Random Flyer

It's the arbitrariness of it all that really gets me.

Now what are my chances of persuading them to start publishing such a fare... 0.0000001%? Well maybe I'll try anyway. I wonder how they decide on such matters.

Can you provide the current routing rules of the fare? It might help me ever so slightly in my quest.

Austinrunner

1. CHI-AA-DFW-AA-MIA-LA/LP-LIM
2. CHI-AA-MIA-LA/LP-LIM
3. CHI-AA-NYC-LA-LIM
4. CHI-AA/LA/LP-MIA-LA/LP-LIM
5. CHI-B6-NYC-LA-LIM
6. CHI-LA/LP-MIA-LA/LP-LIM
7. CHI-UA-MIA-LA/LP-LIM
8. CHI-UA-NYC-LA-LIM
9. CHI-US-CLT-US-MIA-LA/LP-LIM
10. CHI-US-MIA-LA/LP-LIM

You clearly cannot use some of those routings on an AA award because the listed airline is not an AA partner.

Remsam

I have been trying to book a flight from New York City to Buenos Aires in late August/early September using my AA miles for the last few months. So far, I can get down there for 20,000 miles but there do not seem to be any return flights available for less than 60,000 on either AA or LAN.

Is it likely that more seats will open up for fewer miles later in the summer?

Random Flyer

Thanks for this.Very interesting!

So am I following this correctly? - For AA award travel on LAN from ORD to LIM via MIA, the only options are: ORD-MIA-LIM, ORD-DFW-MIA-LIM, or ORD-NYC-LIM. No other options, right? (I'm not counting OW awards, etc.)

bostonoski

The best answer you will get here is a Definite Maybe. Emphasis on the Maybe.

Austinrunner

Assuming you want MIA to be your North American gateway and that you will use LA for
MIA -> LIM, these are your options using AA miles:

ORD -> DFW (AA) -> MIA (AA) -> LIM (LA)
ORD -> MIA (AA) -> LIM (LA)

Austinrunner

An alternative is to return from MVD instead of EZE.

Random Flyer

Sorry, my post was poorly writtem. I did not mean to specify MIA as the required gateway. Actually I don't care what gateway is used.

Smashingblue

Trying to get a milesaver award from DTW to NRT roundtrip, but can only find the lesser award on the way there.

Any airline is fine for the trip back to DTW, anyone have any tips or know of any mileage saver awards for the return flight I might not have been able to locate?

mreed911

Also remember that NONE of these searches include expanded EXP availability. If you're EXP, it's worth the call. While not a given, I have had expanded availability help me in J for ORD-CDG. Went from 1 available to 2 when I called.

hindukid

Decided to run my own simple test comparing AA and UA domestic coach availability on nonstops. Selected two routes giving each airline a double-hub stranglehold route. Used ORD as its a common hub and also my hometown. Checked availability over 7 days. Oct 8-14. Mostly a random pick of days, though I was thinking of vacationing then. Only selected flights available for 12.5K miles. Checked total number of nonstops, number of days with a nonstop available, and minimum number of nonstops on days with availability.

UA DFW-ORD 25 flights, 7 days minimum of 2 flights per day
AA DFW-ORD 15 Flights, 5 days minimum of 1 flight per day
UA IAH-ORD 54 flights, 7 days minimum of 3 flights per day
AA IAH-ORD 4 flights, 2 days minimum of 1 flight per day

Conclusion: UA had 79 flights compared to 19 on AA. A little more than 4 times as much. UA also had availability to both markets every single day. AA only averaged flights every other day. No surprise to me that UA was much better than AA as that is what I generally notice. AA even lost on its DFW-ORD route which it dominates and has a countless number of flights on.

hindukid

More tests:

IAH-LAX on UA vs. DFW-LAX on AA. Aug 13-19.
IAH-LAX UA 58 flights, 7 days, min. 6 per day
DFW-LAX AA 9 flights, 7 days, min. 1 per day

IAH-MCO on UA vs. DFW-MCO on AA. July 2-8
IAH-MCO UA 5 flights, 3 days, min 1 per day
DFW-MCO AA 10 flights, 3 days, min 3 per day

IAH-MSP on UA vs. DFW-MSP on AA. Nov 19-25
IAH-MSP UA 13 flights, 6 days, min 1 per day.
DFW-MSP AA 12 flights, 2 days, min 6 per day.

bostonoski

Thanks for doing this and posting!
I started to compile a list of awards on the route I have so much trouble with this year and it was so slow loading each AA calendar page that I gave up after viewing about 6 months' worth and didn't have the energy to look at other airlines! But it's helpful to have a general sense, per your posts.
Appreciate it, thanks.

lolives

I was told that AA refreshes it's award inventory at 12:00am CST and that JAL refreshes it's award inventory at 1:00am JST.

Does anyone know if that means I should call AA at 12:00am CST or 1:00am JST to check for JAL award seats bookable with AA miles?

WyattEarp

As a financial employee hired on to help two large companies work through bankruptcy and I can say that from my experience 1) Short-term priorities during the BK process outweigh almost all long-term priorities even if it hacks off customers and key vendors. 2) Immediate cash outweighs increasing long-term liabilities. Bankruptcy Advisors want to prove to the Creditor groups and to the Bankruptcy Judge they can increase operating cash flow even if it is a short-term effect. I think this is one of the ways the highly compensated advisors validate their value.

As JohnAx countered Austinrunner's point that American does not believe award passengers take away seats from revenue passengers, "AA is working especially hard to make sure in the current climate to make sure that remains the case". Knowing the process, I concur. Simply put, award passengers provide little or no cash flow so they are not a priority in the short run. This was definitely the case during the United bankruptcy and I believe now the case with American. Find ways to increase revenue and don't give away as many seats regardless if they would go unused.

I think there is a deluge of anectodal evidence here that strongly suggests 2012 will be a terrible year for AAdvantage members. I know if American provides quantitative evidence about award use in public statements that it is most likely validated. Qualitative statements such as "does not believe" are not worth much and at best can be categorized as spin, marketing or whatever. My guess is American will not offer any quantitative statements about 2012 award use next year and offer some vague points that the AAdvantage program continued to be a leading airline customer-loyalty program in 2012....blah, blah, blah.