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
May 18, 2017, 9:35 am
#1066
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Durham, NC USA
Programs: AA EXP and 1MM, UA 1K, HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 424
... For example, it might be nice (but might involve more than 5 minutes of programming) to have more domestic award availability that's "reserved" for connections to overseas flights, rather than making each leg of a flight either available or unavailable separately. I see countless posts where someone finds an overseas flight but never finds a way to connect to it domestically on the same ticket.
On my First Class Etihad trip this year it was impossible to get sAAver availability on the domestic legs. Finally got sAAver economy (two flights instead of direct) for both outbound and return.
I've just booked Qantas Business Class tickets for JFK-LAX-SYD but nothing available in sAAver (coach or first/business) to get me from RDU to JFK. Same problem on the return.
May 18, 2017, 9:37 am
#1067
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SNA
Posts: 928
I said it was a combination of changes to the AAdvantage program and fares not being competitive (both true though fares are the primary reason... but I didn't tell her that 
). She read my replies back to me to ensure she had them correct, thanked me for my feedback, and assured me that responses are being tracked and presented to management. Shrug.
). She read my replies back to me to ensure she had them correct, thanked me for my feedback, and assured me that responses are being tracked and presented to management. Shrug.Told her I went from flying AA exclusively to shopping my business around.
She said they are getting similar feedback from other customers. Shocker. At least she didn't offer any "we're working on it" platitudes.
She did, however, deposit 10k miles in my account for my time.
May 18, 2017, 9:43 am
#1068
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
The irony, and in my opinion, this just demonstrates the company just doesn't get it (or, if it does, it doesn't care). She mentioned to you that you have a large mileage balance, you said you can't use the miles and she gave you more miles. 
AA really has destroyed what used to be a great FF program.
AA really has destroyed what used to be a great FF program.
May 18, 2017, 9:46 am
#1069
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SNA
Posts: 928
The irony wasn't lost on me. Glass of water to a drowning man...
May 18, 2017, 10:08 am
#1070
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: US CP, MR Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 441
For example, it might be nice (but might involve more than 5 minutes of programming) to have more domestic award availability that's "reserved" for connections to overseas flights, rather than making each leg of a flight either available or unavailable separately. I see countless posts where someone finds an overseas flight but never finds a way to connect to it domestically on the same ticket.
Go Gators
May 18, 2017, 10:10 am
#1071
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
Not sure this is the right thread, but it's the best fit I can find.
I have a "what would you do?" scenario.
Due to the scarcity of sAAver awards as well as AA's frustrating routing rules from the US to Africa, I have two options:
1) BA J, 75K miles + $533 hideous surcharge/taxes
2) EY J, 125K miles (because it's priced as 2 separate awards) + $50 taxes
Seems crazy to spend so many more miles on EY vs. BA, but with AA miles being so worthless, I'm tempted to go for EY over BA since I might as well burn through my points, plus I'd save a boatload on fees. Not to mention EY having a superior product to BA. Any thoughts?
I have a "what would you do?" scenario.
Due to the scarcity of sAAver awards as well as AA's frustrating routing rules from the US to Africa, I have two options:
1) BA J, 75K miles + $533 hideous surcharge/taxes
2) EY J, 125K miles (because it's priced as 2 separate awards) + $50 taxes
Seems crazy to spend so many more miles on EY vs. BA, but with AA miles being so worthless, I'm tempted to go for EY over BA since I might as well burn through my points, plus I'd save a boatload on fees. Not to mention EY having a superior product to BA. Any thoughts?
May 18, 2017, 10:27 am
#1072
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: BMI based alternates CMI/PIA/ORD/IND/STL
Programs: AA Platinum Lifetime, Hilton Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 367
Not sure this is the right thread, but it's the best fit I can find.
I have a "what would you do?" scenario.
Due to the scarcity of sAAver awards as well as AA's frustrating routing rules from the US to Africa, I have two options:
1) BA J, 75K miles + $533 hideous surcharge/taxes
2) EY J, 125K miles (because it's priced as 2 separate awards) + $50 taxes
Seems crazy to spend so many more miles on EY vs. BA, but with AA miles being so worthless, I'm tempted to go for EY over BA since I might as well burn through my points, plus I'd save a boatload on fees. Not to mention EY having a superior product to BA. Any thoughts?
