shihyin

Here is the list of airlines and the type of information available on EF.
http://www.expertflyer.com/sessionlessClassList.do
I don't have a comprehensive list of what's not available. My last trip was to Asia, so not having CX, JL, MH it's enough for me to forgo.


So leaving EF out of the picture, between KVS vs. AN, what KVS doesn't offer is the alert option, also to show multiple days results at once. I decided to use KVS because it lets me check as often as I wanted (not limited with the points) if I come up with different routing, and will show the space available across all classes at once (not sure if AN can). As a FT member, you can get 100 free points and request after 3 months, otherwise you have to pay to get more. The alert option requires premium membership. Here are the details

https://awardnexus.com/page/premium

Just my two cents (after booking first Explorer award), and would be interested in learning your experience.

ckpeter

Some information for you.

KVS should have full coverage for all oneworld carrier at this point. The set of carriers changes all the time, so don't try to match the numbers.

Award Nexus does use a points-based system, and the advantage of that is that you can drive the search as hard as you want. If you want to do deep searches, you can run 10-20 points searches, doing 14-days scans or 10 segment searches at a time, and gain a lot of visibility into the award availability. Or, you can run searches slowly, 3 - 5 points at a time, and use very little points. It's a unique feature of Award Nexus to give you a choice to pay for those intense searches.

As for your trip, a typical oneworld explorer award will have 2-3 long-haul segments, which will average about 100 points each. Adding together the short-hauls and the possibility of using automated search alert, you are looking at 500 - 800 points, or about $30 - $50 worth of points.

This is comparable to a six month subscription to other tools.

Also, you may be interested to know that Award Nexus includes a special Distance Pricer, which can automatically price out the cost of the routing for your oneworld Explorer award.

Personally, I think KVS and EF are both great tools, and since you are in an investigative mood, you should sign up for the 5-days trial of EF and (I think) KVS may be willing to give you a trial if you PM him. Of course, as a FT member, you already have a free membership to Award Nexus.

Definitely try all the tools yourself. If you rely on other people's opinion, what works for them may not work for you.

I hope this helps!

pssteve

I'm an AN fan due to it's ease of use and easy learning curve. For past few days I've been trying to find UG space on CX but it appears that it is only searchable on KVS which does not appear to have an easy learning curve.

KVS

That is correct -- there are 17 OneWorld member airlines in total (AA QF AY IB LA XL LP 4M AB HG BA CX KA JL MH RJ S7) and the KVS Tool supports Award Availability on all of them:

http://Help.KVSTool.com/#AwardUpgradeClasses_OneWorld

CX Award/Upgrade Availability is actually the same:
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#CX

asandrs

Now that Qatar is joining oneworld will they be usable for one world explorer awards?

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere - I've searched thru the flyertalk threads and the AA emails and could not find a definitive answer.

ckpeter

Yes. Once Qatar joins oneworld you will be able to use them on an Explorer award.

asandrs

Thanks ckpeter - you are correct - I just called AA to inquire about booking an award using QR and although you will be able to use them for an explorer award they cannot be booked as part of an itineray until October 30th. I tried to book an explorer award today starting Nov 20 and using QR on Nov 26 / 27 (AMM - DOH then DOH - MLE) and the agent could not even look at QR award inventory. I can call back on Oct 30 and see what is available (and still be outside the 21 day window to avoid the extra fee) but I'm not hopeful of getting the itinerary I want, especially as I want to go to MLE and then on to Australia / New Zealand in December for which availability now seems close to zero. Ah well - there's always next year.

TrojanHorse

Thanks guys, there is a lot to digest here, I will probably start this entire process over my Xmas break.. sign up a little sooner for one

I think the free trial idea is probably the way i will go and then make a choice

desi

Just adding 3 cents based on personal experience few months back (of course, YMMV)

All the tools mentioned were in my experience bit clunky and I found using actual OW member websites more useful (and were free).

