Tag Archives: united airlines

The Impact Of United’s Stop-over “Enhancement”

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If you’ve been in The Hobby for awhile, you know that “enhancements” are never good news.  So it was with great dread that I perused United’s new stop-over routing rules which come into effect on 6 Oct 2016.  They claim that they are simplifying the booking process and giving a new benefit called an “Excursionist Perk”.  (I’d like to know how they came up with that term – maybe an office pool with the winner getting a couple movie passes?)

They have step by step instructions on how to use the new booking interface on their website so I won’t copy it here.  What I will do is show you how it impacts people like me who were maximizing the previous stop-over rules that allowed 2 open jaws and two stopovers in any region.  This is the example of what will be allowed moving forward.

The Excursionist Perk is a free one-way award within select multi-city itineraries. Members who book an itinerary with three or more one-way awards will be eligible to receive one of those one-way awards for free, if it meets all of these conditions:

  • The Excursionist Perk cannot be in the MileagePlus defined region where your travel originates. (For example, if your journey begins in North America, you will only receive the Excursionist Perk if travel is within a region outside of North America.)
  • Travel must end in the same MileagePlus defined region where travel originates.
  • The origin and destination of the Excursionist Perk is within a single MileagePlus defined region.
  • The cabin of service and award type of the free one-way award is the same or lower than the one-way award preceding it.
  • If two or more one-way awards qualify for this benefit, only the first occurrence will be free.

UA excperk

MY REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES

#1:  In 2014 I booked an United award as follows:

Brisbane-Taipei-Beijing-Johannesburg

Accra-Addis Ababa-Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro-Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Brisbane

This is a round-trip with an open jaw at destination and a stop-over at Kilimanjaro on the return.  Although open jaws are not specifically addressed, this is probably still allowed as I departed and returned to the same zone and my stop-over is in the same zone as the destination.

#2:  In 2014 I booked this itinerary and flew it in 2015:

Brisbane-Bangkok-Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai-Bangkok (23 hour layover)-Koh Samui

Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok-Shanghai-Auckland-Rarotonga

This itinerary wouldn’t be allowed under the new rules.  I departed from Australia and returned to Rarotonga which is in Oceania – 2 different zones.  The stop-over would have been fine as it is in South-east Asia, same as the destination.

#3:  In 2016 I booked this itinerary and will fly it next year:

Entebbe-Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa-Lusaka

Lusaka-Johannesburg-Windhoek

It’s a good thing I have it already booked because it wouldn’t be allowed under the new rules.  The whole itinerary is in Africa (same zone) so no “Excursionist Perk” allowed!

#4:  I haven’t booked this but it is a common itinerary for Aussies:

Sydney-Bangkok

Bangkok-(anywhere in Europe)

Europe-Sydney (or anywhere in Australia or NZ)

This will not be allowed as the Excursionist Perk is taking place in South-east Asia zone and the destination is in another zone-Europe.

Two out of my three actual trips would have cost a lot more miles if I hadn’t already booked them.  The lesson here is – if you have any travel which depends on the current routing rules, book it before 6 October!

Awards Between USA & New Zealand May Get Easier

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Now that both United and American Airlines have announced new routes to Auckland, hopefully award space will be easier to get.  The new schedules haven’t been loaded yet but I am keeping an eye out for them.

Currently Air New Zealand is the only airline on this route and they have been very stingy with award space.    If you are lucky, you may get economy but forget business class – and this is a 13 hour flight!  Both airlines will be flying Dreamliners which are known for their superb business class but unfortunately very cramped economy class.  The USD is still strong against the NZD & AUD so this is a very good time to plan a trip down under!

AA

AKL AAUA

AKL UA

United’s Devaluations & The Impact To American & Australian Eco-Travelers

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My Feedly has erupted with blogs announcing the massive devaluation of United Airlines’ premium cabin awards, especially for partner awards.  There is a massive thread on FlyerTalk as well.  Since different blogs write for different types of travellers (luxury travel, domestic USA, backpacker travel, etc), I am only going to give my view on how this devaluation affects eco-travelers who want to go to the top birding hotspots in the world.  So far, I have looked at travel ex-Australia and ex-USA.  SInce I am planning a trip to Africa in 2015, I also looked at intra-African awards.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED?

United Airlines has arguably the world’s best rates for business & first class travel of all the major carriers.  True, US Airways may be cheaper but they are far less flexible.  Most miles & points collectors prefer to use them for business & first class awards on some of the world’s top rated airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Lufthansa & Swiss.

If you live outside the USA, you may or may not be aware that it is very easy for Americans with good credit scores to get 1000’s of miles from signing up for Chase credit cards to get the huge 40-50,000 miles sign up bonuses.  I have done this myself although to a lesser extent.  It has also been fairly easy for people resident in the USA to “manufacture spend” by purchasing Vanilla Reloads at CVS drugstores, loading them onto a Bluebird card and using the Bluebird to either withdraw cash at an ATM or pay the credit card online.  This has resulted in millions of United Mileage Plus miles floating around and it was inevitable there would be a devaluation.  What is really frustrating is that people who can’t manufacture miles (don’t live in the USA or near a CVS) have also been caught up in this devaluation.  This is the award chart as it is now.

