Jan 25, 14, 3:56 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
Jan 14, 17, 12:04 pm
#61
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 613
I over-accumulated AA miles for our first class trip to HKG last year, so I'm left with a bunch of them and wondering if they can be used at all. With the unfortunate situation of premium award space that I'm hearing about, what would be the best way to use AA miles for premium travel? I assume partner redemptions are probably the way to go, but which ones have the better award availability?
Jan 15, 17, 2:42 pm
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,893
So it depends where you're going, relative to AA's routing rules, whether a particular carrier's availability matters or not. (Unless you're willing to use two awards because that's what AA's routing rules require.)
Jan 15, 17, 3:58 pm
#64
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
If was only giving the example of QR to Africa. AA allows either Europe or Qatar as a transfer point for a USA<->Africa trip. So JL is not likely to be good for Africa. (Similarly, QR is not likely to be for much of Asia, though it may be good Indian Subcontinent.)
So it depends where you're going, relative to AA's routing rules, whether a particular carrier's availability matters or not. (Unless you're willing to use two awards because that's what AA's routing rules require.)
So it depends where you're going, relative to AA's routing rules, whether a particular carrier's availability matters or not. (Unless you're willing to use two awards because that's what AA's routing rules require.)
However, OP (KHTravelBitten) was asking IN GENERAL which partner has the best premium award availability to use up his AA miles - i.e. OP didn't specifically ask about availability to Africa.
The answer seems to be QR to Africa and JL to Asia
Jan 15, 17, 4:01 pm
#65
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Omaha
Programs: AA Life Plat 4mm, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,434
Quick question, trying to find 2 J Saver seats OMA-HEL this summer. I did find 2 OMA-MAN all on AA metal ($20) then found 2 J MAN-LHR-HEL on BA; fees around $160. Is this a bookable connection - it would be 5 legs and I don't think I'm heading back west?
Jan 15, 17, 4:22 pm
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 29,028
Bravo AA!
Jan 15, 17, 4:37 pm
#67
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Omaha
Programs: AA Life Plat 4mm, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,434
AA is not showing 5 legs -after no luck with OMA-HEL I started brainstorming and did a search OMA-MAN landing around 7 am (57.5k) then put in LHR-HEL and it shows 22.5k is available so I know I can get there for 80k. My question is will I be able to book this routing for only 57.5k?
Jan 15, 17, 6:02 pm
#69
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 359
AA is not showing 5 legs -after no luck with OMA-HEL I started brainstorming and did a search OMA-MAN landing around 7 am (57.5k) then put in LHR-HEL and it shows 22.5k is available so I know I can get there for 80k. My question is will I be able to book this routing for only 57.5k?
Last edited by azcoyote; Jan 15, 17 at 6:30 pm
Jan 15, 17, 7:13 pm
#70
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Omaha
Programs: AA Life Plat 4mm, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,434
Just got off the phone (45 min), it worked - OMA-ORD-JFK-MAN-LHR-HEL, 115k plus $306 for 2. Funny thing is if I had booked OMA-ORD-LHR (BA)-HEL we would get to HEL at the same time but the fee would have just under $1000.
Jan 15, 17, 8:50 pm
#71
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: BNA
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 766
Jan 15, 17, 10:10 pm
#72
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
How long is the total trip, over or under 20 hours?
Jan 15, 17, 11:08 pm
#73
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
The problem with a routing like this is that if one of the flights at the beginning is delayed, etc., that can create big problems, especially during a busy travel period (like mine was).
Jan 16, 17, 2:18 am
#74
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA PPro; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,090
It's very petty when on international J MileSAAver tickets they put you in Y for the positioning flight to the hub, especially when its a transcon (e.g., MIA-HKG routes through LAX with the MIA-LAX flight in Y). Though I guess that's better than the opposite which I am reading is common on the flights to Australia.
