Jan 25, 2014, 2:56 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Be sure to check the lengthy http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...elections.html and oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on threads, as many members have posted questions - and useful answers - there. See the wiki posts for informative summaries.
Also be aware - AA have reduced capacity and apparently chosen to make MileSAAver flights significantly less available during predicted periods of high demand and high demand flights, undoubtedly keeping seats available for those willing to pay higher fares and use the new tiered AAnytime awards.
Older posts as of 1 Jan 2015 and later may be found in thd archived thread ARCHIVE: MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction discussion post 2015 AAdvantage merger
Older posts may dating from Aug 2011 through the AAdvantage program merger January 2015 be found in the archived thread here.
MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction / scarcity discussion
Dec 8, 2018, 2:51 pm
#1681
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: NYC/WAS
Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL '90s PM, now FK (Flying Kettle)
Posts: 541
Here's a total outrage. Tomorrow, on AA flight 44 JFK-CDG, there are SIXTY unassigned seats in economy. I know a few may actually be sold and unassigned, but... SIXTY! And there is not ONE single economy saver seat to be had. How can they even think to justify such a thing? They KNOW they're not going to sell those seats in the next day, the seats will be going out EMPTY, which AA obviously prefers to allowing miles to be redeemed fairly in a nearly incremental-cost-free way.
(The only saver seats the site is showing for tomorrow are BA ones, which as we all know aren't award seats at all.)
(The only saver seats the site is showing for tomorrow are BA ones, which as we all know aren't award seats at all.)
Dec 21, 2018, 9:59 pm
#1682
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: ORD
Programs: aadvantage, mileage plus, millemiglia
Posts: 100
Just a heads up to anyone that's interested, I'm finding good Business Saver availability on FCO-PHL-ORD for early March 2019. I booked on 3/2. Expertflyer is showing U6, U5, U7, U7 for 3/2,3/3,3/4 and 3/5 respectively. Also some C space for anyone with SWUs to burn. I'm not used to seeing that.
Dec 22, 2018, 10:19 am
#1683
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,235
In years past, I have had luck with U awards 4-5 days before the flight, especially around the holidays (on CX, JL and AA). This year, nothing.
Trying to go from HOU-BKK/SIN/SGN/HKG/CGK.. somewhere in the SE Asia region and can't find anything. Been looking for months and nothing, but was hoping as we got closer, they'd open stuff up.
Any thoughts?
Trying to go from HOU-BKK/SIN/SGN/HKG/CGK.. somewhere in the SE Asia region and can't find anything. Been looking for months and nothing, but was hoping as we got closer, they'd open stuff up.
Any thoughts?
Dec 22, 2018, 11:16 am
#1684
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
In years past, I have had luck with U awards 4-5 days before the flight, especially around the holidays (on CX, JL and AA). This year, nothing.
Trying to go from HOU-BKK/SIN/SGN/HKG/CGK.. somewhere in the SE Asia region and can't find anything. Been looking for months and nothing, but was hoping as we got closer, they'd open stuff up.
Any thoughts?
Trying to go from HOU-BKK/SIN/SGN/HKG/CGK.. somewhere in the SE Asia region and can't find anything. Been looking for months and nothing, but was hoping as we got closer, they'd open stuff up.
Any thoughts?
Dec 22, 2018, 11:40 am
#1685
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,235
It could be phantom space, but I see some JL options from LAX to HAN and SGN departing on 12/25. There also appears to be U availability IAH-LAX on an early morning AA flight. TPE/TSA is another potential option, but that might require an overnight in TYO. In general, I see quite a few days next week with JL availability on LAX/ORD-NRT.
EDIT:
not sure what the AAgent was seeing. Was able to book IAH-LAX-HKG-SIN in U with no issues. Thanks again. Was having some issues with the QF website earlier, but once i was able to use that, could find what I was hoping for. Wasn't able to see the JL routing with the second agent though, although from SIN, its easy to bounce around as desired.
aa.com award search though... oof.
Last edited by Antarius; Dec 22, 2018 at 12:06 pm
Dec 22, 2018, 12:04 pm
#1686
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Thanks! I spent a while on the phone with the EXP desk. will call back and see if I can request that.
EDIT: not sure what the AAgent was seeing. Was able to book IAH-LAX-HKG-SIN in U with no issues. Thanks again. Was having some issues with the QF website earlier, but once i was able to use that, could find what I was hoping for.
aa.com award search... oof.
