No AA Award Availability on AS, but IB/BA?
Mar 9, 2023, 1:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: BonVoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Delta Plat, BA Bronze
Posts: 66
No AA Award Availability on AS, but IB/BA?
I was trying to put together a last minute trip to SAN this morning and noticed great award (Web Special's) on AA from PDX to SAN for 9k (out and back). Aren't the Web Specials supposed to be visible to other OW carriers award programs? They often pop-up on BA and IB, but a little bit more expensive with Avios as they are distance-by-leg-based awards. However, Alaska doesn't feature these AA awards in their search, especially on west coast routings.
Any idea as to why those AA awards are visible to other OW carriers through their respective loyalty programs but not Alaska?
Any idea as to why those AA awards are visible to other OW carriers through their respective loyalty programs but not Alaska?
Mar 9, 2023, 1:44 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: AS MVP Gold, Marriott Plat, ICH Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 4,381
Not sure I understand your question completely, but IMHO it's up to each FF program to have 'specials'. Nothing stopping AA to have some discounted award flights, but there isn't anything compelling AS to offer the same. Similar thing to each FF program charging very different amounts of miles for exactly the same award flights.
BTW: are these AS-operated PDX-SAN or AA-operated with a connection?
BTW: are these AS-operated PDX-SAN or AA-operated with a connection?
Mar 9, 2023, 3:15 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: BonVoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Delta Plat, BA Bronze
Posts: 66
Hi,
It's an AA operated PDX-PHX-SAN flight, same routing out and back.
I know that the OW membership requirements include business agreements with each member airline for earning and redemption; but to your point, Alaska may opt to limit AA awards on international routings only.
I rarely, if ever, see AA availability on the PDX-LAX directs on Alaska, but they are often available with Avios through BA/IB.
It's an AA operated PDX-PHX-SAN flight, same routing out and back.
I know that the OW membership requirements include business agreements with each member airline for earning and redemption; but to your point, Alaska may opt to limit AA awards on international routings only.
I rarely, if ever, see AA availability on the PDX-LAX directs on Alaska, but they are often available with Avios through BA/IB.
Mar 9, 2023, 3:36 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,597
AA and BA/IB (IAG) may have something within their partnership agreement to make these awards available. Those airlines have a much tighter relationship with each other than either does with AS.
Mar 9, 2023, 3:47 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,573
There have been some reports of BAEC members' being able to use Avios to book AA award flights, even when those flights are only showing up as (low-priced) Web Special awards. Of course, as you note, this will all be moot when AA goes fully "dynamic" and eliminates the "Web Special" category of redemptions. It remains to be seen what criteria AA will then use to determine which awards to make available to partners.
Mar 10, 2023, 4:52 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
AA domestically has traditionally been great via AS miles. But for whatever reason I don't think I've ever seen J offered on AA using AS miles. I don't know why that is and it can be frustrating at times.
Mar 10, 2023, 8:38 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
AS & AA were supposed to be offering reciprocal dynamically priced awards. I saw a few instances of AA awards on AS metal late last year but nothing since. Perhaps that is still in the works as AA moves to 100% dynamically priced awards on their own metal.
James
Mar 12, 2023, 3:44 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
I have booked more than one. Best AS J award on all AA metal was LIR-MIA-LAX(77W)/8 days/LAX-JFK(A321T) for 27.5K AS miles. The LIR-MIA was in Main on an A319 with 8 First Class seats. I was in MCE but didn't really care since it was such a short flight; equivalent to SEA-PHX.
AS & AA were supposed to be offering reciprocal dynamically priced awards. I saw a few instances of AA awards on AS metal late last year but nothing since. Perhaps that is still in the works as AA moves to 100% dynamically priced awards on their own metal.
James
AS & AA were supposed to be offering reciprocal dynamically priced awards. I saw a few instances of AA awards on AS metal late last year but nothing since. Perhaps that is still in the works as AA moves to 100% dynamically priced awards on their own metal.
James
Mar 13, 2023, 5:22 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,386
(Two of those routes were cancelled and the third regularly has a ton of unsold coach inventory, so do the math.)
Mar 14, 2023, 2:10 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
LIR is a pretty remote airport with an essential domestic F product. I have never been able to find a real AA J (let lone F) product such as across the pond out of/into LHR as an example. In all my years of searching I've never seen AA J products using AS miles to Europe.
AA J awards are definitely elusive, especially to EU, even for AAdvantage Elites, but there is, ocassionally, some unicorns.
AA LAX-SYD in J for 80K AS miles is available in April.
James
Mar 16, 2023, 11:07 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest
Posts: 296
I wonder if it might be possible to access American J flights using Alaska Miles via a call in to the Alaska CSR's for international flights. Because the AA miles awards are all over the place for a given route and the Alaska online miles award requests are not, that may be why folks can't see those options on line.
Mar 17, 2023, 9:45 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,386
I wonder if it might be possible to access American J flights using Alaska Miles via a call in to the Alaska CSR's for international flights. Because the AA miles awards are all over the place for a given route and the Alaska online miles award requests are not, that may be why folks can't see those options on line.
Mar 18, 2023, 10:13 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest
Posts: 296
OK -- I was wondering about that. I suspect I for next year, I'll end up using American Airline miles outbound on their metal to avoid the large BA extra fee in that direction.
I note that if returning from say Dublin routing thru London, the BA premium is much more reasonable.
I note that if returning from say Dublin routing thru London, the BA premium is much more reasonable.
Mar 19, 2023, 3:21 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
OK -- I was wondering about that. I suspect I for next year, I'll end up using American Airline miles outbound on their metal to avoid the large BA extra fee in that direction.
I note that if returning from say Dublin routing thru London, the BA premium is much more reasonable.
I note that if returning from say Dublin routing thru London, the BA premium is much more reasonable.