Sesarj

I'm trying to get my family from LAX to CDG and FCO or LHR this summer on saaver award tickets. I need 3 tickets and will buy the fourth. Any suggestions? We would like to be there for 10 nights. I seem to be able to book a departure or return but can't find both. We are open from mid July until August 23rd.

Should I try expert flyer? I don't know any other way to monitor the AA partner award seats.

Dallas49er

1st...Welcome to FT!

2nd....EF is an excellent tool. I recommend a subscription.

However, you are probably going to find out that award seats become more scarce approaching departure date, especially during peak travel times.

Good luck.

Austinrunner

I would not use ExpertFlyer if I were trying to monitor AA partner award seats.

AA partners not covered at all by ExpertFlyer:
Air Pacific
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Gulf Air
Iberia
Japan Airlines
Jet Airways
JetBlue
LAN Airlines
Malev Hungarian
Royal Jordanian
S7 Airlines

AA partners partially covered by ExpertFlyer:
Finnair

3Cforme

True enough, but only two of those carriers have frequent TATL service USA-Europe and thus are particularly relevant to the OP's question.

aa.com isn't going to find BA or Iberia awards (or anything other than AA metal). A thorough search on aa.com is appropriate, followed by a call to AA for BA inventory (if one is willing to pay the fuel surcharges) and Iberia.

I use ExpertFlyer a lot, but I wouldn't bother with EF alerts when looking for three seats.

Austinrunner

Some tools that can be used to find award availability on oneworld partners:

American Airlines (AA): AA website; Expert Flyer; KVS; BA website; QF website
British Airways (BA): BA website; KVS; QF website
Cathay Pacific (CX): Asia Miles website; KVS; BA website; QF website
Dragonair (KA): KVS; BA website
Finnair (AY): Expert Flyer (economy class only); KVS; BA website; QF website
Iberia (IB): IB website; KVS; BA website; QF website
Japan Airlines (JL): KVS; BA website
LAN Airlines (LA): LA website; KVS; BA website; QF website
LAN Argentina (4M): KVS; QF website
Malev (MA): KVS; BA website; QF website
Mexicana (MX): KVS; BA website
Qantas (QF): QF website; Expert Flyer; KVS; BA website
Royal Jordanian (RJ): KVS; BA website
S7 Airlines (S7): KVS; BA website

diaspora04

I cannot determine whether you are EXP from your profile, but if you are, I would engage the EXP desk in a search with as much flexibility as you can. EXP agents are used to this type of call and are generally very helpful even if it takes an hour. In January, the desk found us five (5!) U class tickets together to Eastern Europe and back on AA partner airflines using AA miles.*

*I now notice that you are Gold. I would still try a call.

Sesarj

Thanks for the quick responses. From the BA website I can monitor the award seats on all the partners? And I can see if Saaver awards are available?

Bmoney

FYI-- Summer is high peak for Europe so even getting a Peak Saaver award will be difficult. Getting 3 on the same flight, good luck! Most of those seats go very quickly.

lopinc1

Also AwardNexus.com. It covers all of the OW partners via both the QF and BA award search and, unlike other tools, has a free version for FT members.

Austinrunner

You can use the BA website to monitor award availability on oneworld airlines. But AA has additional airline partners that are not members of oneworld: Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska Airlines / Horizon Air, EL AL, GOL, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Jet Airways, and JetBlue.

The BA website has limitations when checking award availability for airlines other than AA, IB, and BA. The website says, "If you are travelling on a route operated by Iberia or American Airlines, you will be offered available flights on these airlines as well as British Airways. For all other partner airlines, they will only be offered where British Airways is not available on the requested date or does not fly the route."