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United launched an award sale yesterday for economy flights to Tahiti and Australia. It’s currently only open to cardholders and those with Premier status, but it’ll open to all MileagePlus members on Thursday May 4.
While the long flights in economy won’t appeal to everyone, it has the potential to be a decent deal and gets even better because it looks like the award sale pricing is valid on flights from any airport in the US, not just the handful listed on the promotion’s landing page.
The Deal
- United is offering an economy award flight sale as follows:
- 42,000 MileagePlus miles roundtrip to Tahiti
- 60,000 MileagePlus miles roundtrip to Australia
- Direct link to offer.
Key Terms
- This offer is targeted to United MileagePlus Cardmembers and Premier members from May 1-May 6, 2023. General members gain access to the sale from May 4-6, 2023. Primary Cardmembers or MileagePlus members must login using a MileagePlus number to book award travel. No limit to the number of award tickets booked. This promotion applies to new award bookings only.
- Promotion valid for travel: To Australia (BNE, SYD, MEL) from all mainland U.S. airports or to Tahiti (PPT) from all mainland U.S. airports.
- Tickets: Tickets must be purchased between May 1, 2023 and May 6, 2023. Roundtrip purchase is required. (Premiers and/or United Chase Cardmembers gain access to the sale for the entire purchase period. Non-Cardholding General Members will gain access to the sale on May 4, 2023 until the end of the purchase period).
- Travel Period: Travel beginning on or after August 15 , 2023 and travel completed by December 10, 2023.
- Blackout dates: None.
- Award Validity: Awards shown are valid for travel Sunday through Saturday. Awards are valid in the Economy (Coach) cabin on United/United Express carriers. Some flights may be operated by the following airlines, doing business as United Express: Air Wisconsin, CommuteAir, GoJetAirlines, Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, or SkyWest Airlines; or may be operated pursuant to a codeshare agreement, such as Silver Airways.
- Miscellaneous: Fares, fees, rules and offers are subject to change without notice. Seats are capacity-controlled and may not be available on all flights or days. Other restrictions may apply.
- Taxes + Fees: To BNE, MEL, SYD: Starting at $94.25. To PPT: Starting at $117.95.
Quick Thoughts
When initially looking at the landing page for this award sale, it looked like the pricing would only be valid on the routes listed below.
However, when running some award searches I noticed that the 42,000 and 60,000 mileage pricing is valid on flights from any airports in the US serviced by United, something confirmed in the terms when I looked at those after (Promotion valid for travel: To Australia (BNE, SYD, MEL) from all mainland U.S. airports or to Tahiti (PPT) from all mainland U.S. airports.) The fact that you wouldn’t need to book a positioning flight makes this an even better deal provided you can handle the long flights in economy.
What’s particularly nice about this award sale is that it’s not like Flying Blue Promo Rewards where you can sometimes be hard pressed finding the award pricing on the dates you might want to travel. Instead, the 42k or 60k roundtrip pricing is available on pretty much every day where there are scheduled flights available. For example, here’s San Francisco to Tahiti in September…
…while here’s Newark to Sydney the same month.
There’s similar great award availability heading back to the US too, such as Papeete to San Francisco in September/October…
…and Sydney to Los Angeles during the same timeframe.
There’s plentiful discounted award availability in economy with many flights available each day, but that sadly doesn’t mean there’s a corresponding business class option:
These discounted economy awards can be booked until May 6 for travel from August 15 to December 10, but if you don’t have a Chase United credit card or status with United then you’ll have to wait until May 4 to book these.
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Does anyone know when exactly this expires? It says until May 6th. Does that mean until May 6, 2023 11:59 PM? If so, which time zone?
The landing page doesn’t specify unfortunately. I’d assume it’s ET to ensure you’re not left disappointed if you’ll be leaving it late to book.
Does anyone know if these are cancellable?
Yes all United awards are freely cancelable
My test shows that def pricing for round trip flights. I don’t see the same discounts when booking 1 way tickets.
Not sure if I am doing something wrong or it isn’t working as advertised. I am 1k and a United Club cardholder and looking in November for the Thanksgiving week for SFO-PPT and see 21k / way prices only for midweek. So despite ‘no blackout’ it still seems to be subject to availability /saver awards etc.
You’re right, that certainly does look like a blackout. Having said that, this sale launched yesterday and so it might be that availability during those peak dates got booked up quickly.
What do the current transfer times look like from Amex and Chase?
Oops! Transfer times from Chase as Anex doesn’t have UA.
In my experience transfers from Chase are instant
Wow, this is terrific, but god bless anyone willing to fly to Australia from the US in coach.