ARCHIVE: 2018 HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
Dec 26, 2018, 8:47 am
#601
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 877
I'm going to assume the flights for b-c and c-d are the same as you originally booked on the award. If so - all you are looking to change is c-d from T to U. I would look at that flight in both non-stop and connecting flights to confirm availability (I wouldn't worry about it being available as b-c-d, only that it's available x-c-d and c-d in U). Assuming it is - just focus on the c-d segment asking them to upgrade it to U. I have had some success with that - typically in DFW 9-5pm hours - as opposed to off hours calling.
If B-C-D are different flights from the original booking - it's going to be tougher. I might try to book b-c-d myself on aa.com and then call in and ask them to be combined....but it's the luck of the draw on getting that to work. I would try DFW office hours for the best chances for that to happen. If you try that, at least you aren't messing up the original record. Alternatively you could try to cancel the a-b segment...but I'm not in love with the chances of the CX F seating coming back into inventory - AT ALL.
Your situation is a PERFECT example of what's wrong with this married segment cr*p. If you've already booked the award and improvements pop up segment to segment - there shouldn't be a penalty to improve the reservation - you already have confirmed space on the flight. That's particularly true when there is partner carrier inventory involved which probably doesn't have much married segment logic built to begin with.
I wish I had he magic potion to solve this...but my best luck has been with patience - calling in the daytime - and multiple calls. I would say the skill set of folks servicing the call varies...so this may be part of the problem. Given that you see the segment available online I see no problem at all calling EVERYDAY until it's addressed...given that you have zero way of knowing what's valid vs. invalid with married segment logic from using aa.com.
Best of luck.
If B-C-D are different flights from the original booking - it's going to be tougher. I might try to book b-c-d myself on aa.com and then call in and ask them to be combined....but it's the luck of the draw on getting that to work. I would try DFW office hours for the best chances for that to happen. If you try that, at least you aren't messing up the original record. Alternatively you could try to cancel the a-b segment...but I'm not in love with the chances of the CX F seating coming back into inventory - AT ALL.
Your situation is a PERFECT example of what's wrong with this married segment cr*p. If you've already booked the award and improvements pop up segment to segment - there shouldn't be a penalty to improve the reservation - you already have confirmed space on the flight. That's particularly true when there is partner carrier inventory involved which probably doesn't have much married segment logic built to begin with.
I wish I had he magic potion to solve this...but my best luck has been with patience - calling in the daytime - and multiple calls. I would say the skill set of folks servicing the call varies...so this may be part of the problem. Given that you see the segment available online I see no problem at all calling EVERYDAY until it's addressed...given that you have zero way of knowing what's valid vs. invalid with married segment logic from using aa.com.
Best of luck.
aa.com showed B-C-D in U inventory (same flights I was already confirmed on). C-D was not available by itself.
I told agent I needed to upgrade C-D segment.
Agent first searched for C-D by itself. Nothing available.
Agent then searched B-C-D. Nothing available.
i asked if I could put B-C-D on hold on aa.com and try to combine them on her end. She said she was willing to call the help desk and try.
She came badk 15 mins later with confirmed seats.
This was my 3rd try until I got someone willing to help.
I am still baffled why agents don’t see the same inventory as aa.com
Dec 26, 2018, 11:41 am
#602
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
I finally succeeded but I’d like to share how.
aa.com showed B-C-D in U inventory (same flights I was already confirmed on). C-D was not available by itself.
I told agent I needed to upgrade C-D segment.
Agent first searched for C-D by itself. Nothing available.
Agent then searched B-C-D. Nothing available.
i asked if I could put B-C-D on hold on aa.com and try to combine them on her end. She said she was willing to call the help desk and try.
She came badk 15 mins later with confirmed seats.
This was my 3rd try until I got someone willing to help.
I am still baffled why agents don’t see the same inventory as aa.com
The agent I got told me to book online put the itinerary on hold. Then she could see the booking on her side. She went on to combine the bookings without calling help desk. I suspect a more experienced / competent / willing to help agent could even do it on her own.
