Originally Posted by
guv1976
Because all AAdvantage flight awards are now fully refundable up until departure time, it's a good idea to periodically re-check award availability after you've booked something. As in your case, the results can (sometimes) be pleasantly surprising.
Yeah the lesson I learned on this adventure is to use the reservation hold feature - even if you can only do so briefly with overlapping itineraries.
I had my original booking, and rebooked twice already trying to get lower fares. Worked the first time. The second time, in the ~30 minutes it took between cancelling my original and being able to actually use my miles again... the fare I wanted got snatched up and I was stuck.
Happy to have more than made up for it today!