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CherylD Jan 1, 2013 11:00 am

[2013 NEWBIE LOUNGE] Ask Your AA-Related Questions Here (flame free)
 
Happy New Year to all! I am trying to book flights for my daughter and her boyfriend. I have found the following on ITA for their return:
Berlin (TXL) to Dusseldorf (DUS) - Sat, Jun 29
Air Berlin 6439 Dep: 8:45AM Arr: 9:55AM 1h 10m Boeing 737 Economy (O)
Layover in DUS 2h 15m

Dusseldorf (DUS) to Chicago (ORD) - Sat, Jun 29
American 241 Dep: 12:10PM Arr: 2:20PM 9h 10m Boeing 767 Economy (O)

But the only routing AA shows me is Air Berlin with a connection in LHR(changing over to AA at that point). I would much prefer that they connect in DUS.
How do I find this without calling AA(and paying phone fees)? Also, is there a way to enter a promo code(if I can find one) for multi-city searches on AA? I can't seem to find it.
Finally, is the change fee now $275? When I look at the fare rules for the LHR routing, that is what shows up.

Thanks in advance!

bostonoski Jan 1, 2013 11:30 am


Originally Posted by CherylD (Post 19953786)
Happy New Year to all! I am trying to book flights for my daughter and her boyfriend. I have found the following on ITA for their return:
Berlin (TXL) to Dusseldorf (DUS) - Sat, Jun 29
Air Berlin 6439 Dep: 8:45AM Arr: 9:55AM 1h 10m Boeing 737 Economy (O)
Layover in DUS 2h 15m

Dusseldorf (DUS) to Chicago (ORD) - Sat, Jun 29
American 241 Dep: 12:10PM Arr: 2:20PM 9h 10m Boeing 767 Economy (O)

But the only routing AA shows me is Air Berlin with a connection in LHR(changing over to AA at that point). I would much prefer that they connect in DUS.
How do I find this without calling AA(and paying phone fees)? Also, is there a way to enter a promo code(if I can find one) for multi-city searches on AA? I can't seem to find it.
Finally, is the change fee now $275? When I look at the fare rules for the LHR routing, that is what shows up.

Thanks in advance!

There are many FT/AAers on here more expert than I, but I would tell you that you can arrange or book whatever you need by phone (and sometimes have to, there are itineraries you cannot do online), but that once the reservation is made, you can then pay online. I do this all the time b/c I always route my LHR flights back to SFO via BOS and you cannot ever get AA.com to do that... hope this helps a little.

workandski Jan 1, 2013 1:09 pm

I made ExPlat for the first time this year. I fly regularly between JFK and LAX. In the past I have always used evips obtained from friends or co-workers to try to upgrade to business class. The way I read the Explat rules, I will get a free upgrade on domestic flights if inventory is available. Is there any advantage to continuing to use evips to try to get upgrades on domestic flights? I've searched a bunch of threads but am still not certain of the answer.

Apieinthesky Jan 1, 2013 1:47 pm


Originally Posted by workandski (Post 19954460)
I made ExPlat for the first time this year. I fly regularly between JFK and LAX. In the past I have always used evips obtained from friends or co-workers to try to upgrade to business class. The way I read the Explat rules, I will get a free upgrade on domestic flights if inventory is available. Is there any advantage to continuing to use evips to try to get upgrades on domestic flights? I've searched a bunch of threads but am still not certain of the answer.

That's a lot of eVIPs (now called SWUs)...how often do you fly the route?

SWUs and EXP complimentary domestic upgrades come out of different fare buckets. SWU and miles+copay upgrades go into the C inventory (J class) or A inventory (two or three class F). EXP complimentary upgrades come out of the X bucket, which are only released close to departure.

There's a greater chance for SWU upgrades to clear. You can even check inventory and clear upgrades at booking, as you may know. It'll have to depend on your travel patterns: how much you care about your JFK-LAX upgrade (not an easy route to upgrade), whether you have better uses for your SWUs, etc. If you don't want to chance the complimentary upgrades and you don't have international travel to use your SWUs on, then by all means, go for it. Remember that you only get 8, so use them wisely.

workandski Jan 1, 2013 1:59 pm

Thanks apie, you gave me exactly the information I was looking for. I fly rt between LAX and JFK at least once a month, but the upgrades rarely cleared when I was Plat, so I didn't use a lot of SWUs. I'm hoping for better luck as an EXP. in the past, I wasn't a big fan of flying AA metal on international flights, and used miles to buy premium tickets on international carriers instead, but that may change as AA's planes improve.

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin Jan 1, 2013 3:48 pm


Originally Posted by Apieinthesky (Post 19954638)
SWUs and EXP complimentary domestic upgrades come out of different fare buckets. SWU and miles+copay upgrades go into the C inventory (J class or two class domestic F) or A inventory (three class F). EXP complimentary upgrades come out of the X bucket, which are only released close to departure.

Actually, two class domestic F is A, not C.

Apieinthesky Jan 1, 2013 4:28 pm


Originally Posted by FlyMeToTheLooneyBin (Post 19955266)
Actually, two class domestic F is A, not C.

