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Success stories booking awards on Etihad using AA miles (Archive - 2015 and earlier)

Old Jan 13, 2015, 1:39 pm
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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
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Success stories booking awards on Etihad using AA miles (Archive - 2015 and earlier)

Old May 9, 2012, 11:06 am
  #1  
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 87
Success stories booking awards on Etihad using AA miles (Archive - 2015 and earlier)

I called American for DEL --> ORD and back for award flight on Etihad and there was none available for the whole month of May.

Anyone have had success booking (maybe for other months also)? dates and miles used please?
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Old Dec 31, 2014, 5:55 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Programs: TK Elite, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver
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Made a booking for 2 persons in F class AUH-LHR end of May on the A380 last Monday by calling the US number since I am here in Nicaragua. When I was giving my credit card details, I was told that I could only use a CC issued from the US or Canada. Only option is to have it ticketed at the airport or call the Swedish number. I decided to call yesterday and it took me about 15 minutes (a bit expensive since I was using my mobile) but it got ticketed today and I am super happy. One has to be flexible with the dates if there are 2 pax travelling so I wish you all goodluck. Happy New Year!!!
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Old Dec 31, 2014, 6:16 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: MEL
Programs: QFF, AA, LM, EY
Posts: 757
Just booked two F Apartment seats on LHR-AUH.
Cost me 80k miles and 649 for the two of us.
Trip is in August but I can't wait seems like head and shoulders above SQ Suites or EK F
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Old Dec 31, 2014, 6:22 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Bergen, Norway
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Posts: 291
Originally Posted by thefilipinotraveler
Made a booking for 2 persons in F class AUH-LHR end of May on the A380 last Monday by calling the US number since I am here in Nicaragua. When I was giving my credit card details, I was told that I could only use a CC issued from the US or Canada. Only option is to have it ticketed at the airport or call the Swedish number. I decided to call yesterday and it took me about 15 minutes (a bit expensive since I was using my mobile) but it got ticketed today and I am super happy. One has to be flexible with the dates if there are 2 pax travelling so I wish you all goodluck. Happy New Year!!!
I've booked multiple AA tickets (both cash and awards) using my Norwegian credit card (and calling the US number).
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Old Dec 31, 2014, 8:01 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
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Originally Posted by whimike
Maybe I am not as picky, but I have flown several flights in EY F and 1 time in the EY 9W F. I found the 9W F perfectly fine. Yes, there was an Indian slant to it, but I liked it.
Yes 9W is perfectly fine.

EY on the other hand is phenomenal. The two are not even remotely equal.

Originally Posted by unicon
Thanks for your response. That is bad news, though I don't understand how can other F passengers complain in the case I give my seat to my kid. Would they complain if he is booked in F? If he makes even a bit of noise (which he won't I know, we have traveled with him several times) we are going to take him back to Y. Btw, I'm fully aware how lot of people think about unruly kids in F & J (and even in Y) , and I fully empathize with them.
As for purchasing F ticket, it just doesn't make sense for the one way price they are asking. I don't have that much problem in sitting in Y.
ma91pmh, please do share your experience.
Kids were allowed up from J to F just for the last 20 minutes before landing and that I assume is after demonstrating exceptionally good behavior in J and F being very quiet. I would assume your kids will not see the F cabin.
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Old Jan 1, 2015, 7:49 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by Nizar
Just booked two F Apartment seats on LHR-AUH.
Cost me 80k miles and 649 for the two of us.
Trip is in August but I can't wait seems like head and shoulders above SQ Suites or EK F
I am confused. So First apartment is the First class that we can get on a F redemption on the A380?
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Old Jan 1, 2015, 8:14 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KYE
Posts: 4,156
Originally Posted by onlysuites
I am confused. So First apartment is the First class that we can get on a F redemption on the A380?
Yes.
As for the Residence (separate lounge/shower/bedroom) it is the product inaccessible via other FF programs. You still can get it via EY guest for about 2.1 mil EY miles for a 1-way LHR-AUH.
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Old Jan 1, 2015, 12:54 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Tyrone,EU
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Originally Posted by xcalx
Nice redemption tangey. I exchanged Amex points over to AA during the last bonus and am now looking to book before the forcasted hike in award points. Does the 91 include the AA telephone booking.

