AA Award Availabilty for Mileage Plan Members
#17
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,446
I don't think they are particularly stingy. I'm sorry to see the bump in the number of miles for redemption, but you are seeing the same thing that AA fliers would see if they were booking a Saver Award. When you see that unicorn all segment business award show up, book it. I think Alaska has the most liberal change/cancel/redeposit policies for mid and upper tier fliers.
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 613
I've been having this problem trying to book award tickets on AA metal to the Caribbean using AS miles, and came across this thread. BA.com stills matches AA milesaaver availability, but AS.com no longer does, with only a subset of the available flights show up on AS.com. Definitely hoping this is just a temporary glitch, and not a sign of a permanent change in how award availability on AA metal works.
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I've been having this problem trying to book award tickets on AA metal to the Caribbean using AS miles, and came across this thread. BA.com stills matches AA milesaaver availability, but AS.com no longer does, with only a subset of the available flights show up on AS.com. Definitely hoping this is just a temporary glitch, and not a sign of a permanent change in how award availability on AA metal works.
AA Award Availabilty for Mileage Plan Members
? The issue is that it's for about one week out, from Boston to Aruba. So availability may differ depending on how for you you're looking, which cabin you're looking for, and from what starting city to where in the Caribbean?
#20
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Plat, and a bunch of other stuff I guess
Posts: 41
I booked an AS award on AA metal, and called yesterday to change the date. I could see on the website that only F was available for my desired date/flights, but the agent on the phone kept saying there were no seats in any class. Eventually he had to cancel the original ticket and issue a new one... he explained this by saying that different systems are used under the hood for booking new award tickets or agents making changes to existing ones. Not entirely sure about that, but it does seem like something weird is going on IT-wise regarding what seats are available to whom.
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 613
Did you see post 9 in this other thread, about Aruba availability:
AA Award Availabilty for Mileage Plan Members
? The issue is that it's for about one week out, from Boston to Aruba. So availability may differ depending on how for you you're looking, which cabin you're looking for, and from what starting city to where in the Caribbean?
AA Award Availabilty for Mileage Plan Members
? The issue is that it's for about one week out, from Boston to Aruba. So availability may differ depending on how for you you're looking, which cabin you're looking for, and from what starting city to where in the Caribbean?
#22
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Portland
Programs: MVPGold 75K
Posts: 494
I was looking for business class-pdx-lax-lhr feb 2 and it never showed up until last night at 3 am. I got two seats for 57k miles. It is in 2 weeks, so it is possible to get just you have to keep checking. What I usually do as mvp75k, I buy Y tickets and just cancel them if business class becomes available.
#23
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, Southwest A-List, United MileagePlus Gold, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 59
I am seeing a problem as well... Below is a search on both AA and AS for availability HTS-PVD in June:
Though there is wide open saver availability showing on AA in Y class, AS shows none. Only availability in F. The only one stop routing for HTS-PVD is HTS-CLT-PVD... I checked those legs individually and they both had non-stop availability in Y wide open on AA with nothing on AS.
Though there is wide open saver availability showing on AA in Y class, AS shows none. Only availability in F. The only one stop routing for HTS-PVD is HTS-CLT-PVD... I checked those legs individually and they both had non-stop availability in Y wide open on AA with nothing on AS.
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I am seeing a problem as well... Below is a search on both AA and AS for availability HTS-PVD in June:
Though there is wide open saver availability showing on AA in Y class, AS shows none. Only availability in F. The only one stop routing for HTS-PVD is HTS-CLT-PVD... I checked those legs individually and they both had non-stop availability in Y wide open on AA with nothing on AS.
Though there is wide open saver availability showing on AA in Y class, AS shows none. Only availability in F. The only one stop routing for HTS-PVD is HTS-CLT-PVD... I checked those legs individually and they both had non-stop availability in Y wide open on AA with nothing on AS.
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
It used to be you could find international First Class award seats on AA via AS MP without much trouble. Not any more. I haven't seen any AA F award availability in over a year - and I've plugged in a good number of dates and destinations.
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
There are hardly any remaining int'l AA flights with an F cabin, and the remaining cabins are quite small (F8).
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,391
With the Flagship Dining Room in LAX and getting access to Pier F in HKG, plus a great crew, I'd say it was worth it at a mild mileage discount to CX F even if the onboard product, while nice enough, is not as nice as CX's F product. Two good meals at sea level beats nearly anything in the air IMO, and the showers in the Flagship Lounge + a meal and a cocktail in the dining room were a great tonic for a mostly sleepless, turbulence-filled ride over the Pacific. However, I can't say I'd be wanting to pay 110k miles if CX F is 40k miles less for the same itinerary I flew, even if it got me Flagship Dining again. I'd probably have a soup and a beer in the Alaska Lounge instead.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Jan 24, 2018 at 4:55 pm
#28
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, Southwest A-List, United MileagePlus Gold, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 59
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
I just got back from flying HKG-LAX in F on AA, but it basically took me finding a winning lottery ticket on my exact travel date (completely wide-open AA premium class availability EVERYWHERE). And yes, you have very, very few routes left with AA international three-class F (and the AS award price for three-class international F was jacked up in the interim).
With the Flagship Dining Room in LAX and getting access to Pier F in HKG, plus a great crew, I'd say it was worth it at a mild mileage discount to CX F even if the onboard product, while nice enough, is not as nice as CX's F product. Two good meals at sea level beats nearly anything in the air IMO, and the showers in the Flagship Lounge + a meal and a cocktail in the dining room were a great tonic for a mostly sleepless, turbulence-filled ride over the Pacific. However, I can't say I'd be wanting to pay 110k miles if CX F is 40k miles less for the same itinerary I flew, even if it got me Flagship Dining again. I'd probably have a soup and a beer in the Alaska Lounge instead.
With the Flagship Dining Room in LAX and getting access to Pier F in HKG, plus a great crew, I'd say it was worth it at a mild mileage discount to CX F even if the onboard product, while nice enough, is not as nice as CX's F product. Two good meals at sea level beats nearly anything in the air IMO, and the showers in the Flagship Lounge + a meal and a cocktail in the dining room were a great tonic for a mostly sleepless, turbulence-filled ride over the Pacific. However, I can't say I'd be wanting to pay 110k miles if CX F is 40k miles less for the same itinerary I flew, even if it got me Flagship Dining again. I'd probably have a soup and a beer in the Alaska Lounge instead.
#30
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951