United Mileage Plus Strategy

[pointhound]

I am trying to book a round trip using mileage plus miles as soon as the flights become available. I have two questions:

1) At what time of day does United update its reservations system to show new dates?
2) How can you lock in the outgoing trip while waiting for the return trip to become available?
3) What times are United mileage plus reservations agents available on the phone?

Thanks, Pointhound

[Jimster]

Although this somewhat depends the general answers are:

1. After midnight central time

2. Talk to a reservations agent

3. 24 hours a day

You do not mention whether you have status with UAL.

If you want to contact mileage plus their hours are different. Go on to the united.com website and look for "contact us" at the top and go there and they will list the hours of operation. I believe it is 6am to midnight.

[pointhound]

Originally Posted by Jimster

Although this somewhat depends the general answers are:

1. After midnight central time

2. Talk to a reservations agent

3. 24 hours a day

You do not mention whether you have status with UAL.

Jimster: Thanks. I do not have any special status. Just a general mileage plus member. Pointhound

[Gussie]

Regarding your second question -
When I made my reservations about 10 months ago, I found that I had to call back several times until I got an agent who knew how to put the departure flight on hold for 2 weeks until the return flights became available. Some agents said it couldn't be done.

[DebbieF]

I just put my EWR to CUN on 4-11-09 on hold -they are able to hold for 1 wk until I can book my return.

[Luanne]

I've never been able to put the outbound trip on hold while waiting for the return date to be available. Guess I'll have to try harder this time around.

[Denise L]

Now it is May 2009...Does United still let you hold a flight until your return in available? Has anyone had success reserving 4 seats?

I need to try this soon. It has been over 3 years since I have used my UA miles, so I am not sure if the strategy has changed. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

[Luanne]

Originally Posted by Denise L

Now it is May 2009...Does United still let you hold a flight until your return in available? Has anyone had success reserving 4 seats?

I need to try this soon. It has been over 3 years since I have used my UA miles, so I am not sure if the strategy has changed. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

As I've stated several times I've NEVER been able to get United to hold seats until the return flight is available. So, I just wait until both legs are available and take my chances. Sometimes that's meant using more miles to get the flights we want. This time around (for 4 tickets to Hawaii mid-summer 2009) I was lucky and got all 4 seats with the minimum number of miles.

[Denise L]

Originally Posted by Luanne

As I've stated several times I've NEVER been able to get United to hold seats until the return flight is available. So, I just wait until both legs are available and take my chances. Sometimes that's meant using more miles to get the flights we want. This time around (for 4 tickets to Hawaii mid-summer 2009) I was lucky and got all 4 seats with the minimum number of miles.

Thanks, Luanne.

I practiced this with UA three times yesterday . All three agents said that they could hold the outbound for x days until my return came in. Wow. I have never had such good agents three times in a row. In years past, I always had to grab the outbound, and they would hold it for 72 hours. I would then call back, and ask an agent to extend the hold for 72 more hours. Then I would do this again until my return showed up. It always worked, though.

[Ricci]

Last year UA was able to hold my outgoing flight to Hawaii for three weeks until my return flight was available. AA did the same for my son's flight.
Delta would not hold any outgoing flights. Hence, we have 3 ff seats to Hawaii on United and one on American. We leave in two weeks!!!!!

[FlyerBobcat]

Originally Posted by pointhound

I am trying to book a round trip using mileage plus miles as soon as the flights become available.

How does one know when flights become available for a given day or given flight?

#2 How can you lock in the outgoing trip while waiting for the return trip to become available?

I assume that if I know the formula related to my first question, that I'll understand the question #2 just posed...
Thanks

[Luanne]

I guess United just doesn't like me.

[hudshut]

A few years ago we used miles to fly to big Island of Hawaii on UA. We booked the outbound 330 days in advance, and they "held" it until we could book the return a week later.

[Denise L]

Originally Posted by hudshut

A few years ago we used miles to fly to big Island of Hawaii on UA. We booked the outbound 330 days in advance, and they "held" it until we could book the return a week later.

Hi Luanne,

You can try what I did. "Practice" and see what answers you get. Do you have a trip coming up for 2010 anyway that you need to call in for?

This is the first year that I have been told I can hold anything for more than 72 hours. I am delighted!

And just when I thought I was going to stop collecting miles in the UA program.... .

[Luanne]

Originally Posted by Denise L

Hi Luanne,

You can try what I did. "Practice" and see what answers you get. Do you have a trip coming up for 2010 anyway that you need to call in for?

Thanks. No, no trips planned for 2010. As I said for this year's trip I got 4 tickets using minimum miles. So I was happy. I also got a r/t for younger dd to go to the UK over Spring break, using minimum miles. So this year, I'm golden.

[Luanne]

Originally Posted by FlyerBobcat

How does one know when flights become available for a given day or given flight?


I assume that if I know the formula related to my first question, that I'll understand the question #2 just posed...
Thanks

I believe most airlines have availability 330 days out from the flight.

[FlyerBobcat]

Originally Posted by Luanne

I believe most airlines have availability 330 days out from the flight.

Thanks to all for that info....

[x3 skier]

OTOH, with the traffic slowdown for all carriers, seats may open at any time after the 330 day window. So if you get shut out, keep looking. I was able to change a circuitous routing to London booked 8 months in advance to a much more direct route 3 months later. Cost me the change fee of $100 IIRC but it was well worth it to eliminate two flights and a long layover.

YMMV

Cheers

[lily28]

when you ask UAL to hold the seat till the return flight becomes available, do UALcharge a reservation fee per ticket?

[Denise L]

Originally Posted by lily28

when you ask UAL to hold the seat till the return flight becomes available, do UALcharge a reservation fee per ticket?

United will always charge a ticketing fee of $25 per ticket if you go through an agent. Since you need an agent to "hold" seats until return flights are available, you will have to go through an agent to buy the tickets, so will incur the fee.

[skim118]

Originally Posted by Denise L

United will always charge a ticketing fee of $25 per ticket if you go through an agent. Since you need an agent to "hold" seats until return flights are available, you will have to go through an agent to buy the tickets, so will incur the fee.

You do not have to depend on the "kindness" of the United agents to hold the outbound tickets.

We usually book award tickets(SFO - Maui) as soon as they open up with a same day return online with no fees(other than a $5 fee/pp for taxes).

Since we are staying 16 nights in Maui late July onwards, we just called the United agent when the return award tickets open up 16 days later and the agent was able to to change the reservations for the later date. In some years we are hit with the ticketing fee at that point, but luckily for us they never charged it this year.