Jan 28, 2014, 12:14 am
Last edit by: JDiver
oneworld / AA Explorer award with AA Miles (discuss, questions) [ENDED 8 APR 2014]
N.B. new oneworld/AA Explorer awards are no longer available as of the end of the day on April 7th, 2014.
Existing awards will be honored.
This thread is ONLY to inquire or add about existing oneworld Explorer awards; to comment on the loss of this booking option, please follow the discussion on:
Oneworld Explorer Awards Eliminated -- Effective Immediately [8 Apr 2014]
See the first post, below, for the rules that prevailed through 7 April 2014 and apply to those who booked Explorer awards prior to the end of these useful award tickets.
oneworld / AA Explorer award with AA Miles (discuss, questions) [ENDED 8 APR 2014]
Nov 20, 2012, 4:02 pm
#841
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
Hi all,
I've been trawling through this thread to try and get as much information as possible to book my own business class explorer award, but I still need some clarification on a few things.
The routing I'm looking to do is:
MEL CNS - QF late Sept 2013
CNS POM - QF (econ)
POM CNS - QF (econ)
CNS BNE - QF
BNE HKG - CX
HKG KTM - CX/KA early/mid Oct
KTM HKG - CX/KA mid Nov
HKG NRT - CX/JL
NRT HEL - JL/AY late Nov
HEL AMS - AY
AMS BCN - IB
BCN BOG - IB early Dec
Open Jaw
MEX DFW - AA March/April 2014
DFW SYD - QF
SYD MEL - QF
According to gcmap, the total mileage comes to 34973 miles.
My first concern is about the DFW-SYD leg...As QF 8 on this route goes via BNE, is the mileage calculated - as far as an award booking is concerned - as DFW-SYD direct or as DFW-BNE-SYD as the flight is routed? The second method will tip me over the 35000 mile mark.
Secondly, how likely will I be able to find business class availability on this routing around the times listed?
Also, as this trip is likely to last between 5 and 8 months, how do I go about booking this ie. when should I start booking flights and how do I work around the 'valid one year from issuance rule'?
Cheers!
I've been trawling through this thread to try and get as much information as possible to book my own business class explorer award, but I still need some clarification on a few things.
The routing I'm looking to do is:
MEL CNS - QF late Sept 2013
CNS POM - QF (econ)
POM CNS - QF (econ)
CNS BNE - QF
BNE HKG - CX
HKG KTM - CX/KA early/mid Oct
KTM HKG - CX/KA mid Nov
HKG NRT - CX/JL
NRT HEL - JL/AY late Nov
HEL AMS - AY
AMS BCN - IB
BCN BOG - IB early Dec
Open Jaw
MEX DFW - AA March/April 2014
DFW SYD - QF
SYD MEL - QF
According to gcmap, the total mileage comes to 34973 miles.
My first concern is about the DFW-SYD leg...As QF 8 on this route goes via BNE, is the mileage calculated - as far as an award booking is concerned - as DFW-SYD direct or as DFW-BNE-SYD as the flight is routed? The second method will tip me over the 35000 mile mark.
Secondly, how likely will I be able to find business class availability on this routing around the times listed?
Also, as this trip is likely to last between 5 and 8 months, how do I go about booking this ie. when should I start booking flights and how do I work around the 'valid one year from issuance rule'?
Cheers!
Nov 21, 2012, 10:46 pm
#842
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 262
It looks like businses class availability Europe to US (especially LAX) is pretty bad from Europe even at 330 days out. I can't book my trip for a few months but am trying to plan out the best way out of Europe.
Any recommendations on what routes seem to be open the most right at 330? LHR-DEN-LAX maybe?
I don't mind paying the taxes/surcharges so LHR is in play.
Any recommendations on what routes seem to be open the most right at 330? LHR-DEN-LAX maybe?
I don't mind paying the taxes/surcharges so LHR is in play.
Nov 22, 2012, 2:16 am
#843
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,702
UK Domestic Coach/Economy Class Awards
I have tried searching, sure I read sometime in the past that elite AAdvantage Members have access to another class in addition to 'X' on Birtish Airways Domestic One Class Flights.
Can anybody point me to the info, I do recall that it is so obscure that you have to guide AA Res Agent to the exact details.
Austinrunner where are when I need you.
Can anybody point me to the info, I do recall that it is so obscure that you have to guide AA Res Agent to the exact details.
Austinrunner where are when I need you.
Last edited by UncleDude; Nov 24, 2012 at 2:12 am
Nov 22, 2012, 9:46 pm
#844
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I have tried searching, sure I read sometime in the past that elite AAdvantage Members have access to another class in addition to 'X' on UK One Class Flights.
