colmc

Looking at booking a flight with BA which has an AA leg. Selected Club and one leg it's showing as booking into AA Y - I'm guessing this is because there is no availability in First Class? Oddly, it's still pricing the same as the return leg.

I guess it could be something to do with Y on AA being an instant upgrade fare - and maybe ba.com is showing it was "Economy" because of that?

Anyone got an experience with this?

747_not_777

I have a feeling, but may be wrong, that a Club ticket with an onward AA sector would book into Y on the AA metal. But an F ticket on BA would into F on AA.

(I wait for people to shoot me down for being wrong here)...

colmc

The return is showing as booked into Business/I Class. Yeah, makes it clear as mud

Schultzois

I assume (based both on the 'I' booking class of the return, and the fact that you don't mention anything about redemption) that these are paid-cash bookings on ba.com.

I am curious as to which routes - and particularly I suspect that it may be a ba.com glitch in which the business fare would entitle discounted First (A) if available on a 2-class aircraft, or Business (I) if a 3-class aircraft, but perhaps ba.com doesn't manage it correctly in the 2-class ase. Alternatively, you may be correct that First is not available (or even that only F, not A, is available, and your booking class of Club may not allow F). Finally, if a 3-class aircraft, you may still be getting downgraded from Business to Economy if the necessary inventory in Business (maybe I?) is unavailable.

I guess there could be lots of reasons - and that ba.com is unlikely to show/explain any of them.

Additionally, have you tried pricing out the identical itinerary on AA.com?

SwindonOil

I know that when I was trying to get miles availability to HNL for Mrs SwindonOil, that a J redemption would not ticket all the way through (due to no availability LAX to HNL in Y) but a F redemption worked as it ticketed into F on AA. So my rambling point is that BA's booking engine seems to match BA J with AA Y on two class flights

Schultzois

That's similar to my ramble - and indeed (somewhat strangely) actual policy when it comes to redemption tickets (even though AA's own mileage program treats 2-cabin F as a J-product). It's not what I would expect of a revenue ticket, however, as most business fares should indeed book into discounted F if available on a 2-cabin connecting flight. At least, I think that's the case. It would be a rather startling inconsistency both with AA and with competing carriers if that's not the case.

colmc

Very odd. Almost got the itinerary priced up on aa.com, showing business for both the legs, but browser crashed and I couldn't get it back for love nor money.

Eventually went and booked a (slightly) cheaper itinerary on another airline with comparable times.

gregpodpl

I did, few times. The only solution is to book over the phone. Looks like BA.com is having problems with domestic AA routes - sometimes F is unavailable, and sometimes there are no flights available at all. Got that problem when trying to book LAX-KOA leg on AA metal (only Y was available on BA.com). But over the phone it works fine.

colmc

I think it's a ba.com issue too. From changing the dates around, it appears that same flight every week seems to encounter throws up the same anomaly. The flight has a FC cabin (MD-80) and there is availability on it from what AA.com did show.

Maybe BA is taking my signature too literally

colmc

So, to update this for anyone who may encounter the same problem, the glitch seems to be caused by ba.com selecting the BA codeshare as the onward flight.

The call centre could price the flights (with the segment in AA First) using the AA code for the same price offered by ba.com.

Ended up routing myself via LAX as the timings were better, slightly less cost and more time in CW anyway. Can put up with American Eagle for an hour.

Andriyko

Many BA business class fares require 'A' class on AA; when 'A' class is not available the flight will be booked into 'Y'. This is for commercial fares.

All J redemptions should be booked into 'Z' on 2 class services but this can only be done over the phone.