Oct 28, 2012, 8:27 pm
Last edit by: Microwave
Moderator Wikipost
For AA's announcement of their new One-Way Flex Awards, see: http://www.aa.com/i18n/amrcorp/newsr...FlexAwards.jsp
For AA's FAQ on the new One-Way Flex Awards, including the new stopover rule, see: http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...award_faqs.jsp
Note that free stopovers have been eliminated as of 8 April 2014, so that portion of this discussion is no longer current.
/AA Moderator Team
For AA's announcement of their new One-Way Flex Awards, see: http://www.aa.com/i18n/amrcorp/newsr...FlexAwards.jsp
For AA's FAQ on the new One-Way Flex Awards, including the new stopover rule, see: http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...award_faqs.jsp
Q: Do one-way awards include any stopovers?
A: Awards between North America and Europe, India, Asia, and Central / South America allow a stopover at the North American gateway. However, other one-way awards do not allow stopovers.
A: Awards between North America and Europe, India, Asia, and Central / South America allow a stopover at the North American gateway. However, other one-way awards do not allow stopovers.
/AA Moderator Team
New One-Way Flex Award / Awards, <NO> Stopover Rule, and Booking Engine (May 9, 2009)
May 11, 2009, 7:13 am
#136
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Programs: AA Plat, UA Silver, DL Silver, Marriott Titanium, etc.
Posts: 4,210
Yes this is the aspect that disturbs me more than a little. This is one of the big reasons I'm moving business away from NW-Delta since the merger. Is AA going to become just like Delta? By my calculations the value of a WorldPerks or Skymiles mile has been reduced by about 50% in the last year and Elite benefit reductions have come one after other, often without warning. Very upset to see this change come without any advanced warning from AA.
May 11, 2009, 7:23 am
#137
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
For the vast majority of AA miles earners who collect for round trips to Hawaii or to visit relatives on the other side of the country it has no real meaning - they'll still be booking round trips.
based on history it would be slightly negative for me - an extra $500 a head due to the loss of a stopover on one vacation, versus the ability to book an open jaw on line instead of paying the phone fees and a little more flexibility to mix milesaver with anytime awards.
One question I have is what's in it for AA? I can't yet see much gain to repay the investment?
May 11, 2009, 7:31 am
#138
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,232
As I am retired, I am fortunate to be able to travel for longer than 1 month.
2 years running now I had to book the outbound flight in J when first available and later when I wanted to change my "fake" return to the real one (and be able to keep my original outbound) I had to go through a supervisor who redeposited the miles and issued new tickets (Thank you). Each time it cost me $150/pp but I was happy as each time my outbound flight would not have been available if I had waited.
Now I can book the one way outbound and wait till the correct return date and book it - saves me $300. Too bad about the stopovers though.
2 years running now I had to book the outbound flight in J when first available and later when I wanted to change my "fake" return to the real one (and be able to keep my original outbound) I had to go through a supervisor who redeposited the miles and issued new tickets (Thank you). Each time it cost me $150/pp but I was happy as each time my outbound flight would not have been available if I had waited.
Now I can book the one way outbound and wait till the correct return date and book it - saves me $300. Too bad about the stopovers though.
Date & time changes have always been free; why were you paying $150/pp and why did you needed a supervisor to redeposit and re-issue the award?Example: I did a JFK-LHR-CPT r/t on BA in F recently, with a stopover in LHR. It was 200k miles r/t. Under the new rules, you'd have to do a JFK-LHR (for 50% of 125k) + LHR-CPT (50% of 100k) + CPT-JFK (50% of 200k) = 212,500 miles. A whopping 12,500 additional miles.
May 11, 2009, 7:41 am
#139
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,232
Originally Posted by USA Today
Called One-Way Flex Awards, the change lets AAdvantage members:
<snip>
<snip>
- Split an award trip between American and one of its 20 AAdvantage program partner airlines. Previously, awards trips had to be completed entirely on American or entirely on one of its partners.
May 11, 2009, 7:44 am
#140
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,106
While I am thrilled about AA's initiative to evolve AAdvantage, changing the rules overnight is not the professional way to conduct business.
