guv1976

Search aa.com for SAAver seats from anywhere in Europe to MIA. (You might also check aa.com for award availability on AB DUS-RSW. ) If you find anything, see if you can tack on your LON-XXX flight to the same award. You could also use your Avios for the positioning flight; doing so will use up some Avios, but probably will yield a significantly lower cash cost for the trip.

afcal72

Thank you ExpatSomchai. I just booked a 30k AA Award flight on a 777-200 V2 leaving mid afternoon into JFK giving me a couple of hours in JFK to switch onto a cash ($156)Jet blue flight down to where I need to be. I should be at home in bed before the clock ticks to the top.

Thank you for the other suggestions to. I will be certain to look at the SAAver flights in future. Guv1976 when I get my head round what you are doing there with Air Berlin I will surely be enlightened for future work rounds.

Thanks people!


Check out www.skiplagged.com on for some cash flight deals . They use a concept of booking destinations beyond your hub destination to save money. Works well on mobile apps like android or ios.

LondonElite

By 'a couple of hours' do you mean two? That likely isn't enough to go through immigration (unless you have GE), get your bags, change terminals, and check into your JetBlue flight. You may face buying a new flight to MIA.

debp

Hello, I've been saving AA miles forever and finally have almost enough for 2 (off-season 20,000 each way) tickets to Maui. I would like to go for 10 days during labor day 2017. It is still more than 330 days out and I've been checking AA each day trying to understand how their award ticketing works. I almost never see available tickets for 20,000. Are they booked at midnight and gone each day before 6am or do they randomly release them after 330 days? Any tips you can give me to help me get tickets would be most appreciated. Thank you.

arollins

You need to be realistic with your expectations. You want to fly during a holiday weekend, just like everyone else want to. The odds are against you. Best bet is to set yourself an expertflyer alert 330 days out when you plan to fly. Also, I suggest you get more miles as well, with AA dynamic award pricing, saver miles might be more on holiday times.

debp

Thank you so much for your reply. I will keep checking each day and hope for the best. Maybe one of these days I will get lucky. Do you happen to know what time (EST) the seats become available?

dll

American has recently gone to a more demand-driven pricing structure for its awards such that true "low" rates are often not available. For example, I've seen on one domestic route I was stalking for awhile that 12.5k one way ("low" coach domestic) was never made available and ended up booking at 15k one way.

I don't believe they are as much in the routine of releasing seats on awards when the schedule opens, unlike some other carriers. You'll probably find it necessary to spend more miles.

Also consider, though, that Alaska flies to Hawaii and no matter how you get there from MIA/FLL you've got at least one stop. You might find better luck with MIA-SEA-HNL. Those can be searched and booked on AA.com. I believe it would require an overnight stop in Seattle, at least on the way there, based on the current schedule.

taxicabnumber

Can also route MIA-SAN-HNL/OGG, MIA-SFO - (overnight ground transfer) - OAK/SJC - HNL/OGG. If you wanted to double-connect, you could even avoid the overnight if you left FLL or MIA in the morning; Alaska has evening flights from SEA/PDX/SAN to OGG/HNL.

To the OP's original question (sort of) -- AA, unlike some other carriers, doesn't have a set time at which they release award space for X days ahead. Inventory release occurs at what can seem to the consumer random times; you just have to keep looking.

JDiver

Please read the Wikipost at the top of this page; we have merged your query into the existing thread on this (MileSAAver) topic. /Moderator

debp

Thank you for your help! American Airlines lets me search FLL and MIA on both AA and Alaska Airlines so that helps. I am hoping to get there with only one stop (dreaming big) but I am realistic that I may have to have 2 connections and use more than 20,000 each way. I also found flights on Delta from MIA with one stop and FLL with 2 stops so maybe I will have to use Delta one way and American one way. I will continue checking and hopefully one day I will get lucky and my hard work will pay off.

Daisymonster

I am hoping to find some insight from some of you experts… In short, the wife and I turn 40 next year and I want to surprise her with an int'l trip she won't forget. I would like for us to see Europe (would be first time for both) and I want to use AA mile and at least have a flatbed seat- F or J.

Some parameters:

-Depart next summer after/on 7/15/17 for 7-10 days
-600-700k AA miles to burn
-Out of BUF, but JFK/YYZ/ORD are also easy departure points for us
-Italy/Paris/London would be nice

I just cant seem to find awards without a massive surcharge. i.e., $2200 on BA, + 230k miles. Anyhow, if you were looking to book this, are there any itineraries that stick out? Thank you.

I am hoping to find some insight from some of you experts… In short, the wife and I turn 40 next year and I want to surprise her with an int'l trip she won't forget. I would like for us to see Europe (would be first time for both) and I want to use AA mile and at least have a flatbed seat- F or J.

Daisymonster

Also- I would like to preserve some miles if I can. I know that I can get F on AA 773 for 175k each way, pp, but if there are better options, I would like some help.

GNRMatt

First off, avoid using BA under any circumstances if you are redeeming mileage. That's how you'll avoid those ridiculous fees.

Secondly, my suggestion is first, determine exactly what you want to do (i.e. which airport you want to fly into and out of)...then work from there to find the best mileage deals, realizing that mileage availability is constantly changing (for better or worse).

Daisymonster

Thank you Matt. The best option I am seeing is JFK-FCO in J, 772 for 230k and $70 in taxes. I don't think Ive seen much better options. Im sure its fine for us but I guess what would be helpful, is this a good value? J on a 772 for that price? I fly 200+ segments a yr but its domestic regionals and all so I have no basis for long haul.

hiima

The J on 772 is a very decent product, lie flat. Some people don't like it, though, there's a slight shakyness to the seat, but I've never had any problems with it. Service is, well AA service.
Are you EXP? Cause then you can have those booked for now and if saver come up for the flight, then you can rebook into saver awards.
Also, F v J on AA 77W is not worth the price difference since the seats aren't very different and the old 777 should be completely out of rotation for TATL flights by your trip.
The 77W J is easily the best J seat in AA fleet.