Jan 25, 2014, 2:56 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Be sure to check the lengthy http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...elections.html and oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on threads, as many members have posted questions - and useful answers - there. See the wiki posts for informative summaries.
Also be aware - AA have reduced capacity and apparently chosen to make MileSAAver flights significantly less available during predicted periods of high demand and high demand flights, undoubtedly keeping seats available for those willing to pay higher fares and use the new tiered AAnytime awards.
Older posts as of 1 Jan 2015 and later may be found in thd archived thread ARCHIVE: MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction discussion post 2015 AAdvantage merger
Older posts may dating from Aug 2011 through the AAdvantage program merger January 2015 be found in the archived thread here.
MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction / scarcity discussion
Jan 10, 2017, 10:32 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,011
Oh man - not just Oz, but domestically, Asia, Europe - UA and Star award availability is so much better it's not even funny. Sure UA charges 80K miles one-way SE Asia-US vs 70K AA - but UA has 10x the number of partners and 100x the available award space in advance. With AA you either get extraordinarily lucky or compete with everyone else for those last-second CX seats, and those may be going away at some point so then we'll be totally SOL. Don't have too much flying planned yet but a UA status challenge doesn't seem like a terrible idea at this point.
AA's mileage saver in J redemption is pitiful.
Jan 10, 2017, 10:36 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jan 10, 2017, 10:38 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,904
product differences aside, premium JL availability is still ok and flies to more NA cities than CX
Jan 10, 2017, 10:41 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,011
Jan 10, 2017, 10:42 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,904
Jan 10, 2017, 10:47 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,011
Jan 10, 2017, 10:51 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,904
Jan 10, 2017, 10:54 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
Jan 10, 2017, 11:31 am
#24
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,857
FWIW, I'm consistently seeing J seats on AA metal to Europe open up 2-3 days out for the past week or so. For example, in the next couple of days I see at least 2 J seats on AA flights DFW & CLT-LHR, DFW-FRA, MIA & PHL-CDG, etc. So if you're like me and have an upcoming trip already booked with a crappy routing, maybe you'll at least be able to get a better route & schedule/switch off some BA flights/whatever you may need.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:36 am
#25
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Definitely agree-- it's no longer even remotely close between AA and UA award-availability-wise.
If there was a kosher way to trade AA miles for UA miles even at a 30% loss or more, I'd **jump** at the chance (obviously AC miles and maybe a couple of other *alliance programs even more so!)
If there was a kosher way to trade AA miles for UA miles even at a 30% loss or more, I'd **jump** at the chance (obviously AC miles and maybe a couple of other *alliance programs even more so!)
Jan 10, 2017, 11:40 am
#26
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Jan 10, 2017, 11:45 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
you sure? For JL I have ORD, LAX, DFW, SFO, BOS, SAN, YVR, JFK. For CX I have LAX, SFO, YVR, YYZ, ORD, BOS, JFK, EWR. I may be off but not that huge a difference IMO. And CX is far superior in terms of frequencies - both to NA and connections in Asia/beyond. JL's split NRT/HND ops have always hurt them IMO.
Last edited by no1cub17; Jan 10, 2017 at 11:57 am
Jan 10, 2017, 11:48 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
Summer of 2015 we did SFO-IST-LHR in J (4 people!! - try to find that on AA) with a just under 24 hr stay in IST.
Enough to see IST hilites for 2 first time visitors to IST.
And TK J beats LH J (in A380) hands down - in every respect - IMO.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:52 am
#29
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
FWIW, I'm consistently seeing J seats on AA metal to Europe open up 2-3 days out for the past week or so. For example, in the next couple of days I see at least 2 J seats on AA flights DFW & CLT-LHR, DFW-FRA, MIA & PHL-CDG, etc. So if you're like me and have an upcoming trip already booked with a crappy routing, maybe you'll at least be able to get a better route & schedule/switch off some BA flights/whatever you may need.
I cannot and will not plan my vacations hoping that awards open a few days before my trip.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:55 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,904
CX has YYZ while JL has SAN and DFW, the latter is a AA hub.
And CX is far superior in terms of frequencies - both to NA and in terms of connections.