Can anybody point me to the info, I do recall that it is so obscure that you have to guide AA Res Agent to the exact details.
Austinrunner where are when I need you.
Can anybody point me to the info, I do recall that it is so obscure that you have to guide AA Res Agent to the exact details.
Austinrunner where are when I need you.
Last I know AA does not fly domestic UK.
Nov 29, 2012, 3:18 pm
#845
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: San Jose CA
Programs: united, AA
Posts: 6
Using AAwards to book SFO-HKG-JNB-SIN-SFO-JFK
Hi, I am visiting a missionary in Durban, South Africa in mid Jan 2013. He i serving over 35K illegal chinese from a city where my ancestors came from in China. I felt called to help him out.
I want to use my AA miles to book an ONEworld ticket. This is my contribution to a worthy cause
I tried those ONEWORLD websites to book but got really confused.
What I truly wanted are these:-
1. SFO to JNB via HKG or SIN ( I like to stopover in either one of these cities)
2. Spent 1 month in JNB to travel to Durban, Capetown
3. JNB to HKG to SFO to JFK.
I want to avoid BA and Europe/Middle East because of long layover at airport. I do not like long hours at the airports like Heathrow.
Questions:-
1. Pls recommend Oneworld routing that gives me stopover in HKG and SIN to and fro, with minimum miles.
2. I have about 170K aamiles.
Thank you everyone for helping me.
Ong
I want to use my AA miles to book an ONEworld ticket. This is my contribution to a worthy cause
I tried those ONEWORLD websites to book but got really confused.
What I truly wanted are these:-
1. SFO to JNB via HKG or SIN ( I like to stopover in either one of these cities)
2. Spent 1 month in JNB to travel to Durban, Capetown
3. JNB to HKG to SFO to JFK.
I want to avoid BA and Europe/Middle East because of long layover at airport. I do not like long hours at the airports like Heathrow.
Questions:-
1. Pls recommend Oneworld routing that gives me stopover in HKG and SIN to and fro, with minimum miles.
2. I have about 170K aamiles.
Thank you everyone for helping me.
Ong
Nov 29, 2012, 5:01 pm
#846
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,597
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
You must call AA to book a distance-based "Explorer" award. Your itinerary must include at least two of AA's oneworld partners, so you might wish to fly between JNB and CPT in at least one direction, so that you can include a flight on BA (Comair).
If you start your Explorer award in SFO, you will not be allowed to connect or stop over there later on your itinerary.
Price the trip as both an Explorer award, and as a series of one-way awards, to determine which provides the better value.
Originally Posted by davidong
Hi, I am visiting a missionary in Durban, South Africa in mid Jan 2013. He i serving over 35K illegal chinese from a city where my ancestors came from in China. I felt called to help him out.
I want to use my AA miles to book an ONEworld ticket. This is my contribution to a worthy cause
I tried those ONEWORLD websites to book but got really confused.
What I truly wanted are these:-
1. SFO to JNB via HKG or SIN ( I like to stopover in either one of these cities)
2. Spent 1 month in JNB to travel to Durban, Capetown
3. JNB to HKG to SFO to JFK.
I want to avoid BA and Europe/Middle East because of long layover at airport. I do not like long hours at the airports like Heathrow.
Questions:-
1. Pls recommend Oneworld routing that gives me stopover in HKG and SIN to and fro, with minimum miles.
2. I have about 170K aamiles.
Thank you everyone for helping me.
Ong
I want to use my AA miles to book an ONEworld ticket. This is my contribution to a worthy cause
I tried those ONEWORLD websites to book but got really confused.
What I truly wanted are these:-
1. SFO to JNB via HKG or SIN ( I like to stopover in either one of these cities)
2. Spent 1 month in JNB to travel to Durban, Capetown
3. JNB to HKG to SFO to JFK.
I want to avoid BA and Europe/Middle East because of long layover at airport. I do not like long hours at the airports like Heathrow.
Questions:-
1. Pls recommend Oneworld routing that gives me stopover in HKG and SIN to and fro, with minimum miles.
2. I have about 170K aamiles.
Thank you everyone for helping me.
Ong
If you start your Explorer award in SFO, you will not be allowed to connect or stop over there later on your itinerary.
Price the trip as both an Explorer award, and as a series of one-way awards, to determine which provides the better value.
Nov 29, 2012, 6:54 pm
#847
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
What I truly wanted are these:-
1. SFO to JNB via HKG or SIN ( I like to stopover in either one of these cities)
2. Spent 1 month in JNB to travel to Durban, Capetown
3. JNB to HKG to SFO to JFK.
I want to avoid BA and Europe/Middle East because of long layover at airport. I do not like long hours at the airports like Heathrow.
