Originally Posted by
Thunderroad
Well, I wouldn't hold my breath about launching complaints resolving this issue. Still, it can't hurt to try.
Here's the link for contacting AA:
https://www.aa.com/contact/forms?topic=CR#/
Here's the note I just sent Customer Relations:
What is the situation with redeeming Etihad flights using AA miles? Even though the Etihad site shows availability during many months for many routes, my calls to AA have indicated that actual availability using AA miles is confined to just the next few weeks. Nothing beyond that.
As a long-time loyal Advantage member who has been executive platinum for most of the past 20 years, I have moved tens of thousands of dollars' worth of business class flights to other airlines over the past few years because of the deterioration in the Advantage program. This latest problem involving Etihad will accelerate that trend for me and I expect many others.
Thanks for any information you can share on whether or when this problem will be addressed.
Originally Posted by
INDFlyer
Thank you Thunderroad for taking the time to file a complaint. ^
You're welcome! But it was a complete waste of time. Here's the completely unresponsive response from AA Customer Relations:
Dear Mr. Thunderroad:
Thank you for contacting American Airlines Customer Relations.
I am sorry you've been disappointed in your attempts to arrange AAdvantageŽ award travel. Clearly one of the benefits our members expect is the ability to use their AAdvantageŽ miles to claim awards to the destinations they desire. We are committed to ensuring it's as easy to "spend" miles as it is to earn them.
As the name implies, MileSAAver awards require fewer miles compared to AAnytimeŽ awards, but they are more restrictive and therefore are best used by customers whose travel plans are flexible. In exchange for lower mileage levels, MileSAAver awards are subject to limited seating and may be subject to travel embargo dates.
American Airlines manages seating inventory based on ever-changing customer demand. This means that award seats on a specific flight may become available at any time up until departure. Since award seats may open up even after you were first advised none were available, we recommend that members keep trying to find availability on AA.com or through AAdvantageŽ Reservations desk. Additionally, the more flexible you are with regard to dates and times of travel, the more successful you are likely to be.
Nevertheless, it's also important to understand that due to customer demand, award seats may not be available on all flights or to all destinations. When revenue demand is great, such as during holidays and other peak travel seasons, the seat allocation for MileSAAver award travel will be limited.
Still, the overwhelming majority of AAdvantageŽ award tickets are issued from MileSAAver and other capacity controlled awards. With more than 4 million AAdvantageŽ awards issued annually, literally millions of members are successful in arranging such travel. However, this does not mean that every member who wants to claim a MileSAAver award seat on a specific flight will always be able to do so.
That's why we also offer higher mileage AAnytimeŽ awards on American Airlines and American Eagle, for which there are no restrictions of any kind. Any seat, on any flight, on any day of the week is available to an AAnytimeŽ award user as long as the cabin is not completely sold-out. Naturally, such unrestricted travel comes at a higher "price" in terms of mileage levels - not unlike the difference between unrestricted full fares and more limited discount fares.
That said, with One-Way Flex Awards, it is possible for members to "mix and match" different award types. For instance, if a MileSAAver award is available on your outbound flight, but not on your return, it is possible for you to book a MileSAAver award for your outbound flight and an AAnytime award on your return. This gives you the opportunity to get the most flexibility out of the miles that you have.
We are also proud to offer our members the opportunity to redeem AAdvantageŽ miles for hotel stays and car rentals.
Also, Our AAdvantageŽ reservation personnel can help to see what is available for booking at the present time. They can be reached at 1-800-882-8880 and are available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Thank you for allowing me to explain and for your participation in our AAdvantage program, we hope to welcome you aboard soon!
Sincerely,
Kyle Calef
Customer Relations
American Airlines