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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 507623 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #720 on: August 27, 2014, 10:49:36 PM »
Well my Shver and Shvigger both got PR1 in EWR tonight and wound up in BF :)
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Offline Million Miler

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #721 on: August 27, 2014, 10:51:11 PM »
I stopped by EWR 20 hours before my flight, i had my res set up exactly how Dan said it should look,the waitlist online changed from IN class to R class 24 Hours before the flight, spoke to supervisors and special services they all had another reason why it could not be done... one said they dont touch miles tickets, one said they cant deal with it as the mileage account (1K) is not under my name, one said call reservations and they will help you... Does anyone have any suggestions how to proceed?

Offline Million Miler

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #722 on: August 27, 2014, 10:53:39 PM »
OMG Dan, Do you know who they spoke to there, I felt like I was talking to a brick wall!!

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #723 on: August 27, 2014, 10:56:23 PM »
I stopped by EWR 20 hours before my flight, i had my res set up exactly how Dan said it should look,the waitlist online changed from IN class to R class 24 Hours before the flight, spoke to supervisors and special services they all had another reason why it could not be done... one said they dont touch miles tickets, one said they cant deal with it as the mileage account (1K) is not under my name, one said call reservations and they will help you... Does anyone have any suggestions how to proceed?
I called reservations before I checked in and they confirmed it for me.

Offline Million Miler

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #724 on: August 27, 2014, 11:00:27 PM »
they didn't argue with the fact that i paid for biz, they just said that i should call reservations and they'll take care of it for me.

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #725 on: August 27, 2014, 11:01:59 PM »
I called reservations before I checked in and they confirmed it for me.
Because there was I or IN class available. He is talking about getting PR-1 status.
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline Dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #726 on: August 27, 2014, 11:26:04 PM »
OMG Dan, Do you know who they spoke to there, I felt like I was talking to a brick wall!!
Any competent agent can do it.  My guess is they did it in the club.
Very proud of them :)
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Offline lunatic

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #727 on: August 27, 2014, 11:47:00 PM »
Any competent agent can do it.  My guess is they did it in the club.
Very proud of them :)
Seems like they have a good teacher

Offline Freddie

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #728 on: August 28, 2014, 12:00:21 AM »
Any competent agent can do it.  My guess is they did it in the club.
Very proud of them :)

B'chlal you get much better service in any club/lounge for everything.

Offline D93

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #729 on: August 28, 2014, 11:51:25 AM »
Just booked a plan b ticket EWR-TLV on 8/31.. what if I don't get my business class seat by the counter and only when I go to the club, I'm bringing 2 suitcases, will I get reimbursed the $100 that they charge me by the counter?
Also on DDMS article it says "if business saver award space opens then you may be automatically moved into business or there may be a message to call in to clear you from the waitlist." how would I received this message?
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 12:06:50 PM by D93 »

Offline D93

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #730 on: August 28, 2014, 06:36:55 PM »
On the United app, by "upgrades" it says booked 43 (+1 blocked). What does "1 blocked mean"?

Offline Dan

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #731 on: August 28, 2014, 06:43:51 PM »
Pilot rest seat?
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Offline D93

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #732 on: August 30, 2014, 09:14:13 PM »
26 hours before my flight, i got an email that my BusinessFirst was confirmed, no need to go early to airport tomorrow (except to enjoy the club!!)!!!
thanx so much Dan for spelling out so easily how to set up a plan-b!

Offline zh cohen

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #733 on: September 02, 2014, 12:09:39 PM »
My wife and I flew from EWR to SFO on Aug. 19. I booked a plan B reservation, but we were not seated in business class (the business class checked in full...).

I just called up to get back the extra 25k back. The call back number said they can't see any of my reservation details, because the travel date has already passed. (Once I gave them my MileagePlus number they saw the receipt, but nothing else.)

They transfered me to the Mileage desk, and they told me that in their records I had a Standard level Economy award, and I would not be getting any refund.

Is this just a HUCA situation, or did I do something wrong?

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #734 on: September 02, 2014, 12:20:38 PM »
My wife and I flew from EWR to SFO on Aug. 19. I booked a plan B reservation, but we were not seated in business class (the business class checked in full...).

I just called up to get back the extra 25k back. The call back number said they can't see any of my reservation details, because the travel date has already passed. (Once I gave them my MileagePlus number they saw the receipt, but nothing else.)

They transfered me to the Mileage desk, and they told me that in their records I had a Standard level Economy award, and I would not be getting any refund.

Is this just a HUCA situation, or did I do something wrong?
Did you originally book in X class with I class requested?

Offline zh cohen

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #735 on: September 02, 2014, 01:21:14 PM »
Did you originally book in X class with I class requested?

Yes

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #736 on: September 02, 2014, 01:23:13 PM »
Yes
If that's the case and you went through the process in the airport with PR-1, and you didn't fly a longer, international leg already in J than you should be able to get a refund.

Offline ilherman

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #737 on: September 02, 2014, 01:32:31 PM »
If that's the case and you went through the process in the airport with PR-1, and you didn't fly a longer, international leg already in J than you should be able to get a refund.
+1 just HUCA
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline zh cohen

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #738 on: September 02, 2014, 04:05:08 PM »
+1 just HUCA

I keep getting sent to contact different departments...

They told me that the reservation information is purged from the system 7-10 days after the flight, and they can't look it up anymore.

Time to HUCA for the 5th time...

Offline D93

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Re: Plan B Discussion: Booking BusinessFirst Awards Without Availability
« Reply #739 on: September 02, 2014, 05:32:21 PM »
I keep getting sent to contact different departments...

They told me that the reservation information is purged from the system 7-10 days after the flight, and they can't look it up anymore.

Time to HUCA for the 5th time...
why can't they look at your miles activity and send them your ticket info?