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Out & Out notices that some United awards are pricing cheaper than they should on united.com. It seems a glitch is causing domestic awards to allow free or cheap one ways.

For instance, look at this roundtrip from Los Angeles to Newark (by the way, this new flat bed service STILL has amazing award availability) with a one way from Los Angeles to Houston two months later.

Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 4.33.19 PM

This should price at 75,000 miles because all legs are in Saver First Class, which is 25,000 miles one way for a domestic award. Instead it prices at 65,000 miles!Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 4.33.29 PMEven more strange, look what happens when I put the first leg in economy, but keep the last two legs in First Class.
Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 4.39.00 PM

This prices out at 50,000 miles total. That should be the price of just Newark to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Houston in First Class, so that makes Los Angeles to Newark in economy a free one way.Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 4.39.08 PM Later I tested keeping the roundtrip from Los Angeles to Newark in First Class and making Los Angeles to Houston in economy.

Unfortunately I ran into a common glitch on united.com. When I searched Los Angeles to Houston one way, almost every flight on April 5th has Saver economy award space signified by the blue button over “12,500 Miles.”
Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 4.42.03 PM

But on my multi-city search, after selecting First Class on Los Angeles to Newark and Newark to Los Angeles, these same flights showed no Saver award space.Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 4.42.24 PM

 

So I held the entire award in First Class with the PayPal trick, and then called in to change the last leg to economy. The price stayed the same as an all-First-Class award at 65,000 miles.

Bottom Line

Three domestic First Class segments, including segments with flat beds, are pricing at 65,000 United miles. An economy segment, followed by two First Class segments, prices at 50,000 United miles. You will probably get errors online trying to book this. Call in if necessary.

Honestly this is more of a curiosity than a great deal because you can already book three United domestic First Class one ways for 60,000 Singapore miles, since Singapore charges just 20,000 miles for United First within the American mainland.

More Information

 

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