View Poll Results: Embargo vs limited saaver awards
Has AAdvantage instituted an embargo for saaver awards
26
34.67%
Has AAdvantage limited saaver awards more than past years
49
65.33%
Voters: 75. You may not vote on this poll
AA Holiday milesAAver Award Travel Inventory - limits, releases
Jan 30, 2012, 4:01 pm
#226
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 31
It doesn't really matter to me whether you believe the agent or not but she was very helpful with the information she gave me. The seven tickets were COACH saaver awards and 5 of them were puchased using points, while 2 of them were just reserved and not yet purchsed. She did not tell me how many first class were released but she said there was one milesaaver still available for the day I wanted so I reserved that.
Yes, I am 100% certain the agent was not telling the truth. Perhaps he or she was confused. Being charitable, it's theoretically possible that there were 7 First Class award seats allocated.
Again, just find me one domestic coach saver award seat after December 12on AA. Any market. I think that gives you tens of thousands of possibilities. Find one, and they we talk about whether these seats were actually loaded and booked.
(BTW, I hope somebody does find one -- logic would say there's some market that's been exempted from the script, but I haven't found one. Don't be confused by the occasional AS flight that pops up as available).
Again, just find me one domestic coach saver award seat after December 12on AA. Any market. I think that gives you tens of thousands of possibilities. Find one, and they we talk about whether these seats were actually loaded and booked.
(BTW, I hope somebody does find one -- logic would say there's some market that's been exempted from the script, but I haven't found one. Don't be confused by the occasional AS flight that pops up as available).
Jan 30, 2012, 4:56 pm
#227
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
Yeah, as has been noted, you can book AS award seats on AA.com for the Holidays. From what I've observed, there isn't always a lot of inventory, but there's some -- even transcons out of EWR. AS has a multi-tiered award structure and only their lowest tier is made available to AAdvantage members at any price. I suspect this tier won't be replenished in most markets, so it may be now or never to snag these AS seats. And the longer AA holds off releasing any of their own inventory, the faster the AS inventory will go because there's no other good option.
Jan 30, 2012, 5:07 pm
#228
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
It doesn't really matter to me whether you believe the agent or not but she was very helpful with the information she gave me. The seven tickets were COACH saaver awards and 5 of them were puchased using points, while 2 of them were just reserved and not yet purchsed. She did not tell me how many first class were released but she said there was one milesaaver still available for the day I wanted so I reserved that.
Jan 31, 2012, 11:31 am
#229
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AA LT Plat - 2MM;HH Diamond
Posts: 239
Somewhat related expertflyer question
So I subscribed to expertflyer to take a look at holiday flights/set alerts/etc.
I noticed that some flights show T0 and others don't even show T. What does that mean (or does it not mean anything)?
I also noticed that F,Y,and Z show 7 (which I understand is the max). I also see by the seat map, that none are assigned (and the front 2/back 1 or 2 are blocked out or assigned). Does having no seats assigned and T0 "prove" that no Coach SAAver was loaded for these flights?
Thanks,
Dan
I noticed that some flights show T0 and others don't even show T. What does that mean (or does it not mean anything)?
I also noticed that F,Y,and Z show 7 (which I understand is the max). I also see by the seat map, that none are assigned (and the front 2/back 1 or 2 are blocked out or assigned). Does having no seats assigned and T0 "prove" that no Coach SAAver was loaded for these flights?
Thanks,
Dan
Last edited by danorum; Jan 31, 2012 at 11:42 am Reason: added Coach in front of SAAver to avoid confusion.
Jan 31, 2012, 1:09 pm
#230
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: LI, NY
Programs: AA PLT, AAdv since Day One
Posts: 2,682
As an aside, but related to this thread, my own observation is that during the 2012 late December holiday season AA seems to be offering the usual Z inventory on flights to Hawaii. YMMV.
Jan 31, 2012, 1:30 pm
#231
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
In the case of Hawaii, of course, this means that it can be cheaper to book first class than coach!
Jan 31, 2012, 2:09 pm
#232
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AA LT Plat - 2MM;HH Diamond
Posts: 239
EF will display the requested inventory (T in your case) until it gets two flights where that inventory is 0 and no subsequent flights for that day with inventory. It's a quirk of the GDSs. As for the "others that don't even show T", are you sure those are AA metal flights and not other airlines or AA codeshares where T may be a non-existent inventory bucket?