EDIT: not sure what the AAgent was seeing. Was able to book IAH-LAX-HKG-SIN in U with no issues. Thanks again. Was having some issues with the QF website earlier, but once i was able to use that, could find what I was hoping for.
aa.com award search... oof.
Dec 23, 2018, 8:57 am
#1687
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 730
Thanks! I spent a while on the phone with the EXP desk. will call back and see if I can request that.
EDIT:
not sure what the AAgent was seeing. Was able to book IAH-LAX-HKG-SIN in U with no issues. Thanks again. Was having some issues with the QF website earlier, but once i was able to use that, could find what I was hoping for. Wasn't able to see the JL routing with the second agent though, although from SIN, its easy to bounce around as desired.
aa.com award search though... oof.
EDIT:
not sure what the AAgent was seeing. Was able to book IAH-LAX-HKG-SIN in U with no issues. Thanks again. Was having some issues with the QF website earlier, but once i was able to use that, could find what I was hoping for. Wasn't able to see the JL routing with the second agent though, although from SIN, its easy to bounce around as desired.
aa.com award search though... oof.
Dec 27, 2018, 6:17 pm
#1688
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 285
Here is what I saw- on or about Nov 15, AA opened up a TON of saaver business space on AA metal to Europe for the period of around July 15-Sept 1, 2019. Historically high levels- I personally booked 2 sets of awards for 4 people and 5 people. It wasn't every day and every route, but most city pairs had at least 4 days per week with availability, but not much from the US west coast. All seemed to be from midwest and east coast, and required connections through a US gateway- so CLT-BCN on its own wasn't available, but DCA-CLT-BCN and CLT-PHL-BCN were. I have never seen availability like this before on AA metal. I knew how rare it was and grabbed flights for my family and convinced some family and friends to also even though they had no solid plans before then. This all happened within a 2 days period because I knew how rare this availability was and convinced them it was the time to strike while the iron was hot. I even tried to come here to post about it but couldn't find this thread because it had been 3 weeks since a new post had been made, so it was deeper than I looked in the directory. I kept an eye on things fot a few more days, and yeah, within 3 days a lot of the availability was gone, and within 5 days it was all gone, so around Nov. 20 or 21. In all my family and friends booked a total of 18 one-way saaver business award seats, burning through just over 1 million miles. It was a good few days!
Dec 28, 2018, 8:08 pm
#1691
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA MM Gold, AA Ex Plat, SPG Plat,Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, National Executive Elite
Posts: 992
Aa would rather have empty cabin instead of releasing award seats
Had been watching Lax-NRT/HND routes (had expertflyer alerts set up) for the past month for travel this week. They finally open some C upgrade space around 24hrs out but zero award biz saver seats
I know someone on the NRT flight today and 1/2 of the biz cabin went out empty
luckily I found Jal award seat and flew them over in F
I know someone on the NRT flight today and 1/2 of the biz cabin went out empty
luckily I found Jal award seat and flew them over in F
Jan 1, 2019, 4:19 pm
#1692
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,311
A heads up, found some J availability in the 6:30 am Bos-Lax 3 class in early September for 25k miles (should be 32.5k if they meant to release them at all).
if anyone finds J or F saver Lax-Jfk or LAX -Bos, please send me a PM. They used to have a couple of flights with saver award lax-JFK RT released for summer 2019 but that practice seems to have ended.
if anyone finds J or F saver Lax-Jfk or LAX -Bos, please send me a PM. They used to have a couple of flights with saver award lax-JFK RT released for summer 2019 but that practice seems to have ended.
Jan 1, 2019, 4:41 pm
#1693
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Had been watching Lax-NRT/HND routes (had expertflyer alerts set up) for the past month for travel this week. They finally open some C upgrade space around 24hrs out but zero award biz saver seats
I know someone on the NRT flight today and 1/2 of the biz cabin went out empty
luckily I found Jal award seat and flew them over in F
I know someone on the NRT flight today and 1/2 of the biz cabin went out empty
luckily I found Jal award seat and flew them over in F
Jan 12, 2019, 4:24 am
#1694
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
Jan 12, 2019, 6:23 am
#1695
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
I don't check that route daily but I have not seen late inventory in the times that I have checked for quite a while. It probably happens but, yeah, it has become a joke.