AA was able to announce the new amenity kits months before they were available, but not a significant change to AAdvantage?!?!
May 11, 2009, 8:13 am
#141
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
How about this one in today's Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,4213971.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,4213971.story
The Chicago Tribune says:
American is playing catch-up to Delta Air Lines, US Airways, Midwest and Alaska Airlines, which all allow frequent fliers to book one-way tickets.
May 11, 2009, 8:28 am
#142
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,456
I book (fairly regularly) STL-OGG R/T, sometimes paid, sometimes on award tix. I dislike (intensely) red-eye flights. In the past, I have been able to book STL-LAX-OGG(X)-LAX(X)-STL. There is a nice afternoon flight that leaves OGG at 2 P.M., arrives in LAX at 10:20. The other AA flights from OGG are to LAX departing 9:10 P.M. arriving LAX 5:15 A.M. and to DFW departing 4:55 P.M. arriving 5:00 A.M. In the past, I had no problem booking (either as an award or as a paid ticket) the 2 P.M. from OGG-LAX, getting off in LAX, checking into a hotel, and going LAX-STL the next morning. Now, the only flights that appear LAX-STL are redeyes connecting in DFW (departing 12:10) or ORD (departing 11:55)... Either way, a sleepless night. .
May 11, 2009, 8:48 am
#143
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SAT
Programs: AA EXP BA Gold, TK Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AS 100K, QR PLT, SAS Gold, IHG Spire, AMR
Posts: 5,898
What do you base your assessment on? It appears that here on FT, more people seem like like the change, but that is a very small sample size and really not a foundation for making a statement like that.
May 11, 2009, 9:10 am
#145
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA 2MM, AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,966
The first flights our are the redeyes to DFW or ORD, connecting there to STL. Getting an overnight using last flight in-first flight out only works when there are no intervening flights that serve as a valid routing to your destination.
May 11, 2009, 9:17 am
#146
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
As I noted, it's obviously subjective and will vary by person. But I assume that FTers are more experienced & more knowledgeable than the average member, travel internationally more, and are more likely to know how to squeeze maximum value from their miles. Thus, more likely to have been using the stopovers on awards. So if FTers are generally in favor of the changes, overall, then I suspect the general public would feel even more so.
May 11, 2009, 9:22 am
#147
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SAT
Programs: AA EXP BA Gold, TK Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AS 100K, QR PLT, SAS Gold, IHG Spire, AMR
Posts: 5,898
May 11, 2009, 9:26 am
#148
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,083
A North America Program Game Changer
I feel very gratified that either American is listening or they finally got smart
A number of times over the past few years I spoke with AA Customer Servive and Dallas HQ directly urging them to do so. This way they could be better aligned with other One World partner programs.This will definately increase my business with AA
Now I will be more likely to buy the majority of my tickets from AA and combine it with an award when a fare may be too high.Thus not using a competing carrier and its program.Congrats AA ^^^
From one of the best programs in the world :-::-::-::-::-:
A number of times over the past few years I spoke with AA Customer Servive and Dallas HQ directly urging them to do so. This way they could be better aligned with other One World partner programs.This will definately increase my business with AA
Now I will be more likely to buy the majority of my tickets from AA and combine it with an award when a fare may be too high.Thus not using a competing carrier and its program.Congrats AA ^^^
From one of the best programs in the world :-::-::-::-::-:
May 11, 2009, 9:36 am
#149
Join Date: May 1998
Location: IAD, DCA
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,531
Negative
For me, these changes are a negative. I rarely have a need for a one way award, and have rarely been unable to find availability in the desired award class both ways.
75% of my award travel has been in J or F to Asia, with a stopover in Tokyo on the way. Fares out of NRT are high, so paying for the leg between NRT and wherever the final destination may be, particularly in something other than coach, will add a significant cost to a "free" trip.
75% of my award travel has been in J or F to Asia, with a stopover in Tokyo on the way. Fares out of NRT are high, so paying for the leg between NRT and wherever the final destination may be, particularly in something other than coach, will add a significant cost to a "free" trip.