1. SFO to JNB via HKG or SIN ( I like to stopover in either one of these cities)
2. Spent 1 month in JNB to travel to Durban, Capetown
3. JNB to HKG to SFO to JFK.
I want to avoid BA and Europe/Middle East because of long layover at airport. I do not like long hours at the airports like Heathrow.
SFO -> HKG (stopover) (CX) -> JNB (CX) -> DUR (BA) -> CPT (BA) -> JNB (BA) -> HKG (connection) (CX) -> SIN (CX) -> HKG (connection) (CX) -> YVR (CX) -> JFK (CX)
You would be allowed only one stopover in JNB (or two connections if you're not interested in spending time there). Only one stopover plus two connections would be allowed at HKG.
You could not pass through SFO on your way to JFK.
Refer to http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=SFO-HKG...IN-HKG-YVR-JFK
Nov 29, 2012, 9:59 pm
#848
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 262
I've been doing a lot of reading and researching on the best way to go about this. Just so I'm not crazy, can someone clarify 2 points:
** To maximize the availability window for booking a OWE award, you should book 335 days out? (330 days + the 5 day hold to put in your last segments as they become available?)
** The OP was not clear but references an old post, it is commonly accepted now that on a business OWE award if availability is not there at time of booking you can ticket into economy (pending availability of course) and if biz becomes available later you can be reticketed into that class? Is that true for all partners or just AA? If all partners do you call AA to do this or the operating partner for that segment?
** To maximize the availability window for booking a OWE award, you should book 335 days out? (330 days + the 5 day hold to put in your last segments as they become available?)
** The OP was not clear but references an old post, it is commonly accepted now that on a business OWE award if availability is not there at time of booking you can ticket into economy (pending availability of course) and if biz becomes available later you can be reticketed into that class? Is that true for all partners or just AA? If all partners do you call AA to do this or the operating partner for that segment?
Nov 29, 2012, 10:58 pm
#849
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,597
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
You cannot book anything with AA miles 335 days before departure. The earliest you can book any award travel with AA miles is 331 days before departure of any flight (regardless of operating carrier). Obviously, you cannot book an entire Explorer itinerary 331 days before departure of only the first flight on that itinerary.
Yes; on a Business Class award, you can elect to book one or more segments in Economy if Business is not available and Economy is. And you can later re-book the segment(s) in Business should Business award seats become available. This is true for any carrier on the award.
When redeeming AA miles, all changes must go through AA.
Originally Posted by sellouts
I've been doing a lot of reading and researching on the best way to go about this. Just so I'm not crazy, can someone clarify 2 points:
** To maximize the availability window for booking a OWE award, you should book 335 days out? (330 days + the 5 day hold to put in your last segments as they become available?)
** The OP was not clear but references an old post, it is commonly accepted now that on a business OWE award if availability is not there at time of booking you can ticket into economy (pending availability of course) and if biz becomes available later you can be reticketed into that class? Is that true for all partners or just AA? If all partners do you call AA to do this or the operating partner for that segment?
** To maximize the availability window for booking a OWE award, you should book 335 days out? (330 days + the 5 day hold to put in your last segments as they become available?)
** The OP was not clear but references an old post, it is commonly accepted now that on a business OWE award if availability is not there at time of booking you can ticket into economy (pending availability of course) and if biz becomes available later you can be reticketed into that class? Is that true for all partners or just AA? If all partners do you call AA to do this or the operating partner for that segment?
Yes; on a Business Class award, you can elect to book one or more segments in Economy if Business is not available and Economy is. And you can later re-book the segment(s) in Business should Business award seats become available. This is true for any carrier on the award.
When redeeming AA miles, all changes must go through AA.
Nov 30, 2012, 12:09 am
#850
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 262
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
You cannot book anything with AA miles 335 days before departure. The earliest you can book any award travel with AA miles is 331 days before departure of any flight (regardless of operating carrier). Obviously, you cannot book an entire Explorer itinerary 331 days before departure of only the first flight on that itinerary.
You cannot book anything with AA miles 335 days before departure. The earliest you can book any award travel with AA miles is 331 days before departure of any flight (regardless of operating carrier). Obviously, you cannot book an entire Explorer itinerary 331 days before departure of only the first flight on that itinerary.
I would book all other travel but the very last segment at 335 days before the very last segment. Given the nature of my trip these flights would be less than 331 days away and bookable. I would have a 5 day hold at that moment. Then on the final day of that hold I would add the final segment which would be 330 days away and book the ticket.