Oops, you're absolutely right. I edited my post.

tom911 Jan 1, 2013 4:59 pm


Originally Posted by workandski (Post 19954460)
Is there any advantage to continuing to use evips to try to get upgrades on domestic flights?

Depends on how badly you want the upgrade. Comped EXP upgrades start clearing at 100 hours if there is upgrade inventory. If the cabin you're trying to upgrade into has no seats available, or you're too low on the list to clear, the 100 hour mark isn't going to matter much. For example, I flew SFO-JFK just before Christmas and did not clear because the first class cabin was sold out. Had I upgraded with a systemwide several weeks out, I would have been flying up front. Having said that, I rarely use my systemwides for domestic flights because I have enough international travel to use them there. If you don't have international travel, then it may be a good value to use them for domestic on more popular routes like transcons.

workandski Jan 1, 2013 5:27 pm


Originally Posted by tom911 (Post 19955622)
Depends on how badly you want the upgrade. Comped EXP upgrades start clearing at 100 hours if there is upgrade inventory. If the cabin you're trying to upgrade into has no seats available, or you're too low on the list to clear, the 100 hour mark isn't going to matter much. For example, I flew SFO-JFK just before Christmas and did not clear because the first class cabin was sold out. Had I upgraded with a systemwide several weeks out, I would have been flying up front. Having said that, I rarely use my systemwides for domestic flights because I have enough international travel to use them there. If you don't have international travel, then it may be a good value to use them for domestic on more popular routes like transcons.


Thanks for the response. Am I correct that the forty 500 mile certificates sitting in my account will stay there until I'm demoted or use them to upgrade other people flying with me?

Princess fiona Jan 1, 2013 5:35 pm


Originally Posted by JJeffrey (Post 19952899)
Just book them both online, one from your account and the other from your daughter's. No reason to waste the $25 telephone booking fee for this. I'd recommend putting them both on hold first to make double certain you can get the same flight.

AAdvantage doesn't discriminate whether an award ticket is for you or your 8 yr. old, so not sure what you mean by calling to change it to a child award. Once you get them both booked, call AA and they will put in a request for your seats.

Have you actually found award availability for the flight(s) you want? Getting seats together would be the last of my worries here...finding not 1 but 2 F/J awards on QF to LAX can be very difficult if not nearly impossible in some cases. I'd focus on that first, the seats will take care of themselves.

Yes I have found 2 x J seats on the same flight. As the flight is international I need to enter DOB etc. in booking to create a hold for my daughters booking. If I enter her real DOB it's not possible to hold the seat as the booking is regarded as being an unaccompanied minor, hence my wishing to put a hold on it for her as an adult ( eg. 18 yrs instead of 8yrs) and then changing the details on the phone.

JY1024 Jan 1, 2013 6:35 pm


Originally Posted by workandski (Post 19955757)
Thanks for the response. Am I correct that the forty 500 mile certificates sitting in my account will stay there until I'm demoted or use them to upgrade other people flying with me?

Yup - you got it! :) Since they don't expire, they'll sit happily in your account until they get called up for duty.

almo55 Jan 1, 2013 9:24 pm

I am trying to use my AA miles on a flight from CPH to RSW. The taxes and fees are huge when using the AA.com for award booking, because I only get British Airways flight options.

Does anyone know why Air Berlin does not come up as award flight via DUS. Can it be booked by phone or could I book DUS - RSW as award and CPH - DUS and pay. The connecting flight is 70 minutes later.

Anybody have other suggestions to keep the fees low. I also have Avios, but do not see any good options there either.

guv1976 Jan 1, 2013 10:02 pm

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)


Originally Posted by almo55
I am trying to use my AA miles on a flight from CPH to RSW. The taxes and fees are huge when using the AA.com for award booking, because I only get British Airways flight options.

Does anyone know why Air Berlin does not come up as award flight via DUS. Can it be booked by phone or could I book DUS - RSW as award and CPH - DUS and pay. The connecting flight is 70 minutes later.

Anybody have other suggestions to keep the fees low. I also have Avios, but do not see any good options there either.

I suggest that you check aa.com to see if the DUS-RSW nonstop on AB is available. If it is, then you can explore getting from CPH to DUS.

If you want to use Avios, call BAEC and ask about award availability on Aer Lingus CPH-DUB-MCO. (You should also be able to check Aer Lingus award-seat availability on united.com.) You would have to get yourself from MCO to RSW, perhaps by one-way car rental.

Of course, if you are willing to rent a car, you could also consider flying into MIA on AA or AB or IB.

bostonoski Jan 1, 2013 10:47 pm


Originally Posted by JY1024 (Post 19956047)
Yup - you got it! :) Since they don't expire, they'll sit happily in your account until they get called up for duty.

Verification here from someone who just used some that were sitting in my account since at least 2006, if not 2005! :)

tad06109 Jan 1, 2013 10:49 pm

missing miles
 
I have contacted AAdvantage numerous times about not receiving miles used on August 12 and 13, 2012 from JFK to Berlin on to Naples, Italy.


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