in JFK be able to give me PR-1 status, or would I have to go to EWR? (I want to be on top of the PR-1 list, but i don't want to shlep to EWR the day before the flight.)

Your first airport should be able to do it
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