Put another way -- during a 5 day hold on a OWE award can I add an additional segment at the end of the trip (within the other rules), or to hold do I have to have a valid routing to start the 5 day hold?
Nov 30, 2012, 12:24 am
#851
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,597
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
You cannot book anything with AA miles 335 days before departure. The earliest you can book any award travel with AA miles is 331 days before departure of any flight (regardless of operating carrier). Obviously, you cannot book an entire Explorer itinerary 331 days before departure of only the first flight on that itinerary.
Thank you for your help RE: the other 2 points.
I would book all other travel but the very last segment at 335 days before the very last segment. Given the nature of my trip these flights would be less than 331 days away and bookable. I would have a 5 day hold at that moment. Then on the final day of that hold I would add the final segment which would be 330 days away and book the ticket.
Put another way -- during a 5 day hold on a OWE award can I add an additional segment at the end of the trip (within the other rules), or to hold do I have to have a valid routing to start the 5 day hold?
You can add, drop, or change segments during the five-day hold period. AA will even hold a non-Explorer-compliant partial itinerary as a series of one-way awards, and then convert the itinerary to an Explorer award if addition of the final segment(s) makes the itinerary compliant with Explorer award rules.
But be aware that 331 days before departure is the earliest that award seats can become available when redeeming AA miles; there is no assurance of finding award seats on that date.
Good luck!
Originally Posted by sellouts
Originally Posted by guv1976
You cannot book anything with AA miles 335 days before departure. The earliest you can book any award travel with AA miles is 331 days before departure of any flight (regardless of operating carrier). Obviously, you cannot book an entire Explorer itinerary 331 days before departure of only the first flight on that itinerary.
Thank you for your help RE: the other 2 points.
I would book all other travel but the very last segment at 335 days before the very last segment. Given the nature of my trip these flights would be less than 331 days away and bookable. I would have a 5 day hold at that moment. Then on the final day of that hold I would add the final segment which would be 330 days away and book the ticket.
Put another way -- during a 5 day hold on a OWE award can I add an additional segment at the end of the trip (within the other rules), or to hold do I have to have a valid routing to start the 5 day hold?
But be aware that 331 days before departure is the earliest that award seats can become available when redeeming AA miles; there is no assurance of finding award seats on that date.
Good luck!
Last edited by guv1976; Nov 30, 2012 at 12:29 am
Nov 30, 2012, 10:41 am
#852
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 262
Thanks Guv, really appreciate it!
I've been monitoring the various tools and plotting it out. Malaysia joining the alliance should hopefully provide some backups and new routes I'm looking to take.
I've been monitoring the various tools and plotting it out. Malaysia joining the alliance should hopefully provide some backups and new routes I'm looking to take.
Dec 5, 2012, 1:48 pm
#853
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,204
I have the following routing and have two questions.
BOS-(MAD)-CMN-(MAD)-JFK-SJO-(MIA)-PHL-(DFW)-SYD-ADL / PER-HKG-(JFK)-BOS
(xxx) --> connections
1. Is it a valid routing?
2. I'd like to redeem 190K in J. According GCM, it is over by 8 miles. Any suggestion on how I can make it less than 35K?
Thank you.
BOS-(MAD)-CMN-(MAD)-JFK-SJO-(MIA)-PHL-(DFW)-SYD-ADL / PER-HKG-(JFK)-BOS
(xxx) --> connections
1. Is it a valid routing?
2. I'd like to redeem 190K in J. According GCM, it is over by 8 miles. Any suggestion on how I can make it less than 35K?
Thank you.
Dec 5, 2012, 2:06 pm
#854
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
It's a valid routing. I suggest you call AA and ask them to calculate the flown mileage. You might get lucky.
You could also substitute MEL for ADL and then make your own way between the cities.
You could also substitute MEL for ADL and then make your own way between the cities.
Dec 6, 2012, 4:37 am
#855
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: too far from the airport
Posts: 3,298
I have the following routing and have two questions.
BOS-(MAD)-CMN-(MAD)-JFK-SJO-(MIA)-PHL-(DFW)-SYD-ADL / PER-HKG-(JFK)-BOS
(xxx) --> connections
1. Is it a valid routing?
2. I'd like to redeem 190K in J. According GCM, it is over by 8 miles. Any suggestion on how I can make it less than 35K?
Thank you.
BOS-(MAD)-CMN-(MAD)-JFK-SJO-(MIA)-PHL-(DFW)-SYD-ADL / PER-HKG-(JFK)-BOS
(xxx) --> connections
1. Is it a valid routing?
2. I'd like to redeem 190K in J. According GCM, it is over by 8 miles. Any suggestion on how I can make it less than 35K?
Thank you.