ANA agents unable to access Etihad award space?
Feb 11, 2013, 3:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ECP
Programs: DL Diamond
Posts: 1,658
ANA agents unable to access Etihad award space?
It's showing as available on Etihad (their "saver" level), but ANA agent said requests came back a no go for dates that clearly had space according to EY's website...
Is EY blocking seats to ANA now?
Is EY blocking seats to ANA now?
Feb 12, 2013, 2:45 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,265
As above, when I was on the phone to AA, their screen did not match Guest Seat space on EY.com. It's not that they can't see anything, but just different days available to EY.com.
Feb 12, 2013, 8:13 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ECP
Programs: DL Diamond
Posts: 1,658
I did some more testing with a very patient ANA agent to try and get to the bottom of it. Her availability matched "Guest Seat" availability 100% of the time through Nov 30, 2013. After Nov 30, it fell off a cliff--literally to zero.
Etihad apparently gives their own members first bite at the apple (not unreasonable) and then either loads one month at a time approximately 10 months out or they become available 291 days out. That or, as far as they are concerned the partnership ends Nov 30, 2013 -- and since I already transferred MR->ANA, that would be a bummer.
EDIT: Strangely, EY space is available AUH->USA for about a week into December and then also falls off a cliff. I wonder if Dec is blacked out to partners or whether it's released slowly?
Etihad apparently gives their own members first bite at the apple (not unreasonable) and then either loads one month at a time approximately 10 months out or they become available 291 days out. That or, as far as they are concerned the partnership ends Nov 30, 2013 -- and since I already transferred MR->ANA, that would be a bummer.
EDIT: Strangely, EY space is available AUH->USA for about a week into December and then also falls off a cliff. I wonder if Dec is blacked out to partners or whether it's released slowly?
Last edited by DC777Fan; Feb 12, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Apr 24, 2013, 7:04 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, SPG, Hertz
Posts: 21
This still seems like my best option... I'm trying to get to MLE with a stopover in DXB/AUH in either J or F. I have a lot of MR points, and otherwise I'm using more AA miles (270K) and either buying two J/F tickets DXB/AUH-MLE at $1000+ each (since AA doesn't allow en-route stopovers) or using another 50K AA miles.
That said, I don't want 230K orphan ANA miles sitting around that I can't use to book on Etihad.
That said, I don't want 230K orphan ANA miles sitting around that I can't use to book on Etihad.
Last edited by ohwino; Apr 24, 2013 at 7:32 am
Apr 26, 2013, 10:09 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ECP
Programs: DL Diamond
Posts: 1,658
This still seems like my best option... I'm trying to get to MLE with a stopover in DXB/AUH in either J or F. I have a lot of MR points, and otherwise I'm using more AA miles (270K) and either buying two J/F tickets DXB/AUH-MLE at $1000+ each (since AA doesn't allow en-route stopovers) or using another 50K AA miles.
That said, I don't want 230K orphan ANA miles sitting around that I can't use to book on Etihad.
That said, I don't want 230K orphan ANA miles sitting around that I can't use to book on Etihad.
Feb 22, 2016, 1:40 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York
Programs: SPG Platinum, AA 2.0 MM, DL Plat, Hertz Plat, LY Gold
Posts: 1,602
Does blocking of premium seats still exist? Been trying to make a booking and they seem to have zero premium seats in flights that Etihad Guest and AA both have
Feb 22, 2016, 9:25 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
That's the main problem they block when necessary. Lots of times till the very end and than at the end, NH closes the last 4 days prior to departure for award booking.
Apr 18, 2016, 9:00 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K, AA GLD
Posts: 237
Just wanted to update with a data point:
I called JPY and USA call centers over the past 2 weeks trying to book a fairly simple nonstop roundtrip in EY J class, guestseat availability has been open for months on EY's website. Couldn't get them to book. A couple days later, I called the SIN ANA mileage club desk and they booked it in 10 minutes.
While it could have been that EY released guestseat inventory to other airlines over a couple of days, I have a feeling that EY is blocking bookings from NH Japan and US call centers (just as they EY "blocks" award bookings from the AA US call center, but not the AA australia call center).
I called JPY and USA call centers over the past 2 weeks trying to book a fairly simple nonstop roundtrip in EY J class, guestseat availability has been open for months on EY's website. Couldn't get them to book. A couple days later, I called the SIN ANA mileage club desk and they booked it in 10 minutes.
While it could have been that EY released guestseat inventory to other airlines over a couple of days, I have a feeling that EY is blocking bookings from NH Japan and US call centers (just as they EY "blocks" award bookings from the AA US call center, but not the AA australia call center).
Last edited by psychoandy; Apr 22, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Apr 25, 2016, 8:27 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,784
Just wanted to update with a data point:
I called JPY and USA call centers over the past 2 weeks trying to book a fairly simple nonstop roundtrip in EY J class, guestseat availability has been open for months on EY's website. Couldn't get them to book. A couple days later, I called the SIN ANA mileage club desk and they booked it in 10 minutes.
While it could have been that EY released guestseat inventory to other airlines over a couple of days, I have a feeling that EY is blocking bookings from NH Japan and US call centers (just as they EY "blocks" award bookings from the AA US call center, but not the AA australia call center).
I called JPY and USA call centers over the past 2 weeks trying to book a fairly simple nonstop roundtrip in EY J class, guestseat availability has been open for months on EY's website. Couldn't get them to book. A couple days later, I called the SIN ANA mileage club desk and they booked it in 10 minutes.
While it could have been that EY released guestseat inventory to other airlines over a couple of days, I have a feeling that EY is blocking bookings from NH Japan and US call centers (just as they EY "blocks" award bookings from the AA US call center, but not the AA australia call center).