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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 507544 times)

Offline zh cohen

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #640 on: July 17, 2014, 05:20:03 PM »
Your first airport should be able to do it

I am not flying from JFK at all. I just want to go there instead of EWR because it is closer to where I live. Would it still work?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #641 on: July 17, 2014, 06:19:08 PM »

I am not flying from JFK at all. I just want to go there instead of EWR because it is closer to where I live. Would it still work?

I dont see why not. Checking in is checking in.
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Offline zh cohen

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #642 on: July 17, 2014, 06:30:34 PM »
I dont see why not. Checking in is checking in.

And I can check in at JFK for a flight from EWR?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #643 on: July 17, 2014, 06:46:41 PM »

And I can check in at JFK for a flight from EWR?

Why not? Checking in doesnt have to do with the airport. But on the other hand i can also be totally wrong.
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Offline Super Speed

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #644 on: July 17, 2014, 06:49:36 PM »

Why not? Checking in doesnt have to do with the airport. But on the other hand i can also be totally wrong.
Theres a reason you should go to the airport for plan B and not just check in online so I would assume you need to go to the airport you're flying from but I have no clue.

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #645 on: July 17, 2014, 06:52:41 PM »

Theres a reason you should go to the airport for plan B and not just check in online so I would assume you need to go to the airport you're flying from but I have no clue.

Thats just because you cant do it online yourself and you dont have their internal system, but any checkin counter should have the same system to set up plan B
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Offline Super Speed

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #646 on: July 17, 2014, 06:54:06 PM »

Thats just because you cant do it online yourself and you dont have their internal system, but any checkin counter should have the same system to set up plan B
I hear ya.

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #647 on: July 20, 2014, 12:09:17 PM »
If I have a flight booked in business in a few weeks and I want to switch to this Thursday and use Plan B, will I get stuck with close-in fees?

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #648 on: July 20, 2014, 12:23:08 PM »
If I have a flight booked in business in a few weeks and I want to switch to this Thursday and use Plan B, will I get stuck with close-in fees?
Switch = change + close in fee.
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Offline KidOOO

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #649 on: July 20, 2014, 10:42:10 PM »
Question:

If i am booking TLV-ZRH-NYC first leg is LX and has Saver Business, second leg is UA but only saver coach.

Can i book this as a plan B ? (would pay price for whole ticket in business and if UA leg opens up will get that in business)

if this can be done, what will happen if the UA leg ends up not opening up, will i get refund for diff in whole ticket or just for that leg?

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #650 on: July 20, 2014, 10:46:19 PM »
Question:

If i am booking TLV-ZRH-NYC first leg is LX and has Saver Business, second leg is UA but only saver coach.

Can i book this as a plan B ? (would pay price for whole ticket in business and if UA leg opens up will get that in business)

if this can be done, what will happen if the UA leg ends up not opening up, will i get refund for diff in whole ticket or just for that leg?
Yes. It can be done. You'll probably get a refund if it doesn't open up in the long haul flight.

Offline KidOOO

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #651 on: July 20, 2014, 10:50:39 PM »
Yes. It can be done. You'll probably get a refund if it doesn't open up in the long haul flight.

Thanks,

will the rate for this itn be 70K or 80K

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #652 on: July 20, 2014, 10:59:23 PM »
Thanks,

will the rate for this itn be 70K or 80K
80k
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Offline yankel

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #653 on: July 27, 2014, 05:01:46 PM »
I hope I did this correctly. I booked EWR to HNL with Saver awards and called did the internet callback. They waitlisted me for BusinessFirst and deducted the miles. (for business saver award) When I look at the reservation it says:

YOU ARE BOOKED IN XN AND HAVE REQUESTED A CHANGE TO IN. IF IN SPACE OPENS UP YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SWITCHED TO IN.

Also it is 33 days before the flight and only 5 businessfirst have been taken.

Did I do good? or was I supposed to book it entirely over the phone?

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #654 on: July 27, 2014, 05:21:48 PM »
I hope I did this correctly. I booked EWR to HNL with Saver awards and called did the internet callback. They waitlisted me for BusinessFirst and deducted the miles. (for business saver award) When I look at the reservation it says:

YOU ARE BOOKED IN XN AND HAVE REQUESTED A CHANGE TO IN. IF IN SPACE OPENS UP YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SWITCHED TO IN.

Also it is 33 days before the flight and only 5 businessfirst have been taken.

Did I do good? or was I supposed to book it entirely over the phone?
Sound perfect.
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Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #655 on: July 27, 2014, 06:26:15 PM »

Also it is 33 days before the flight and only 5 businessfirst have been taken.

How do you know?
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Offline yankel

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #656 on: July 27, 2014, 07:57:06 PM »
How do you know?

By seat selection it was highlighted as available. That is not to say the five that were not avalable were booked. They could have been held as per airline policies etc.

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #657 on: July 27, 2014, 10:55:35 PM »
By seat selection it was highlighted as available. That is not to say the five that were not avalable were booked. They could have been held as per airline policies etc.
And it can be that 10 people booked as well.
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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #658 on: July 28, 2014, 08:32:03 AM »
And it can be that 10 people booked as well.

You mean they booked but didnt select seats? Wouldnt it be done randomely for them.
Also. Is there A way to see the upgrade list?

Offline chucksterace

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #659 on: July 28, 2014, 08:48:43 AM »
You mean they booked but didnt select seats? Wouldnt it be done randomely for them.
Also. Is there A way to see the upgrade list?

Can only see upgrade list a day or two before, at least I think.

And yes, people could be booked just don't have a seat yet. The system doesn't always automatically give someone a seat.
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