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 12, 2015, 2:55 pm
#46
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
So, I have managed to book on the a380 from Abu Dhabi to Sydney in first.
What is interesting is that there was no availability on the Etihad website, but individually there is "guest" availability on the segment from Delhi to AUH and AUH to SYD. I called in to see if I could get any luck with the representative, and she got it for me. I think the reason Etihad's website didn't let me was because the stopover was so long. But the agent let me choose which flight to take from Del, the early morning or late evening. The early morning would entail waiting until the 9pm departure to Sydney, and the late evening would entail waiting a whole day.
The lesson is if there's no availability on a whole trip, if you search by segments you may be able to call AA and have them book it for you (the lady was telling me initially that there would be 2 stopovers and that isn't allowed, but I told her just to go through AUH).
What is interesting is that there was no availability on the Etihad website, but individually there is "guest" availability on the segment from Delhi to AUH and AUH to SYD. I called in to see if I could get any luck with the representative, and she got it for me. I think the reason Etihad's website didn't let me was because the stopover was so long. But the agent let me choose which flight to take from Del, the early morning or late evening. The early morning would entail waiting until the 9pm departure to Sydney, and the late evening would entail waiting a whole day.
The lesson is if there's no availability on a whole trip, if you search by segments you may be able to call AA and have them book it for you (the lady was telling me initially that there would be 2 stopovers and that isn't allowed, but I told her just to go through AUH).
Jan 13, 2015, 6:44 am
#47
Join Date: May 2013
Location: South Texas
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Glob, AA EXP, Marriott Tit
Posts: 277
IAD-AUH-SYD Booked
Used AA miles to book IAD-AUH in J and AUH-SYD in F on the A380 in early September. 62.5k for IAD-AUH and 60K for AUH-SYD. Trip actually starts at IAH using USair to get to IAD. When I login to EY MMB it says
"Retrieve Payment Problem
We cannot recognise some reservation and/or electronic ticket elements. If you have any queries about your reservation, please contact the office (e.g. Travel Agency, partner airline office) that made the reservation and/or issued the ticket."
Looks like this has happened to others. I could not choose seats via MMB but I called EY, reserved seats, and the agent assured me that the booking was in order and confirmed. He also offered chauffeur service but I told him I would call back closer to departure. This itinerary connects to a SYD-BKK-SIN award on TG then an existing booking in SQ A380 suites SIN-NRT-LAX. Should be a good experience.
"Retrieve Payment Problem
We cannot recognise some reservation and/or electronic ticket elements. If you have any queries about your reservation, please contact the office (e.g. Travel Agency, partner airline office) that made the reservation and/or issued the ticket."
Looks like this has happened to others. I could not choose seats via MMB but I called EY, reserved seats, and the agent assured me that the booking was in order and confirmed. He also offered chauffeur service but I told him I would call back closer to departure. This itinerary connects to a SYD-BKK-SIN award on TG then an existing booking in SQ A380 suites SIN-NRT-LAX. Should be a good experience.
Jan 13, 2015, 10:35 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,783
Yes, I got the same before ticketing. I wouldn't be worried, especially as EY can se the booking. Sounds like a great trip you have planned!
Jan 13, 2015, 3:36 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP - MR Plat - HH Gold
Posts: 251
Recently booked 2 F tickets on the A380 going AUH-SYD for late September. No problem finding the seats, miles already taken off, and the whole thing was ticketed within 24hrs.
Really looking forward to that 14hr flight!
Really looking forward to that 14hr flight!
Jan 13, 2015, 6:23 pm
#50
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: DFW/LAX
Programs: HH Diamond, AA EXP
Posts: 534
Jan 13, 2015, 8:22 pm
#51
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
A friendly reminder:
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; there's a thread for that:
The actual thread for "how to" and questions is: How to use AA miles on Etihad. (Consolidated / Master Thread)
/Moderator
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; there's a thread for that:
The actual thread for "how to" and questions is: How to use AA miles on Etihad. (Consolidated / Master Thread)
/Moderator
Jan 14, 2015, 4:50 am
#52
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
I can see the ticket numbers Print Itinerary & Receipt section.
Jan 14, 2015, 7:15 am
#53
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 716
Had 2 F seats disappear while I was on hold to speak to an agent. The booking window just opened today for the flights I need and between checking to confirm that 2 seats were available for EY101 AUH-JFK and actually connecting to an agent, someone else had booked them. First time I've ever experienced that...
Jan 15, 2015, 4:08 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
Had 2 F seats disappear while I was on hold to speak to an agent. The booking window just opened today for the flights I need and between checking to confirm that 2 seats were available for EY101 AUH-JFK and actually connecting to an agent, someone else had booked them. First time I've ever experienced that...
Jan 15, 2015, 6:30 am
#56
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plt
Posts: 2,607
I got a nice J award from Goa to London via AUH and MAN on Jet, BA and Etihad for a cool 30,000 miles and $70-something in taxes. Nice little find, although the 9W inventory is the hardest to find it seems as it's only searchable by calling AA
Jan 15, 2015, 7:00 am
#57
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 716
Yes. Sadly the seats are gone. It was for the Sunday after Thanksgiving (popular day.)
EY appears to open F seats to the US exactly two weeks after the booking window begins. I'd been watching them do it consistently, one day at a time, until yesterday morning when I got to work and logged on. EY101 was open for 2 seats in F, but I sat on hold for about 10 mins waiting to talk to AA. By the time the agent checked, the seats were taken (presumably by someone else who had been watching just like me) as were the 2 BOM-AUH seats I was going to take. I had kept the Etihad.com search up on my screen the whole time, so I confirmed that I was looking at the right day.
I ended up booking DEL-AUH-IAD for now, but I was really hoping to get on the JFK flight, as I think that's got the highest probability of going A380 by Winter 2015.
EY appears to open F seats to the US exactly two weeks after the booking window begins. I'd been watching them do it consistently, one day at a time, until yesterday morning when I got to work and logged on. EY101 was open for 2 seats in F, but I sat on hold for about 10 mins waiting to talk to AA. By the time the agent checked, the seats were taken (presumably by someone else who had been watching just like me) as were the 2 BOM-AUH seats I was going to take. I had kept the Etihad.com search up on my screen the whole time, so I confirmed that I was looking at the right day.
I ended up booking DEL-AUH-IAD for now, but I was really hoping to get on the JFK flight, as I think that's got the highest probability of going A380 by Winter 2015.
Jan 16, 2015, 1:03 pm
#58
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Programs: Global Mercenary
Posts: 193
Booked BOM - AUH - IAD in F using 90K AA miles last friday. Flying in June - so far both segments are supposed to be on the 787.
Was a little concerned because ticketing took over 48 hours although the booking remained intact (apparently, the division that tickets non one world schedules doesnt work on weekends).
Was a little concerned because ticketing took over 48 hours although the booking remained intact (apparently, the division that tickets non one world schedules doesnt work on weekends).
Jan 16, 2015, 1:17 pm
#59
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Bay Area
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM.
Posts: 49
Booking 3 in business
I have been successful booking 2 business class tickets on Etihad a couple of times (using AA miles), but now I need 3 tickets and it looks like their inventory usually max out at 2. Unless you book it a 2-4 days prior to the trip. This is for a trip in November timeframe and going from Japan to AUH.
Jan 16, 2015, 5:34 pm
#60
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NJ
Programs: UA Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott Plat,
Posts: 284
All, hate to be off topic but I just canceled two F awards IAD-AUH on March 28th. Not sure how quickly these are released but wanted to share in case it helps someone out.