United And Austrian Airlines: Seamless Ticket Booking Experience

Booking Austrian Airlines through United Airlines can be a tricky process. While it is possible to book a codeshare flight on Austrian Air through United, selecting seats and upgrading can be difficult. To select seats, you will need an OS record locator, which is like a United confirmation number, to make a seat selection on Austrian Airlines' website. If that doesn't work, you can call their customer service to reserve a seat. Paid upgrades can be made through the OS website after receiving a confirmation number, and they offer both fixed-price and bid systems. Using miles for upgrades is more restrictive and requires booking specific fare classes with no waitlist option. Earning miles through United bookings on Austrian Airlines is also different, as it is based on distance flown and fare class rather than fare price.

Seat selection on Austrian Airlines' website

Seat Selection on Austrian Airlines Website

The Austrian Airlines website allows passengers to select their preferred seat at the time of booking or at a later date. Passengers can choose from a Classic Seat, an Extra Legroom Seat, or a Preferred Zone Seat. Window, aisle, or middle seats are available in all categories. Seat reservations can be made up to one year in advance and as late as 48 hours before departure.

How to Book Your Seat

When booking your flight on the Austrian Airlines website, you can reserve your preferred seat for a fee. This option is available from the time of booking up to one year before departure.

You can also make a seat reservation under the "My Bookings" section of the website. Log in and select the flight for which you want to reserve a seat. This option is available from one year in advance up to 47 hours before departure.

Contacting the Austrian Airlines Service Centre

If you prefer, you can also call the Austrian Airlines Service Centre to book your seat. The service centre is available from Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and can be reached at +43 5 1766 1000. They can assist you in selecting your seat and providing any necessary information.

Special Circumstances and Refunds

Austrian Airlines follows the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) regulations, which state that passengers travelling with a child between the ages of two and twelve or passengers with disabilities are entitled to free advance seat reservations. The airline will provide adjacent seats for these passengers at check-in.

In the event of involuntary rebooking to another flight, Austrian Airlines will refund the amount paid for seat reservations. However, if the passenger cancels their booking, the amount paid for the seat reservation will not be refunded.

Booking Through United Airlines

It is not clear if you can book Austrian Airlines tickets through United Airlines, but United Airlines does offer flights to Austria with prices starting at $583.

Paid upgrades on Austrian Airlines' website

Paid upgrades on Austrian Airlines website

Upgrading to a higher travel class on Austrian Airlines can be done in a few ways. Firstly, you can upgrade at a fixed price. This option is available if you have already booked a ticket for Economy or Premium Economy Class and now wish to switch to a higher travel class. You can do this by accessing your flight under "My Bookings" and clicking on "Upgrade flights". You will then be shown all the flights on your travel route that can be upgraded, and you can choose to upgrade one or both of your outbound and return flights. Fixed-price upgrades can be purchased up to 48 hours before departure.

Another option is to submit a bid for an upgrade. With this method, you decide how much you want to pay for the upgrade. You can submit a bid up to 60 hours before departure by accessing your flight under "My Bookings" and selecting the "Upgrade flights" option. For a bid upgrade, you will use a slider to enter the amount you wish to pay, and then continue to enter your payment information and confirm your bid. Your credit card will not be charged until your upgrade is confirmed. You will be notified by email if your bid is successful.

If you are a Miles & More member, you can also use your miles to book an upgrade. Upgrades start at 10,000 miles, and you can book using the Miles & More service team in your country or directly at the check-in desk at the airport.

In addition to these options, Austrian Airlines also offers last-minute upgrades at the airport. You can speak to staff at the check-in desk, gate, or directly with the crew onboard to request an upgrade.

Star Alliance upgrade awards

To be eligible for a Star Alliance Upgrade Award, you must have a ticketed reservation in an upgradeable booking class. You can then contact your frequent flyer programme to request an upgrade. This can be done online or via phone, but you must do this at least 24 hours before departure.

The number of miles required to pay for the upgrade and which booking classes are upgradeable will depend on the specific airline. You can find this information by checking the website of your frequent flyer programme.

It is important to note that Star Alliance Upgrade Awards are not available on codeshare flights and may not be available on all flights. Additionally, any miles used for the upgrade will be automatically deducted from your account.

Star Alliance is the only alliance that offers this benefit across all its airlines, making it a valuable option for frequent flyers looking to enhance their travel experience.

Earning PQP/PQF/miles

Earning Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) is a requirement for achieving United Airlines' Premier elite status. PQPs are a measure of how much money you've spent with United and its partners. The primary way to earn PQPs is by flying with United, United Express, or any of its Star Alliance partners. However, you can also earn PQPs through spending on United's co-branded credit cards.

Here's how you can earn PQPs:

Flying with United

On United flights, you'll earn 1 PQP for every dollar you spend on:

• Carrier-imposed surcharges
• Seat purchases and subscriptions
• Co-pays on mileage upgrades and paid upgrades

Note that you won't earn PQPs on airport taxes, security fees, and other mandatory fees. These can reduce the number of PQPs you earn per dollar spent, especially on international routes.

Flying with Partner Airlines

In addition to United flights, you can earn PQPs when booking through partner airlines. The number of PQPs earned is based on a fraction of the total award miles earned on the partner flight:

• Preferred partners: Award miles divided by 5
• Other partners: Award miles divided by 6

United has several preferred and non-preferred partners, including:

• Preferred partners: Azul Brazilian Airlines, SWISS International Airlines
• Non-preferred partners: LOT Polish Airlines, South African Airways, Thai Airways International

There are caps on the number of PQPs you can earn on partner flights, which vary by partner category and cabin class.

Spending on United Credit Cards

Some United credit cards allow you to earn PQPs through spending. The number of PQPs earned and the annual cap vary by card:

• United Explorer Card: Earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent, up to 1,000 PQPs per year
• United Quest Card: Earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent, up to 6,000 PQPs per year
• United Club Infinite Card: Earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent, up to 10,000 PQPs per year
• United Business Card: Earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent, up to 1,000 PQPs per year
• United Club Business Card: Earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent, up to 1,000 PQPs per year

Purchasing Premier Accelerators

As a last resort, you can purchase PQPs through Premier Accelerators, but this option is only available when buying an Award Accelerator during a United flight booking. The rates and options vary depending on the flight.

To achieve Premier elite status, you must also meet the Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) requirement and fly a minimum of four segments with United or United Express. The specific PQP and PQF requirements vary by status level.

Booking directly with Austrian Airlines

When booking with Austrian Airlines, you can earn miles, save your preferences, and display your bookings at a glance through their Miles & More program. You can register for this program using your Miles & More login data on their website.

If you are booking a codeshare flight with Austrian Airlines through United, you will receive an OS record locator, which is analogous to a United confirmation number. You can use this record locator to make a seat selection on Austrian Airlines' website. If this does not work, you can call their customer service to reserve a seat.

It is important to note that Austrian Airlines may charge a fee for advance seat assignments. Additionally, paid upgrades can be made through the Austrian Airlines website after receiving your confirmation number. They offer both a fixed-price upgrade and a bid system for upgrades.

When booking through Austrian Airlines, earning miles is based on the distance flown and your fare class, which usually results in fewer earnings compared to booking with United. However, booking directly with Austrian Airlines has the benefit of booking with the operating airline.

Frequently asked questions