pdxasflyer

I’ve done a search, though all seemed really old. Realize the pandemic, though hypothetically speaking - has anyone ever, EVER, had any luck securing first or business awards on American or LATAM to South America? Or, is it simply just better to pay for biz between LAX/DFW/MIA to South America? From reading past threads (from the way past), I’ve read that people have gotten lucky in securing 1 or perhaps 2 award flights ever. It just seems like most essentially believe these are non-existent awards.

I am further expecting that with AS joining OW on April 1, that LATAM awards will evaporate as of that date also. Further, my expectations is that American awards will not improve.

So, is South America effectively a lost cause and thus a giant hole in AS’ award network? As always, I love to be proved wrong!!

HAF

Posted same observations here: AS SFO-EZE Business (J) Award on AA in Feb 2021
I am not sure if it is temporary but I have searched Feb-Nov '21 and there is absolutely no J from US to EZE or deep South America. Maybe it might change after Jan?

WillTravel4Food

My understanding is J into EZE and SCL is quite profitable for AA. Consequently, it will rarely if ever show up in the AASaver rate bucket made available to its partners. Don't hold out for one of the unicorns of AA awards.

tonei

I think part of this is that AA can now release inventory as “web specials” without making it available to partners - noticed this recently looking at MIA-MEX, web specials were available for 25k and the regular award price was 60k so it wasn’t bookable on partners

Eastbay1K

Ever? Yes, I've recently found some award space on LA, while dealing with various schedule changes and cancellations over Dec/Jan. Unfortunately, I now have to cancel the entire trip. Some space has been popping up on LAX/LIM, LAX/SCL
AA has been nil.

pmblinn

Family and I found good availability on LA J USA-SCL for 2021 through AS MP. (Whether we're actually able to travel by then is a different matter entirely!) Only problem is you have to call AS to find availability. Seeing inventory on LA website is not a perfect indicator that they have released those same seats to partners.

pdxasflyer

Since one has to call AS to book LA space, how long do you spend on the phone searching for dates/availability with an AS agent, since LA award space isn’t published on sites like ExpertFlyer? Granted, we have plenty of time (2022), though in your experience Eastbay1K , is it 330 days out or randomly somewhere in between 330 days and say, 2 weeks out? We’ve just about resigned ourselves to saving ourselves the mental fatigue and just booking J LAX-SCL/LIM-EZE, or is it not so mentally fatiguing?

pdxasflyer

Thanks, and good to know, pmblinn . I knew about calling AS to find availability, it’s just the process of doing that daily for days on end gets to be an exercise of penny wise/pound foolish about the time award space should be opening up. This begs the question - how far out from your departure date did you find this availability and was in LA, JFK or MIA? How many calls to AS before you found this J space? And, in the end, did the LA website align with the space that AS was able to see and you were able to book? Curiously, what time of year in general terms (North American Autumn, Winter, etc.)?

pmblinn

All depends on the value you place on your own time. We probably called 25-30 days straight for flights to SCL that were 8 months forward (So. American Fall.)

Flying for Fun

I called AS this evening looking for an award on LA to SCL in early February. The first date I inquired about had availability for both MIA-SCL & LAX-LIM-SCL

I am not sure I would want to book too far out with LA in Chapter 11 and the emails I keep getting from them saying "If you believe LATAM owes you money...."

Interestingly, when I found the J space from MIA and asked to add PHX to FLL, the only option it would provide was PHX-MIA on AA which would make it a multi-partner award.

James

pdxasflyer

Thanks James - all really good data points. My other concern with booking too far out is what happens on April 1, 2021 when AS formally joins OW - is that the final straw that will end the AS-LA partnership? If we were to book something, would LA still honor that award travel?

Eastbay1K

What has typically happened in similar circumstances is that your ticket remains issued (ticketing agreements, such as one airline selling (no matter the means of payment) are separate and apart from any alliance issues), but your ability to reissue / change, etc., or do anything other than refund, may be reduced / eliminated.

Mwenenzi

No. LATAM is a ff partner of most OW airlines, except AA.
https://www.latam.com/en_un/about-us...elta-alliance/
In OW airlines can and do have ff partners outside of the alliance. Been discussed in the AS-OW thread many times (too often)

pdxasflyer

Agreed and knew that; interestingly, what was missing from that list was AS being called out (though can see those are all OW airlines at the time of that news release and AS was not). I’m hopeful that the partnership is maintained. Delta’s influence in LATAM is concerning, though will keep my fingers crossed. Thanks Mwenenzi !

Mwenenzi

Have amended the quote to include the sub-title