Riddle: Best way to book infant using combination AA Revenue, SWU and Avios
Jul 21, 2012, 11:15 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EP; WN CP;UA SILVER; MARRIOTT TITANIUM; HH DIAMOND; IHG PLAT; RADISSON PLAT; HYATT GLOBAL
Posts: 1,938
Riddle: Best way to book infant using combination AA Revenue, SWU and Avios
Here is a complex one, more of a mind game riddle, but I am flying three adults on AA, ITIN ORD-MIA-TGU roundtrip.
Bought two coach tickets for mom and daughter on AA so I could use SWU, confirmed upgrade.
I bought my ticket business discount fare (I fare)and used voucher.
So on what itin do I add an infant, with mom and daughter or with me?
So for infant AA is 10% fare plus taxes.
1-is it 10% of coach fare mom/daughter paid?
2-is it 10% of upgraded SWU fare?
3-If i book infant with me, it will be Business I fare (i assume)
Here is the next wishful thinking. Can I book a BA award on AA for an infant. BA will not book solo infant, but if I show them the ticket numbers with AA, maybe?
My wishful thinking is that the domestic portion, ORD-MIA, no ticket is needed for infant, so I can just book international part MIA-TGU for 10% avios plus fees. In coach or business? (10% of 15K or 10% of 30K). This is better than paying cash.
If you have read down to here, it is more of a mental challenge trying to work around the rules, because when I called AA, they told me to link it to my I fare and it would be around $300 all in.
I have enough BA avios that using them is a priority and saving cash is also a priority. Taxes for coach on BA are $110. So if I can use 3K avios to save me ~$180 that would be a win. If not I hope I can use costco card.
Bought two coach tickets for mom and daughter on AA so I could use SWU, confirmed upgrade.
I bought my ticket business discount fare (I fare)and used voucher.
So on what itin do I add an infant, with mom and daughter or with me?
So for infant AA is 10% fare plus taxes.
1-is it 10% of coach fare mom/daughter paid?
2-is it 10% of upgraded SWU fare?
3-If i book infant with me, it will be Business I fare (i assume)
Here is the next wishful thinking. Can I book a BA award on AA for an infant. BA will not book solo infant, but if I show them the ticket numbers with AA, maybe?
My wishful thinking is that the domestic portion, ORD-MIA, no ticket is needed for infant, so I can just book international part MIA-TGU for 10% avios plus fees. In coach or business? (10% of 15K or 10% of 30K). This is better than paying cash.
If you have read down to here, it is more of a mental challenge trying to work around the rules, because when I called AA, they told me to link it to my I fare and it would be around $300 all in.
I have enough BA avios that using them is a priority and saving cash is also a priority. Taxes for coach on BA are $110. So if I can use 3K avios to save me ~$180 that would be a win. If not I hope I can use costco card.
Jul 21, 2012, 11:17 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 536
Here is a complex one, more of a mind game riddle, but I am flying three adults on AA, ITIN ORD-MIA-TGU roundtrip.
Bought two coach tickets for mom and daughter on AA so I could use SWU, confirmed upgrade.
I bought my ticket business discount fare (I fare)and used voucher.
So on what itin do I add an infant, with mom and daughter or with me?
So for infant AA is 10% fare plus taxes.
1-is it 10% of coach fare mom/daughter paid?
2-is it 10% of upgraded SWU fare?
3-If i book infant with me, it will be Business I fare (i assume)
Here is the next wishful thinking. Can I book a BA award on AA for an infant. BA will not book solo infant, but if I show them the ticket numbers with AA, maybe?
My wishful thinking is that the domestic portion, ORD-MIA, no ticket is needed for infant, so I can just book international part MIA-TGU for 10% avios plus fees. In coach or business? (10% of 15K or 10% of 30K). This is better than paying cash.
If you have read down to here, it is more of a mental challenge trying to work around the rules, because when I called AA, they told me to link it to my I fare and it would be around $300 all in.
I have enough BA avios that using them is a priority and saving cash is also a priority. Taxes for coach on BA are $110. So if I can use 3K avios to save me ~$180 that would be a win. If not I hope I can use costco card.
Bought two coach tickets for mom and daughter on AA so I could use SWU, confirmed upgrade.
I bought my ticket business discount fare (I fare)and used voucher.
So on what itin do I add an infant, with mom and daughter or with me?
So for infant AA is 10% fare plus taxes.
1-is it 10% of coach fare mom/daughter paid?
2-is it 10% of upgraded SWU fare?
3-If i book infant with me, it will be Business I fare (i assume)
Here is the next wishful thinking. Can I book a BA award on AA for an infant. BA will not book solo infant, but if I show them the ticket numbers with AA, maybe?
My wishful thinking is that the domestic portion, ORD-MIA, no ticket is needed for infant, so I can just book international part MIA-TGU for 10% avios plus fees. In coach or business? (10% of 15K or 10% of 30K). This is better than paying cash.
If you have read down to here, it is more of a mental challenge trying to work around the rules, because when I called AA, they told me to link it to my I fare and it would be around $300 all in.
I have enough BA avios that using them is a priority and saving cash is also a priority. Taxes for coach on BA are $110. So if I can use 3K avios to save me ~$180 that would be a win. If not I hope I can use costco card.
Jul 21, 2012, 11:23 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EP; WN CP;UA SILVER; MARRIOTT TITANIUM; HH DIAMOND; IHG PLAT; RADISSON PLAT; HYATT GLOBAL
Posts: 1,938
Jul 21, 2012, 10:06 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: United Platinum, Marriott Platinum, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 221
Based on my recent experience, it will be simpler (and perhaps cheaper) for you if you add the infant to your discounted business class - in that case you are just looking at 10% of what you paid. The infant fare is supposed to be 10% of the international fare for the cabin you sit in, not what you booked. Having said that, if you call AA thrice in a day, like I did on my recent trip to EZE with an infant, you are likely to get 3 different fares for the infant because the pricing agents can price it multiple ways. I just priced out the best option on ITA and paid up when AA came closest to that number on my third try.
Jul 21, 2012, 10:21 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: United Platinum, Marriott Platinum, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 221
By the way, earlier this year I did EWR-MIA-PTY with my infant son and got away without paying the first class infant fare. Booked coach for myself, added infant in via phone, then upgraded myself. Neither the agent in EWR nor the agent in PTY at return asked me for the difference in fare. If you had not already upgraded Mom, I would have suggested that.
Jul 21, 2012, 10:50 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
For award tickets, some airlines charge 10% of the cost of a full-fare ticket. The information here suggests AA would have the same policy for upgraded tickets.
Can you just call the EXP desk and ask them to price out adding the baby to your wife's ticket? If they charge 10% of coach, good. But I would bet adding the infant to your ticket will be the cheapest option.
Here's a guy who suggests the same solution as you: 10% infant awards. But the cynical part of me says this is one way the airlines discourage lap children in premium cabins, so it probably won't change soon.
Can you just call the EXP desk and ask them to price out adding the baby to your wife's ticket? If they charge 10% of coach, good. But I would bet adding the infant to your ticket will be the cheapest option.
Here's a guy who suggests the same solution as you: 10% infant awards. But the cynical part of me says this is one way the airlines discourage lap children in premium cabins, so it probably won't change soon.