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
Feb 11, 2017, 8:24 pm
#301
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Okay, so this:
... has been gradually whittled down to "I can't find a Saver business award flight to Europe that I like." That I can believe, but "no saver awards anywhere on AA metal" is patently false. In fact, I just put such an award to Hong Kong (in J) on hold.
... has been gradually whittled down to "I can't find a Saver business award flight to Europe that I like." That I can believe, but "no saver awards anywhere on AA metal" is patently false. In fact, I just put such an award to Hong Kong (in J) on hold.
Feb 11, 2017, 10:10 pm
#302
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
So even people who only redeem for longhaul international flights may care a lot about domestic (connection) availability. And in recent years, scarcity of such domestic connection availability has been a big part of the complaint about using AA miles, especially from people who don't live in cities served directly by AA's partners with availability.
If you're able to put the domestic connection as an add-on to an international flight, it costs 0 extra miles, doesn't it? How is that not a good use of miles?
Feb 11, 2017, 10:25 pm
#303
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,038
I challenge you to find any saver J seat to anywhere in Europe for 2017.
Feb 11, 2017, 10:44 pm
#304
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: country Western Australia
Programs: QF SG(LTS) - AA LTG(1MM)
Posts: 2,771
I challenge you to find any saver J AA seat to/from anywhere in Europe/SW Pacific for 2017 where a domestic saver direct flight connection to/from the gateway is also available.
Back in Nov/Dec I was able to find a few exPHL or exDFW on AA on some summer flights to secondary European airports and AY had some seats also available as direct or European connections.
Happy wandering
Fred
Feb 12, 2017, 1:02 am
#306
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,410
Feb 12, 2017, 1:19 am
#307
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Though I'll point out -- by your own admission -- you were in fact able to find Saver J seats to Europe. They just weren't up to your standards:
Last edited by rjw242; Feb 12, 2017 at 1:26 am
Feb 12, 2017, 1:26 am
#308
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,038
Feb 12, 2017, 1:42 am
#309
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Rather than only argue about premium cabin saver award availability, it might be worth comparing to other airline programs.
Third-party surveys conclude AA award availability trails other programs and those who've searched on AA and other programs would not dispute these conclusions.
Out of SFO, J awards are often two stops before the TATL segment. Why do they do this? It require more use of their planes so can it be cheaper to put people who redeem miles on at least one additional domestic flight?
Or it's just pure upsell, make the saver award such a miserable experience that people will pay higher prices for anytime awards which presumably have more sane routings -- I never checked them so I assume that's the case.
Third-party surveys conclude AA award availability trails other programs and those who've searched on AA and other programs would not dispute these conclusions.
Out of SFO, J awards are often two stops before the TATL segment. Why do they do this? It require more use of their planes so can it be cheaper to put people who redeem miles on at least one additional domestic flight?
Or it's just pure upsell, make the saver award such a miserable experience that people will pay higher prices for anytime awards which presumably have more sane routings -- I never checked them so I assume that's the case.
Last edited by wco81; Feb 12, 2017 at 2:47 am
Feb 12, 2017, 6:51 am
#310
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
Why so much melodrama from you? We live in a capitalistic, free market economy. If AA isn't meeting your needs why don't you use your EXP status to match and transition to the airline you believe will better meet your needs and deliver on your expectations? Have you considered that?
Regards
Feb 12, 2017, 7:57 am
#312
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Sacramento, CA
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt,Marriott,BA,AS
Posts: 4,428
How many of you have actually complained in writing to AA, as I have, about the very dramatic reduction of award seats (domestic & international) that has occurred over the past year? A few complaints won't mean anything, but enough will make them aware of discontent among many.
Feb 12, 2017, 9:31 am
#313
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Yeah. Allot of people burns by the credit card hawking "travel bloggers." Well now they know. Hopefully people will learn from other's mistakes. And that the blogger industry will fade.
Feb 12, 2017, 11:02 am
#314
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,318
I had a few EF alerts on LAX-MIA C tickets go off in the night, only to see them gone in the morning.
It's happened to me before. Anyone try and jump on those middle of the night EF alerts? Is it real availability?
It's happened to me before. Anyone try and jump on those middle of the night EF alerts? Is it real availability?
Feb 12, 2017, 11:16 am
#315
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,654
A lot of award availability apparently was loaded last night. I don't know if it was a mistake but most of it is gone this morning. I was checking on the AS site and booked something for next January, but I figured it was just things loaded at 330 days out. Some of the selections were phantom because I couldn't actually book them, but at least the one I eventually booked, was not.