SAA Award Space Missing
Sep 26, 2014, 9:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YVR
Programs: AE, MP, DL, AA, Accor Platinum (But aren't we all?)
Posts: 268
SAA Award Space Missing
I've been trying to book an itinerary that includes SAA award space. It was all there and fine on Tuesday morning and then disappeared around Tuesday evening (JNB time). Since then I haven't been able to find a single SAA award seat (domestically/internationally/various routes) on the Mileageplus, Aeroplan or ANA tool. Lucky says it happens occasionally and then comes back a day or so later but this has been more than 3 days now. Agents can't see any of the space either. Can any SAA Voyager members please confirm if they can see/book any award space on SAA and whether this is limited to programs outside South Africa?
Last edited by SOLTATIO; Sep 26, 2014 at 11:31 am
Sep 27, 2014, 11:44 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: QRPC Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHg Diamond Amb, Sixt Diamond, Avis Pres, AmexCenturion
Posts: 488
The whole partner award program needs to be overhauled. As a Voyager member I can never get premium SQ LH or recently NZ awards. All airlines need to stop differentiating between partner and own awards, in the spirit of the alliance. The dominant players seem to believe 'all members are equal, except some members are more equal than others'.
If others are not willing to play fair then I guess I don't blame SAA playing tit for tat.
If others are not willing to play fair then I guess I don't blame SAA playing tit for tat.
Sep 28, 2014, 5:37 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Maryland
Programs: United, Turkish
Posts: 640
The whole partner award program needs to be overhauled. As a Voyager member I can never get premium SQ LH or recently NZ awards. All airlines need to stop differentiating between partner and own awards, in the spirit of the alliance. The dominant players seem to believe 'all members are equal, except some members are more equal than others'.
If others are not willing to play fair then I guess I don't blame SAA playing tit for tat.
If others are not willing to play fair then I guess I don't blame SAA playing tit for tat.
I"m a united platinum
As of this morning I checked all of August 2015 and 5 days in every month from January to July 2014. I did not find a single SAA ticket in any class to Europe or the USA from JNB. Nothing nada zero. I'm astonished any other airline would accept any Voyager miles under any conditions.
Run a check for me , can you get space on SAA for a one way next August to Europe or the USA? Can you get it on partners? (i don't count connections in Africa on Egypt air or Ethiopian) Can you get a non stop flight to Europe or the SAA direct flight over Dakar?
Sep 28, 2014, 11:33 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: AA Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 62
Yes, plenty of "mileage keeper" availability, which should be what is offered to partners. But it currently is not for about a week now.
A quick easy test to see if SAA awards are working again on united.com is to search for JNB - WDH, only SAA has this route for star alliance - and usually plenty of award availability. But right now "United.com could not find any available flights"
A quick easy test to see if SAA awards are working again on united.com is to search for JNB - WDH, only SAA has this route for star alliance - and usually plenty of award availability. But right now "United.com could not find any available flights"
Sep 29, 2014, 8:26 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Maryland
Programs: United, Turkish
Posts: 640
Yes, plenty of "mileage keeper" availability, which should be what is offered to partners. But it currently is not for about a week now.
A quick easy test to see if SAA awards are working again on united.com is to search for JNB - WDH, only SAA has this route for star alliance - and usually plenty of award availability. But right now "United.com could not find any available flights"
A quick easy test to see if SAA awards are working again on united.com is to search for JNB - WDH, only SAA has this route for star alliance - and usually plenty of award availability. But right now "United.com could not find any available flights"
Sep 29, 2014, 9:08 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YVR
Programs: AE, MP, DL, AA, Accor Platinum (But aren't we all?)
Posts: 268
I don't think it is a block, I think it is a technical glitch and the other players in *A haven't noticed it yet (or they don't care). It is just SAA space not available to everyone else. I'm not sure how to get the ball rolling on this? I tweeted Air Canada, Aeroplan and United and the only response was Air Canada who said "we cannot comment on this". Anyone have an email address for a Star Alliance Liaison?
Sep 29, 2014, 9:15 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,021
Sep 29, 2014, 10:07 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,926
Every single SA flight on every single route for every single day till EOS did not get booked overnight. There is a serious problem going on right now. Hopefully the space is restored soon, because I have a trip I need to book as well.
Sep 30, 2014, 4:05 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Maryland
Programs: United, Turkish
Posts: 640
If Voyager members can and do book all the seats it is because no one else has access. see above
Yes, awards are showing available with Voyager miles - but not through any partner.
Sep 30, 2014, 6:40 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 53
I called United, and they were surprised, had no idea this was happening (or so they said). If this is a glitch, it's been going on for more than 2 weeks now...I need to book a flight and I've been monitoring the availability for a while. Nothing.
Sep 30, 2014, 10:16 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YVR
Programs: AE, MP, DL, AA, Accor Platinum (But aren't we all?)
Posts: 268
Got a response to my tweets from SAA on Twitter and they eventually asked that I send an email to them detailing the message and provided an email address. Detailed the problem and the email is sent so will let you all know if they respond to it. Sent a similar email to Mileageplus, Voyager and Aeroplan. Hopefully, someone somewhere in one of the programs investigates a bit further and then discovers the problem is real so they can start working on resolving it.
Sep 30, 2014, 10:59 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,926
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I've reached out to my contacts at Star Alliance and asked them to check with their SA liaison. Hopefully this gets resolved quickly because I was banking on an award ticket with SA next week.
Sep 30, 2014, 12:03 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YVR
Programs: AE, MP, DL, AA, Accor Platinum (But aren't we all?)
Posts: 268
It has actually been a week exactly this morning but thank you for reaching out to your contacts! Much appreciated. Hopefully if they hear it from multiple sides they won't just think that it is a customer complaining about lack of award space for a prime route.