Comments on: A Case Study in Starnet Blocking: Booking United Awards to South Africa

By: United One-Way Awards Will Include Partner Travel – Likely Starting This Summer - View from the Wing

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:44:39 +0000

[...] has made like removing close-in award booking fees, and also that they continue their practice of Starnet blocking. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, print, twitter, facebook, digg, [...]

By: Gary

Gary — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:45:18 +0000

@FBKSan, various United agents make up their own routing rules. When you get one of those you just have to hang up and call back. Frustrating but it can sometimes take 4-5 agents to find one willing to book something that you do know to be valid.

My best guess or observance of patterns is that when blocking is really bad you have a chance that they’ll reset beginning of February, May, August, November. But that’ could be wrong.

By: Baggageinhall

Baggageinhall — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:18:05 +0000

It’s worth noting that one TP flight per week in each direction stops in Maputo, Mozambique which adds about 3 hours to the journey time.

By: FBKSan

FBKSan — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:49:59 +0000

Interesting post, Gary. I’ve recently been focusing on the US-SA route, too, and thought I’d share a few things (I’m booking for the World Cup, so that adds a level of complexity):
- For next June, there was some availability on South African right around 330 days out, but nothing since then. No route, no class, nothing.
- Swiss is very interesting. They have JNB-ZRH available for most of the last week in June (but no ZRH-JNB prior to that). I was able to get United to put me on JNB-ZRH (in C) on the 28th, but when I tried to switch to the 29th or 30th (both available via expertflyer), United was blocking both days. I guess I found it surprising that the same route, one day apart, would be subject to different blocking.
- I was able to get LIS-JNB on TAP, though only in Y. ANA is tricky for TAP, since it often shows the triangles.
- I saw a lot of options on TK and EgyptAir right around 330 days out. I grabbed one itinerary but I haven’t seen any options since then, except some flights through Nairobi.
- I have seen nothing on LH, out of or into any city.

Here’s a couple questions for you, if you’re willing:
- I was under the impression that an award could take any route under the MPM (your about middle east issue notwithstanding) or follow a valid routing if over MPM. But when I suggested to agents, for example, IAD-JFK-LIS-JNB, they are typically unwilling to book it. I don’t believe that’s over MPM (since I can do IAD-FRA-LIS-JNB). Any insight on navigating the routing issue with United?
- Regarding the Swiss issue I mentioned above, any suggestions on how frequently it’s worth calling in? I’ve done so twice in about two weeks, but with constant LX availability and no way to know when United adjusts its blocking, it’s hard to know how to balance time on the phone with getting a preferred routing.

Lastly, thanks for your recent post on how to suggest specific flights. That’s a useful suggestion.

By: Baggageinhall

Baggageinhall — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:53:35 +0000

Aargh, posted before I had finished!

“but I’m consistently told no routing via Middle East to Africa”.

Perhaps someone could politely point out to United that Egypt is in Africa and the Middle East?

The majority of the country is in Africa, surely it’s in both zones at the very least!

By: Baggageinhall

Baggageinhall — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:51:06 +0000

“but I’m consistently told no routing via Middle East to Africa”.

Perhaps someone could politely point out to United that Egypt is in Africa, not the Middle East?