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 17, 2017, 12:31 am
#1036
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
-FlyerBeek
May 17, 2017, 12:44 am
#1037
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,005
Exactly right. As a 12-year EXP on AA, I can say that expanded EXP availability is nowadays completely nonexistent. Even getting AA to manually open space in cabins that are almost completely empty days/hours from departure is incredibly difficult. Even as a lowly Gold on UA, there is almost always expanded availability that I can access. In fact, it's a separate booking code (ON, IN, XN, etc) that I can actually see when looking at inventory. Definitely one significant area where UA has AA beat for elites.
-FlyerBeek
-FlyerBeek
May 17, 2017, 9:33 am
#1038
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 544
AA The Worst Frequent-Flier Programs for Free Seats for 2017
Of the top 6 U.S. Airlines, AAdvantage now is dead last on award availability. You'd think with all these new IT 'enhancements' they could open additional Saaver space at least for their top tier elites or high revenue generating customers?
From WSJ:
"American is looking at improving availability of saver awards, says Bridget Blaise-Shamai, vice president of customer loyalty. “We certainly don’t set out to be the lowest by this measure and we certainly value and want to run a competitive program,” she says. As for the percentage of RPMs on award travel being lower than Southwest, Delta and United, Ms. Blaise-Shamai says, “We recognize we have room to go and we’re committed to making that happen.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bes...017-1495034471
From WSJ:
"American is looking at improving availability of saver awards, says Bridget Blaise-Shamai, vice president of customer loyalty. “We certainly don’t set out to be the lowest by this measure and we certainly value and want to run a competitive program,” she says. As for the percentage of RPMs on award travel being lower than Southwest, Delta and United, Ms. Blaise-Shamai says, “We recognize we have room to go and we’re committed to making that happen.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bes...017-1495034471
May 17, 2017, 9:45 am
#1040
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Gary Leff's piece on the same Idea Works study isn't behind a pay wall.
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....-availability/
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....-availability/
May 17, 2017, 10:42 am
#1041
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL GM/MM, HH Dia, PC Plat, MR Gold, ALL Sil,
Posts: 4,552
Here's a link to the report itself: http://www.ideaworkscompany.com/wp-c...eport-2017.pdf
I can't believe American's 54.3% low-tier award availability. In the past few months, I've looked at >15 different city pairs, including domestic and international (and popular routes such as ORD-NYC, ORD-LAX, and ORD-SFO), with some date flexibility, from 2 weeks to 10 months advance notice, yet have not found a single low-mileage award on AA metal. The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Maybe AA developed a VW-like defeat device that was able to determine when IdeaWorks performed their analysis and was able to open up inventory.
I can't believe American's 54.3% low-tier award availability. In the past few months, I've looked at >15 different city pairs, including domestic and international (and popular routes such as ORD-NYC, ORD-LAX, and ORD-SFO), with some date flexibility, from 2 weeks to 10 months advance notice, yet have not found a single low-mileage award on AA metal. The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Maybe AA developed a VW-like defeat device that was able to determine when IdeaWorks performed their analysis and was able to open up inventory.
May 17, 2017, 11:08 am
#1042
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: AA PPro, Mariott Ambassador, B6 Mosaic, SBUX Gold, Best Buy Elite
Posts: 1,838
Here's a link to the report itself: http://www.ideaworkscompany.com/wp-c...eport-2017.pdf
I can't believe American's 54.3% low-tier award availability. In the past few months, I've looked at >15 different city pairs, including domestic and international (and popular routes such as ORD-NYC, ORD-LAX, and ORD-SFO), with some date flexibility, from 2 weeks to 10 months advance notice, yet have not found a single low-mileage award on AA metal. The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Maybe AA developed a VW-like defeat device that was able to determine when IdeaWorks performed their analysis and was able to open up inventory.
I can't believe American's 54.3% low-tier award availability. In the past few months, I've looked at >15 different city pairs, including domestic and international (and popular routes such as ORD-NYC, ORD-LAX, and ORD-SFO), with some date flexibility, from 2 weeks to 10 months advance notice, yet have not found a single low-mileage award on AA metal. The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Maybe AA developed a VW-like defeat device that was able to determine when IdeaWorks performed their analysis and was able to open up inventory.
I often can find them, just on VERY undesirable routes with 3+ stops or on BA with the huge fees.
May 17, 2017, 12:10 pm
#1043
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,510
Here's a link to the report itself: http://www.ideaworkscompany.com/wp-c...eport-2017.pdf
The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Sure....they HAVE a bunch of Long-haul Saver Awards, but they charge SO MUCH MONEY that:
A: It NEVER make financial sense to redeem tickets in Y long-haul.
B. It's literally like $1k+in cash to redeem J and F long-haul awards.
They are GREAT if you are redeeming in Europe....but for long-haul I would have to say they offer the worst value of any airline out there.
May 17, 2017, 1:16 pm
#1044
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
Here's a link to the report itself: http://www.ideaworkscompany.com/wp-c...eport-2017.pdf
I can't believe American's 54.3% low-tier award availability. In the past few months, I've looked at >15 different city pairs, including domestic and international (and popular routes such as ORD-NYC, ORD-LAX, and ORD-SFO), with some date flexibility, from 2 weeks to 10 months advance notice, yet have not found a single low-mileage award on AA metal. The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Maybe AA developed a VW-like defeat device that was able to determine when IdeaWorks performed their analysis and was able to open up inventory.
I can't believe American's 54.3% low-tier award availability. In the past few months, I've looked at >15 different city pairs, including domestic and international (and popular routes such as ORD-NYC, ORD-LAX, and ORD-SFO), with some date flexibility, from 2 weeks to 10 months advance notice, yet have not found a single low-mileage award on AA metal. The only few options I have found have been on BA to Europe, which have exorbitant fees.
Maybe AA developed a VW-like defeat device that was able to determine when IdeaWorks performed their analysis and was able to open up inventory.
May 17, 2017, 3:07 pm
#1046
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
IdeaWorks explains its methodology relative to fare-based redemption (WN and B6 specifically) in its extended press release provided in the link above. It acknowledges some limits with WN's more heavily short-term network, too, in the routes selected for searches.
May 17, 2017, 4:32 pm
#1047
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 923
"American is looking at improving availability of saver awards, says Bridget Blaise-Shamai, vice president of customer loyalty. “We certainly don’t set out to be the lowest by this measure and we certainly value and want to run a competitive program,” she says. As for the percentage of RPMs on award travel being lower than Southwest, Delta and United, Ms. Blaise-Shamai says, “We recognize we have room to go and we’re committed to making that happen."
Sarcasm\
In all seriousness though, I don't believe you one bit. This here multi-year Chairman/EXP left and ain't comin' back, mostly due to ZERO saver availability where I was able to redeem with no problems for years. But also the declining service levels, special PHL employees, and all the thousand other cutbacks. Tired of your shenanigans and excuses. Have fun with your mediocre shell of a formerly decent airline. Oligopoly at its finest.
PS: Flew SIA long haul last month in coach for the first time in 10+ years - they almost make you feel like they actually care and the service was better than the vast majority of the many, many US/AA premium class transatlantic trips I've taken in the past 20+ years.
Last edited by lt1GM; May 17, 2017 at 4:43 pm
May 17, 2017, 10:09 pm
#1049
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730