yestravel

If I book a ticket on UA thru another booking source (Orbitz, Expedia etc) would I still be able to get my seats in E+ for which I am qualified? I don't think Orbitz etc. can book the E+ seat when purchasing the ticket, but after booking the tixs could I call UA and get my seat changed or even do it online with the seating chart? Thanks

simpsonc510

Is there a reason why you do not want to book thru UA's web site? Just curious. I think they have the best prices, in my experience.

yestravel

I have always booked thru their website as I agree, best prices. But I'm looking at fare on Kayak now and Orbitz I think had a fare significantly lower. I will continue monitoring UA site, but was just thinking ahead.

mztery

i thought the UA site guaranteed lowest prices. if you find a lower price maybe see if they will match it?

if oyu post the city pairs and dates one of use could check and see if there is some factor you're missing,

simpsonc510

I just looked at cheaptickets to see what pricing they offer for (almost) my same UA itinerary for September. Cheaptickets is showing a cheaper price! I went to UA site to see about that lowest price guarantee, and it says you have to show them a lower price within 24 hours of your UA booking. Flights must be identical, as well as flt codes. Not sure I quite understand about how cheaptickets and other booking sites can offer lower prices. My experience in the past with looking at sites other than UA was that UA had the best price. Now I'm not so sure......

I'll be curious to see what other fodorites have to say about this subject. As a UA 1K, I know for sure I want to earn all the miles I can. If buying from a cheapticket source means I forfeit the miles, I'm not interested. I'll stick with the UA site for booking.

yestravel

I had forgotten about their guarantee -- that's good to know. Yes, I want the miles too. I gather from what I have read that you do get the miles on some 3rd party bookers. I know a couple years ago Vayama had a less expensive fare to Paris on UA. They said I would get the miles but couldn't give me access to E+ seats. In the end UA ran a sale and I got my tix thru UA. but I imagine its possible to not get the miles which would push me to book the more expensive flight.

I'm trying to get from IAD to SCL and back from EZE to IAD. Dates aren't confirmed at this point, but it would be this winter. Orbitz (I think) had me getting to EZE on UA and then used another carrier to get me to SCL and that fare was lower than what I got on the UA site. Not in any rush on this, just trying to sort it out so if I see a low fare, I can pounce.

EricH

You'll get the miles the same as you would if you had booked through UA.com. If you put your MP number on the ticket, it will show up under My itineraries and you can pick your seats.

lcuy

We've used Cheaptickets, Ttravelocity, and Orbitz many times when we were going somewhere that used two airlines that didn't codeshare. We got the miles, the seat choices, etc. No difference than booking through the individual airline sites, except the price. In addition, all flights were on one ticket, which would be very useful if a late flight caused us to miss the one on the other airline.

mztery

Travelocity, Orbitz, xpedia, and the non-bidding portion of prioceline - all of these are vendors/middlemen - they don't buy the tickets for you , they are just selling you tickets from the airlines inventory,

with cheaptickets - some tickets work like they do with the above sites 0- they buy them when you do. But some tickets are "consolidator" fares - cheaptickets buys blocks of tickets cheaply and then resells them. if you purchase one of those tickets, usually deeply discounted, you may not get the miles for them or be able to choose seats etc. we were burned on that once early on .

WillTravel

Just today, I saw $787 total on United.com and $265 on Orbitz.com .

Guess which one I took?!

The reason is that United had a brief sale for fares to/from YVR, and it was over on United quicker than it was over on Orbitz. The best price guarantee is contingent on the price existing when the customer rep looks for it, and airfares change in a flash. So I would not hold off on booking a ticket that was $500 cheaper on the vain hope that I could get it matched.

Anyway, so far as I know, if you qualify for E+ if you book on United, you also qualify for it when you book on Orbitz. Keep in mind lots of business flyers are forced to use corporate travel agents, so it's not a unique situation.

mztery

as i mentioned, orbitz, travelocity, expedia - any site that books "published fares" will entitle you to all the benefits you have on your preferred airline. it's only those sites/fares that are offered as consolidator fares that MAY not.