UA kills RTW Business class redemptions for all Star Alliance

[sydney slug]

UA has changed its award pricing model so that no longer have a business "saver" award, all flights are priced on a variable scale where the cheapest flight can be less than 25% of the most expensive. This means the other Star Alliance booking engines can no longer see a saver fare even if the cheapest of the variable fares is at saver pricing.

Withough transiting the US there is little or no chance of being able to do a sensible RTW itinerary - although you can travel home from NY on Singapore Airlines via Frankfurt and Singapore.

UA mileage plus commentators see this as a devaluation which it probably is, but when it is not a devaluation it still destroys the members' value as that previously excellent way of using points is now only a memory.

 

[dajop]

Withough transiting the US there is little or no chance of being able to do a sensible RTW itinerary - although you can travel home from NY on Singapore Airlines via Frankfurt and Singapore.

What’s availability like on AC? NZ would be the other option - but assume they are not really an option due to such limited availability.

 

[sydney slug]

No joy on either at any time I could see.

 

[Mattg]

FWIW, I can still see plenty of United economy (X class) award seats being made available to Star Alliance partner airlines. Just not business class.

I would expect most people would still be able to make a J RTW itinerary work on Star Alliance by using airlines other than United for any long-haul segments. If you need to use UA for a domestic USA flight for whatever reason, I guess that would need to be in economy but you can still book that if you don't mind the downgrade on the domestic flight. Air Canada should still be an option for flights within North America if you want J.

Not ideal and very annoying of United, but I don't think this kills all Star Alliance RTW awards.

 

[clifford]

Doesn't seem too bad really.

For example, there's lots of 1-stop availability from LAX (or SFO) to LHR via DEN for 60,000 miles.

OK, so the LAX-DEN flight is in economy (XN), but who cares for a 2 hour flight? The DEN-LHR flight is in Polaris business class (IN), a 9 hour flight.

Taxes/fees are approx AUD 8. Qantas take note!

Edit: It's only 65,000 miles from HNL to LHR via DEN, but the HNL-DEN flight will be in Y (6.5 hours). I think I could manage it (just), but a great deal nonetheless.

 

[Mattg]

Doesn't seem too bad really.

For example, there's lots of 1-stop availability from LAX (or SFO) to LHR via DEN for 60,000 miles.

OK, so the LAX-DEN flight is in economy (XN), but who cares for a 2 hour flight? The DEN-LHR flight is in Polaris business class (IN), a 9 hour flight.

Taxes/fees are approx AUD 8. Qantas take note!

Edit: It's only 65,000 miles from HNL to LHR via DEN, but the HNL-DEN flight will be in Y (6.5 hours). I think I could manage it (just), but a great deal nonetheless.

Unless I'm missing something, United flights with XN and IN availability aren't generally available to book as a Saver/partner airline award. They're only available to book using United miles.

You need "X" or "I" class to book as a partner airline award.

 

[dajop]

Doesn't seem too bad really.

For example, there's lots of 1-stop availability from LAX (or SFO) to LHR via DEN for 60,000 miles.

OK, so the LAX-DEN flight is in economy (XN), but who cares for a 2 hour flight? The DEN-LHR flight is in Polaris business class (IN), a 9 hour flight.

I guess the OP's concern isn't for the use of MileagePlus miles, but rather partner miles, eg. using Krisflyer Star Alliance RTW redemption for 240,000 KF miles. It would seem these itineraries won't be able to use UA flights any more. Which I assume makes it more problematic on the SW Pacific - North America sector more difficult (AC, NZ-hahahaha) , whereas Transatlantic you have LH, LX, TP, AC, TK, LO, OS, SN, SQ, SK(?), ...

 

[Mattg]

Interestingly, I can now see plenty of United award availability on trans-Atlantic (and some other) routes which is bookable using partner airlines. Perhaps it was just a temporary glitch?