Update 2: Today is the last day to book travel with this promotion.
Update: United has finally gotten around to publishing the rules for this award discount. The rules are pretty much exactly what I figured out via brute force, but there are some blackout dates that I didn’t notice:
-Blackout dates for travel from the U.S. or Canada to Hawaii: November 19 through November 22, 2015.
-Blackout dates for travel from Hawaii to the U.S. or Canada: November 27 through November 30, 2015.
-Discounted award tickets must be booked by July 6th.
———————————————————————-
Originally posted on 06/18:
Related post: The Ultimate Hawaii Mileage Award Chart And Everything You Need To Know About The Hawaiian Islands
I couldn’t find an offer page for this award, so I manually tested things out to come up with these rules.
The promotion is currently bookable on United.com. I do not know how long the promotion will last.
There is a 25% discount that is only available to Chase United cardholders and United elite members. Non-cardholders get 20% off. Cardholders also always get significantly expanded saver and standard award availability, free checked baggage, and priority boarding. Cardholders with elite status are also eligible for upgrades on award tickets.
-Award travel on United from the US49/Canada to Hawaii is normally 45K miles round-trip.
With this discount it will be 33,750 miles for United cardholders or elites (36K for non-cardholders) if both dates fall within the promotion or 39,375 miles (40.5K for non-cardholders) if one date falls within the promotion and one date is not within the dates of the promotion.
-Travel valid on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. (Booking on Sunday, Friday, or Saturday for one direction will increase the cost from 33,750 to 39,375 for United cardholders/elites or from 36K to 40.5K for non-cardholders)
-Travel between 08/18-12/15 (Booking before or after these dates for one direction will increase the cost from 33,750 to 39,375 for United cardholders/elites or from 36K to 40.5K for non-cardholders)
-Travel only valid on United.
-Travel only valid in coach.
-Valid on round-trip or on open-jaw (e.g. Newark-Kauai/Maui-Los Angeles) awards.
-Not valid on one-way awards.
-Not valid on stopover awards.
If book 1 way will still get the deal?
@Shaya:
Please read the post.
What if I hv already booked award tickets for those dates? Any way to get the discount? Would I have to change flights?
i have same question as Fafa.
Dan, if I book but then have to cancel or chafe dates what are the repercussions?
Does this work for business saver class tickets? What about plan b? Thanx.
Fafa and Jeff, You’re out of luck, unless you have the highest status with UA. Then, and only then, can you redeposit your miles and rebook. Of course you can make the change, but with the fees involved, it won’t be worth it.
@Fafa:
Have united call you,
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/20506
And ask them if they can reprice your award. Some people have been able to get back their miles for free, but YMMV.
Otherwise a $75 date/flight change might do the trick.
@Hunch:
Read the post.
what about the business class?
@chaim:
SMH.
No longer valid. I tried booking Thanksgiving week and it’s 45K miles unless there are blackout dates I’m not aware of.
@Sean:
Just tried November 23-26 and it priced out at 33,750 miles.
DAN IM TRYING TO BOOK A ONE WAY FLIGHT IN BUSINESS CLASS ON A PARTNER AIRLINE WITH A STOPOVER FOR A WEEKEND NEXT MONTH — NOT WORKING PLEASE HELP!?!?
@SPC: 🙂
Daniel,
Thanks for this glorious post
Does it work on one way tickets?
Thank you
People, read the post! He clearly says: valid on round-trip or open-jaw. That means not on one-way.
@Ari:
As does the line after that.
@Lisa: READ THE DAMN POST!!!!
Tried from 10/13-10/20 from Toronto and it is not coming up.
I tried to Honolulu. Is the deal to anywhere in Hawaii?
I tried different dates and keep getting 36k round trip not 33,750?
I just tried Nov. 23-26 as well and it came up as 36k round-trip (18k each way).
I don’t have status, but did log in to my account to see if that made a difference. Could status have anything to do with some of us not seeing the 33.75k award price?
@Schneur:
@Kevin:
Interesting.
My wife also has the 33.75K pricing and she’s not elite, though she is a cardholder.
Do you guys have United cards?
And did you continue all the way past the flight selection page?
