This is just a quick post to ask if readers have seen similar patterns. While researching an upcoming post I wanted to find an example of non-stop United domestic business/first class saver award space, but on every route I’ve tried so far I’ve come up empty except with next day flights. I have no doubt that I’ll find some examples for my post, but this is a troubling finding. Are you finding similar issues with United?
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
I know this is an old post, but I ran across it because of the same issue. I’m trying to book two seats in first for family members domestically, and I can’t find ANYTHING to LAX from EWR, IAD, or ORD.
Does UA just want to sell or upgrade into first now domestically?
There was a bunch close in on transcons a couple of months ago, but even that has mostly dried up. It’s very hard to find any kind of saver availability up front on popular routes.
Been looking for a month for seats SFO to EWR next fall but nothing! Even though most flights have NOBODY booked, United is purposely holding back award seats for some reason? The best part is they actually want to charge me for economy plus on the domestic leg in coach of an international business class award. Crazy! These guys suck, yet we all keep giving them our business……
I’ve actually been noticing something similar with regard to using upgrades for a long time. Maybe almost a year? International: I try to use my “systemwide” global upgrades on international flights. Previous years, there were several green-dot options for confirmed upgrade booking on most routes. Now (and for a long time) there are zero. Every flight is yellow-dot upgrade waitlist only, which sucks… Big roll of the dice to book an economy flight to EZE and wait and hope for the upgrade (which in my case didn’t clear). And on the SFO-EWR route, same thing trying to use my regional upgrades. Nothing available to confirm, ever. Just waitlist, and they don’t clear. Big change from previous where I could select an upgrade-available flight with some advance planning. Same policy for shorter domestic routes, all waitlist; nothing available to confirm days, weeks or months out. This is no mistake. UA is selling off all upgrades and avoiding our use of the “free” upgrades we’ve earned with our status. I end my year with unused upgrades that disappear. Bad treatment of their premium customers.
I’m going to pin this latest “enhancement” on Scott Kirby.
Agreed. Very Little in F from all LA airports to all DC airports for the entire months of June and July, unless you want to depart after midnight, which I don’t do with young kids
The following has happened three times in a few months while searching non stop economy EWR to San Diego. I select flights and did not purchase right away. When I returned to computer the selected flights are GONE or suddenly 32.5K miles, not the 12.5K that was previously displayed. I believe this is intentional on United’s part. When United tracks what I am looking at the mileage required suddenly increases. In the end, I paid with lots of miles:(
You can easily just clear your cookies if you think it is a result of United tracking your activity.
I’ve noticed the same thing. I’ve been looking at ORD-SFO and noticed basically zero seats. This is a hub to hub route with a ton of capacity….and literally zero seats over the several months i’ve been looking. It’s one thing to tighten controls…but to zero it out is bogus.
United only shows saver award space one month out.
IAHHNL mid Jan
I booked this trip in economy saver separately for the outbound/return segments and as the days got closer to departure started looking for business saver awards. Was amazed to find NONE.
For the return segment, the flight up to day of departure was booked less than 65% of capacity and plenty of seats also in business/first class yet no business saver awards were available!
I am lifetime Gold status and haven’t been upgraded on a paid fare in years – appears the airline(s) are programmed to sell these seats rather than offer a reduced mileage award ticket
Newark to HNL / LAX / SFO
HNL nonexistent at saver level
LAX and SFO slim picking maybe two weeks out space I have seen
FHY : Granted this is my own individual experience and dates I am personally looking always looking for saver level
The calendar often shows no availability but if you click through to a specific date you might find more availability than shows on the calendar.
I usually find that to be the case, too. You can’t go by the calendar.
Tried that for a few dates, but found nothing. Also tried ExpertFlyer but found nothing except a few segments on a few weird routes.
ok – sounds like things have changed! Wonder how it is for people with the united credit card vs those without it – if there’s a big difference now.
I have both explorer and club cards, and I’ve looked at several destinations, with varying time frames from my home airport (cle), and I still don’t see anything unless I select a mixed cabin fare.
Unrelated, I just wanted to mention how much I appreciate your blog, Greg. After so many years you’re still the highest integrity and one of the highest quality bloggers out there. Please keep it up!
Thanks!
I agree – I have been looking the last week for both Hawaii and Denver and noticed this as well. I was actually looking for economy but thought it was interesting there was no business/first anywhere. As an aside I found five tickets on the outbound to Hawaii on AA no problem – I was shocked!
I had no issues with lots of first class showing up two weeks ago.
Have you tried comparing to expert flyer (then calling united to see if agents can see it)? Maybe it’s the website glitch? My subscription EF just expired.
Absolutely nothing (including next day/next few days, which historically would open up fairly consistently) for LAX to EWR for as far out as they let you search.
And yes, AA has a shockingly high (for them) amount of 32.5k saver biz seats available for LAX to JFK.
United’s search results page is among the buggiest I’ve ever seen on the internet so I guess there’s a chance it’s a bug in the “calendar view”. But more likely, it seems that they pulled all saver biz awards across the board for some reason – hopefully some will return.