Need some assistance with United frequent flyer

[Luanne]

Sorry to bother, but I need some guidance. Planning for trip to the Big Island next summer. Travel dates are August 2 (Thursday), with a return on August 18 (Saturday). I need four tickets and will be using United frequent flyer miles.

Do I wait until the 330 days before the return date and hope I can get the round trip at that time? Do I book earlier with a "fake" return and then try to change the return date 330 days ahead of August 18? Would I be better off trying to book with Aloha, using my United miles?

TIA

[lawren2]

Originally Posted by Luanne

Sorry to bother, but I need some guidance. Planning for trip to the Big Island next summer. Travel dates are August 2 (Thursday), with a return on August 18 (Saturday). I need four tickets and will be using United frequent flyer miles.

Do I wait until the 330 days before the return date and hope I can get the round trip at that time? Do I book earlier with a "fake" return and then try to change the return date 330 days ahead of August 18? Would I be better off trying to book with Aloha, using my United miles?

TIA

Book 330 dates from your "arrive" date you will have to keep calling back until your "return" date.

I have never had trouble with UA FF agents. Our last trip was UA FF on US to AUA for a 2 week stay and they were able to accomodate us.

[Luanne]

Originally Posted by lawren2

Book 330 dates from your "arrive" date you will have to keep calling back until your "return" date.

I have never had trouble with UA FF agents. Our last trip was UA FF on US to AUA for a 2 week stay and they were able to accomodate us.

Thanks. Sorry to be dense about this. I'm a very basic, step by step person. So, you are saying I should call 330 days from August 2 (arrive) or from August 18 (return). I wasn't sure I understood your first statement about having to keep calling back. Is this something I should do, or should try to avoid doing? Whenever I've called United to book ff they've been nice, but if the seats weren't there, the seats weren't there. And I didn't think they'd book the flight on August 2 and let us wait to book the return.

[lawren2]

Originally Posted by Luanne

Thanks. Sorry to be dense about this. I'm a very basic, step by step person. So, you are saying I should call 330 days from August 2 (arrive) or from August 18 (return). I wasn't sure I understood your first statement about having to keep calling back. Is this something I should do, or should try to avoid doing? Whenever I've called United to book ff they've been nice, but if the seats weren't there, the seats weren't there. And I didn't think they'd book the flight on August 2 and let us wait to book the return.

Luanne call them 330 days before Aug 2 at midnight for your seats arriving to Hawaii. If UA doesn't have them ask if Aloha does. They will dummy a return. Then keep calling back to reinstate the arriving seats for Aug 2 and moving out the departure seats until your departure date of Aug 18 is 330 days out.

If the seats aren't there for arrival ( either on UA or the partner Aloha) keep calling them. We got lucky when we booked FF to Hawaii, they had a seat out and back only 7 months out for end of June to Oahu but that was shear luck.

[Luanne]

Thanks. Several times I've gone ahead and booked the seats with the Standard awards, but I hate to use the extra miles if I don't have to.