There were two limitation going that route though:
a) LAN availibility info was not possible to obtain
b) Some airlines like Cathy make awards available to their members but not to that of partner airlines
c) BA website would NOT show partner availibility as far as it has its own direct/indirect flights.

Of course, calling AA (during non-evening/non-night hours) most probably gave you the correct information (if agent is at least semi-competent)

Another tip: Whenever possible book trip with stopover rather than connection (it helps with rescheduling especially when you have to rebook due to missed flight in one of the earlier segments)

What is not clear from page 1 or so many posts is that even a 7 hour connection is actually stopover for this award if an earlier flight exist in schedule.(this helps with rescheduling!!)

Austinrunner

And this is the rule even if there is no award availability on the earlier flight.

desi

To make it mnore explicit (for international travel)

If there is a scheduled flight (irrespective of availibility) then optiing for connection of more than 6 hours will be coded as stopover for this award purpose. Note that this may not be considered as stopover for local airport departure tax purpose (which can be 24 hour window or same calendar day window depending on the airport/govt involved)

Since award allows only 1 stopover and 2 connections, you may want to take this rule into consideration carefully. When you are passing through a city only once, it is usually optimal to setup award as stopover as it gives you flexibility to add a true overnight stay (or even separately purchased side trip) later on.

Note that changing from 8 hour stopover to 24+ hour stopover will usually involve paying AA for additional airport taxes. (but AA will at least allow you to make the change after award issuance)

TrojanHorse

thanks for the tips

I think one reason I wanted to use a booking tool or whatever these sites are called is for one stop shopping when searching availability. The search each site system is way more time consuming and still has limitations. This is what I've been doing and it just seems there has to be a better way

your post does bring up a question I keep forgetting to ask:

Why is a stopover better than a connection for rebooking? While I'm at it, if a connection is missed due to the airline's fault (ie., mx) or not (weather) how do the airlines look at it as far as helping you out? Due to the severe limitations or restrictions on these awards, does one MX or Weather Cx put you in a really tough spot. Do you still need business inventory if that is the class you booked originally? I'm guessing there are different answers for MX vs Weather.

ckpeter

For an explorer award, a stopover is preferred over a connection, because the past reports have been that, as far as the way AA is enforcing the rules, while it is easy to convert a stopover into a connection, it is essentially impossible to convert a connection into a stopover. If you anticipate making changes in the future, it would make sense to book a longer layover that qualify it as a stopover, so that you have more flexibility to make changes in the future.

When you are talking about MX or weather, that is already on the day of departure. Airlines are generally very accommodating when it comes to rebooking for those reasons. At a minimum, you will be put on the next flight on the same carrier with any space, and no award availability would be required. Depending on the specifics, you may also be offered an alternate routing or another carrier.

Where MX vs. weather differ is more in the other accommodations, such as who pays for the overnight hotels or extra meals.

desi

As ckpeter answered, delays due to airlines or weather would not create too much issue in terms of rebooking (may affect your plans), but when traveling on muti-step international trip through many unfamiliar countries, probability of something unplanned coming up (Transportation strike in Athens or Narita Express shutdown due to high winds, or stomach sickness in Lima, etc) are certainly non-zero.

I realized during my RTW trip that, having stopovers reduced tension and increased flexibility.

BTW< there are many incidences reported on this forum where AA has allowed changing stopover into connection, some have pointed out that strictly by rules, AA does not have to do it.

Reymont

Okay! Planning these things is rough, but I think I found a solution that works for me. Used all 16 segments and stayed just under the 50,000-mile limit. I was hoping for all direct flights, but I had to make two connections, I think.

I spent about 3 hours in the phone with AA on Monday, while we worked it all out. They submitted it to some 'special desk' in Dallas that approves these things...and it's been sitting there, ever since.

I can see it listed on aa.com under 'My Trips.' I called in yesterday to see if there'd been any change, but was told to just keep waiting.

Anyone know how long it takes? Or when I should get worried?