Last edit by: JDiver
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST
This is the ARCHIVE through 2015 for older posts from the MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Help, Assistance & Discussion (consolidated) thread.
This wikipost can be edited by members with 90 days' tenure and 90 posts; wiki contents may be printed by using the (lower right wiki corner).
Other useful resources include:
MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction / scarcity >= Aug 2011 onward (consolidated)
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
Help with British Airways / BA surcharge / YQ (AA award on BA, consolidated)
UK APD / Air Passenger Duty charged for UK departures
This is the ARCHIVE through 2015 for older posts from the MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Help, Assistance & Discussion (consolidated) thread.
Some of you might have found your thread merged into this "consolidated" thread. If your desire is to become thoroughly familiar with the knowledge that has been accumulated about the process for acquiring MileSAAver awards feel free to read this entire thread. If you only want the assistance from those who have the knowledge your request has been merged at the end. Feel free to wait for a forthcoming answer.
If you have reached this thread by using the search process you have the same choices as above. Read the thread and become knowledgeable or post at the end and wait for a forthcoming answer.
thanks
~magic111
If you have reached this thread by using the search process you have the same choices as above. Read the thread and become knowledgeable or post at the end and wait for a forthcoming answer.
thanks
~magic111
This wikipost can be edited by members with 90 days' tenure and 90 posts; wiki contents may be printed by using the (lower right wiki corner).
Other useful resources include:
MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction / scarcity >= Aug 2011 onward (consolidated)
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
Help with British Airways / BA surcharge / YQ (AA award on BA, consolidated)
UK APD / Air Passenger Duty charged for UK departures
ARCHIVE: 2009-2015 MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability Help etc.
#751
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
Miles saver vs. anytime ?
Be kind....I just joined this site today. Wondering about recommendations for the following scenario. I have noticed that in looking for seats for my last two vacations that Mile Saver First Class tickets do not seem to become available at the same time as Anytime First Class tickets. For example, I check the available seats for a given flight and none are taken yet (entire cabin is open) no Mile saver seats are available ....only Anytime seats at the higher mileage requirement. I tend to do my searching on the first available day, 331 days out. Granted the last times were for holiday travel to Hawaii and Mexico.....can someone enlighten me or start me in the right direction to develop my strategy?
#752
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
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
Lots of information available in the MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability (consolidated) thread, where your question will be added.
AAnytime seats are available - well, anytime there are seats for sale. MileSAAver seats are discounted and significantly limited in availability by Revenue Management - if they can sell a seat they would prefer selling it, of course - even for the normal amount of miles - and that's a complex mechanism by which AA has complicated predictive analytics software that attempts to maximise revenue to AA. This is discussed in a current thread titled How do award upgrade seat buckets become available?
Lots of information available in the MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability (consolidated) thread, where your question will be added.
AAnytime seats are available - well, anytime there are seats for sale. MileSAAver seats are discounted and significantly limited in availability by Revenue Management - if they can sell a seat they would prefer selling it, of course - even for the normal amount of miles - and that's a complex mechanism by which AA has complicated predictive analytics software that attempts to maximise revenue to AA. This is discussed in a current thread titled How do award upgrade seat buckets become available?
#753
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP 1MM
Posts: 119
Be kind....I just joined this site today. Wondering about recommendations for the following scenario. I have noticed that in looking for seats for my last two vacations that Mile Saver First Class tickets do not seem to become available at the same time as Anytime First Class tickets. For example, I check the available seats for a given flight and none are taken yet (entire cabin is open) no Mile saver seats are available ....only Anytime seats at the higher mileage requirement. I tend to do my searching on the first available day, 331 days out. Granted the last times were for holiday travel to Hawaii and Mexico.....can someone enlighten me or start me in the right direction to develop my strategy?
I am EXP so changing award tickets is free. I just rebooked a trip to GIG for Carnival in 2012. Last week I booked it but could only get Business class going but coach on the return but I booked it anyway because I wanted to lock in the business class going. For the last week I have been checking AA to see if any mile saver business class opened and finally this morning it did so I called AA and rebooked the trip in business both ways.^
So you have two options:
1) do what I did and check AA as often as possible, I did twice per day
2) subscription to expert flyer and set it up to notify you
Rod
Last edited by Rodraid; Apr 8, 2011 at 1:19 pm
#754
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVPG 75K
Posts: 2,574
I am EXP so changing award tickets is free. I just rebooked a trip to GIG for Carnival in 2012. Last week I booked it but could only get Business class going but coach on the return but I booked it anyway because I wanted to lock in the business class going. For the last week I have been checking AA to see if any mile saver business class opened and finally this morning it did so I called AA and rebooked the trip in business both ways.^
#755
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 46
Using AA Reward for trip to Alaska
Hi:
New to this forum and looking for insight on a trip I'm making to Alaska.
I'm leaving on July 22 from Tampa, FL to Anchorage with a return flight on August 1st from Vancouver. Upon looking at flights, I only see the Anytime
higher award level available for First Class. Is there anything I'm missing
that could get me First without using 50k each way as this totals 200k for
the two of us. Thanks in advance.
