Aug 4, 2015, 1:37 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
GUIDE to redeeming AA miles for Japan Air Lines awards:
For 2012-2015 posts, please see
ARCHIVE: AA Award on JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)
For further information, see:
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
- JL awards are now shown show and can be booked on aa.com
- AwardNexus (free to FlyerTalk members for basic searches) will also reveal, and (for a fee) alert, on JL award seats
- AA awards on JL must be MileSAAver (AAnytime awards are only available on AA marketed and AA operated flights)
- There are no onerous fuel or carrier-imposed surcharges using AAdvantage miles for awards using JL
- JL initially releases awards to AAvantage members 330 days out at 10:00 am JST time (18:00 PDT, 17:00 PST). Note, JL award inventory is released to members of other FFPs 360 day out and updates award and revenue seat award availability once daily ~09:30-12:00 Pacific time
- JL may release 0-2 F and 0-4 J award seats initially; until taken they remain available up to three months from release
- No further seats are likely to be released until shortly (~14 days) prior to scheduled departure - but the last F seat will be retained for sale, not released into award inventory
- No stopovers are allowed on AA awards. Connections may be as long as 23:59.
- Only JAL Mileage Bank members can waitlist awards
- All awards for domestic Japan will default to Economy (including international F or J award with domestic segments); these can often be upgraded at reasonable cost at the ticket counter in the Japan connecting airport
- If JL & QF are showing availability, but AA can't see it, try calling the Australia AA center as it may be a point-of-sale issue
For 2012-2015 posts, please see
ARCHIVE: AA Award on JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)
For further information, see:
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
AAdvantage Award on JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (2016-2023)
Nov 15, 2018, 8:25 pm
#691
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: กรุงเทพมหานคร
Programs: *G, oneworld Sapphire
Posts: 100
I guess the delay was due to weather in the US right now.
Anyway, I may try to HUCA, though I'm apprehensive because the Twitter person also said they saw no availability. Is it possible that availability could be showing on both Alaska and BA, but somehow not exist?
Anyway, I may try to HUCA, though I'm apprehensive because the Twitter person also said they saw no availability. Is it possible that availability could be showing on both Alaska and BA, but somehow not exist?
Nov 15, 2018, 8:38 pm
#692
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
I guess the delay was due to weather in the US right now.
Anyway, I may try to HUCA, though I'm apprehensive because the Twitter person also said they saw no availability. Is it possible that availability could be showing on both Alaska and BA, but somehow not exist?
Anyway, I may try to HUCA, though I'm apprehensive because the Twitter person also said they saw no availability. Is it possible that availability could be showing on both Alaska and BA, but somehow not exist?
Nov 16, 2018, 1:35 am
#693
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: กรุงเทพมหานคร
Programs: *G, oneworld Sapphire
Posts: 100
UPDATE: I called the UK reservations number, and had a confirmed reservation in less than 10 minutes. The very friendly agent (who spoke English with a heavy French accent, but was competent and efficient nonetheless) immediately found availability for the flight I wanted, and got me on my way without any drama or fanfare. Seems like it was an "American" problem!
Nov 16, 2018, 3:58 am
#694
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,928
Nov 16, 2018, 3:07 pm
#695
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 19
UPDATE: I called the UK reservations number, and had a confirmed reservation in less than 10 minutes. The very friendly agent (who spoke English with a heavy French accent, but was competent and efficient nonetheless) immediately found availability for the flight I wanted, and got me on my way without any drama or fanfare. Seems like it was an "American" problem!
Nov 16, 2018, 3:43 pm
#696
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 19
Nvm, I called back two more times, third time was definitely a charm. As soon as I gave the itinerary, CSR said there are couple business and first available. It seems like not every agent knows how to search JAL via the new method. I even referenced the method show here(https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....booking-guide/) to the 2nd agent, she said she doesn't do search like that. Yeah right, tell that to the 3rd agent
Nov 16, 2018, 10:12 pm
#697
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: กรุงเทพมหานคร
Programs: *G, oneworld Sapphire
Posts: 100
Nov 28, 2018, 2:11 pm
#698
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 90
I am so frustrated. I see awards seat available on Qantas ans British site for HND- HKG and I have called American 3 times and they cant see it. I even called the American number in Japan and they cant see it either. I need to add on that segment before I can ticket the flight.