This is what it will be in 3 months’ time.  I must say, at least they had the courtesy to give us 3 months warning!  Unlike Club Carlson who devalued their miles redemptions without warning.

THE EFFECT ON POPULAR ECO-TOURISM DESTINATIONS

The good news is that MOST destinations remained the same price if you travel in economy.  This blog is geared towards destination orientated travelers not journey orientated travelers so I will assume that my readers would rather travel in economy with the possible exception of long-haul overnight flights when having a flat bed to sleep in can be a big advantage.  Honestly, we all know economy sucks but it’s bearable for flights during the day and less than 6 hours.  The most popular destinations for birders are Central/South America, Australia, South-East Asia, Central Asia & Africa.

EX-USA

Economy awards remain the same with the following exceptions: Central Asia increases by 5000 miles round trip.  South-east Asia increases by 15,000 miles round trip.

Business class awards have gone up across the board with Southern South America taking the smallest hit at 10,000 extra miles round trip.  Australia will cost an extra 25,000 miles, Oceania will cost an extra 30,000 miles round trip & all Asian destinations have increased by 40,000 miles round trip.

EX-AUSTRALIA

Economy awards remain the same except for Oceania & Central Asia which increases by 10,000 round trip.

South-east Asia appears to be going DOWN by 25,000 miles which is surprisingly good news!

Business class (round trips) have gone up by 25,000 to USA, 40,000 to Central America,Northern South America, 25,000 to Southern South America, 30,000 to Central Asia & 20,000 to Africa.

South-east Asia has gone DOWN by 30,000 miles round trip!

EFFECT ON MY TRAVEL PLANS

I am planning to use my United miles to go to Africa in 2015.  My 2014 travel plans have been allocated to US Airways and all but one trip are booked.  I can’t bring this trip forward as I won’t have the cash to pay for the safaris and everything else that can’t be paid for with miles & points until I have been saving for a couple years.  Since I plan to use Ethiopian and they have been stingy with business class awards, I was already budgeting for economy awards which have not changed.  There is one flight between Mauritius & Port Elizabeth via Johannesburg which has gone up by 5000 for the one-way in economy or 10,000 in business.  Test-runs show that this route is difficult to get in economy so we may have to redeem business which won’t be all bad since it is South African Airways.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

First, don’t panic!  If you were planning to use your miles for an economy ticket, in most cases you won’t be affected.  If you were planning to book business class (if you want FIRST class you are probably in the wrong blog), make sure you book your 2014 travel before the increases on 1 Feb, 2014.  With the 331 booking window, this will cover travel up to the end of 2014.

If you are an Australian wishing to travel to South-east Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) which has excellent birding, then WAIT until after 1 Feb 2014 to book your trip.

If you are a Chase customer, keep your miles in Ultimate Rewards as long as possible to retain flexibility.  Avios are also an option and may work out to be a better deal so compare both before you transfer your miles.

ECONOMY TRAVELERS AREN’T TOTALLY IN THE CLEAR

Yes it is true, very few economy awards have increased in price.  This also means that people who would have booked business class but can’t afford it now will downgrade to economy.  It will be harder to find availability as more people will be trying for these tickets so book as soon as you know your plans are solid.

 

United Airlines: Earn 25% More Miles When You Convert Points Into Miles

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This is one of those bonuses many of us wait for to get rid of those extra hotel points we may have accumulated but can’t use.  Since most of our travel is staying in eco-lodges where you can’t pay with points, we value airline miles more as we still need to get to the place!  So here’s the deal:

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Here’s the link to register if you didn’t get the email.  Make sure your transferred points earn at least 5000 miles or you won’t get the bonus.  The normal 5000 miles becomes 6250 miles with the 25% bonus.  This is a complete table of conversion rates.

  • Marriott – minimum conversion of 16,000 points to earn 5000 United miles plus bonus.
  • Hilton – minimum conversion of 50,000 points to earn 5000 miles plus bonus.
  • SPG – minimum conversion of 10,000 points to earn 5000 miles plus bonus.
  • IHG Rewards – minimum conversion of 30,000 points to earn 6000 miles plus bonus (can only do increments of 10,000 points)
  • Club Carlson – minimum conversion of 50,000 points to earn 5000 miles plus bonus.
  • Hyatt – minimum conversion of 12,500 points to earn 5000 miles plus bonus.
  • Choice – minimum conversion of 25,000 points to earn 5000 miles plus bonus.
  • Wyndham – minimum conversion of 16,000 points to earn 6400 miles plus bonus.  (2 x 8000 to 3200 fixed award level).