I have a "what would you do?" scenario.
Due to the scarcity of sAAver awards as well as AA's frustrating routing rules from the US to Africa, I have two options:
1) BA J, 75K miles + $533 hideous surcharge/taxes
2) EY J, 125K miles (because it's priced as 2 separate awards) + $50 taxes
Seems crazy to spend so many more miles on EY vs. BA, but with AA miles being so worthless, I'm tempted to go for EY over BA since I might as well burn through my points, plus I'd save a boatload on fees. Not to mention EY having a superior product to BA. Any thoughts?
May 18, 2017, 10:42 am
#1073
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
You're right-- there is nothing like that, nor would it be worth making a decision in this case based on you having had that experience.
May 18, 2017, 11:38 am
#1074
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Hahaha wow - how tone deaf are they? I mean seriously. If they can dole out 10K miles, they can just as easily give you a $50 AA gift card at the very least. That would be a much better way to win back your business IMHO.
Reminds me of an experience I had just after the merger (prior to the mAAsacre) - flight went mx, rebooked on DL. Of course I don't have status nor a DL credit card so had to pay the bag fee. I emailed AA asking for reimbursement. They gave me 5K miles. I wrote back saying that was ridiculous, I don't want 5K miles, I want $25. They actually replied with a $50 gift card! Kept me loyal back then anyway.
Reminds me of an experience I had just after the merger (prior to the mAAsacre) - flight went mx, rebooked on DL. Of course I don't have status nor a DL credit card so had to pay the bag fee. I emailed AA asking for reimbursement. They gave me 5K miles. I wrote back saying that was ridiculous, I don't want 5K miles, I want $25. They actually replied with a $50 gift card! Kept me loyal back then anyway.
May 18, 2017, 11:41 am
#1075
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,013
Ha funny you mention that. Just snagged two ORD-NRT JL F award seats for this summer. Felt great they were available. But AAgent couldn't find any DCA/IAD/BWI-ORD in saver to get me to ORD. Turns out the early morning DCA-ORD flight was selling for $99 (most expensive of the big 3, UA was $59, DL was $69). So AA won by coercing me into buying a $99 connection which otherwise would have been included in the award ticket and using my miles on other airlines...Going for great baby!
Go Gators
Go Gators
May 18, 2017, 12:03 pm
#1076
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
To add quickly while "losing money" is easy.
I think what she means is they want to figure out how to add it without giving upper management any reason to think it's going to lose them money.
Ie, how to find the cases where making awards available doesn't reduce purchases.
That's presumably "easy" only in the case of last minute awards on flights which are going out near-empty up front.
I think what she means is they want to figure out how to add it without giving upper management any reason to think it's going to lose them money.
Ie, how to find the cases where making awards available doesn't reduce purchases.
That's presumably "easy" only in the case of last minute awards on flights which are going out near-empty up front.
But second, at some point you'd hope that they recognize that they're losing money by not releasing inventory as well. It's probably even harder to model/calculate, but I suspect it's not just the people chiming in on this thread who are shifting business and miles-earning away from AA which is a real cost to their current behavior.
May 18, 2017, 12:38 pm
#1078
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,453
Ha funny you mention that. Just snagged two ORD-NRT JL F award seats for this summer. Felt great they were available. But AAgent couldn't find any DCA/IAD/BWI-ORD in saver to get me to ORD. Turns out the early morning DCA-ORD flight was selling for $99 (most expensive of the big 3, UA was $59, DL was $69). So AA won by coercing me into buying a $99 connection which otherwise would have been included in the award ticket and using my miles on other airlines...Going for great baby!
Go Gators
Go Gators
My strategy here relied on:
(1) searching EF for any award availability between BOS and any East Coast hub (DCA, PHL, CLT, even ORD) and then finding ways to get between those hubs and NYC. On the return, since there was nothing available NYC-DCA, I got even more creative and searched connecting cities with nonstop service to both NYC and DCA, hence RDU.
(2) counting on some schedule changes, award availability dumps, or random openings sometime between April, when I issued the ticket, and December/January. The LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS has connections in RDU and DCA that are <10 minutes above MCT, so I'm confident a meaningful change will come out of that in the next 8 months and enable me to switch to a better routing.