Thanks
Yeah, 81 taxes, 10 AA phone fee.
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Old Jan 1, 2015, 1:26 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
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Quote:
Originally posted by Peppep
I've booked multiple AA tickets (both cash and awards) using my Norwegian credit card (and calling the US number).

I also thought it was strange but since customer support told me as well that it was either to be ticketed at the airport or by calling Swedish number, then I just decided to call back home. I was really excited and didn't want the booking to be cancelled if it doesnt get ticketed w/in the timelimit. The agent also added that cards issued outside of US/Canada can be used on bookings at aa.com which was the case on my previous award booking on BA and US Airways last August.

Last edited by thefilipinotraveler; Jan 1, 2015 at 4:15 pm
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Old Jan 1, 2015, 8:36 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Mileage Plus, AAdvantage
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Originally Posted by ma91pmh
Kids were allowed up from J to F just for the last 20 minutes before landing and that I assume is after demonstrating exceptionally good behavior in J and F being very quiet. I would assume your kids will not see the F cabin.
Actually was able to book my son alone in J, which I wasn't expecting as he'll be a few months short of 5 at the time of travel. Anyway, will keep checking for F availability. And if it isn't available, then will have to switch seats with him on the plane, as he can't sit alone for sure. If they don't allow that, they may as well deny us boarding.
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Old Jan 2, 2015, 6:33 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Originally Posted by tangey
Yeah, 81 taxes, 10 AA phone fee.
Thanks, enjoy your trip.
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Old Jan 2, 2015, 12:56 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Mileage Plus, AAdvantage
Posts: 424
Originally Posted by edy4eva
Yes.
As for the Residence (separate lounge/shower/bedroom) it is the product inaccessible via other FF programs. You still can get it via EY guest for about 2.1 mil EY miles for a 1-way LHR-AUH.
Hmm..my friend told me he was able to book the Residence as part of his DFW-LHR-AUH-SYD (or MEL) trip in March for 550k miles. And AFAIK he only has AA miles not Etihad Guest. Was he bluffing to me?
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Old Jan 2, 2015, 12:57 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KYE
Posts: 4,156
Originally Posted by unicon
Hmm..my friend told me he was able to book the Residence as part of his DFW-LHR-AUH-SYD (or MEL) trip in March for 550k miles. And AFAIK he only has AA miles not Etihad Guest. Was he bluffing to me?
There is no award inventory for the Residence to begin with. As in is only possible to book it using EY miles under the open seat (which is equivalent to a paid seat, costs the equiv of 20kUSD in miles which is 2.3 mil EY miles). So it's either your friend is bluffing and only managed the regular F suite (Apartment) or doesn't know what he's talking about.

Last edited by edy4eva; Jan 2, 2015 at 1:04 pm
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Old Jan 2, 2015, 9:14 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London (~75% of the year).
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Originally Posted by tng11
Is there something I'm missing?

I'm looking at the EY website for award availability for AUH-LHR and can't see any GuestSeats (i.e. those that can be booked by AA) in F. I see some in other months - but it's a shame I can't fit them into any of my travel plans.
Yep, GuestSeat. What dates were you looking for?

It's quicker if you first work out how many Etihad miles are needed for GuestSeats (55478 in this case) as then you only click on days showing that level in order to see which flight has 1st availability.

E.g. only took 2-3 min to spot a few March options. LHR-AUH: March 3rd or 12th and AUH-LHR: March 7th or 31st
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Old Jan 2, 2015, 9:40 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
Originally Posted by zoombee
Yep, GuestSeat. What dates were you looking for?

It's quicker if you first work out how many Etihad miles are needed for GuestSeats (55478 in this case) as then you only click on days showing that level in order to see which flight has 1st availability.

E.g. only took 2-3 min to spot a few March options. LHR-AUH: March 3rd or 12th and AUH-LHR: March 7th or 31st
I'm aware there's Guest Seat availability, but it's dried up considerably over the last week or so when it started becoming available. Just that your post made it sound like there was wide open availability in November (which works for me), otherwise the dates I saw availability don't work for me.

EDIT: Looks like the situation has changed since I last checked two days ago! Found availability in mid-November
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