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Update: Available dates have been updated and dates for New Zealand have also been added.
Originally posted on 10/23:
Table of Contents
Unicorn Award Space Availability:
Nonstop saver business class award space between North America and Australia has long been a unicorn.
However with United greatly expanding their flights to the South Pacific, there’s unprecedented business class saver award space available, with 9 or more seats available on many flights.
This is bookable on United.com or via partner airlines.
There may be availability from other US cities, or you can always book a separate ticket to get to the gateway city.
Here are currently available dates with business class saver award space.
Dates in bold can be booked by all United members and by partner airlines.
Dates in plain font are only bookable by United Platinum, 1K, or Global Services members with United miles.
San Francisco to Auckland:
United flights:
October 28, 29, 30
November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 24, 26
February 25
March 3, 24, 25
April 30
May 2, 4, 9, 14, 23, 25, 28
June 6, 8
July 2, 4, 6, 11, 13
August 3, 6, 10, 13, 15, 24, 27
September 7, 10
Air New Zealand flights:
November 11, 12, 19, 22
Auckland to San Francisco:
United flights:
October 26, 29, 31
November 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20, 21, 22
December 5, 25, 26
February 9, 12
March 27
April 29
May 13, 23, 30
June 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20
July 4, 11, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29
August 1, 8, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29
September 2, 5, 9, 12, 16
Air New Zealand flights:
November 2, 3, 7, 17, 19
Los Angeles to Auckland:
United flights:
October 30
November 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 20, 25, 27, 30
December 5
March 23, 26
April 30
May 2, 4, 9, 14, 23, 25, 28
June 6, 8
July 2, 4, 6, 11, 13
August 3, 6, 10, 13, 15, 24, 27
September 7, 10
Air New Zealand flights:
November 12, 22
Auckland to Los Angeles:
United flights:
October 30
November 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 20, 22
December 7
Air New Zealand flights:
November 6, 7, 9, 22
San Francisco to Melbourne:
October 30, 31
November 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29
December 4, 5, 7, 30
February 24
March 9
Melbourne to San Francisco:
October 31
November 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30
December 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 24, 25
February 4, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 20, 21
March 12
San Francisco to Sydney:
October 29, 30, 31
November 1, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
December 4, 5, 7, 30
February 20, 21, 27
Sydney to San Francisco:
October 30, 31
November 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30
December 4, 5, 6, 13, 20, 24, 26, 27
January 18, 23, 24
February 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 29
March 21
Los Angeles to Melbourne:
October 28, 29
November 8, 13, 23, 25, 29
December 4, 7
February 26
Melbourne to Los Angeles:
October 30, 31
November 1, 13, 14, 21, 24, 29
December 24, 25
Los Angeles to Sydney:
November 13, 23, 25, 27
December 4
Sydney to Los Angeles:
October 26, 31
November 7, 14, 21
December 13
January 24
February 6, 14
Houston to Sydney:
December 4, 5
Sydney to Houston:
October 31
November 3, 14, 21, 24, 28
December 26
San Francisco to Brisbane:
October 28, 29, 30, 31
November 7, 8, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30
December 4, 5, 6, 7
February 6, 20, 21, 26, 27, 29
March 5, 6, 12, 18, 19, 26
April 19
May 8
Brisbane to San Francisco:
October 30, 31
November 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30
December 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 23, 25
January 13, 16, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31
February 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 21, 28
March 6, 7
United Polaris Seating:
United’s Polaris seating that have direct aisle access for every business class seat. You can choose from solo seats or seats for people traveling together.
Business class seats include United’s Polaris business class service with Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and pillows. Savvy travelers will also request a Saks Fifth Avenue mattress pad, slippers, and pajamas, as those are not proactively offered by flight attendants as there aren’t enough of them for everyone.
Upgrade Awards:
You can always waitlist for an upgrade award, but the dates above have flights that are confirmable now by calling United.
If you have a paid ticket, the cost of an upgrade varies based on your ticket’s fare class as follows:
In other words, it will cost 30K United miles plus $600 for a one-way upgrade from most discounted coach tickets to business class.
Alternatively, United elites can use PlusPoints for the upgrade.
