Does AA offer more award inventory for Platinums?
Dec 24, 2002, 1:58 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: brooklyn, ny 11201
Posts: 329
Does AA offer more award inventory for Platinums?
My limited search skills didn't turn up discussion of this on the boards, though I'm sure it's come up before. Apologies if this is a repeat...
I'm trying to figure out whether to pay up for Platinum next year. It might be worth it to me if I felt like my odds of booking two award seats in First for JFK to Rome for summer (high season) 2004 (assuming the route works out ok in 2003 and they keep it) were doubled or tripled from what they would be as a mere Gold.
Any thoughts? Thanks...
I'm trying to figure out whether to pay up for Platinum next year. It might be worth it to me if I felt like my odds of booking two award seats in First for JFK to Rome for summer (high season) 2004 (assuming the route works out ok in 2003 and they keep it) were doubled or tripled from what they would be as a mere Gold.
Any thoughts? Thanks...
Dec 24, 2002, 2:20 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: AA EXP/mm, Travelholics Anonymous
Posts: 2,962
Way more inventory for platinums, not just EXP.
Dec 24, 2002, 4:45 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
Not only is there more inventory for Plats, but AA will even occasionally make room for you as well. Depends on where you're going, what you're doing and the reward but it can happen.
Dec 24, 2002, 9:04 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Oak Park, IL
Programs: AA 2 MM LIfetime Platinum, SPG Platinum, Hilton Silver, BA
Posts: 3,585
Tried to book a trip to London in March and was very disappointed to be told that there was nothing in coach or business class. I could have bought boach for about $439. Decided to check British Airways and was able to get business class for the dates I wanted (and other dates if I had wanted)and got them for 75K each instead of 90K. The tax is higher at $102 compared to AA at $80. BA lets you change the dates without penalty and redepositing cost $50, rather than $100. If DC has the 2 for 1 promo with BA this summer I will be transferring a lot of AA miles over. Being Platinum didn't get me award tickets on AA.
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Ms.DtG
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Ms.DtG
Dec 24, 2002, 9:36 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Missouri, AA EXP
Posts: 923
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dgordon:
Tried to book a trip to London in March and was very disappointed to be told that there was nothing in coach or business class. I could have bought boach for about $439. Decided to check British Airways and was able to get business class for the dates I wanted (and other dates if I had wanted)and got them for 75K each instead of 90K. The tax is higher at $102 compared to AA at $80. BA lets you change the dates without penalty and redepositing cost $50, rather than $100. If DC has the 2 for 1 promo with BA this summer I will be transferring a lot of AA miles over. Being Platinum didn't get me award tickets on AA.
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Tried to book a trip to London in March and was very disappointed to be told that there was nothing in coach or business class. I could have bought boach for about $439. Decided to check British Airways and was able to get business class for the dates I wanted (and other dates if I had wanted)and got them for 75K each instead of 90K. The tax is higher at $102 compared to AA at $80. BA lets you change the dates without penalty and redepositing cost $50, rather than $100. If DC has the 2 for 1 promo with BA this summer I will be transferring a lot of AA miles over. Being Platinum didn't get me award tickets on AA.
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I suspect you did already, but in case you didn't, don't forget that you can use your AA miles to get to London on AA, Iberia, Finnair, Aer Lingus, Swiss and LOT. The partner awards include U.S. domestic travel on AA to the gateway city. Also, on premium cabin awards, AA does not charge for date changes either - only on coach awards.
Regards
Dec 27, 2002, 11:31 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 592
I have had varrying luck getting AA to open up award inventory for me (a PLT). Always done on a case-by-case basis.
BA, on the other hand, does have a stated policy (reported in this forum a while back) of increased award inventory for AA PLTs and EXPs.
-J S
BA, on the other hand, does have a stated policy (reported in this forum a while back) of increased award inventory for AA PLTs and EXPs.
-J S
Dec 28, 2002, 3:53 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2002
Programs: AA EXP, BA GLD, FT < 30 y
Posts: 2,106
If you are travelling with another person who is paying revenue for their seat, they will usually open up an award seat for you.
Dec 28, 2002, 7:11 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Oak Park, IL
Programs: AA 2 MM LIfetime Platinum, SPG Platinum, Hilton Silver, BA
Posts: 3,585
I believe that if I were using AA miles, I would have to pay 90K for the trip rather than 80K(minus 5K for booking online) with BA. BA doesn't charge for date changes whether coach or buiness, but you are right, in the case of business class I would have had the ability to change the dates. But I am getting flatbed seats rather than regular seats. I don't think I got the seats on BA because I am platinum with AA. I'm not how they would know that I am? Does anyone?
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Ms.DtG
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Ms.DtG