Jan 13, 2015, 1:39 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Awards: Success stories of award booking on Etihad using AA miles (>= 2015)
This thread is about our members' successful award bookings on Etihad / EY using AAdvantage miles. Please do not post to this thread if you want tips and assistance on booking Etihad awards with AA miles but see this thread: How to use AA miles on Etihad / EY (Consolidated / Master Thread). The wikipost of that thread also contains instructions on how to search for EY availability.
Note: posts prior to 2015 about this topic (with the exception of a few 2014 end of year posts brought forward for continuity) may be found at ARCHIVE: Success stories of award booking on Etihad using AA miles
Success stories booking awards on Etihad using AA miles (Archive - 2015 and earlier)
Jan 9, 2015, 3:27 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
Yeah - that's what I meant, of course you can do 2 separate awards. 100K is a princely sum but I guess it's only 20K more for great availability on what is ostensibly the best First class product in the world right now (and comparatively a better value than US-ME awards for 90K)
Jan 10, 2015, 12:40 am
#32
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: MEL
Programs: QFF, AA, LM, EY
Posts: 761
Yeah - that's what I meant, of course you can do 2 separate awards. 100K is a princely sum but I guess it's only 20K more for great availability on what is ostensibly the best First class product in the world right now (and comparatively a better value than US-ME awards for 90K)
Last edited by Nizar; Jan 10, 2015 at 6:32 am
Jan 10, 2015, 8:04 am
#35
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP/4MM, DL GM/1MM, HH ♦, Bonvoy LT PLT, Hyatt Globalist, AMEX Bus Plt
Posts: 620
redacted - please remove
Jan 10, 2015, 8:57 am
#36
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 17
So I've 80,000 American Miles. Looking to treat both my Gf and I to 1st on the way back from UAE to London/Europe in May and would like some advice.
Ideally we would like to fly Etihad.
- A380 Etihad First to Lhr is unavailable for the dates we need (between 30th May and 2nd June).
- Etihad 787-9 First to Dusseldorf is available but is a night flight. Will we be losing a lot of value/enjoyment with it not being a day flight?? What are the main differences?
- Been offered First on Qatar to LHR but not on their new A380 - on their older A340/330 seats/aircraft - and no chauffeur and on-board bar....
- Trying to see if Qatar A380 to CDG is available (is calling AA only way to check this?) - it is a day flight and shows that their are normal restricted first fare seats available...
What is the best way to check for award seats from Middle East to Europe I can book with AA miles without calling AA?
Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated. It will be the first time flying first for both of us, so want the best product/experience possible. Etihad was always top of my list....
Or are we being stupid and should we wait for a trip we can make where the etihad A380 first is available?!
Ideally we would like to fly Etihad.
- A380 Etihad First to Lhr is unavailable for the dates we need (between 30th May and 2nd June).
- Etihad 787-9 First to Dusseldorf is available but is a night flight. Will we be losing a lot of value/enjoyment with it not being a day flight?? What are the main differences?
- Been offered First on Qatar to LHR but not on their new A380 - on their older A340/330 seats/aircraft - and no chauffeur and on-board bar....
- Trying to see if Qatar A380 to CDG is available (is calling AA only way to check this?) - it is a day flight and shows that their are normal restricted first fare seats available...
What is the best way to check for award seats from Middle East to Europe I can book with AA miles without calling AA?
Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated. It will be the first time flying first for both of us, so want the best product/experience possible. Etihad was always top of my list....
Or are we being stupid and should we wait for a trip we can make where the etihad A380 first is available?!
Jan 10, 2015, 9:36 am
#37
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
- Making a BA account is probably the best way of checking oneworld availability. Beware sometimes it shows phantom availability, though - you have to verify by calling.
- I would certainly not take QR old F over EY any F (new or old).
- The 2am-ish flights will basically involve eating in the lounge and sleeping as soon as reaching cruising altitude, unless you make yourself stay up and eat/drink (which, to me, is counterintuitive to flying F). Day flights would be much better for the eating and drinking, and the menu will also be more extensive since the first service on those 2am flights will generally be a snack service.
- As to whether you should use them now or wait for the A380 availability, surely it depends on how easy it would be for you to get those 80k miles again. In many ways, the A380 would be better enjoyed on a longer flight to the US or Australia, which is admittedly more expensive but also means you have a meaningful amount of time to eat, drink, sleep, enjoy IFE and so on.