Can I purchase, using my miles for my brother and his wife? I would use his CC to pay the fees, so I think baggage fees would still apply?
@dan:
Seems like you need to have the United card because I don’t have the card and don’t see the promo, but my wife has the card and has the promo, same dates
I logged onto the UAL site, and didn’t log into my United account. So the system doesn’t know who I am, and the special at 18,000 mile each shows on my screen. So I don’t hink it’s linked to the Explorer card.
Semi-related question. How did you book that island hopper trip you did in the pacific? Do you chose just two destinations and it happen to go to all those islands? Can you do it with miles?
@Dan it amazes me the patience you have for people. If people have questions about a specific date, why dont they just log onto UAL and test that date? Why are you expected to waste your time doing that for them? Youre a better person than I. Shabbat Shalom,
GB
Elite Cardholders ?
what do you mean by that ? gold ?
Dan, do business United card holders see the same XN award space as personal card holders?
@ Gary – agree that people want to be spoon fed, including some of my friends. They don’t want to put any time or effort into it, because they think someone else will do it for them! The least you could all do is read the post!! Thanks for all you do Dan!! Can’t believe how much patience you have!
Dan,
is there any Non stops from Newark?
Thanks for this. But I do still think the best way to Hawaii is using 25k Avios r/t. Less miles and can save miles 🙂
@ssor:
Yup.
@Ed Travel:
Sure you can do it with miles, just type in HNL-GUM on a day that it operates like a Monday.
See part 1 of that trip report for more info,
http://www.dansdeals.com/go/TripNotes
@Gary:
I try.
@matovu:
United elites.
@Ross:
Yes.
@Joseph:
Yes, United flies Newark-Honolulu.
@Amanda:
That’s from LA.
From NYC it would be double that.
Thanks, Dan, for this heads-up. I certainly would have missed it. I just booked my Lil brother and his GF, using my FF miles and his Credit Card to book ABQ – OGG in late October. Thanks again!
@Dan
Oops…yea you right, I was unconsciously thinking of that from my home airport (LAX)
Thanks Dan! While only one of our dates was within the sale, united reimbursed me over 5k per person (times 6) due to the cheaper award availability.
looking from MSO – LIH 7/18 – 7/25 and I don’t see any discount. Do I have to click all the way through purchase? Or should it show in the search? I checked a few dates later in the year (along with variable days of the week) and didn’t see any discount either. I do have the card. Could the promo be over? Thanks in advance for any help!
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps/mileageplus/promotions/registrationDetails.aspx?promoCode=A14889
@Meg: Read the dates on the post
I heared it is still much cheaper using Korean miles or Singapore miles to fly to Singapore on Delta or United.
Is it true?
Thanks
My bad for the post above, I mean to say cheaper using korean or singapore miles to fly to HAWAII.
@sam:
Click the related post link.
Thanks Dan I found the post!
We are a couple and have 18 month son.
I have been thinking of Maui for sometime and was thinking of the Hyatt regency using points for club room so we can breakfast and room upgrade but I heared a report recently where the breakfast they now offer is just pathetic or hardly anything to eat? I don’t have hyatt status. Is the Aandaz better if I book a club award room? Will I room with a view? I have 2 free nights from the IHG too.
Regarding the car rental, I can just go to prineline or the rental car sites to book and pick up at Maui airport? I have national and Avis status so I can just book a standard sedan now and expect upgrade at pick up? Thanks
Hi, I never booked open jaw or stopover although I have read alot about it here.
If I wanted to book this to Hawaii from EWR/JFK and wanted to go to the Big Island and Kaui could I do it all on one round trip ticket..or would there be some interisland flights required?
Anyone know there cancellation policy i want to book now but am not sure i will be able to go then.
Tia
@sholom123:
Cancellation policy for award flights:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/ticketing.aspx
How does UA recognize me as a CHASE UR member?
@adam0619
Thank you man!
@UA:
The UA award flight discount doesn’t depend on whether you are a Chase UR member. It depends on whether you are a Chase United Cardholder (MileagePlus Explorer or MileagePlus Club). If you are, sign into the UA website using your MileagePlus account number, and it will recognize you and price the award flights appropriately.
booked october 13-21
Hawaii Here I Come