Aadvantage Award Question for a Newbie
Feb 24, 2003, 9:26 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
Aadvantage Award Question for a Newbie
I will be redeeming my first Aadvantage award for my honeymoon in August. I'll be flying from DFW to SEA on 8/10 and returning 8/16 or 8/17. AA.com shows no award flights available for 8/10 and the only returning flights on either of those days leave close to midnight. Does award inventory get better or worse over time? This is pretty sad since I've been saving up miles for a long time to at least get the flights for free on my honeymoon (knowing everything else was going to add up quick!). Any insight is appreciated...
Feb 24, 2003, 9:37 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: AA EXP, 1 MM and CX RULES!!
Posts: 1,341
Try calling AA and see if they can connect you through ORD or STL. You won't lose any miles using connections.
Feb 24, 2003, 9:38 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
Oh =) Thanks... I'll try that!
Feb 24, 2003, 9:43 pm
#4
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: AA EXP, 1 MM and CX RULES!!
Posts: 1,341
You're welcome! And welcome to FT! You will find that *many* people luuuuuv everyone here! 
Feb 24, 2003, 9:45 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
Yeah.... I've been checking this site out often, but finally had a reason to post. I run a little business on the side and am racking up 10K miles per month on my Aadvantage card, so I figured I might as well start using them before AA goes under
Feb 24, 2003, 10:35 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DFW AA EXP 6.8MM, MR Plat Premier
Posts: 194
If you have enough miles, go for the first class awards. The flight is long enough to worth the extra miles, especially on dinner flights with 757 IFE. If you're getting 10k miles a month from your credit card then this could be your best option.
You can also call AA, sometimes the agents can see more options than AA.com shows. Tell them it's for your honeymoon, and if you happen to get the right agent, he/she will go the extra mile to find you seats.
The award availability probably won't get better between now and shortly before your travel date. Worst case, you could buy the tickets. With Sat stayover, it's $300-$350 per tix on several airlines.
I travel to SEA frequently and it's a lovely place for honeymoon. If you don't mind sharing, I'd like to know why you chose SEA and what you plan to do there.
You can also call AA, sometimes the agents can see more options than AA.com shows. Tell them it's for your honeymoon, and if you happen to get the right agent, he/she will go the extra mile to find you seats.
The award availability probably won't get better between now and shortly before your travel date. Worst case, you could buy the tickets. With Sat stayover, it's $300-$350 per tix on several airlines.
I travel to SEA frequently and it's a lovely place for honeymoon. If you don't mind sharing, I'd like to know why you chose SEA and what you plan to do there.
Feb 24, 2003, 11:12 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: FLL, over-inflated EGO due to EXP status
Posts: 4,519
I found this hard to believe so I checked it out. It is true with regard to Y. Since it's your honeymoon splurge and do F!
There are no less than 10 options each way (direct, through STL or ORD) for those dates with F inventory.
[This message has been edited by LLZ (edited 02-24-2003).]
There are no less than 10 options each way (direct, through STL or ORD) for those dates with F inventory.
[This message has been edited by LLZ (edited 02-24-2003).]
Feb 25, 2003, 11:42 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
I know it seems like 40K miles for first class might be worth it since it is for the honeymoon... the problem is that I wanted to use some of my miles to fly out a couple people from Los Angeles for the wedding. That would eat up 50K and I don't know if I'll have 80K left over for the first class. Now that I think about it, I might just buy the tickets outright from a different airline (unless AA lowers their fares) and then save the 80k for a flight to Europe next fall (isn't that "low-season" in Europe). We don't have a lot of money right now and I'll be going to grad school this fall, so we might do something nice after I finish school next July to make up for our budget honeymoon.
To answer the question about Seattle... well, we both aren't huge fans of the beach, and since most typical honeymoon spots involve the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii or something like that, we decided Seattle and British Columbia would be a nice alternative. There seems to be good enough transportation so that we won't have to rent a car, and I've nailed down some great deals on very nice hotels through Priceline (and biddingfortravel.com). Could you e-mail me some suggestions for the "must-do" activities or attractions while we are up there? It's hard to pick from among all the different things I've read about...
To answer the question about Seattle... well, we both aren't huge fans of the beach, and since most typical honeymoon spots involve the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii or something like that, we decided Seattle and British Columbia would be a nice alternative. There seems to be good enough transportation so that we won't have to rent a car, and I've nailed down some great deals on very nice hotels through Priceline (and biddingfortravel.com). Could you e-mail me some suggestions for the "must-do" activities or attractions while we are up there? It's hard to pick from among all the different things I've read about...
Feb 25, 2003, 11:44 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
Oh, and I followed the advice about calling AA and asking about other routes. No luck, even after dropping the line about the honeymoon (although the rep was very nice about that - she mentioned the first class thing as well).
Feb 25, 2003, 11:57 am
#10
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 540
Try partner award with Alaska airlines ? It should include connection from DFW on AA ?
