Most everyone on this board is now well aware of American's new "Married Segment" MileSAAver award restrictions, where award availability is made available only when two segments are stitched together as married segments that must be booked together.
There is now a new draconian change in place:
Through Award Fares
Here's the gist of it:
We (AAdvantage members/customers) are no longer able to find nonstop award availability for two separate segments and then put those together to make a valid connecting award flight. Essentially, it is the reverse of Married Segments -- American will allow AAdvantage members to book each nonstop flight at the MileSAAver award cost, but it is now impossible to book the two segments together at the same MileSAAver rate, even though it is a completely valid connection, and even though both nonstop flights independently show seats available for award bookings. It's even worse -- It's not even physically possible to book both segments together under a multi-segment award, paying the mileSAAver rate for each segment separately. If we attempt this method, once both flight segments are selected, an error will appear indicating that "The flight you selected is no longer available. Please modify your request." Don't bother trying the call centers either. Their system places the same restrictions on the flights as well. The only way to book it as a MileSAAver award is to do so on two completely different tickets (with different record locators) and to pay with the applicable number of miles for each separate ticket, or to book an AAnytime award and pay the going AAnytime award cost (which can be much, much higher than the two separate MileSAAver award rates).
Here is a sample of the restriction -- Friday, September 6th:
----- Flight# 858 STL-CLT is available at the milesAAver level (12,500 miles)
----- Flight# 5602 CLT-CAE is also available at the milesAAver level (7,500 miles)
----- However, it is not possible to book a milesAAver award that included both of these segments (STL-CLT-CAE, flights 858 + 5602).
----- The only options are to book two separate tickets, or to book an AAnytime award.
The agent on the phone, after consulting with a supervisor, told me this is called a "Through Award Fare" restriction. Revenue Management now has the ability to make nonstop flights available for award travel, but restricted from connecting award inventory. If revenue management does not set up both segments with a "through award fare", they cannot be combined together in a single milesAAver award. Period. No Exceptions.
The AAdvantage program reaches a new low in the mileage redemption arena!