UA Pacific Miles trick - anyone done this?

[dgross]

Hi All,

I know some people have mentioned this on net before, but wanted to get some feedback. I head to Asia on business and normally jump 45k united miles each way and fly J on Thai, Asiana or Singapore if I'm super lucky to get their award avails on the routes.

I know that it's possible to ticket a Sydney-bangkok/Singapore/Seoul/shanghai/Tokyo - Guam/SPN/ROR for 25k in J class one way.

In theory you can put nice 15-18 hour layovers between flights and then say just miss the last flight right?
Can I check bags through to my first stop, or do airlines always check bags completely through?

In theory I can just go carry-on, then just walk out of the airport and never actually take the final flight to Guam/Saipan? Saves me lots of points, or I can fly Australia to Asia for 35k miles in First?

look forward to hearing anyone's experiences/warnings.

thanks

 

[paultiffen]

It's quite common to do this in the states, if you do it too often you risk UA cancelling your account. If you miss anything other than your last flight they can cancel your whole itinerary so if you do this then book it as two separate awards. Also advice is carry on only as it raises suspicion to ask for it to not be flown to final destination.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Google "hidden city ticketing"

 

[clifford]

Hi All,

I know some people have mentioned this on net before, but wanted to get some feedback. I head to Asia on business and normally jump 45k united miles each way and fly J on Thai, Asiana or Singapore if I'm super lucky to get their award avails on the routes.

I know that it's possible to ticket a Sydney-bangkok/Singapore/Seoul/shanghai/Tokyo - Guam/SPN/ROR for 25k in J class one way.

In theory you can put nice 15-18 hour layovers between flights and then say just miss the last flight right?
Can I check bags through to my first stop, or do airlines always check bags completely through?

In theory I can just go carry-on, then just walk out of the airport and never actually take the final flight to Guam/Saipan? Saves me lots of points, or I can fly Australia to Asia for 35k miles in First?

look forward to hearing anyone's experiences/warnings.

thanks

Is it your intention to kill this benefit by broadcasting it to the world?

You need to be a little bit more circumspect.

I assume you have few Mileage Plus miles.

 

[anj777]

Good point

 

[whatmeworry]

Is it your intention to kill this benefit by broadcasting it to the world?

You need to be a little bit more circumspect.

I assume you have few Mileage Plus miles.

I just googled "hidden city ticketing" and their is a whole wiki about it!

 

[smit0847]

I've booked MEL-SIN-NGO-GUM//-KIX-BKK-MEL all J for 30,000 US Air Dividend Miles recently........

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I've booked MEL-SIN-NGO-GUM//-KIX-BKK-MEL all J for 30,000 US Air Dividend Miles recently........

I take if you are actually visiting Guam though?

 

[smit0847]

I take if you are actually visiting Guam though?

Yes - US doesn't offer one-ways so I need to actually go there in order to come back!

I do actually want to go there though - it's supposed to be like a mini Hawaii!

 

[jozdemir]

I haven't done it but I've thought about it...I'd rather pay 17.5k miles for a seat from PER-SIN rather than 30k.

Would have to be a trip when I've only got carry on though!

 

[zainman]

I've booked MEL-SIN-NGO-GUM//-KIX-BKK-MEL all J for 30,000 US Air Dividend Miles recently........

Well done!

Any chance of getting F on that route and what would the mileage cost be If I had an F leg say on TG..?

Also how do you manage to get them to allow a stopover? Just hope that they don't pick up on it? Reading some of the other threads apparently a stopover isn't allowed when the award is within the same region... can you clarify please?

 

[trooper]

Correct. No stopover allowed on intra region awards.

Can we just use this excellently priced award as it is?

 

[Shanye2233]

I've booked MEL-SIN-NGO-GUM//-KIX-BKK-MEL all J for 30,000 US Air Dividend Miles recently........

This means your actually flying to gum and need a esta to board in Melbourne . Then your going to need a flight out of Guam to get to kix ?

 

[denisiel]

I recently had to go to LAX but my ticket was HKG-SFO with final destination SMF. Checked my bags to SFO as told the agent a friend would collect my bags in SFO from me. Then I skipped the SFO-SMF flight and booked a separate SFO - LAX flight, taking my bags with me.