As an aside, but related to this thread, my own observation is that during the 2012 late December holiday season AA seems to be offering the usual Z inventory on flights to Hawaii. YMMV.
As an aside, but related to this thread, my own observation is that during the 2012 late December holiday season AA seems to be offering the usual Z inventory on flights to Hawaii. YMMV.
There is lots of Z as far as I could tell. I have been thinking that for ORD-MCO, even Y isn't too bad and I will gamble on waiting for T to open up, or later on booking Z if I can, and Y if I have to.
Lastly, I also saw that if I wanted to buy now, I could get Z and if T opens up trade $225 in reinstatement fees for getting half the files back.
Dan
Jan 31, 2012, 2:57 pm
#233
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA lifetime gold, United Mileage Plus silver, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 503
I see the same thing for Hawaii. Looking around Christmas, I notice that the Z saver awards do open up on the designated day BUT nothing opens up for Coach Saver. I guess the difference in the price in December (22K one way in coach saver vs 37.5 in First saver) makes this not a big deal.
I am a bit bummed that the prices to Hawaii have been much higher this year. I noticed that ORD - Hawaii has been pricing around $1300 around the December dates. Last year I was able to book Hawaii for around $625 r/t .... though that was in July for December travel. Wonder if the prices would actually drop?
I am a bit bummed that the prices to Hawaii have been much higher this year. I noticed that ORD - Hawaii has been pricing around $1300 around the December dates. Last year I was able to book Hawaii for around $625 r/t .... though that was in July for December travel. Wonder if the prices would actually drop?
Jan 31, 2012, 4:34 pm
#234
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum 3mm, Starwood Gold
Posts: 227
Awards don't "disappear" at the 330-day mark. That is the earliest date they could be made available. They can be made available then or at any future date.
And if you'll review your own post, you will see the claim that the inventory was "never loaded." The easily found facts have proven the claim to be wrong.
And if you'll review your own post, you will see the claim that the inventory was "never loaded." The easily found facts have proven the claim to be wrong.
Jan 31, 2012, 7:25 pm
#235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
Before booking my BusinessFirst Saver award flight for Christmas, I checked the paid fare. Only $860ish! No wonder they don't want to make 25k Economy Saver awards available when they're demanding that much for a paid seat! (Those are prices I expect for flights to Europe on sale, which of course are 40k to 60k for Economy Saver.)
Anyone remember if prices also started out this high last year? Last year I remember only checking around August and getting over $600 round trip, but not way over $800 round trip. (This is LAX-HSV both years. Btw, as I noted elsewhere, HSV is losing AirTran service this summer, so I dunno if it's priced higher because of that or not.)
Anyone remember if prices also started out this high last year? Last year I remember only checking around August and getting over $600 round trip, but not way over $800 round trip. (This is LAX-HSV both years. Btw, as I noted elsewhere, HSV is losing AirTran service this summer, so I dunno if it's priced higher because of that or not.)
Feb 9, 2012, 6:06 pm
#236
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AA LT Plat - 2MM;HH Diamond
Posts: 239
It looks like on the route I was looking at (ORD-MCO) even all the business/First SAAver tickets have been pulled or sold starting 12/12.
Dan
Dan
Feb 9, 2012, 6:24 pm
#237
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
The first class situation is interesting. I'll let somebody else do the legwork, but it almost seems like there's now a domestic first class saver embargo during that time as well. I thought they had loaded FC saver seats for Xmas. Does anyone see any domestic market where you can book at FC saver seat after Dec 12?
Feb 9, 2012, 6:29 pm
#238
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
Why not do the legwork yourself instead of trying to delegate? It's your thread.
Feb 9, 2012, 6:33 pm
#239
Formerly known as CollegeFlyer
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: JRA
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA PLT, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 6,716
The first class situation is interesting. I'll let somebody else do the legwork, but it almost seems like there's now a domestic first class saver embargo during that time as well. I thought they had loaded FC saver seats for Xmas. Does anyone see any domestic market where you can book at FC saver seat after Dec 12?
If one poster's report that he/she was not able to find a saver seat in one market showed that there was an embargo in effect that day, then every day would be an embargo day.
Feb 9, 2012, 6:40 pm
#240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190