Award Success Story and Lessons Learned
Dec 10, 2017, 6:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: AS 75K, UA Plt
Posts: 226
Award Success Story and Lessons Learned
I just booked AF J award PDX-SFO-CDG-MAD for mid-march and return BA F award MAD-LHR-LAS-PDX. Working with the partner desk as neither leg would come up complete on AS.com. What I ended up doing was searching individual legs for availability like SFO-CDG and then CDG-MAD. Then calling the partner desk and tell them the legs. I also used expert flyer, which is much quicker, to search O fares on AF and Z fares on BA.
One problem I discovered is that if you book AF outgoing and BA return as a single itinerary the AS system charges tax as if the BA ticket was round trip so $700 in taxes. Instead I booked the trip as two one ways and taxes were only $320.
I also placed fare alerts on expertflyer just in case LHR-SEA adds any open space in F. Being 75k I can change the ticket without fees.
Also saw availability for EK F LAX-DXB-CDG but 180k miles...Though 24 hours in EK F suites was very tempting.
One problem I discovered is that if you book AF outgoing and BA return as a single itinerary the AS system charges tax as if the BA ticket was round trip so $700 in taxes. Instead I booked the trip as two one ways and taxes were only $320.
I also placed fare alerts on expertflyer just in case LHR-SEA adds any open space in F. Being 75k I can change the ticket without fees.
Also saw availability for EK F LAX-DXB-CDG but 180k miles...Though 24 hours in EK F suites was very tempting.
Dec 11, 2017, 9:42 am
#3
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Location: Portland, OR
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Dec 11, 2017, 10:03 am
#4
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Dec 11, 2017, 10:07 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Dec 13, 2017, 9:43 pm
#7
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: AS 75K, UA Plt
Posts: 226
My connecting flights on AS for both legs are in coach. I checked online and F is wide open on all the AS flights with U7 (7 upgrades open via expertflyer). Seems to me that if you are on a partner international award in F/J and U space is available for the AS connections then you should book into F. Overall I'm not concerned as a 75k I'll be upgraded anyways 95%. One interesting find is that on a partner award you can't use VX for connections. I assume due to the AS rule of only one partner per award.
Dec 13, 2017, 9:58 pm
#8
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My connecting flights on AS for both legs are in coach. I checked online and F is wide open on all the AS flights with U7 (7 upgrades open via expertflyer). Seems to me that if you are on a partner international award in F/J and U space is available for the AS connections then you should book into F. Overall I'm not concerned as a 75k I'll be upgraded anyways 95%. One interesting find is that on a partner award you can't use VX for connections. I assume due to the AS rule of only one partner per award.
Dec 13, 2017, 11:14 pm
#9
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My connecting flights on AS for both legs are in coach. I checked online and F is wide open on all the AS flights with U7 (7 upgrades open via expertflyer). Seems to me that if you are on a partner international award in F/J and U space is available for the AS connections then you should book into F. Overall I'm not concerned as a 75k I'll be upgraded anyways 95%. One interesting find is that on a partner award you can't use VX for connections. I assume due to the AS rule of only one partner per award.
As for your award, also consider LHR-SFO-PDX or LHR-SJC-PDX. Both SFO and SJC have F service on BA.
Dec 13, 2017, 11:53 pm
#10
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Location: Portland, OR
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I'm flying home 3/19 and as far as I can see I have the only F award on BA west of the mississippi that day.
Dec 18, 2017, 10:17 am
#11
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Another wrinkle. My morning flight 3/11 PDX-SFO was just cancelled. AS has moved most of their capacity for PDX-SFO and SEA-SFO to VX. This is of course a huge problem for connecting to SFO for a partner award with the AS rule of only one partner per award. My AF leg SFO-CDG leaves at 1600. AS has no flights now from either PDX or SEA that can get me to SFO on 3/11 in time to make my connection. I'm waiting on a call back from the partner desk.
Update - The partner desk is unable to change me to a VX flight. Instead they are calling AF to request a J award seat on the LAX-CDG flight.The challenge is that the SFO-CDG was the only AF flight with J award available on 3/11 out of the USA. So apparently asking AF to open award inventory is easier than asking VX for a connecting flight...
Update - The partner desk is unable to change me to a VX flight. Instead they are calling AF to request a J award seat on the LAX-CDG flight.The challenge is that the SFO-CDG was the only AF flight with J award available on 3/11 out of the USA. So apparently asking AF to open award inventory is easier than asking VX for a connecting flight...
Last edited by drewcwsj; Dec 18, 2017 at 1:48 pm
Dec 18, 2017, 7:21 pm
#12
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Another wrinkle. My morning flight 3/11 PDX-SFO was just cancelled. AS has moved most of their capacity for PDX-SFO and SEA-SFO to VX. This is of course a huge problem for connecting to SFO for a partner award with the AS rule of only one partner per award. My AF leg SFO-CDG leaves at 1600. AS has no flights now from either PDX or SEA that can get me to SFO on 3/11 in time to make my connection. I'm waiting on a call back from the partner desk.
Update - The partner desk is unable to change me to a VX flight. Instead they are calling AF to request a J award seat on the LAX-CDG flight.The challenge is that the SFO-CDG was the only AF flight with J award available on 3/11 out of the USA. So apparently asking AF to open award inventory is easier than asking VX for a connecting flight...
Update - The partner desk is unable to change me to a VX flight. Instead they are calling AF to request a J award seat on the LAX-CDG flight.The challenge is that the SFO-CDG was the only AF flight with J award available on 3/11 out of the USA. So apparently asking AF to open award inventory is easier than asking VX for a connecting flight...
Dec 18, 2017, 8:37 pm
#13
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Location: Portland, OR
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AF said no. The partner desk asked for a week to see if they can get VX to play nicely. The other option offered was to do an overnight in LAX at my expense to which I said no.
Dec 20, 2017, 8:55 am
#14
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Location: Portland, OR
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Looks like I may have the first multi-partner itinerary 
PDX-SFO on VX SFO-CDG-MAD on AF all on a single award. I think this is an exception for me as Alaska cancelled all the morning flights PDX-SFO (and SEA-SFO) going forwards to remove duplicates in the combined schedule. The partner desk told me that the target for VX to be integrated into awards is April.
PDX-SFO on VX SFO-CDG-MAD on AF all on a single award. I think this is an exception for me as Alaska cancelled all the morning flights PDX-SFO (and SEA-SFO) going forwards to remove duplicates in the combined schedule. The partner desk told me that the target for VX to be integrated into awards is April.
Dec 20, 2017, 8:09 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: SEA
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Posts: 90
Looks like I may have the first multi-partner itinerary PDX-SFO on VX SFO-CDG-MAD on AF all on a single award. I think this is an exception for me as Alaska cancelled all the morning flights PDX-SFO (and SEA-SFO) going forwards to remove duplicates in the combined schedule. The partner desk told me that the target for VX to be integrated into awards is April.
PDX-SFO on VX SFO-CDG-MAD on AF all on a single award. I think this is an exception for me as Alaska cancelled all the morning flights PDX-SFO (and SEA-SFO) going forwards to remove duplicates in the combined schedule. The partner desk told me that the target for VX to be integrated into awards is April.