ARCHIVE: 2018 HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
#316
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,248
I completely disagree with you, I have learned that if you are flexible on dates and departure airports one can find sAAver awards in J and F. I have tickets in F LAX-LHR-DUB and J PHX-PHL-DUB. I use to get frustrated not finding awards out of PHX, but people need to be flexible on dates and airports. I just found J sAAver awards LAX-SYD.
Flexible on dates is one thing.. but airports? Really? To me that means there is no award availability, or barely any. If I have to schlepp TO LAX retrieve my bag, re-check it in and then fly on an award... sAAver award availability is limited.
#317
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
I mean sure. There are Saver awards out there from SOME airports on SOME days. Flexible on dates is one thing.. but airports? Really? To me that means there is no award availability, or barely any. If I have to schlepp TO LAX retrieve my bag, re-check it in and then fly on an award... sAAver award availability is limited.
BTW, some of us never check bags and only travel with carry-ons.
#318
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,248
I'm not arguing that sAAver awards should be available at peak periods. But they used to be available, now not so much. The flight is half empty in J and you can't find a sAAver J award from your city. Moving dates is a reasonable expectation for flexibility. Having to fly on a separate PNR and ticket to a totally different city - not so.
Calling this reasonable is Stockholm Syndrome.
#319
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
I'm kind of amazed after several years of basically ignoring the Aadvantage program since we could never find decent redemptions that in the last few months we've had some decent redemptions
* gotten 4 pack of sAAver levels, with the Citi reduced mileage benefit too, for r/t Sacramento to Vail during ski spring break. 4 - 6c / mile depending on how one values those fares
* just booked a 4 pack of sAAvers for r/t Sacramento into Aspen for New Years school holiday week. Those were ~ 2c / mile redemption value, but I think the cash tix prices were too low if anything.
Normally cash ticket prices for those are pretty high and I wouldn't even consider flying into those airports, but it seems like the new 'logic' that releases capacity for connecting flights is working ok for us.
We're a city that doesn't have many directs to places we'd consider destinations, so have a different calculus than hub city flyers.
This might make me reconsider accumulating AA miles, as we've been mostly in burn mode for the last 3-4 years.
* gotten 4 pack of sAAver levels, with the Citi reduced mileage benefit too, for r/t Sacramento to Vail during ski spring break. 4 - 6c / mile depending on how one values those fares
* just booked a 4 pack of sAAvers for r/t Sacramento into Aspen for New Years school holiday week. Those were ~ 2c / mile redemption value, but I think the cash tix prices were too low if anything.
Normally cash ticket prices for those are pretty high and I wouldn't even consider flying into those airports, but it seems like the new 'logic' that releases capacity for connecting flights is working ok for us.
We're a city that doesn't have many directs to places we'd consider destinations, so have a different calculus than hub city flyers.
This might make me reconsider accumulating AA miles, as we've been mostly in burn mode for the last 3-4 years.
#320
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Flying from LAX and looking at going to either Spain, Iceland, Munich, Norway, VIE, or LIS (mostly anywhere in Western Europe) from Sept. 1st and return on the 8th. I am keeping my eyes open for the LAX-AKL flight and see if any business class seats open up. Also, I am a bit flexible on flying out of most cities Alaska flies to from LAX -- so SFO, SEA, PDX, ORD, DFW, BOS, PHL, BWI and IAD. So buy paid ticket to one of this airports and then use miles from those airports. I have spent past couple of days going through various combo, including flying on AA miles and retun on Star Alliance or Skyteam, but looks like there is not much business class or first available on those dates. Has anyone come across availability in early September? Thanks!
#321
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 199
Without even trying hard I recently got a Business MilesAAver award round-trip between JFK and EDI, and I only had to change one of the desired dates by one day (no big deal at all). This was booked six months in advance.
#322
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,586
Flying from LAX and looking at going to either Spain, Iceland, Munich, Norway, VIE, or LIS (mostly anywhere in Western Europe) from Sept. 1st and return on the 8th. I am keeping my eyes open for the LAX-AKL flight and see if any business class seats open up. Also, I am a bit flexible on flying out of most cities Alaska flies to from LAX -- so SFO, SEA, PDX, ORD, DFW, BOS, PHL, BWI and IAD. So buy paid ticket to one of this airports and then use miles from those airports. I have spent past couple of days going through various combo, including flying on AA miles and retun on Star Alliance or Skyteam, but looks like there is not much business class or first available on those dates. Has anyone come across availability in early September? Thanks!
#323
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,453
They were in April, I could get there on AA but coming back would have been on CX or SN. I can never seem to find RT on AA
#324
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,453
I mean sure. There are Saver awards out there from SOME airports on SOME days.
Flexible on dates is one thing.. but airports? Really? To me that means there is no award availability, or barely any. If I have to schlepp TO LAX retrieve my bag, re-check it in and then fly on an award... sAAver award availability is limited.
