Last week, United announced that it would no longer offer online searchability for Singapore Airlines award space. United stated this was a “mutual” decision but implied that Singapore had requested that United remove the space.
Hi everyone,
I wanted to give you an early heads up about an upcoming change to the Star partner award availability you see displayed online. Singapore Airlines and United have agreed to remove Singapore Airlines inventory from our award flight search results on united.com and on the United Mobile App. This will take effect starting tomorrow, December 13, You will still to be able to book and change award reservations involving Singapore Airlines by calling our reservations lines.
Please let me know if you have any clarifying questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager – Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines
The implication is clear to me–Singapore and United made a decision together to remove the space, but United would not have removed space without the prompting of Singapore.
To rub salt in the wound, United confirmed that Singapore bookings would be assessed a $25 telephone booking fee:
As most have you has suspected, unfortunately we’re not waiving the booking fee. The simple reason–and this is a consistent policy across all airlines which are not yet online–is that there is substantial additional work required to price and ticket these awards in our contact centers.
Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager – Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines
But then Singapore released the following statement today denying that it had any influence over United’s decision to pull the space–
Each Star Alliance member carrier may choose how to fulfill such redemptions differently, which we have no influence over.
For example, some Star carriers may choose to allow their respective frequent flier programme members access to redemption online or offline, depending on their respective platforms.
With Singapore’s firm denial that it played a role in the decision, United must now explain why it used the term mutual to describe its apparent unilateral policy decision to remove the space. If United is lying about this, what else are they lying about?
It makes me glad that I have emptied out my MileagePlus account before the devaluation kicks in. As if the devaluation was bad enough, the lack of Singapore award space online makes award space even harder to book. Pay more and work harder for your award travel…that’s sure “Flyer Friendly”.
Another angle to this controversy is that Singapore has pulled all longhaul and medium award space in premium cabins for booking more than 14 days in advance. This is huge blow to premium cabin space to Australia, of which Singapore had been quite generous. Rumors of higher reimbursement costs that Star Alliance partners have balked at are swirling, but I have not been able to confirm this information. What I can sadly confirm is that the space is gone now–so forget about planning trips that involve Singapore premium space more than two weeks in advance unless you are using Singapore Airlines miles.
So sad to see all of it happening with UA. Are you going to accumulate miles with different airline now? Any advice on where to go come January 1st? I have emptied all of my UA accts too, looking for alternatives.
Hi Dimitri–I will continue to travel United, but on a much more limits basis.
I realize that, you crossed 1mm 🙂 Congrats again! However what will be your second choice?
I am flying all partner flight from EU back to USA to burn my miles, first time in Swiss Biz, looking forward to it.
No second choice, though I still eye AA. United’s route network gets me every place I need to go and I just do not want to start another MM quest on AA right now.
Hi Matthew —
I think you meant “assessed,” not “accessed” in the third paragraph.
Thank you Caleb!
“…so forget about planning trips that involve Singapore premium space more than two weeks in advance unless you are using Singapore Airlines miles.”
Not necessarily correct, I just booked SQ C-Award in A380 using LH M&M for September 2014.
@VE: LH M&M and AV/TA LIfemiles do seem to have access to additional award space. Good point.