nalismom

I have spent hours researching but I have now come to you all for advice.

Currently I have a First Anytime Award FRA-DFW for September 2014 on 777....first opportunity to fly in FC.....I am trying to determine 1. What the seats are like since AA's site seems to intimate that the 777-200 has been redone with Flagship Suites but I seem to be finding conflicting information, 2. If they have not then is it better to downgrade to Business Anytime Award or even down to MileSaver.......I don't want to waste my miles if I don't have to, 3. What's the probability that AA could downgrade equipment, 4. If equipment is downgraded and class of service is involuntarily downgraded do miles get refunded?

I know many of you might fly this route and have much more experience and I do appreciate any advice you might have.....in essence what would you do?

Thank you

Austinrunner

Aircraft type is not guaranteed. Not getting your choice of aircraft does not result in the redeposit-of-miles fee being waived unless you get a very sympathetic agent (or are EXP).

Getting a milesAAver award seat is not a downgrade compared to an AAnytime award seat. The latter just costs more.

Antarius

The 772/777/777-200 has had flagship suites for a long time. All 777-200's have the following
1. Flagship suites in F (see below). They are open suites with a ton of space. Your chair can rotate and face the window (where there is a desk) and becomes a fully flat bed
2. Angle flat business
3. Coach

nalismom

Thanks Antarius.........just the information if was looking to confirm.

Antarius

Also, pretty sure if you go from a 3 class to a 2 class (763 would be the only possibility realistically) you would get the difference in miles back between F and J.

The difference between F and J on the 777-200 is pretty big and well worth the additional miles
a. Full flat vs angle flat
b. 4 across vs 7 across
c. Turndown service and pajamas in F but not J
d. Tons of personal space, from a desk to a huge pullout table
e. All aisle access in F, so no playing hopscotch over other passengers

Exec_Plat

You will be flying a day flight, which will highlight the singular drawback of the older 777 versus the new 77W **IN FIRST CLASS** which is the in flight entertainement (IFE) ie movies, etc.

Load an ipad, and have fun.

My preference is row 2 or 3, window.

Note that in business, the difference is much deeper. IMO the 77W is superior. A big, long thread on all this.

Finally you really should try and find a milesaver award- half the miles.

bhomburg

FRA-DFW gets served by a 777-200 currently and I don't see any reason why there should be an equipment downgrade. Loads have been pretty high lately, and AA can't really swap aircraft to anything else than another 772 - a 763 just won't accommodate all passengers.

However, as you say your flight will be in September, there might be a chance of your flight being operated by an already-refurbished 772 with no F. AA said they will refurbish and reconfigure its 772s fleet this year. They will go from three-class to two-class: First is scheduled to be yanked out, the angled-flat 'NGBC' seats in business will be replaced with a seat that's similar (if not better) to the one they currently have in the 77W, and MCE extra-legroom seating will be added to Economy.

I'd do nothing to my reservation, except checking for MilesAAver availability to open - the current 777 F seat is a nice and very spacious experience. Should AA use a refurbished aircraft on your flight which does not offer F anymore, you have two options:
- Take the flight in the new (supposedly very nice, if the current 77W product is any indication) business class which would save you some miles, or
- get rerouted via LHR (FRA-LHR on BA) and fly LHR-DFW on the 77W in F. The F product on the 77W is an updated version of the Flagship suite with state-of-the-art IFE. The cabin feels more private, too with only eight seats.

Dave Noble

This would cost an extra 20,000 points in business class ( 10k in economy) and require award availability on BA

Anytime awards are not useable on partners

bhomburg

normally, yes. But I was referring to the scenario that the OP buys and tickets an AAnytime award now for a date in the future so he has a confirmed seat in F on AA70.
For existing, ticketed bookings, AA will reaccommodate passengers on BA on the JV routes. Going back a few years, FRA used to be a 777 destination. When it was downgauged to 763 at one point, pax with ticketed F award bookings were given the options I described above - get routed via LHR with the TATL in F on AA plus a BA flight in CE to FRA with no additional payment, or get downgraded to J and be refunded the fare difference.
Another example: When AA ceased service to BRU, existing award bookings were rerouted via LHR without pax having to pay the egregious BA surcharges.

Dave Noble

Fair enough; got to admit personally if a FRA-DFW 1st class Aanytime award was downgraded to business where there was an improved business class, I would probably take the 93,750 points refund rather than add to journey time going via LHR

Zaynab

MileSaaver availability in F (Z) in 9/14 on 1, 8, 11, 16, 28, 29 (and Oct 2, 3). "While supplies last."

nalismom

Well....I quess the MileSaver First did not last long....just looked and only milesaver availability is 9/1, 9/2, 9/3.....everything else is Anytime Award for Business or First.....only MileSaver is for Coach through LHR..... Prefer the direct routing......I'll keep looking to see if any First MileSavers open.

If they do.....is there a penalty to move from an Anytime Award in First to a MileSaver Award in First? Will they re-credit the 62,500 miles back to my account? Of course this is x 2 tics.

New edit: I read award rules and it seems if MileSaver First comes available...I could re-ticket and ask for re-instatement of 125,000 miles for $175.

UAPremierExec

I'll actually be doing this flight in March -- but from 41C. Any tips, besides illegal drugs, to making this flight more tolerable in a non-MCE cabin/steerage?

Microwave

Some tangentially related questions on this topic have been moved to a more correct home:

I booked 777-200 First Class, if my flight now has no First then what? (consolidated)

~Moderator

bhomburg

upgrade to J - know an EXP with an SWU to gift?
Failing that, snag 31 ABHJ (only nice economy seats on the whole plane)
Should they be taken, check again at the 100-hour mark - these are usually taken by elites who might get upgraded. As upgrades clear later and later lately, make it a habit to check frequently.

In the same boat here - have to fly this in April and *really* hope my SWU clears. If not, it's a sleepless night in 20C. Can't get 31 because I'll travel with a dog...