# united supersaver awards



## walken1974 (Aug 9, 2013)

I am planning a trip in August 2014 to Oahu and Kauai. 1 week trade 1 week rental. I have a united explorer card and was wondering if anyone has had success booking super saver awards at this time of year. Family of 4 from boston would like a day layover in san fran or lax on the way back. (traveling with 2 children) thanks


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## DavidnRobin (Aug 9, 2013)

walken1974 said:


> I am planning a trip in August 2014 to Oahu and Kauai. 1 week trade 1 week rental. I have a united explorer card and was wondering if anyone has had success booking super saver awards at this time of year. Family of 4 from boston would like a day layover in san fran or lax on the way back. (traveling with 2 children) thanks



I have used SuperSaver on UA FF program for the last few years in going to both LIH and OGG (to/from SFO). The 'secret' is that FF seats are put up on website 331 days in advance.  I get a 1-way there 331 days in advance, and then a 1-way return 331 days in advance (only cost $5 more).  The SS seats go quickly - as well as the optimal flights (arrive and depart at best times) - so need to act on this asap.  This only uses 80K MileagePlus miles for a RT ticket for the 2 of us (sweet deal).  Being UA Premier Gold (thru work) - I also get to choose Exit row and EconomyPlus seats - which is a nice benefit.

We do not have to layover - so that may complicate things.  For transfer from LIH-OGG (which we do EOY) - I just book a cheap fare and pay cash since it becomes to complicated to tie in this flight to our schedule.


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## Luanne (Aug 9, 2013)

Yes we've gotten super saver award seats on United to Hawaii.  In fact we're using some this summer.  We book as far out as we can.


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## MabelP (Aug 9, 2013)

The only thing I would question would be if you are allowed a stopover on a one way ticket.


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## Luanne (Aug 9, 2013)

MabelP said:


> The only thing I would question would be if you are allowed a stopover on a one way ticket.



Only way to know would be call and ask, or just try booking it.  You can do multi-city routes, but again don't know how it would work with a layover.


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## walken1974 (Aug 12, 2013)

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I need to book as soon as possible. My only issue is that the trade is a private trade and the owner can't book the first week until November. Does anyone know what availability is like at the Hilton Hawaiian village in august ? (ie how difficult to book specific dates if I have already booked my air)


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## SherryS (Aug 12, 2013)

I was told this past Feb, that a stopover was only allowed on a round-trip FF seat (United) from LIH to Florida.  We wanted to stop and see our new grandson in the Chicago area since we were flying through OHare.  No luck on our one way trip!  We had to book a separate trip as soon as we got back to the mainland.


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## BocaBoy (Aug 12, 2013)

walken1974 said:


> Does anyone know what availability is like at the Hilton Hawaiian village in august ? (ie how difficult to book specific dates if I have already booked my air)


Should not be a problem.  It is a huge property and I almost always see availability when I look.


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## MOXJO7282 (Aug 13, 2013)

So I'm a pretty happy AA to United convert now that I just secured 4 1st class FF saver seats for next July for the first leg. Now we're going for the 20k coach saver for the ride home.

With the miles we'll have over the next 4 years we could either take one trip and fly both ways 1st class or fly 1st class one way for each trip so that is what we decided to do.

With AA over the last several years we were lucky to find 1 or 2 1st class FF seats but never 4 and never any saver awards over the last several years. And the ones we did get were in the 757s.


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## tfalk (Aug 13, 2013)

walken1974 said:


> T Does anyone know what availability is like at the Hilton Hawaiian village in august ? (ie how difficult to book specific dates if I have already booked my air)



Are you trying to book as a hotel room or as a timeshare?  

In either case, I'm not sure why anyone would want to stay there... I've stayed there several times over the last 31 years, most recently 3 weeks ago, and it is simply WAY too crowded... the pool by the lagoon tower is nice if you want to be less than 2 feet away from someone in any direction... the main pool was impossible to find chairs and even the lagoon was getting crowded.  The only place we found available chairs was by the pool for the Ali'i tower since we were staying in it.  We never got to have breakfast at the Rainbow Lanai since it was over an hour wait every morning if you got there after 8am.  In 31 years and 6 stays there, I've never seen it a complete mob scene like it was this July.


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## BocaBoy (Aug 13, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> With AA over the last several years we were lucky to find 1 or 2 1st class FF seats but never 4 and never any saver awards over the last several years. And the ones we did get were in the 757s.


Interesting.  We have had very good luck getting saver first class tickets to Hawaii on AA every year for the last several years, much better than on United or the other airlines, although we usually need only two seats.  However, this year that has changed.  In February we went on US Air and in December we will be going to Hawaii on AA and returning on United.  All are saver tickets EXCEPT the American leg.  Times seem to have changed.


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## MOXJO7282 (Aug 13, 2013)

BocaBoy said:


> Interesting.  We have had very good luck getting saver first class tickets to Hawaii on AA every year for the last several years, much better than on United or the other airlines, although we usually need only two seats.  However, this year that has changed.  In February we went on US Air and in December we will be going to Hawaii on AA and returning on United.  All are saver tickets EXCEPT the American leg.  Times seem to have changed.



Was that Oahu or Maui? I was also trying in Feb whereas now I'm looking at July. AA also only released 1st class on the 757s that didn't have the good  lie flat seats yet so now to get the savers and the nice seats in the 737s we couldn't be more pleased. Now I need to secure 4 more on the route back and we'll be really happy converts.