Nov 28, 2018, 5:51 pm
#699
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
I am so frustrated. I see awards seat available on Qantas ans British site for HND- HKG and I have called American 3 times and they cant see it. I even called the American number in Japan and they cant see it either. I need to add on that segment before I can ticket the flight.
New Trick for Booking JAL Award Space with AA Miles
Third time was a charm.
“You know there is a new way we have to search for that space. It’s brand new. Hold on…oh yeah, there it is.”
What’s the secret? AA agents must search for JAL award space as if they were booking a revenue ticket on JAL.
Agents must simply look for the following JAL fare class availability:
“You know there is a new way we have to search for that space. It’s brand new. Hold on…oh yeah, there it is.”
What’s the secret? AA agents must search for JAL award space as if they were booking a revenue ticket on JAL.
Agents must simply look for the following JAL fare class availability:
- Economy Class Award = T
- Business Class Award = U
- First Class Award = Z
Nov 28, 2018, 6:11 pm
#700
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 90
This is from a year ago but did you confirm the agents are using the "new" procedure for booking JAL flights?
New Trick for Booking JAL Award Space with AA Miles
New Trick for Booking JAL Award Space with AA Miles
Nov 28, 2018, 11:26 pm
#701
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Yes I did. And the last agent I spoke to even told me that there was a new way of doing it but she still couldn't find anything. I've asked them to check some married segments but they just cant see any awards. I even tried calling the London number twice but was on hold for too long and haven't been able to speak to anyone.
Nov 29, 2018, 8:54 pm
#702
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 90
" So even when not mentioning your held award and searching only for HND-BKK they cannot see..." I did not previously try this. However I did try that today. Just asked them to look for the award without telling them my record locator and they did find the seats available that way ! I then told her about adding it to a reservation and it wouldn't work. She said that she has never had this happen before. She put me on hold and tried to get some more help. I was told the person helping her couldn't figure it out either and was speaking to a JAL liason. The agent kept checking back with me and told me they are trying to figure it out. After a over 30 min the call got disconnected. After almost 6 call trying to get these seats I am giving up on that flight. Maybe its not meant for us and something else is... I have shifted my search to other cities for now and may try to get HKG on our return. If anything I did learn to ask them to check for a segment before mentioning my held award.
Dec 6, 2018, 2:02 pm
#703
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 40
If I have 2x SFO-HND-BKK J awards on the same PNR and it's <21 days out but I want to drop the HND-BKK leg and get refunded the mileage difference, will I have to pay both the redeposit fee and the close-in change fee?
Is there a specific deadline I need to call AA and have them do this by? Or can I do it the day of the first departing leg?
Is there a specific deadline I need to call AA and have them do this by? Or can I do it the day of the first departing leg?
Dec 7, 2018, 6:11 am
#704
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Seattle
Programs: ASMVP100K, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 116
I was trying to book an a J ticket from DEL-NRT-PUS for next month. I got the NRT-PUS segment inJ, but the DEL-NRT segment in Y. I checked availability, and JAL has two seats available on BA, seats available on Qantas and Alaskan. Yet 3 different reps I've spoken to in the last ~10 hours can't find space for that day. The kicker is that they can see space for the day before. I even tried looking for it as part of a new itinerary, and that didn't seem to work either. Thanks for any help in advance!
Dec 7, 2018, 10:38 am
#705
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
I was trying to book an a J ticket from DEL-NRT-PUS for next month. I got the NRT-PUS segment inJ, but the DEL-NRT segment in Y. I checked availability, and JAL has two seats available on BA, seats available on Qantas and Alaskan. Yet 3 different reps I've spoken to in the last ~10 hours can't find space for that day. The kicker is that they can see space for the day before. I even tried looking for it as part of a new itinerary, and that didn't seem to work either. Thanks for any help in advance!
Married segments? When you search for availability are you searching DEL-PUS or are you searching only DEL-NRT? Is there availability separately for DEL-NRT and NRT-PUS? How many HUCA's have you tried?