Mileage Award Booking Options:
Business saver class award booking options:
- United charges 100K one-way in business class for United flights or 110K for Air New Zealand flights. United never collects fuel surcharges. Awards can be canceled for free up to the time of departure! Points transfer instantly (1:1 ratio) from Chase. Transfers from Marriott (60K:30K ratio) can take 2-20 days.
- Air Canada Aeroplan charges 75K in business class one-way on United or Air New Zealand. Air Canada never collects fuel surcharges. Points transfer instantly (1:1 ratio) from AMEX, Capital One, or Chase. Transfers from Marriott (60K:25K ratio) can take 2-20 days.
- Avianca Lifemiles charges 80K in business class one-way. Lifemiles never collects fuel surcharges. Points transfer instantly (1:1 ratio) from AMEX, Capital One, or Citi. Transfers from Marriott (60K:20K ratio) can take 2-20 days. You can currently get a 25% transfer bonus from Citi, so 64K miles will be enough to book a one-way business class award!
- ANA charges 120K miles in business class round-trip, one-way awards aren’t available, though open-jaws are allowed, so you can book a flight to New Zealand and back from Australia for example. There are no fuel surcharges for United awards. It can take 1-2 days to transfer points from AMEX to ANA (1:1 ratio) and transfers from Marriott to ANA (60K:25K ratio) can take 2-20 days.
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28 Comments On "Wide Open United Business Class Saver Award And Upgrade Space Nonstop Between The US And New Zealand Or Australia For The Whole Family From Just 60K Miles Each Way!"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Isn’t aeroplan current pricing 87.5k?
I only tested SFO-SYD, other routes may vary based on distance.
The headline says 60k 1 way, yet the article does not show any way to book one way for 60k.
Can you elaborate
No, the title says each way.
One way=each way.
What I think he “missed” was that with ANA it’s 120k round trip.
Can you book a “place holder” return and adjust as needed?
What does TK charge for business class on this route?
Should be 75K, but it didn’t find space online when all the other options did, so I skipped mentioning them here. Might be bookable over the phone though.
TK doesn’t allow mixed cabin redemptions! So, no kidding this won’t work there; as all the availability doesn’t take into account that if you’re going from NY, it’s all mixed cabin.
Separate booking you say? That’s a real pleasant trip: land from a transcontinental flight, go get your luggage, and check in all over again, lol.
Thanks for the heads up!
Who said anything about NYC. I only search from gateway cities.
No, United will check your bags through to the final destination. Just ask them to.
and when ypu land in the usa from a transcontinental flight you have to collect your luggage in either case and recheck it…
Correct.
Transcontinental i.e. NYC>LAX/SFO.
And it means paying extra for a separate ticket, though not terribly much…
Thank you! With ANA can the flight include a connection from a UA city or is it only from SFO/LAX/IAH? And is there a way to hold the ticket until the miles transfer?
Yes if there is saver space. And no holds.
On United, is there a way to get around mixed cabin when flying from New York?
There is also the issue that even if there is mileage availability on both legs of the trip if booking then separately, when booking one way from NYC to Australia, they will often not give a direct flight from NYC to LAX/SFO, which makes it difficult to find availability without multiple stops. Is there a way around that?
Just book a separate ticket to the gateway city if needed.
I just looked for NY to Mel thru SFO November 28 – December 13, NY – SFO direct is 120K SFO to Mel is 100k so in total you save 30K per way. ( you can find 200K as well).
but if you book with ANA it will be 120k round trip and potentially include the NY – SFO Leg
I have yet to see a single 60K date. Every single one is 100K per direction.
Dan said each way and ANA charges 120K miles in business class round-trip,
Dan never fails us!
Nothing showing for 60k in business, did they disappear that fast?
Read the post again please.
i reread, still don’t understand, can you explain
Can I book with Turkish Miles?
https://www.dansdeals.com/airfare-deals/mileage-deals/wide-open-united-business-class-saver-award-upgrade-space-nonstop-us-australia-whole-family-just-60k-miles-way/#comment-1662825
Another problem with booking separate reservations for mixed cabin is luggage. Because unlike the 2 free business on the second leg, there’s zero free on the first economy flight booked with TK, and can’t apply CC bag benefit either…
Also TK rep told me that if there’s irrops on the first flight, which causes a miss of the second leg, TK won’t help because it’s a separate Rez.
1. Why can’t you get the cc bag waiver?
2. Why do you need to book with TK?
3. UA would take care of you on a UA-UA connection.