VegasGambler

Partner booking fee is $12.50

CDKing

Phone booking fee has applied for partner awards bookings even a decade ago when few partners were online. Yes it's been waived before but sounds like they don't want to waive anymore. I had one accidentally charged as elite and it was a pain to get refunded

Kafei

I would like to say thank you to all the contributors of this thread. I have followed tips giving on booking flights with AS points and successfully booked CX flights to Sydney with stopover in Hong Kong in December 2020. One First and one Business from SFO to HKG, Two PE from HKG to SYD. It seems CX seldom release Bus between HKG to SYD, just have to make it a daily task to check.

Tracer_SEA

So I can see a two segment CX J award available via both AA and JL, but multiple AS agents insist they can't see it

AA.com will let me put it on hold, so it does not appear to be phantom

Is there anything to do beside HUCA and/or just wait and see if something changes...?

777 global mile hound

Lol another HUCA situation
This is just one data point (my own) but Alaska gets seriously less inventory than American or British Airways
However BA gets the most in my experiences of checking over the past years
Yes its great when you can book it through Alaska but seriously Alaska is over rated as frequently be it American Qantas etc the inventory simply isn't there
I have gotten lucky thankfully here or there in the past
Hopefully someone can be more helpful as Alaska can incredibly frustrating to book with and when adding segments that are legal.after booking
While the majority of agents are nice many don't have international partnership expertise/training and may advise poorly

skimthetrees

When you check JL you should be checking the CX partner specific search. Is that what you are checking? Not the OneWorld award search and not including a KA (Cathay Dragon) segment since AS does not have access to KA awards? Also try checking BA and QF. If it is showing up on QF and JL CX partner specific search and is two segments or less then there is a 98% chance that is is available via AS. When you put the award on hold with AA the award seats get removed from inventory possibly causing AS to not have access if there are not more seats available.

If you can share the date and route we can look at it more closely.

chimpe

Congrats! glad it all worked out for you.

I've a HKG to MEL flight for Oct 2020 (currently in Y) and have been checking daily for either PE or J for the last month and availability has been tough. Hope you have better luck!

maverikbc

I'm starting the rest of my award trip on Sunday, I should be able to guest 1 person to lounges at LAX Sunday night, at HKG almost all day long on 28th. Let me know if you want to join me. I should have been able to guest someone at AA flagship first dining at JFK last month, but I've completely forgotten about this guesting privilege, and I couldn't find the right thread to post, I hope this isn't off topic. Here's my post about the redemption:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alas...l#post31283995

at LAX, I'm thinking about visiting QF first lounge. At HKG, I'll first go to Pier first lounge. During my last visit, the food was meh, and I have all day there, so I'll also try QF lounge for meals. A Plaza Premium staff at YVR told me other day that AS F pax won't have any lounge access there unless I'm a boardroom member, which I'm not. Can someone invite me to a lounge early Sunday afternoon at YVR transborder? I should have access to Boardroom at PDX that afternoon, but I'm unsure about guest privilege.

Seat maps showing 4 out of 6 F out of LAX are taken, HKG-cpt J is about half full. BA showed no availabilities, but interestingly Asia Miles showing availability for LAX-hkg F, but not HKG-cpt J. I should've checked last minute award availabilities JFK-yvr, but I've completely forgotten about it. It could've been an interesting one, because I've got the whole F cabin to myself.

flyertalker00156

Is it me or has all CX availability NA-HKG dried up at T-330?

percysmith

It is, even for AM. Did you AS lot take it or CX systematically withdrawing availability at T-330?

skimthetrees

Do you mean now, looking right before Xmas 2020? I would not be surprised. I see seats available at less than T-330 so it may just be in the busy holiday season CX is holding back a bit or those seats were already taken by other programs that can book further out than 330. If you are flexible in your travel dates and can travel outside the peak dates you should be able to find something. Availability may open closer in for peak dates.

flyertalker00156

Difficult to know, I know it is around Xmas but still seems wierd from all NA gateways

I am just scanning now, not planning to fly Xmas probably late Jan after HK holiday. 2021, but seems like nothing is available T-330. I know flights come up closer to the time but like most prefer to get everything sorted 330 days prior

percysmith

Don't we all. But airlines don't like to oblige https://onemileatatime.com/last-minute-airline-awards/

flyertalker00156

of course, however, CX always use to release a good amount of J in advance, however, I recently have seen this dry up. My question was have others noticed this as well, this is not me complaining about award availability.

pbd456

Booked 3 tickets

Jnb hkg (stop) bos j f
Jnb hkg (stop) bos j j
Jnb hkg (stop) JFK j j.

All done in 1 call. Around 30 min