Reward seats not loaded yet for Dec 19, but it is within the 329 days already.
Jan 23, 2009, 6:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Posts: 70
Reward seats not loaded yet for Dec 19, but it is within the 329 days already.
Hello, I am trying to book reward seats to Cancun for December 19, but AA has not loaded any seats beyond December 16. They were loading the seats day by day , and once they got to December 16, the daily process of loading the seats for the next eligible day just stopped.
So the question is, when might they decide to load seats for December 19 and beyond? They are telling me that it should be soon, but that the only way to ensure getting the seats is to keep calling back.. so what is a person to do, call them a dozen times each day until finally the seats are loaded?
Is there anyone that we could contact at AA to at least get in indication from them as to when they plan to release these seats? It seems like a horrible waste of time for both customers and the reservation agents to have to make and take hundreds of calls from people like me trying to book these rewards. Any ideas would be appreciated.
So the question is, when might they decide to load seats for December 19 and beyond? They are telling me that it should be soon, but that the only way to ensure getting the seats is to keep calling back.. so what is a person to do, call them a dozen times each day until finally the seats are loaded?
Is there anyone that we could contact at AA to at least get in indication from them as to when they plan to release these seats? It seems like a horrible waste of time for both customers and the reservation agents to have to make and take hundreds of calls from people like me trying to book these rewards. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Jan 23, 2009, 6:37 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Call AA directly, specifically the AAdvantage # associated w/your elite level. EF shows the award seats loaded.
Jan 23, 2009, 6:45 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Posts: 70
can you tell me what you mean when you say that EF shows reward seats loaded? thanks
Jan 23, 2009, 6:47 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP 4MM
Posts: 396
Last year I was in the same situation for Hawaii flights for the holiday season. Their was quite a thread this time last year. The avilability opened up several weeks after the 329 day date. My flights for 12/21 opened on 2/21. The delay effected most holiday beach detinations. In appaers AA has learned to hold back awards during heavy travel season to see if they can sell them 
first and then evaluate loads for the flight awards. I used Exp Flyer to notify me when the awards opened up.
first and then evaluate loads for the flight awards. I used Exp Flyer to notify me when the awards opened up.
Jan 23, 2009, 6:55 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Posts: 70
FlymeAAway, could you tell me exactly how to get Exp Flyer to notify me when the award seats open up? Sorry , but I'm not very experienced regarding these terms here. thanks a lot
Jan 23, 2009, 6:58 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
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Posts: 10,161
Jan 23, 2009, 8:54 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Jan 23, 2009, 11:24 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Glastonbury, CT USA
Programs: Hilton HHonors Diamond, AAdvantage Platinum
Posts: 213
I am also looking for award flights for December 19th, but not for Cancun. When I called early this morning, there were award seats available, but sadly only for 90K miles, not the 45K or (probably unrealistically) 35K I had been hoping for. I checked on line also and aa.com shows award flights available for all days through December 18th. So, at least some destinations are showing award availability 329 days out.
Maybe AA is loading flights for some destinations but not others?
AGS
Maybe AA is loading flights for some destinations but not others?
AGS
Jan 23, 2009, 11:38 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM; BA GLD
Posts: 17,248
Ding, ding, ding.
Long gone are the days where award seats automatically would be loaded for every flight. Nowadays, airlines' revenue management departments have elaborate algorithms that determine how many and when award seats will be released, and they take into consideration such factors as whether it's late December, when one might expect plenty of people to be willing to pay for tickets with cash.
Mr. Gregory, I could be wrong, but I would not expect award tickets to travel to CUN on December 19 to become available anytime soon.
Long gone are the days where award seats automatically would be loaded for every flight. Nowadays, airlines' revenue management departments have elaborate algorithms that determine how many and when award seats will be released, and they take into consideration such factors as whether it's late December, when one might expect plenty of people to be willing to pay for tickets with cash.
Mr. Gregory, I could be wrong, but I would not expect award tickets to travel to CUN on December 19 to become available anytime soon.
Jan 23, 2009, 2:11 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Cheers.
Jan 23, 2009, 2:30 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EX PLT
Posts: 1,428
I have found that they will eventually load the seats. they just take their time with certain holiday dates and beach destinations.
Jan 23, 2009, 4:20 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SAN
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat (4 MM), SPG LT Plat (Bonvoy doesn’t exist to me), HH Diamond via cc, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,713
There is a big difference between flights being available for booking (329 days before departure on aa.com, 331 through reservations) and a specific inventory being available (T award inventory, for example). As noted above, there are award seats available on the dates in question, just not for the milesaver level.
There is no guarantee that AA will ever make milesaver seats available for flights to Cancun the weekend before Christmas. Most likely they will, but there's no set answer as to when that will happen. The EF alert suggestions above are good ones.
There is no guarantee that AA will ever make milesaver seats available for flights to Cancun the weekend before Christmas. Most likely they will, but there's no set answer as to when that will happen. The EF alert suggestions above are good ones.