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## GregT (Aug 14, 2013)

walken1974 said:


> Does anyone know what availability is like at the Hilton Hawaiian village in august ? (ie how difficult to book specific dates if I have already booked my air)



Is the owner a TUGger who knows the booking tricks? 

July/August are the most demanded times for Hilton Hawaiian Village.  I watch this property like a hawk (I think it's great), and the owner has to be right on it 9 months out -- ideally booking three nights and then building out the reservation.  It's definitely possible to get it, but the rooms go fast.

Good luck with the plans (and it's a great property)

Best,

Greg


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## BocaBoy (Aug 19, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> *Was that Oahu or Maui?* I was also trying in Feb whereas now I'm looking at July. AA also only released 1st class on the 757s that didn't have the good  lie flat seats yet so now to get the savers and the nice seats in the 737s we couldn't be more pleased. Now I need to secure 4 more on the route back and we'll be really happy converts.



It has been both islands in the past, but more often Maui and occasionally also Kauai.  This December our flight to Hawaii is to Maui on American and the return is from Kauai on United. Our trip this past February on U.S. Air was also to Maui and return from Kauai.  In the past I have found it slightly easier to get the seats I need if I am flying to or from Honolulu.


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## BocaBoy (Aug 19, 2013)

GregT said:


> Is the owner a TUGger who knows the booking tricks?
> 
> July/August are the most demanded times for Hilton Hawaiian Village.  I watch this property like a hawk (I think it's great), and the owner has to be right on it 9 months out -- ideally booking three nights and then building out the reservation.  It's definitely possible to get it, but the rooms go fast.
> 
> ...



I read the earlier post as an inquiry about the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort, not the timeshare.  I think you are referring here to the timeshares at the property because there is almost always availability for a room at the hotel portion of the resort.


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## MOXJO7282 (Aug 31, 2013)

Happy to say we were successful in getting RT 1st FF saver seats for all 4 with United for 7/12 - 7/26/14, something I couldn't do the last time with AA and the kids had to be in coach.

The nice thing is UA released a good amount at 330 days, at least enough for us to get 4 so we're very happy. With AA they released 1 or 2 seats at 330 days then in drips and drabs so they was no easy way to get more than that if you needed to and we ended up not being able to so the kids were in the back.

This is our 5 time for all in 1st class to Maui on FF so MAR rewards points are still a tremendous value for us. Certainly not what its used to be but still pretty darn good.


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## Scotten (Sep 2, 2013)

*Additional flight benefit*

Hey all.  I wanted to let you know of a way to get a free additional one way trip when booking a trip using united miles.  We are going to Maui in November and it worked for us.  The key is to book award travel to an international destination (Hawaii counts when booking on united) and you get a free one way for the same amount of award miles.  We (4 of us) are flying ord to ogg RT in November and then ord to las - one way, in January - total cost in award travel, 40K miles each.  We just need to pick up a return flight from las to ord.

I stumbled upon this info while searching for Hawaii flights.  I guess this works on American as well but hawaii is not included in the qualifying initial flight, only true international destinations.  I am not affiliated with anyone or any site, I just want to share with fellow tuggers that this might interest.  You can google free oneways on united and read up on milevalue.

Happy travels!


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## akp (Sep 2, 2013)

*Agreed!*



Scotten said:


> Hey all.  I wanted to let you know of a way to get a free additional one way trip when booking a trip using united miles.  We are going to Maui in November and it worked for us.  The key is to book award travel to an international destination (Hawaii counts when booking on united) and you get a free one way for the same amount of award miles.  We (4 of us) are flying ord to ogg RT in November and then ord to las - one way, in January - total cost in award travel, 40K miles each.  We just need to pick up a return flight from las to ord.
> 
> I stumbled upon this info while searching for Hawaii flights.  I guess this works on American as well but hawaii is not included in the qualifying initial flight, only true international destinations.  I am not affiliated with anyone or any site, I just want to share with fellow tuggers that this might interest.  You can google free oneways on united and read up on milevalue.
> 
> Happy travels!



Free one-ways are awesome! 

Our routing was JFK-MCI (home airport, so that's the free one way) in a few weeks, then MCI-OGG-MCI in Mar 2014.

We are getting from MCI-JFK on a one way award booked separately.  If you're really crafty and your timing works, you can get three round-trip tickets for the price of two.  

As Scotten says, MileValue is the king of the free one way award ticket.  If you're lucky enough to live a short flight from an AA hub city, you can also pull off the same thing on American and then get to the hub using British Airways Avios.  I think there is also a very limited way of doing this on Delta also but you really need to live in a Delta hub city.

Anita


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## JanT (Sep 2, 2013)

Does this freebie somehow automatically post to your United Miles account or do you have to call United to get it?



akp said:


> Free one-ways are awesome!
> 
> Our routing was JFK-MCI (home airport, so that's the free one way) in a few weeks, then MCI-OGG-MCI in Mar 2014.
> 
> ...


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## Scotten (Sep 2, 2013)

It doesn't post to the account.  You just book all the legs  at the same time and you are charged the same for the round trip and one way as you would be if just booking the round trip.  I don't know about calling united about it as it doesn't seem to be a publicized benefit.  I would just google and read on milevalue.com on how it works.


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## BocaBum99 (Sep 2, 2013)

Interesting that this thread came up today.  We are heading to New York City for the US Open.   We are flying on 3 saver awards on United.   3 of us got first class upgrades on free tickets.   Unbelievable!


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