New to this forum and looking for insight on a trip I'm making to Alaska.
I'm leaving on July 22 from Tampa, FL to Anchorage with a return flight on August 1st from Vancouver. Upon looking at flights, I only see the Anytime
higher award level available for First Class. Is there anything I'm missing
that could get me First without using 50k each way as this totals 200k for
the two of us. Thanks in advance.
#756
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
Only other suggestion is to call AA, there might be other routings available on Alaska Airlines (AS). AA's partners such as this don't show up when you search online at aa.com. That said, getting sAAver award seats to ANC in the summer cruise season can be very tough, as you're seeing...
#757
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
Definitely check on AS availability. They have more frequencies from more cities than do AA. They serve ORD year round from ANC, and you could also consider SEA and PDX which have several daily options. You'd be looking at two plane changes for the latter two, but availability may be better as those ORD-ANC flights do tend to fill up during the summer months.
EF can search for both AS and AA award availability so it may be a good tool to try. Good luck!
EF can search for both AS and AA award availability so it may be a good tool to try. Good luck!
#758
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
You'd be looking at two plane changes for the latter two, but availability may be better as those ORD-ANC flights do tend to fill up during the summer months.
I second that ExpertFlyer is very much your friend.
#759
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 46
OK. I went to EF and put in my info and it does show flights in Milesaver using AA only TPA-DFW-Anc but on the AA site they don't exist?
How do you get them?
How do you get them?
#760
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
If you're confident you're using ExpertFlyer properly, a call to AA to book the seats would be my next step if the itinerary met my requirements.
#761
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,316
+1 on using AS through SEA/PDX. If you're claiming an F award, you'll get the added benefit of BR access.
#762
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Platinum, 2 Million Miles
Posts: 1,248
ORD-DUB in Business
Looking for advice on ORD to DUB in business. I would prefer the AA non-stop vs. a partner award, but from what I can see online, there is not a single J award available between today, and the end of bookable flights (March 5, 2012).
Any tips?
Any tips?
#763
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 284
JFK-LAX MileSAAver Award Availability Blocked Off Dec 25-Jan 3
I've been trying to book JFK-LAX award seats in late December as part of an itinerary to New Zealand, but those dates are entirely blocked out. I booked the LAX-AKL portion 11 months in advance, but the JFK-LAX part has never come into the system on any of my possible travel dates. At the time of booking, the reservation agent advised me to put in a "dummy" date from JFK-LAX, and said that I could make a change for no fee when my desired date becomes available. I was expecting to have difficulty getting to New Zealand, not to LAX.
Here we are several months later....and still nothing. Worse case, I figured I could book a 1-way from JFK to LAX, but I was expecting something to open up. Is this common? Will they eventually open up seats? Do you have any suggestions?
Here we are several months later....and still nothing. Worse case, I figured I could book a 1-way from JFK to LAX, but I was expecting something to open up. Is this common? Will they eventually open up seats? Do you have any suggestions?
#764
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: AA 1MM
Posts: 3,182
You don't say if you're looking for first, business or coach. 12/31 had PLENTY of first and business class awards.
#765
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,967
I'm assuming you're asking about MileSAAver award availability. Remember, it it is highly unlikely for there to be a flight with zero award availability, period, especially so many months in advance. AA makes every seat on every flight available for award redemptions at the AAnytime level. However, AAnytime awards "cost" many more miles than MileSAAver awards.
That said, AA does not have "blackout dates" in the traditional sense. Every flight is constantly under evaluation by the computers and experts in Revenue Management. Based on historical data as well as actual performance thus far, the staff and computer decide whether to offer MileSAAver inventory.
It is not surprising to me in the least that AA is restricting MileSAAver inventory on JFK-LAX-JFK during the busy, busy travel week between Christmas and New Years. If the OP really wants to use miles to travel during this period on this route, he or she could:
1) spend more miles for AAnytime awards
2) wait to see if MileSAAver inventory becomes available in a couple of months
For what it's worth, I was able to get a Z award on JFK-LAX-JFK during this week in 2010 with only a couple of weeks' notice. But then again, I'm EXP and it was for 3-class F, not Coach.
That said, AA does not have "blackout dates" in the traditional sense. Every flight is constantly under evaluation by the computers and experts in Revenue Management. Based on historical data as well as actual performance thus far, the staff and computer decide whether to offer MileSAAver inventory.
It is not surprising to me in the least that AA is restricting MileSAAver inventory on JFK-LAX-JFK during the busy, busy travel week between Christmas and New Years. If the OP really wants to use miles to travel during this period on this route, he or she could:
1) spend more miles for AAnytime awards
2) wait to see if MileSAAver inventory becomes available in a couple of months
For what it's worth, I was able to get a Z award on JFK-LAX-JFK during this week in 2010 with only a couple of weeks' notice. But then again, I'm EXP and it was for 3-class F, not Coach.