To me, the European flight block time of 6-7 hours means non-stop sleeping on a night departure, and eating/drinking with just enough time for a snooze on a daytime flight. The flight really needs to be 10h+ to fully make use of the services without "staying up all night".
- I would certainly not take QR old F over EY any F (new or old).
- The 2am-ish flights will basically involve eating in the lounge and sleeping as soon as reaching cruising altitude, unless you make yourself stay up and eat/drink (which, to me, is counterintuitive to flying F). Day flights would be much better for the eating and drinking, and the menu will also be more extensive since the first service on those 2am flights will generally be a snack service.
- As to whether you should use them now or wait for the A380 availability, surely it depends on how easy it would be for you to get those 80k miles again. In many ways, the A380 would be better enjoyed on a longer flight to the US or Australia, which is admittedly more expensive but also means you have a meaningful amount of time to eat, drink, sleep, enjoy IFE and so on.
To me, the European flight block time of 6-7 hours means non-stop sleeping on a night departure, and eating/drinking with just enough time for a snooze on a daytime flight. The flight really needs to be 10h+ to fully make use of the services without "staying up all night".
Jan 10, 2015, 1:13 pm
#38
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 519
Am I still looking 67.5 K AA miles for MCI-SIN (MCI-ORD-AUH-SIN) in business class? or is there any change?
Jan 10, 2015, 1:35 pm
#39
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Exploralist, Marriot Silver
Posts: 2,065
67.5k would be true for North America to Asia 2 if you did not route through a third region (middle east). Your routing would require two awards, US-ME at 67.5k and ME-ASIA2 at 30k for a total of 97.5k.
Jan 11, 2015, 6:57 am
#40
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 519
I have no reason to route, but without going to auh is there any other way to book sin for 67.5?
Jan 11, 2015, 8:06 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond. SPG Plat. Marriott Plat.
Posts: 522
Hey everyone. Was wondering if anyone had any experience with remember how ethiad is with award availability for AUH-SYD. I'm going to assume I have 0 chance of an award in F during December.... But do they pretty much block out January for awards as well?
Hoping to fly the A380 of course
Hoping to fly the A380 of course
Jan 11, 2015, 8:40 am
#42
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: DC
Posts: 195
So I've 80,000 American Miles. Looking to treat both my Gf and I to 1st on the way back from UAE to London/Europe in May and would like some advice.
Ideally we would like to fly Etihad.
- A380 Etihad First to Lhr is unavailable for the dates we need (between 30th May and 2nd June).
- Etihad 787-9 First to Dusseldorf is available but is a night flight. Will we be losing a lot of value/enjoyment with it not being a day flight?? What are the main differences?
- Been offered First on Qatar to LHR but not on their new A380 - on their older A340/330 seats/aircraft - and no chauffeur and on-board bar....
- Trying to see if Qatar A380 to CDG is available (is calling AA only way to check this?) - it is a day flight and shows that their are normal restricted first fare seats available...
What is the best way to check for award seats from Middle East to Europe I can book with AA miles without calling AA?
Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated. It will be the first time flying first for both of us, so want the best product/experience possible. Etihad was always top of my list....
Or are we being stupid and should we wait for a trip we can make where the etihad A380 first is available?!
Ideally we would like to fly Etihad.
- A380 Etihad First to Lhr is unavailable for the dates we need (between 30th May and 2nd June).
- Etihad 787-9 First to Dusseldorf is available but is a night flight. Will we be losing a lot of value/enjoyment with it not being a day flight?? What are the main differences?
- Been offered First on Qatar to LHR but not on their new A380 - on their older A340/330 seats/aircraft - and no chauffeur and on-board bar....
- Trying to see if Qatar A380 to CDG is available (is calling AA only way to check this?) - it is a day flight and shows that their are normal restricted first fare seats available...
What is the best way to check for award seats from Middle East to Europe I can book with AA miles without calling AA?
Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated. It will be the first time flying first for both of us, so want the best product/experience possible. Etihad was always top of my list....
Or are we being stupid and should we wait for a trip we can make where the etihad A380 first is available?!
Looks like business class is available on the A380 for June 2 (2 seats on the 8:35AM flight). Not quite first, of course, but the business class on the A380 does look great and probably better than F on many other airlines. You'd still have the chauffeur (both directions) and on-board bar. It's a day flight, so you could enjoy the on-board amenities more thoroughly. Plus, you'd save yourself 20K miles.
Jan 11, 2015, 11:42 am
#43
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Exploralist, Marriot Silver
Posts: 2,065
Jan 11, 2015, 1:29 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,593
