Questions and Answers

What do you think the best way for me to get home is?

I currently have a one way United award NYC to LHR. I didn’t book my trip as a r/t since I wasn’t sure when I would be coming home. Now I know. I don’t have any status with United. I don’t mind flying coach back home and that’s my first choice right now.

I have a few options:

1) pay (One way flights from AMS to NYC are in the $400-$500 range for my dates, but it looks like I will be choosing the $500 ish price if I purchase)
2) book a 1 way AMS to NYC in coach for 30k + tax on United on a separate award. If I do this, I can build in a long layover and I can possibly do a day trip in Lisbon.
3) Call United and have them turn my 1 way NYC to LHR into a r/t and then see if I can add in a free one way while I’m at it. The thing is, would this option require me to cancel my original award? I wouldn’t be canceling my award, but trying to make changes to it. Would I be charged a phone fee since I can’t do it online? I tried to look myself to see how much this would cost, but all of the fees I see don’t apply to my situation where I need to change a 1 way award to a r/t. I’m also weary of calling to ask since I will want to add in the free one way. Do you guys know how much this would cost and what the fees involved are? Will United be willing to let me do the free one way if I call?

Which option would you suggest? Do you have a better idea than what I have above? This is for Sept 2016.

Thank you.

Making changes to any UA award requires a fee so I think you’re better off making a separate award for the return.

Paid option seems pretty good as well and you’d be able to keep the UA miles for another trip.

If you can manage the paid tickets under $500, I would go that way. Taxes when departing from Europe are higher than your nominal $5.60/segment when departing from the US. Also, you will earn some PQMs (not much of PQDs) and redeemable miles as well.