No Award Flights To IST mid Sept, 2011 -- Do I Believe AA?
Jun 16, 2011, 1:52 pm
#1
Original Poster
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No Award Flights To IST mid Sept, 2011 -- Do I Believe AA?
Trying to use award mileage for a mid-September cruise out of Istanbul, and AA shows no availability. There's availability from ORD to HTR and MAD, of course, but no award connections to Turkey. Two award desk agents have told me things may open and to keep checking back, but I'm tempted to pay for this one out of my pocket so I can get aboard the only ORD-IST nonstop on Turkish. Are flights to/from Istanbul typically low or no award availability?
Jun 16, 2011, 2:00 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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AA doesn't fly its own planes to IST. All partner carrier travel is sAAver level or not available.
Jun 16, 2011, 2:06 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Trying to use award mileage for a mid-September cruise out of Istanbul, and AA shows no availability. There's availability from ORD to HTR and MAD, of course, but no award connections to Turkey. Two award desk agents have told me things may open and to keep checking back, but I'm tempted to pay for this one out of my pocket so I can get aboard the only ORD-IST nonstop on Turkish. Are flights to/from Istanbul typically low or no award availability?
What is your priority: is it saving money? If so, you may need to sacrifice adding extra connections. For example, check and see if ORD-JFK-BUD-IST is available using AA and MA.
Are you flexible with time a bit so that if IST isn't available, maybe some other European city nearby that is accessible to IST via a train or a cheap European LCC?
Jun 16, 2011, 2:09 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
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What do you think OW is? Star or SkyTeam? You wouldn't expect them to be competitive in their offerings would you? 
I don't see how there can be zero availability on any OW airline west of IST to get there.
I don't see how there can be zero availability on any OW airline west of IST to get there.
Jun 16, 2011, 2:12 pm
#5
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No I fly One World because flights are actually available unlike on Star and for a reasonable number of points unlike SkyTeam.
Jun 16, 2011, 2:17 pm
#6
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and the premium experience is insurmountable anywhere else maybe outside of FRA.If I had to go somewhere else though, I'd really like to see a couple more european destinations on AA metal like in the early 2000s (MUC, ARN)-even AMS.
Jun 16, 2011, 2:17 pm
#7
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you have an award coming back?......
what will the cruise air do for you?.....sometimes you can get j for a decent price....
good luck...
what will the cruise air do for you?.....sometimes you can get j for a decent price....
good luck...
Jun 16, 2011, 2:26 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2001
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IST availability
For what it's worth, I checked KVS for a couple of days in Sept. and found no availability in any class. It's possible that, as another poster suggested, you may have better luck if you ask the agent to build the itinerary leg by leg. For what it's worth, the BA site shows no availability for September or October.
Jun 16, 2011, 3:16 pm
#9
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I agree with this--mainly because the only destination I really fly to outside the US is LHR and the premium experience is insurmountable anywhere else maybe outside of FRA.
If I had to go somewhere else though, I'd really like to see a couple more european destinations on AA metal like in the early 2000s (MUC, ARN)-even AMS.
and the premium experience is insurmountable anywhere else maybe outside of FRA.If I had to go somewhere else though, I'd really like to see a couple more european destinations on AA metal like in the early 2000s (MUC, ARN)-even AMS.
OW has better award availability far beyond LHR.
Jun 16, 2011, 3:46 pm
#10
Moderator, OneWorld
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I just picked a day at random (Sept. 17) and IB has 2+ Y and J award seats on 2 different MAD-IST flights, same thing coming back (Sept. 24.) I also have to think that it would be a piece of cake from BUD.
Jun 16, 2011, 4:09 pm
#11
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Months ago my father tried to book award tickets back to the US from IST. He called a few times and kept getting a no. It took me about 5 minutes on Expert Flyer to find the open seats he wanted on the dates of his choice.
Turns out, in our case at least, that the AAgents didn't bother checking any partners other than BA. They ended up being able to choose between Malev and Iberia.
Take your time, do your homework BEFORE you call AA and keep trying until you find what you'd like.
Turns out, in our case at least, that the AAgents didn't bother checking any partners other than BA. They ended up being able to choose between Malev and Iberia.
Take your time, do your homework BEFORE you call AA and keep trying until you find what you'd like.
Jun 16, 2011, 4:37 pm
#12
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FWIW, I purchased a IST-LHR ticket back in March and was able to upgrade using AA miles. I have been checking since early May for an upgrade seat on the previous day, but no luck. Neither the BA A3nn or B767 flights have availability. Oh well I guess I will just have to rough it at the Ritz Carlton for an extra night.
Jun 16, 2011, 5:03 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2001
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It was a huge blow (for us at least) when Turkish ended their relationship with OW a couple years back...that effectively killed the only non-stop JFK-IST flight in the alliance. Now we maintain a balance of Dividend Miles so we can continue to fly that route on TK...lest we be forced to fly DL.
Jun 16, 2011, 5:05 pm
#14
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It was a huge blow (for us at least) when Turkish ended their relationship with OW a couple years back...that effectively killed the only non-stop JFK-IST flight in the alliance. Now we maintain a balance of Dividend Miles so we can continue to fly that route on TK...lest we be forced to fly DL.
Jun 16, 2011, 5:58 pm
#15
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That is correct, they were not a OW member. But they did have a relationship with AA and we were able to make several award reservations using AA miles before that ended (around the time they became an official *A member I believe.) Having flown on other carriers and stopping at Frankfurt, London, or wherever at the equivalent of 3 o'clock in the morning, it goes without saying that I much prefer the non-stop route on TK. I can't see booking travel to IST on OW going forward.