FF Miles To UK, Tips please on booking the flight I want, instead of what is offered
 

I have booked a first class flight using FF miles to LHR from SFO on United in early July '08. At this time they won't let me book the 7:30 p.m. flight, only the 1:30 pm unless I use double miles,220,000. Is there a way to get around this? Also, I couldn't book my return until sept 2nd. Suggestions? Help? All appreciated!

No way around it. They have award inventory on the 1:30p and none on the 7:30p. You can check back often and see if there's a significant schedule change. At that time they may be able to move you over.

And for the return, just call on 9/2.

Does UA allow waitlisting for award inventory? If so, that's another option.

Good question. Maybe they do. Yes, that's one way to get on that later flight.

I would take the saver award on the 1:30 and waitlist for the 7:30. Worst case--you're stuck with the 1:30. I think if you take the standard (double mileage) award on the 7:30 and then find that saver award inventory opens up, you'll have to pay the $100 fee (if you're a 1K you might be exempt; not sure) to redeposit miles and rebook.

No way around the Sept 2 date for the return either, as that's probably the 330 day mark. Of course, there's no guarantee that United will open up saver award inventory right at 330 days, either.

Just because there is a flight with open paying seats does not mean there ever was or will be FF seats available. So there may never have been seats on the 7:30 flight at lower mileage rate. Whether there ever will be or if they will waitlist you is only going to be a guess (my guess would be no - but it is just a guess)

Don't know about UA, but AA allows free date/time changes on award tickets as long as it is the same routing and carrier. If that's true with UA then grab what you can now and then keep on checking for award availibility for the flight(s) you really want. Usually, closer to departure dates airlines will release more award seats if the flight is not selling too well.

Good luck!

There is no change fee when changing date or time on United awards.

Today, I would book the 1:30PM outbound date with any available return date. Come September 2, change the return date to (hopefully) the date that you want.

If you do that then you would immediately be subject to the $100 redeposit fee (which is waived for 1K members). This is something to consider if your return date/time is totally inflexible.

How many first class seats do you want? In the first 15 days of July for the 7:30PM flight there are currently no XF seats available on July 6,8,or 15. One seat on each July 4,11,12. Two seats or more on the other 9 days.

I'd expect additional seats to become available. There's no telling when. Certainly closer to the dates of travel is more likely. But it could be anytime.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I only need one first class seat, so I will keep checking to see if something opens up.

I had this same situation, for similar dates/times this summer. They wait listed me and I eventually got a call back in April or May offering my first choice flighttimes in July, but not first choice flight days. I took the offer and even had a choice of seats!

On the return flight at least 5 crew members were deadheading back to SFO in first class. Do they always hold back a number of seats for returning flight crews?

I must have tossed the number I called for wait listing. Does anyone have it?

Thanks again for all help.