Questions and Answers

I’m currently booked PWM-IAD-FRA-VCE on UA in F/GF/B. I’m now 14 days out so for 30k miles (x2 as I’m tracking with my partner) I can book LH F IAD-FRA. I’ve never been on a 747 and love to try LH. This will also cost $100 as a Plat with UAs new rules 🙁

I would prefer PWM-ORD-FRA-VCE as PWM-ORD is on an a319 instead of UX and the timing works better for us but there are only 3 F seats left ORD-FRA when there are 7 in F IAD-FRA.

In the past, I would have grabbed the IAD-FRA F, waited and changed against but now with the new fees, I don’t feel like paying for multiple changes.

Should we just go with IAD-FRA or if I wait and risk it will F space likely open ORD-FRA? Of course, while I wait the domestic F space (just 2 seats open) could disappear PWM-ORD.

Thoughts?

According to UA if your ticket was booked before 10/6 then the old fees apply.

[URL]https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/ticketing.aspx[/URL]

Yes and no. If the ticket has been reissued (you’ve made a change after 10/6 they’re applying the new rules. I switched routing since 10/6 but what is worse, because of the early “glithches” in the system, an agent cancelled my original ticket and rebooked me, instead of making a change, becaue she couldn’t make the change, even though it was avaialble. VERY frustrating.

The original ticket was issued before 10/6. Did they charge you the new fees on your change?

Then take the IAD flight and enjoy FC in LH. You’ll definitely get a better lounge at IAD than ORD

On your e-ticket receipt, right under the United logo to the left of the booking code is the “Issue date”, that is your date for change fees

I argued that the ticket was cancelled and rebooked by the agent because she couldn’t change it as she should have been able to, and they waived the change, “but one time only”. I don’t think I can win the argument again, and am willing to pay the $100 to get to LH F, even for 110,000 miles.

The connection in IAD is only about 90 minutes, so not too much lounge time, if UX can get us there, close to on time.

Senator Lounge is the best bet in IAD?

PS, they ialso told me that award tickets that are changed, even if they are booked under the old rules, will ave the new rules apply, if there is a change, and they are re-issued. With all that is happening, who knows if this is true. I can’t see how they can leave these rules in place.

I really appreciate all of your help!

Are we entitled to the FC lounge in FRA when we’re arriving, and connecting onto a J intra-Europe ticket? I’ve read mixed reports.

Anything is better than ORD now. The Global First lounge is closed due to construction of the Polaris lounge. It’s a makeshift section of the C concourse United club. But it was horrible before it closed. I don’t even bother going anymore.

[QUOTE=”n2bspdl, post: 21954, member: 2406″]Are we entitled to the FC lounge in FRA when we’re arriving, and connecting onto a J intra-Europe ticket? I’ve read mixed reports.[/QUOTE]

Yes, assuming it’s the same day. There is no F on the Europe ticket.

[QUOTE=”n2bspdl, post: 21953, member: 2406″]PS, they ialso told me that award tickets that are changed, even if they are booked under the old rules, will ave the new rules apply, if there is a change, and they are re-issued. With all that is happening, who knows if this is true. I can’t see how they can leave these rules in place.

I really appreciate all of your help![/QUOTE]

That’s not what the published rules say. It says “Issued” and your reference to “issued” is the on the ticket. And your ammunition for that argument is (understanding sometimes you can’t fight city hall) your ticket is good for 1 year from the issue date, not from the date of the last change. Therefore the issue date is the booking’s original date. And the published rules state that the Issue date is what fees are based on. Otherwise your ticket has a moving expiration date based on the last change. They can’t have it both ways, although they will try. So they can give you a one time exemption to make themselves feel good, but you are within their rules, not the way an agent is interpreting them

[QUOTE=”MarkS, post: 21955, member: 2121″]Anything is better than ORD now. The Global First lounge is closed due to construction of the Polaris lounge. It’s a makeshift section of the C concourse United club. But it was horrible before it closed. I don’t even bother going anymore.[/QUOTE]

I’ve been to the ORD GF lounge a couple of times, it’s not “world class” but it’s a decent lounge, certainly better than the adjoining UA Club. I know that ORD GF is under construction, but if we’re connecting to LH, so we wouldn’t be staying in Terminal 1/Concourse C.

[QUOTE=”MarkS, post: 21956, member: 2121″]Yes, assuming it’s the same day. There is no F on the Europe ticket.[/QUOTE]

Same day, “just” a 4 hour layover.

