Air Berlin/airberlin Award Redemptions Available with AAdvantage Miles (Oct. 5 2011)

I was helping my boss plan some award travel today, and thought I'd ask AAdvantage desk when Air Berlin/airberlin (which is it?) awards might be available. After some digging the agent found a memo stating a beginning date of Oct. 5th.
Me: "So they're available starting today?"
Agent: "Yeah, I guess they are. Congratulations." (her delivery was brilliant).

AA has updated their site, but no news.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/ea.../airberlin.jsp
Air Berlin has a link in their news section.
http://www.airberlin.com/site/tb/par...-tb-1_american

Now I know most here won't care because there's no first class and it's (gasp!) a LCC, but it looks like a good option for getting to/around Europe for us non-aspirational travelers.

It looks like there are no fuel surcharges, even though Air Berlin charges one to their members. I was quoted 20K + ~$120 in taxes for TXL-JFK (don't think that included the $25 phone fee). Using their website I found available space by registering with their program, topbonus. For a one-way TXL-JFK there are three levels of coach redemption: a 17.5K ("topdeal") and 25K option with 156€ taxes/surcharges and a 35K option where you pay nothing at all. It looks like the 25K option allows changes for a fee. Business is similarly 37.5K + 156€/47.5K. The only date I checked with the AAgent was available, and listed as a 25K redemption on the Air Berlin site. I didn't see any unavailable dates around my timeframe with topbonus miles.

Perhaps others can add experience/corrections? There isn't a whole lot of Air Berlin info out there....

I looked at paid tickets for December TXL-VIE. There's a 17 euro service charge and a 10 euro seat fee which don't disappear when you enter your AAdvantage number. It would not take my AAdvantage number unless the letters were in caps. A listed € 64.99 one-way fare comes out a bit more and must include some of the fees listed below. The seat fee isn't shown below.

Your flight price
Adults: 1 × € 22.99
€ 22.99
Other taxes and charges
€ 1.00
Fuel surcharge
€ 33.00
Air passenger duty
€ 8.00
Ticket service charge
€ 17.00
Total price
€ 81.99

Might be a better use of miles if it's 10,000 AA miles for a one way award within Europe.

If you are using AA miles to book the ticket, then you must use the AA mileage redemption chart. What AB would charge to its own frequent flyers for the same ticket is irrelevant.

Taxes, fees, etc. for TXL -> JFK using AA miles on AB in Y or J:
German Airport Security Tax (DE) $6.10
German Passenger Service Charge (RA) $19.70
German Air Transport Tax (OY) $59.30
USDA APHIS Fee (XA) $5.00
US Immigration Fee (XY) $7.00
US Customs Fee (YC) $5.50
TOTAL: $102.60

Not included in the above is the $25.00 telephone booking fee.

I was unclear, sorry. I was trying to establish a method to search for AB award inventory without having to call AA.
AFAIK there is no tool to check AB availability other than it's own website.

Its too bad that from FRA, most AB flights connect through TXL or VIE. Good if your headed to those to places not so good if you are headed somewhere else.

Where did you get that idea? From FRA, AB flies non-stop to: GWT, HAM, TXL, KVA, SKG, SMI, RHO, CFU, ZTH, SUF, CTA, OLB, PMI, IBZ, ALC, and FUE. There is no non-stop service between FRA and VIE on AB, although there is on HG.

I looked on their website.

Are some of those seasonal? I didn't see many of them looking in feb 2012.

Sorry, I missed the HG below the flight vie flight. Looking at certain cities today it showed vie as a connection city.

Happy to be wrong.

Quote from aa.com
"COMING SOON TO oneworld.
As a oneworld member elect, American Airlines looks forward to airberlin joining the oneworld family of carriers in 2012-just weeks before the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, a major new hub for Europe- making the oneworld network even stronger."

http://www.aa.com/viewPromotionDetai...itle=airberlin earn and redeem AAdvantage miles&reportedPosition=3&url=undefined&_locale=en_ US&repositoryName=undefined&repositoryId=undefine d

Using the search term {AirBerlin}, I found the existing thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-5-2011-a.html

MODs alerted.

It should be noted that one can buy one-ways without paying an onerous price differential. This might be a useful option for someone who wishes to use miles for one direction of a trip.

Your point is made. Apart from HAM and TXL, that's a real 'Germans go on holiday' network!

i got an email from AA about earning miles on AirBerlin now, does that mean EQMs too?

AA.com seems to indicate that AB marketed HG (Niki) operated flights are eligible for AA miles. How about pure HG flights? Since they will be a oneworld affiliate airline, would HG marketed and operated flights still count for milage acctual?

What are the chances I can redeem AA miles to travel from LAX - MLE on Air Berlin?