gambud

Moderator Note: This new thread will be used for current CX award discussion.

dayone, AS/VX Moderator.


Hi all,

Since there is a flight from YVR to JFK
is it possible to book HKG - JFK and stop over at YVR?

or another insane route JFK - YVR, stop over in HKG?
since there is direct flight from JFK to HKG and also JFK to YVR

Thanks!

eponymous_coward

Did you read the wiki at the top of the thread?

Guess you need to try your luck and play the HUCA game if the reps don't give it to you on the first try?

That won't be allowed as a single intra-North America award. AS isn't completely stupid enough to charge you NA award prices for a trip involving Asia.

You would be charged TWO North America-Asia awards were you to route JFK-HKG-YVR: JFK-HKG and HKG-YVR. That's an open jaw return, not a single award.

gambud

Thanks for answering!
Just want to make sure the YVR stop over will work since it said some people succeeded, but i was concern if it 100% success or its a try your luck with CSR etc
It is ok now, i guess i got my answer

brizone

No magic, just inconsistent communication of policy and training between (and within) call centers. HUCA protocol is definitely in order with this kind of stuff...

brizone

Exactly. Also, less disturbance from just the other side of that curtain where the flight attendants frequently hang out, and where the entrance is to the pilot sleeping berth area is located.

(Not that you'd really hear any of that when wearing those Bose headphones!)

jamienbaker

Not that anyone needs another example, but here it is:

SGNHKG, Avios shows 6 J awards online.
SGNHKG, BA res offers 6 J awards.
SGNHKG, AA res offers 6 J awards.
SGNHKG, AS res offers 2 J awards.

I take them.

Avios now showing 4 J awards. BA/AA res both offer 4 J awards. AS res offers no awards.

PV_Premier

EEK, 6 -> 2 is one of the most brutal examples we've seen of AA/BA->AS differences.

i'm not feeling too optimistic about my chances of getting the tickets in need for December when they come available. i might just buy PE if that deal lasts two more weeks.

jamienbaker

Yeah, I know. I need a close-in F award next summer, I'm thrilled that there will be no competition from Avios spenders, but I'm worried AS won't see it. Forcing me to cough up 110k AA points. Ugh.

rufflesinc

But the upside of BA is that they can book at start of calendar while AS/AA can only book around T-330 correct?

Since you're booking to Asia 2 how do you balance using AS or AA? I am considering preferring burning AA for Asia 2 (once I build up the balance again haha) over using AS, since AS allows one F award NA to AU/NZ for less than what AA charges for just Asia2.

jamienbaker

Yes, BA can book before AA/AS (and I have in the past), but I got the F seat for my wife already via AS (I need a second for me)

As for "the balance", there are other variables. As you're aware, AS can get you to Australia via CX, which AA can't. On the other hand, AA can get you to Africa on QR, which AS can't. On the other hand, my status on AA is slightly better than on AS, so my calls immediately route through. So if I find myself calling every hour from Vietnam, hoping that an F award has been released, it might make sense to spend the 110k on AA versus the 70k on Alaska so I'm not constantly facing 10 minute holds. On the other hand, if I want more than 23:59 in HKG, I should book AS. Oh, but if I depart from Da Nang I'd prefer AA as AS can't book Dragonair...

In other words, I'd be remiss to simply describe "Alaska as a better value than American". It really varies.

Good luck to you - Jamie

Happy

Yes BA can book earlier. I did that in order to secure the F seat before AA devaluation. Booked the F using BA Avios 16 hours before AA can book. Canceled the BA booking within the 24 hours window then immediately called AA to book the same flight. Worked fine when a friend and I both used this tactic.

In general AS has better value than AA. But we do have a trip in Sept to South Africa that the outbound was booked with AA due to we could fly direct MIA-DOH-CPT even though AA costs more than AS and no stopover. We booked the inbound with AS because we can fly HKG-LAX F with much less miles, have a stopover in HKG, and tag on a trip to The Rockies upon returning to US.

The moral is, you need to look at what you exactly want to do on each given trip and then decide which program works better for that particular trip.

rufflesinc

Okay I'm confused about what you did. I can understand if you booked the award at T-355 or whenever CX/BA booking window opens. But whats the point of waiting until 16 hours before T-330 when someone else using avios could snag it?

If you simply wanted to beat other people using AA ,then why not just furiously check at the AA booking window?

jamienbaker

The strategy I use is booking when the BA window opens at 355 and then just paying the $55 redeposit fee at 330 and snapping right back with AA. I've actually done this with a phone on each year, BA on one, AA the other. So far has worked three times.

rufflesinc

Do you feel you run the risk of the award not going back into inventory? Have you done this with AS instead of AA?

Kremmen

"The AA booking window" is very wide. When I was checking QF LAX-MEL repeatedly early last year, the time AA bookings were possible varied from about 3am 331 days out to 5am 330 days out (UTC).