Booking Award Flights on United

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve booked domestic flights on United with miles, but this is my first time booking an international flight. Below are the details on pricing. Does this seem normal?

-three days ago nonstop economy flight from IAD to Paris (CDG) was 40,000 points

-two days ago, same nonstop flights, IAD to CDG, are 70,000 points

-today there are no nonstop flights with miles for the same trip

Now I wish we had grabbed the seats for 40,000 points. Didn’t pull the trigger, because the trip isn’t until June and now seems like way too early to book the trip. Do you think the nonstop award flights will come back? I feel like United bots are tracking me and trying to price gouge me!

There are always limited seats offered on points, especially at the lower levels. When you see what you what you have to pounce (on points, not money) especially if you need more than 1 or 2 seats. Award seats on that flight are likely gone for good.

Agreed on this except the bolded. Lots of fluctuations this far in advance. Just gotta keep checking

Best award availability (for more than 1 seat) is upon release or 1-2 months before the travel date (as people release what they have been holding or airlines reassess based on how many seats are unsold.)

Generally true, but also there are still fluctuations in the intervening time, as OP discovered 4 months after schedule opened. I track some flights closely when looking to book, it changes periodically, that's a huge advantage of United's free award change/cancellation policy.

I mean yes, but OP seems unaware that every free seat on the plane is not available to book on points. Was trying to give her the cliffs notes.

Fair!

[Anonymous]

40k is the lowest you will find for an economy seat one way to Europe. So yes, if you see that option, you should book it. And sometimes they do come back. If you have flexibility on the day of travel, look for options a few days before or after.

Also this website is great for seeing what's out there: https://seats.aero/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve booked domestic flights on United with miles, but this is my first time booking an international flight. Below are the details on pricing. Does this seem normal?

-three days ago nonstop economy flight from IAD to Paris (CDG) was 40,000 points

-two days ago, same nonstop flights, IAD to CDG, are 70,000 points

-today there are no nonstop flights with miles for the same trip

Now I wish we had grabbed the seats for 40,000 points. Didn’t pull the trigger, because the trip isn’t until June and now seems like way too early to book the trip. Do you think the nonstop award flights will come back? I feel like United bots are tracking me and trying to price gouge me!

Always use incognito browsing when shopping for flights.

That said, there were likely only a limited number of seats available for awards. You snoozed and you lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:40k is the lowest you will find for an economy seat one way to Europe. So yes, if you see that option, you should book it. And sometimes they do come back. If you have flexibility on the day of travel, look for options a few days before or after.

Also this website is great for seeing what's out there: https://seats.aero/

On United, maybe. On AF, this can be a round trip ticket.

OP, do you have only United miles? No flexible points?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40k is the lowest you will find for an economy seat one way to Europe. So yes, if you see that option, you should book it. And sometimes they do come back. If you have flexibility on the day of travel, look for options a few days before or after.

Also this website is great for seeing what's out there: https://seats.aero/

On United, maybe. On AF, this can be a round trip ticket.

OP, do you have only United miles? No flexible points?

Only United miles. Been hoarding them, so our summer vacation flight will most likely need to be on United. Occasionally, will see a fare that’s too good to pass up- flew to Germany a couple years ago on United for only $600 roundtrip. For this summer trip, since we have the miles, would prefer to use them since I don’t think we are getting sub $1000 flight to Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40k is the lowest you will find for an economy seat one way to Europe. So yes, if you see that option, you should book it. And sometimes they do come back. If you have flexibility on the day of travel, look for options a few days before or after.

Also this website is great for seeing what's out there: https://seats.aero/

On United, maybe. On AF, this can be a round trip ticket.

OP, do you have only United miles? No flexible points?

Only United miles. Been hoarding them, so our summer vacation flight will most likely need to be on United. Occasionally, will see a fare that’s too good to pass up- flew to Germany a couple years ago on United for only $600 roundtrip. For this summer trip, since we have the miles, would prefer to use them since I don’t think we are getting sub $1000 flight to Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:40k is the lowest you will find for an economy seat one way to Europe. So yes, if you see that option, you should book it. And sometimes they do come back. If you have flexibility on the day of travel, look for options a few days before or after.

Also this website is great for seeing what's out there: https://seats.aero/

On United, maybe. On AF, this can be a round trip ticket.

OP, do you have only United miles? No flexible points?

Only United miles. Been hoarding them, so our summer vacation flight will most likely need to be on United. Occasionally, will see a fare that’s too good to pass up- flew to Germany a couple years ago on United for only $600 roundtrip. For this summer trip, since we have the miles, would prefer to use them since I don’t think we are getting sub $1000 flight to Europe.

If your dates are not flexible, you might want to search departing from "WAS" as your departure airport, that will search all 3 area airports. So would pull in connections through Newark for example. You could also book something for now that's one stop, as a placeholder, so you have something locked in. Then keep checking to see if the nonstop opens up later. Example: June 21 it's 44k/person flying to Munich and then back to Paris.

Because United awards are free to change or cancel, use that flexibility to start with something now and improve it over time.

[Anonymous]

Try departing out of anywhere on the east coast. Search Boston, jfk, ewr, Atlanta, charlotte departures.

[Anonymous]

If you are only looking for the low “saver” fares (40k each way) I would start searching new dates right now. Availability at that price during summer is unlikely to get better. Summer is extremely popular especially with points users.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve booked domestic flights on United with miles, but this is my first time booking an international flight. Below are the details on pricing. Does this seem normal?

-three days ago nonstop economy flight from IAD to Paris (CDG) was 40,000 points

-two days ago, same nonstop flights, IAD to CDG, are 70,000 points

-today there are no nonstop flights with miles for the same trip

Now I wish we had grabbed the seats for 40,000 points. Didn’t pull the trigger, because the trip isn’t until June and now seems like way too early to book the trip. Do you think the nonstop award flights will come back? I feel like United bots are tracking me and trying to price gouge me!

Did you look at the seat map to see how full the flight is currently? That can give you an idea (though not guaranteed) of whether the lower mile awards will open up again. I would just wait. They’ll likely go back down - if you know your dates and you see 40,000 points, book it, because it won’t go lower than that. My husband is global services on United so I’m on that site a lot!

OP here…again.

Thanks, I will check the flight. I think there are two United nonstops from Dulles. I can’t imagine them being that full already, but you never know.

They aren’t full. United is only going to release X seats on points and right now they are already gone for that date. Someone has to cancel and/or United has to decide to release more award seats. You can’t book for points every seat that is available for cash. It’s a very limited amount.

They don’t release more than 4-8 seats in miles in economy/per month for international. Less in Polaris. Check back regularly.

- United GS

[Anonymous]

For long haul international 5 months is the sweet spot to get the best price. Milage flights are always last to be made available so they always hold those back as they want people to pay in cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For long haul international 5 months is the sweet spot to get the best price. Milage flights are always last to be made available so they always hold those back as they want people to pay in cash.

Again, these blanket statements are simply inaccurate when looking at specific flights/routes. They have complex algorithms running that run pricing and availability release. There are some general patterns but in detail it bounces around all the time.

[Anonymous]

They allocate award seats. The bargain ones go first. Eventually they are gone. Some higher loyalty levels may get award seats after they are gone for lower levels.
Moral: get them. You can always cancel and get points back.

[Anonymous]

Book something else on that same date for saver award that you’d be ok flying - a connection in Newark for example. Hope and wait for a schedule change that allows you to switch to the nonstop for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For long haul international 5 months is the sweet spot to get the best price. Milage flights are always last to be made available so they always hold those back as they want people to pay in cash.

5 months is not the “sweet spot” for award seats. That is false.