For me, at the end of the day, it's all about having one ticket BOS-Japan and vice versa, mostly to guard against IRROPS. And also refusing to give AA that $99 or whatever it is on principle.
May 18, 2017, 2:48 pm
#1079
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
Yep pretty much. I got JL F/J awards to/from JFK over the holidays but couldn't find anything on the BOS-NYC nonstops to connect with the JL flights at the time of ticketing. Instead, I found BOS-DCA-LGA on the outbound and, wait for it, LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS on the return. All in Y at that.
My strategy here relied on:
(1) searching EF for any award availability between BOS and any East Coast hub (DCA, PHL, CLT, even ORD) and then finding ways to get between those hubs and NYC. On the return, since there was nothing available NYC-DCA, I got even more creative and searched connecting cities with nonstop service to both NYC and DCA, hence RDU.
(2) counting on some schedule changes, award availability dumps, or random openings sometime between April, when I issued the ticket, and December/January. The LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS has connections in RDU and DCA that are <10 minutes above MCT, so I'm confident a meaningful change will come out of that in the next 8 months and enable me to switch to a better routing.
For me, at the end of the day, it's all about having one ticket BOS-Japan and vice versa, mostly to guard against IRROPS. And also refusing to give AA that $99 or whatever it is on principle.
My strategy here relied on:
(1) searching EF for any award availability between BOS and any East Coast hub (DCA, PHL, CLT, even ORD) and then finding ways to get between those hubs and NYC. On the return, since there was nothing available NYC-DCA, I got even more creative and searched connecting cities with nonstop service to both NYC and DCA, hence RDU.
(2) counting on some schedule changes, award availability dumps, or random openings sometime between April, when I issued the ticket, and December/January. The LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS has connections in RDU and DCA that are <10 minutes above MCT, so I'm confident a meaningful change will come out of that in the next 8 months and enable me to switch to a better routing.
For me, at the end of the day, it's all about having one ticket BOS-Japan and vice versa, mostly to guard against IRROPS. And also refusing to give AA that $99 or whatever it is on principle.
May 18, 2017, 3:14 pm
#1080
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,399
Yep pretty much. I got JL F/J awards to/from JFK over the holidays but couldn't find anything on the BOS-NYC nonstops to connect with the JL flights at the time of ticketing. Instead, I found BOS-DCA-LGA on the outbound and, wait for it, LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS on the return. All in Y at that.
My strategy here relied on:
(1) searching EF for any award availability between BOS and any East Coast hub (DCA, PHL, CLT, even ORD) and then finding ways to get between those hubs and NYC. On the return, since there was nothing available NYC-DCA, I got even more creative and searched connecting cities with nonstop service to both NYC and DCA, hence RDU.
(2) counting on some schedule changes, award availability dumps, or random openings sometime between April, when I issued the ticket, and December/January. The LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS has connections in RDU and DCA that are <10 minutes above MCT, so I'm confident a meaningful change will come out of that in the next 8 months and enable me to switch to a better routing.
For me, at the end of the day, it's all about having one ticket BOS-Japan and vice versa, mostly to guard against IRROPS. And also refusing to give AA that $99 or whatever it is on principle.
My strategy here relied on:
(1) searching EF for any award availability between BOS and any East Coast hub (DCA, PHL, CLT, even ORD) and then finding ways to get between those hubs and NYC. On the return, since there was nothing available NYC-DCA, I got even more creative and searched connecting cities with nonstop service to both NYC and DCA, hence RDU.
(2) counting on some schedule changes, award availability dumps, or random openings sometime between April, when I issued the ticket, and December/January. The LGA-RDU-DCA-BOS has connections in RDU and DCA that are <10 minutes above MCT, so I'm confident a meaningful change will come out of that in the next 8 months and enable me to switch to a better routing.
For me, at the end of the day, it's all about having one ticket BOS-Japan and vice versa, mostly to guard against IRROPS. And also refusing to give AA that $99 or whatever it is on principle.
(and my connection didnt just drop below MCT, it dropped to a negative value. options given to me were 1) wait and see what happens/if something opens up later 2) cancel )