So is it a good value to make these conversions?  This is where you need to have an idea of how many hotel point redemptions you will be making in the next couple years or so and if you have enough points to do them with anything left over.  You may have a surplus of hotel points if you got the affiliate credit card or bought some on special during a promo.

Wyndham is currently selling their points with a 20% bonus.  This can work well if you need to top up your United account for an award.  For example:

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Buy 20,000 Wyndham points for $220 and get 4000 points as a bonus for 24,000 all up.  These 24,000 points convert in 3 x batches of 8000 (3 x 3200) so you end up with 9600 United miles.  Add on the 25% bonus and the final total is 12,000 United miles for your outlay of $220.

If you wanted to buy 12,000 United miles at the regular price, it would cost you $451.50 so you are buying them at less than half price.  I don’t advise buying miles on speculation as they could devalue before you get a chance to redeem them but this is a good way to top up for an award you will be redeeming soon.

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The Sky Didn’t Fall After All

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This is a follow-up to my post from the other day.  After much speculation in FlyerTalk over the mysterious tweet from United, the cat has been let out of the bag.  It’s a partnership with Marriott Hotels.  A big yawn for me personally as they don’t have many hotels in destinations frequented by eco-tourists.  I would have preferred a partnership with IHG hotels as they have a much larger global network.  At least there were no devalutions though I didn’t think there would be.  The people who rushed to burn their UA miles must be feeling pretty foolish.  Here’s the details of the new program.

Two global travel leaders, one great experience.

Enjoy RewardsPlus from MileagePlus and Marriott Rewards

 

We appreciate your loyalty to United® – and now your MileagePlus Premier® recognition and benefits just got better. Together MileagePlus® and Marriott Rewards® bring you RewardsPlus, a new program with enhanced benefits.

Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K® and Global ServicesSM members can now register for RewardsPlus and enjoy complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status and benefits. Also, all Premier members will be able to convert MileagePlus award miles into Marriott Rewards points at an exceptional rate, and all MileagePlus members will be able to enjoy greater value when they convert Marriott Rewards points into MileagePlus miles.

Marriott Rewards Members: Learn more about RewardsPlus benefits for Marriott Rewards Members.

Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status gives you:*

  • Lounge access and breakfast at select Marriott locations
  • Room upgrades
  • Complimentary Internet access
  • Priority late check-out
  • 25% bonus points and much more

Enhanced miles and points benefits coming soon:

  • Premier members can convert miles into Marriott Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio
  • Enjoy a 20% discount when you convert Marriott Rewards points into MileagePlus miles
  • Book the trip of a lifetime and receive 10% more miles when you convert to a Marriott Rewards Travel Package, a bonus of up to 12,000 miles

The Sky Is Falling, The Sky Is Falling!

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Yesterday United Airlines tweeted the following:

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This in itself didn’t raise an eyebrow with me.  But on FlyerTalk, people were going nuts!   It reminds me of that “Chicken Little” story with the way some people are panicking!  Most people are expecting the worst, a devaluation of miles.  Some people have rushed to redeem miles in anticipation.  Elites are worried their benefits my be reduced.  Others are not quite panicking but taking a “wait and see” approach.  It’s pretty clear that United has a lot of damage control to do when most of their members think so little of them that they assume any mysterious tweet is going to be negative.  Then again, maybe they want to get some miles off the books and were hoping people would panic and redeem.

So what could this mysterious “new reward experience” be?

I don’t think a change in levels of redemptions (devaluation) is likely.  That wouldn’t fit as a “new reward experience”.  And I don’t think United would want to create a social media buzz behind it when they know it’s going to upset people, but then it wouldn’t be the first time I was being logical to my detriment.

For it to be a “new reward experience” it needs to either be something new in the procedure of booking rewards or adding new rewards to be redeemed with UA miles.

If it’s the former, it could be something like adding a slider such as Avianca LifeMiles where people can pay partly with cash and partly with miles.  If it’s the latter, it could be something like an email they sent me with some kind of auction to attend the Emmys.  Whatever it is, I hope they don’t mess with the program as it is as I happen to like it and I like the online booking engine.  I’ll keep you posted when the details are officially announced.

 

United Airlines Donates 10 Million Miles To Charity (Incl. Conservation International)

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Don’t you just love when big corporations such as United Airlines want to give something back?  They have 38 charities listed HERE and you can vote once per day who you want to win.  They are all very worthy causes but since this blog is about conservation and eco-travel, I want to draw your attention to Conservation International.

Conservation International (CI) empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, global biodiversity, and the long-term wellness of humanity by using a foundation of science, partnership, and field demonstration. Founded in 1987, CI has over 900 biologists, social scientists, economists, policy experts, communicators, educators, and other professionals working in more than 40 countries on 4 continents with over 1,000 international partners.

Winning a large number of frequent flyer miles would allow them to send more biologists and researchers to projects to help conserve the local wildlife.

Even if you find yourself drawn to one of the other charities, just please vote!  It feels good to help worthy causes!