ARCHIVE: oneworld / Explorer Awards Using AA Miles info
Dec 23, 2011, 4:24 pm
#3691
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Also, one other question: I called American Airlines a few days ago and spoke to a (somewhat unhelpful) booking agent about my itinerary. One of the things he told me is that, in addition to the trip starting from the day I book the ticket, my trip cannot last beyond the 330 date window AA has on future reservations. This struck me as somewhat strange, since I thought that all the flight dates (after the initial flight) can be rescheduled for free if open flights are available... couldn't I just wait a few months until AA starts ticketing flights for later in 2012 and push back the end of my trip by 30 days?
For travel, you need to COMPLETE the travel within the 1 year validity starting from the date the ticket is ISSUED. So if your travel would fall into the last 30 days of that 1 year, just change the dates of those segments when the dates are available for booking.
Dec 23, 2011, 4:26 pm
#3692
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Actually I believe there is a miscommunication there. The AA agent might very well mean now he can only book up to 330 days from todate. I suspect it is what the AA Agent has meant to say.
Dec 24, 2011, 1:18 am
#3693
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 22
If your AA mastercard is opened at least 2 years ago, you may have a shot. Citi seems to have a secret roster which it keeps the prior/current owners of the AAdvantage card. Nobody knows exactly how it work. Though in general an 18+ months from previous successful application seems to be the necessary time lapse for majority of folks to get another Citi AA cards. YMMV of course.
AA reservation system can only book up to 330 days from todate. You can test a future dummy booking on AA website to see for yourself.
For travel, you need to COMPLETE the travel within the 1 year validity starting from the date the ticket is ISSUED. So if your travel would fall into the last 30 days of that 1 year, just change the dates of those segments when the dates are available for booking.
For travel, you need to COMPLETE the travel within the 1 year validity starting from the date the ticket is ISSUED. So if your travel would fall into the last 30 days of that 1 year, just change the dates of those segments when the dates are available for booking.
Dec 24, 2011, 2:16 am
#3694
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 22
Crap!
Just did a little more research... am I gonna get slammed with a massive fuel surcharge for flying BA from RIO to LHR and LHR to NBO? Should I do Iberia to Madrid instead?
Dec 24, 2011, 3:57 am
#3695
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,529
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
No fuel surcharges ex-Brazil. Hefty fuel surcharges (and hefty UK APD) on LHR-Africa in BA Business Class.
Originally Posted by FrankReynolds
Just did a little more research... am I gonna get slammed with a massive fuel surcharge for flying BA from RIO to LHR and LHR to NBO? Should I do Iberia to Madrid instead?
Dec 24, 2011, 5:03 am
#3696
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
If you were only connecting in UK, then solution is simple: -Rio-Madrid-Amman-Nairobi-Amman- will put you back on the track.
If you wish to actually visit London, then still try to avoid BA: -Rio-Madrid-London-Amman-Nairobi-Amman-
The last one will have 17 segments (16 max are allowed), so you'll still need to tweak something somewhere.
My other suggestion is to leave SYD out (it is adding lot of miles for just one city) and reorder Asian cities a little (eg, DEL-BKK-HKG-PEK-NRT-LAX). That will solve the segment problem and help with the total cost as you'll need only 190K miles in Business class.
Your Mom asked you to make a wise choice. Any choice, by definition, consists of leaving things out. I'd suggest you consider SYD (to minimize miles) and/or UK (to minimize fees and taxes). Of course, Business class is nice, but for a young person in good health, it too is a candidate for leaving out. You'll have to decide. These are exciting plans. Best of luck!
Last edited by aktchi; Dec 24, 2011 at 5:26 am
Dec 30, 2011, 8:18 am
#3697
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Questions about defunct airline / AA partner Mexicana / MX should be asked / have been moved to this thread. /Moderator
Dec 31, 2011, 9:18 pm
#3698
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
I suppose my biggest question is: is it worth it for me to buy more miles to upgrade to business class? It would cost me approximately $1600 for the necessary 60,000 miles, but I would also get 20,000 bonus miles if I do it before the end of the year thanks to a current AA promotion. I know that buying airline miles in cash is usually not a good value, but do you think in this case it would be worth it to go business?
- Alex
- Alex
Just consider - to "earn" 60,000 AA miles you'd have to:
1 Either fly 60,000 miles (as a non elite) - just think how much that would cost
2 or put $60,000 on your CC
Compared to that $1600 for 60,000 miles is a real bargain; and I think you'd be very happy that you are flying all this distance in business (for both the comfort in flying as well as the lounge access).
Jan 1, 2012, 2:40 pm
#3699
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home: Arlington, VA; Home airports: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: Active: AA, UA, DL
Posts: 4,095
Still trying to understand the situation with BA fuel surcharges for itineraries ex- Brazil. 
Do fuel surcharges for all flights in the itinerary get dropped as a result of a ticket originating Brazil?
I'm thinking of doing:
GRU-LHR BA
LHR-BKK BA
BKK-HKG-JFK CX
JFK-LHR-JNB-DUR BA
DUR-JNB-LHR-IAD BA
Or only the GRU-LHR flight has no fuel surcharges and the USA-South Africa-USA segments are assessed fuel surcharges?
I checked out ITA and did a GRU-LHR, LHR-BKK, BKK-JFK, and JFK-JNB in the same query. No YQ charges appeared in the fare calculation lines.
Do fuel surcharges for all flights in the itinerary get dropped as a result of a ticket originating Brazil?
I'm thinking of doing:
GRU-LHR BA
LHR-BKK BA
BKK-HKG-JFK CX
JFK-LHR-JNB-DUR BA
DUR-JNB-LHR-IAD BA
Or only the GRU-LHR flight has no fuel surcharges and the USA-South Africa-USA segments are assessed fuel surcharges?
I checked out ITA and did a GRU-LHR, LHR-BKK, BKK-JFK, and JFK-JNB in the same query. No YQ charges appeared in the fare calculation lines.
Last edited by Wiirachay; Jan 1, 2012 at 2:51 pm