Feb 25, 2003, 11:59 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: IAD/DCA, USA (MD Suburbs)
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, HH Diamond, Fairmont RIP, Hertz Plat, BA Gold
Posts: 1,622
Depending on where you are staying, Vancouver, BC could be an option. I just checked and Vancouver is available for a Coach award for the dates you need.
Otherwise, keep checking back for awards for at least a couple more weeks before buying anything. You can hold an award for a couple weeks without booking, so award inventory could become available as reservations cancel.
Otherwise, keep checking back for awards for at least a couple more weeks before buying anything. You can hold an award for a couple weeks without booking, so award inventory could become available as reservations cancel.
Feb 25, 2003, 12:12 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
Wow! You are right about Vancouver.... hmm... I wish I hadn't made reservations to stay in Seattle on 8/10. I had a huge misconception about the way frequent flier programs work (I thought you just picked a time and cashed in... little did I know =)). And I surely didn't know that it was only 25,000 miles to fly into Vancouver. Dang it!! Haha... well, I think I might have found something that will work at least. How does the partner thing work with Alaska? I can't figure any of that out (the oneworld stuff is even more confusing)...
Feb 25, 2003, 12:21 pm
#13
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,786
Remember the AAwards allow a triangle or a 3 sides of a rectangle itinerary. In airline lingo, 'one stopover & one open-jaw,' & the 'stopover' can be anywhere in the USA 
.
The Edmonton Fringe Theater Festival occurs Aug. 14-24 this year, while the Victoria, BC, Fringe occurs Aug. 21--Sep. 1.
Try this:
8/10 DFW-SEA,
8/16 OR 17: SEA-YEG(Edmonton) on Alaska Airlines,
8/21 or so: YYC (Calgary)-DFW nonstop on AA.
Price 25K in Coach or 40K in Business/First.
Please also note that date changes are penalized $100 on Coach AAwards
but free on First Class AAwards .
------------------
Play the travel game 3 vacations into the future!
.The Edmonton Fringe Theater Festival occurs Aug. 14-24 this year, while the Victoria, BC, Fringe occurs Aug. 21--Sep. 1.
Try this:
8/10 DFW-SEA,
8/16 OR 17: SEA-YEG(Edmonton) on Alaska Airlines,
8/21 or so: YYC (Calgary)-DFW nonstop on AA.
Price 25K in Coach or 40K in Business/First.
Please also note that date changes are penalized $100 on Coach AAwards
but free on First Class AAwards .------------------
Play the travel game 3 vacations into the future!
Feb 25, 2003, 12:26 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
Huh? Not sure I understand the triangle thing... are you saying I don't necessarily have to fly back through the same airport I flew into? Is there a way to say, fly into Vancouver, and fly out of SEA? That would be helpful actually... or even the other way around...
Feb 25, 2003, 12:38 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Posts: 76
oooh oooh... I found something that would be perfect, but I'm sure it won't be this easy.
Here's an itinerary pulled up through Alaska...
Alaska Airlines 1557
Operated by American Airlines Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW)
2:20 pm Sun, Aug 10 Seattle (SEA)
4:23 pm, Sun, Aug 10 Coach, Boeing MD-80
Nonstop, Snack
Alaska Airlines 2076
Operated by Horizon Air Seattle (SEA)
6:20 pm Sun, Aug 10 Victoria, BC (YYJ)
7:00 pm, Sun, Aug 10 Coach, Bombardier Q200
Nonstop
Alaska Airlines 2075
Operated by Horizon Air Victoria, BC (YYJ)
8:45 am Sat, Aug 16 Seattle (SEA)
9:25 am, Sat, Aug 16 Coach, Bombardier Q200
Nonstop
Alaska Airlines 1552
Operated by American Airlines Seattle (SEA)
11:14 am Sat, Aug 16 Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW)
5:07 pm, Sat, Aug 16
Is it possible to delay the flight from Seattle to Victoria until 8/12 or 8/13? Can I even use Aadvantage miles for a flight like this? It lists at $581.80...
Here's an itinerary pulled up through Alaska...
Alaska Airlines 1557
Operated by American Airlines Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW)
2:20 pm Sun, Aug 10 Seattle (SEA)
4:23 pm, Sun, Aug 10 Coach, Boeing MD-80
Nonstop, Snack
Alaska Airlines 2076
Operated by Horizon Air Seattle (SEA)
6:20 pm Sun, Aug 10 Victoria, BC (YYJ)
7:00 pm, Sun, Aug 10 Coach, Bombardier Q200
Nonstop
Alaska Airlines 2075
Operated by Horizon Air Victoria, BC (YYJ)
8:45 am Sat, Aug 16 Seattle (SEA)
9:25 am, Sat, Aug 16 Coach, Bombardier Q200
Nonstop
Alaska Airlines 1552
Operated by American Airlines Seattle (SEA)
11:14 am Sat, Aug 16 Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW)
5:07 pm, Sat, Aug 16
Is it possible to delay the flight from Seattle to Victoria until 8/12 or 8/13? Can I even use Aadvantage miles for a flight like this? It lists at $581.80...