Flexible on dates is one thing.. but airports? Really? To me that means there is no award availability, or barely any. If I have to schlepp TO LAX retrieve my bag, re-check it in and then fly on an award... sAAver award availability is limited.
Your issue with luggage if you are in J or F and you are flying out of a gateway city you will have access to Flagship check-in, which means you should be airside in about 10 minutes, not much of a hassle.
#325
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Thanks! I called them immediately after your suggestion. They only had seats available on the return flight. I could have gone ahead and booked it in hopes of either getting flight to KEF, OSL, etc. and then fly out of CDG, but given that I still did not have any clarity to where I will be flying to, I thought it's a bit risky.
#326
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,586
Thanks! I called them immediately after your suggestion. They only had seats available on the return flight. I could have gone ahead and booked it in hopes of either getting flight to KEF, OSL, etc. and then fly out of CDG, but given that I still did not have any clarity to where I will be flying to, I thought it's a bit risky.
#327
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 544
Glad to come across this thread -- I'm hoping you experts can help me!
I got lucky and found first class availability on Qantas from LAX-MEL next spring, so I jumped on it. The small hiccup is that I have to get from DC to LAX. There was no Saver availability in First, Business or Coach for a direct flight, so I paid 20k extra miles for an Anytime coach award from DCA to LAX. I've been playing around with options, and there is a Saver award from DCA to LAX with a stopover that I could manage. If I call back to switch to the Saver domestic DCA-LAX legs, would they credit back the 20k miles I spent on the Anytime version of that leg? The itinerary as a whole would still be DCA-LAX-MEL, same date, etc, so I'm hoping no change fees.
Similarly, if at some point a Business or First saver becomes available, would I be able to grab that without it being a "change", since I've already paid the 110k first class amount for US-AUS?
Thanks for your help!
I got lucky and found first class availability on Qantas from LAX-MEL next spring, so I jumped on it. The small hiccup is that I have to get from DC to LAX. There was no Saver availability in First, Business or Coach for a direct flight, so I paid 20k extra miles for an Anytime coach award from DCA to LAX. I've been playing around with options, and there is a Saver award from DCA to LAX with a stopover that I could manage. If I call back to switch to the Saver domestic DCA-LAX legs, would they credit back the 20k miles I spent on the Anytime version of that leg? The itinerary as a whole would still be DCA-LAX-MEL, same date, etc, so I'm hoping no change fees.
Similarly, if at some point a Business or First saver becomes available, would I be able to grab that without it being a "change", since I've already paid the 110k first class amount for US-AUS?
Thanks for your help!
#328
Suspended
Join Date: May 2017
Location: In the Swiss amoeba's head
Programs: Lowest level possible
Posts: 2,829
1. Did you add the DCA-LAX AAnytime award to the LAX-MEL award (i.e. book it as one DCA-LAX-MEL award with a combined cost of the DCA-LAX + LAX-MEL awards), or did you book it as a separate award? If you booked it as two separate awards, adding DCA-LAX to the first award would be a change of the departure city, and a change fee would be due.
2. "there is a Saver award from DCA to LAX with a stopover that I could manage." - Is it a stopover (connection > 4 hrs for domestic itinerary) or a domestic 2-segment connection where there connection time is less than 4 hours at the intermediate airport?
2. "there is a Saver award from DCA to LAX with a stopover that I could manage." - Is it a stopover (connection > 4 hrs for domestic itinerary) or a domestic 2-segment connection where there connection time is less than 4 hours at the intermediate airport?
#329
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 544
1. Did you add the DCA-LAX AAnytime award to the LAX-MEL award (i.e. book it as one DCA-LAX-MEL award with a combined cost of the DCA-LAX + LAX-MEL awards), or did you book it as a separate award? If you booked it as two separate awards, adding DCA-LAX to the first award would be a change of the departure city, and a change fee would be due.
2. "there is a Saver award from DCA to LAX with a stopover that I could manage." - Is it a stopover (connection > 4 hrs for domestic itinerary) or a domestic 2-segment connection where there connection time is less than 4 hours at the intermediate airport?
2. "there is a Saver award from DCA to LAX with a stopover that I could manage." - Is it a stopover (connection > 4 hrs for domestic itinerary) or a domestic 2-segment connection where there connection time is less than 4 hours at the intermediate airport?
2. Sorry, layover rather than stopover is the better term I guess. I just meant a nondirect flight from DCA-LAX. 90 minute layover.
Thanks for your help!
#330
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
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Posts: 12,482
And yes, if sAAver J seats open up on DCA-LAX, you can switch for no fee (assuming you make the change above, to everything on a singe sAAver F award DCA-MEL with voluntary downgrade to Y on the domestic flights).