travelinterpreters

Hello everyone, I am trying to book our flights to SYD for July of next year. The date I want is open for LAX-SYD and there is plenty of availability. My problem is the domestic leg from MCI-LAX. Right now there is really nothing at all open, can I go ahead and book the LAX-SYD segment and then add the MCI-LAX leg later when/if more seats open up? If I can do this, what is the likelyhood of the AA opening seats later on? Is it just that it is so far out and I have to wait a few more months to see what happens? I know there is no crystal ball, just asking what "normally" happens.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Edit: I just now looked for DFW-SYD and the months of May and June have availability almost every day of the month, then when I check July, there are only two dates available. Again, is this something where I just need to wait a couple of months and more dates in July will probably open up? I would much rather do the DFW SYD trip if possible.

JJeffrey

You can do this, but unfortunately unless you're EXP, adding the MCI-LAX segments after you've ticketed LAX-SYD will incur the $150 fee. You're changing your origin from LAX to MCI.

It still might be worth it though, considering the risk/cost of a) buying MCI-LAX separately or b) losing the award space on LAX-SYD.

FWAAA

July is winter in Australia, but it's prime vacation season here. Seats in May and June don't surprise me all that much because that's before the big summer vacation season kicks off. I doubt you'll see much more inventory released for July. My crystal ball isn't 100% guaranteed, but is there really no big downside to redeeming for those LAX-SYD seats you want. Before someone else does.

I'd grab the seats that are available today, as they're available on your preferred travel date. If award space opens on DFW-SYD and/or MCI-DFW and/or MCI-LAX between now and next spring, then fantastic - you'll have to pay the $150 fee but that is vastly preferable to not grabbing those seats today and holding out waiting for domestic availability which might coincide with no more availability on QF to SYD. Wouldn't that suck? Looked at it that way, the $150 is very cheap insurance that you'll get award seats most of the way to Sydney next July.

travelinterpreters

Thanks, i really appreciate it. Is it $150 per person, or per reservation? Also, 2 ticket will come out of my account and one will come from Mrs travel interpreters account, will that make a difference?

Thanks again

flightmedic

$150 fee for the first person and $25 for subsequent people on the reservation. If you have to split the reservation due to using miles from two accounts it would be $150 per.

When I made a recent change (no status) they very nicely told me they would waive the fee but YMMV.

jridge

Another possibility is to book whatever horrible routing is available, e.g. MCI-DFW-DEN-LAX, MCI-ORD-SLC-LAX, ..., and then watch for non-stops to open. Those changes are free since your origin and destination remain the same.

These routings generally don't show when you search MCI-SYD (too many connections), so search MCI-LAX separately. This way you can also search for overnight connections (a hotel should be less than 2x$150 and more flexible to cancel).

Obviously you need to be willing to fly the crappy route in case nothing else does open, so whether this works for you depends on your personal tradeoff of cost vs convenience.

My experience over the past year or so has been that you're more likely to get QF seats open up a couple of weeks before than you are on AA's hub routes (e.g. DFW-LAX). That applies even to peak times.

mvoight

I thought you can drop segments without charge. So, you wouldn't be stuck flying them.

Bonehead

Question: If one books LAX--SYD Milesaaver now and then wants the ticket changed to MCI--SYD later when MCI--LAX Milesaaver becomes available, does the entire ticket need to be reissued such that the miles are first redeposited and Milesaaver availability then must be available LAX--SYD as if it were a new booking?

jridge

I agree, quite so. But it would mean another way from MCI-LAX needs to be found, and buying a ticket at the last minute might be prohibitive.

Either way, I'd say it is more flexible to find *some* legal/available routing from MCI-LAX-SYD and ticket that, then either change the routing or drop segments later (both free, as you say). Not doing so would *definitely* cost something (change fee, separate award, paid ticket) unless EXP.

jridge

No. The existing segments are not released back into inventory in my experience. The ticket does need to be reissued, but that does not necessarily mean releasing inventory.

travelinterpreters

Thanks again to everyone for the help.

I am now checking the DFW-SYD route as there is plenty of award space MCI-DFW, but its odd to look at the availibility in July and see nothing at all for DFW-SYD and then start checking back and there are seats available for almost every day from february to june...then something happens and July is just dead. I am hoping that the inventory is just not loaded yet and that soon the seats will open up.

My wife and I are interpreting on a transatlantic cruise starting monday and will no internet access for 9 days, I was hoping to get these tickets booked before that, but now it looks like I am waiting till we get back.

jridge

I'm not sure if you didn't read post #3, or if you are just hoping that it is wrong.

Really your options are (a) do nothing and wait to see if DFW-SYD availability comes up, with the potential that it doesn't and meantime LAX-SYD sells out; (b) book LAX-SYD now and pay 2x$150 change fee for a change to MCI-LAX-SYD or MCI-DFW-SYD (or book a separate MCI-LAX paid ticket); or (c) find a route like MCI-DFW-DEN-LAX-SYD and book that now, with the potential to change it to MCI-DFW-SYD (for free) if space opens.

I know which I'd do, but ultimately that's your call.

travelinterpreters

I get it now!! Duh, I feel like an idiot. You would think after being on FT for 8 years that I would of figured that out by now. Thanks jridge.