Thanks again

[QUOTE=”MarkS, post: 21957, member: 2121″]That’s not what the published rules say. It says “Issued” and your reference to “issued” is the on the ticket. And your ammunition for that argument is (understanding sometimes you can’t fight city hall) your ticket is good for 1 year from the issue date, not from the date of the last change. Therefore the issue date is the booking’s original date. And the published rules state that the Issue date is what fees are based on. Otherwise your ticket has a moving expiration date based on the last change. They can’t have it both ways, although they will try. So they can give you a one time exemption to make themselves feel good, but you are within their rules, not the way an agent is interpreting them[/QUOTE]

Yes, very, very frustrating, I have no love lost, to try again, and have both record locators, but I’ve spent HOURS dealing with them on the phone. Sometimes HUCA has worked, but lots of LONG hold times, where agents speak with supervisors.

This is it though, when I book this, I am going to abandon the Chicago connection and be happy as we can take 1a and 1k

Thanks again!

LH departs out of United gates B16/B17 in Terminal 1. There is a tiny United Club across from the gate.

[QUOTE=”n2bspdl, post: 21959, member: 2406″]Yes, very, very frustrating, I have no love lost, to try again, and have both record locators, but I’ve spent HOURS dealing with them on the phone. Sometimes HUCA has worked, but lots of LONG hold times, where agents speak with supervisors.

This is it though, when I book this, I am going to abandon the Chicago connection and be happy as we can take 1a and 1k

Thanks again![/QUOTE]

What you can look forward to, have fun!
[URL]http://www.rewardflying.com/report-blog/2016/1/25/lufthansa-boeing-747-8i-first-class[/URL]

Thanks again, I’ve spent some time at that small B gate club on a crew time out ORD-OGG delay., it’s ok. I’ve read some of the blogs on the 748, very much why I am blowing these miles on this, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be done with UA over all this mess. Next up, status match.

Well, it’s done. The agent tried to do it on her own, but couldn’t, I asked if a supervisor could do it, she was able to marry the segments, and then had to have it reticketed. UNBELIEVABLY they didn’t ask for the change fee, or the additional miles. I think the new system, and issue will end up costing them more, it just doesn’t work!

1K and 1A reserved. Yeah!

Congrats. Nothing like row 1 in the nose of a 747, and new 8i on top of it!

My guess is they have charged your account the extra 30K by now. If not do you really want to risk them cancelling your ticket because it wasn’t paid for? Just saying. They have cancelled my award tickets for less in the past (although I got them reinstated.)

Nope, hasn’t been deducted yet.

It’s been ticketed for sure. If the ticket hadn’t been issued I’d be worried. I’ll
watch it and see what happens but UA has their hands full right now. I don’t think they’ll get to this by the time we fly.

I’ll report back with wha happens. Thanks again! Looking forward to my first 747!

[QUOTE=”MarkS, post: 21951, member: 2121″]On your e-ticket receipt, right under the United logo to the left of the booking code is the “Issue date”, that is your date for change fees[/QUOTE]
I just went back and looked at each of my tickets receipts, since last December. Each time I had a change made on every ticket, it lists the date of the change as the issue date, not the original date of issue.

[USER=2406]@n2bspdl[/USER] I apologize for giving some bad info. I looked at 2 of my reservations that I’d made changes to and this date at the top was the original date even tho changes were subsequently made. Checking into some other ones the issue date was not the original, but the date of the most recent change. Apparently it depends on the agent and what they have to do to make the change. Changing routine most likely causes a re-issue.

However the premise still stands. There is a date that the ticket originated and that starts the clock for the 1 year you must use the ticket. You can find that date by going to your UA account online and “manage” your reservations. It shows the original date.

This should be the date that fees are based on.

But if they insist the fees are based on the last issue date it brings up an interesting point. Let’s say you are a gold member and have made a reservation for next summer. With the old rules you can make a change of date and time for no charge with the same routing. If you want to cancel the ticket it is $100.

So next spring you decide you don’t want the trip, it’s more than 60 days out. A straight out cancel costs $100. But you can make a change at no charge. You do so and they re-issue the ticket. Then they say now you are under the new fees. If so you can cancel the trip under the new fees for $25, meaning you’ve saved $75. Even if you paid a $25 change fee to force a re-issue you still saved $50.

#UALogic

#UALogic