But yeah, why what we could see on aa.com and the agent could not see in the system they used is truly puzzling.
Dec 26, 2018, 12:05 pm
#603
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AA EXP & Life Plat; AA 4MM; TWA Life Plat; HH Diamond
Posts: 1,109
Dec 26, 2018, 4:59 pm
#605
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 108
FWIW, I was able to book 3 J seats DFW-SEA-HKG-BOM (AA/CX/CX) this morning. Not only was the agent willing to take each segment information from me(I had done my availability research on QF/JL) - he also switched the HKG-BOM flight to a later departure for a longer layover. So this might still be YMMV.
Dec 26, 2018, 10:08 pm
#606
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
FWIW, I was able to book 3 J seats DFW-SEA-HKG-BOM (AA/CX/CX) this morning. Not only was the agent willing to take each segment information from me(I had done my availability research on QF/JL) - he also switched the HKG-BOM flight to a later departure for a longer layover. So this might still be YMMV.
Dec 29, 2018, 8:19 pm
#607
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DAY
Programs: Marriott Platinum, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPLT
Posts: 116
EXP agent couldn’t see domestic routes
Had to book a domestic one way for the Mrs today. The destination is on the reduced mileage list so it was a phone booking. I did not put the itinerary on hold because I was away from my computer and didn’t want to mess with filling in passenger information (since it wasn’t for me) on my phone. I wrote down the details of the itinerary I wanted and called in. The EXP agent I talked with could only see one routing. Literally only one. Between coach and F, sAAver and AAnytime routes, the app saw 40. Agent asked me to put the itinerary on hold while she waited on the line, which I did and then the agent ticketed it and everything eventually worked out fine, but strange that the agent couldn’t see domestic F sAAver space.
Dec 29, 2018, 9:00 pm
#608
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,581
SAAver award booked by EXP but Can Not Select Seat
Title says it all. Tonight I put a SAAver award on HOLD (would have purchased it had I been able to choose seat). Throughout the booking process online, I couldn't pull up the seat map to select seat, even though the link to select seat was there. Is this something new rule or IT bug.
Advice and suggestion welcome. Thanks.
BTW, the AUTO Upgrade (comp) was requested by the system!
Advice and suggestion welcome. Thanks.
BTW, the AUTO Upgrade (comp) was requested by the system!
Dec 29, 2018, 9:16 pm
#609
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
Title says it all. Tonight I put a SAAver award on HOLD (would have purchased it had I been able to choose seat). Throughout the booking process online, I couldn't pull up the seat map to select seat, even though the link to select seat was there. Is this something new rule or IT bug.
Advice and suggestion welcome. Thanks.
BTW, the AUTO Upgrade (comp) was requested by the system!
Advice and suggestion welcome. Thanks.
BTW, the AUTO Upgrade (comp) was requested by the system!
Dec 29, 2018, 9:31 pm
#610
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,581
AA has not implemented (yet) an enhancement whereby you cannot select seats in advance on award tickets. And there have been tons of seat map issues at aa.com, mostly related to browsers/cookies/cache and other IT related bugs. So I would just check back tomorrow or the day after and you will most likely be able to select seats, if not then just give AA a call.
Dec 29, 2018, 10:07 pm
#611
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I just (today) held 2 awards tickets and booked them (actually I held 2, cancelled them, held 2 others, and booked them). I was able to select a seat for all the AA flights (not the BA flights)
Also, when looking at a held reservation, there were 3 options: pay, cancel, or change seats.
Also, when looking at a held reservation, there were 3 options: pay, cancel, or change seats.
Dec 29, 2018, 11:05 pm
#612
In memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: La Jolla, CA, USA
Posts: 765
Interesting tidbit. I've been working on an LAX-DOH-Tanzania Award in J for a week or so. I have managed to get what I want, but it's possibly more luck than anything else. I see tons of phantom awards as everyone else. I called the Platinum line and spoke to an agent, and she told me something that I was (and am still) skeptical about. That said, what happened was consistent with what she told me. She had no J award space on the DOH-DAR segment and I can't recall what she was showing from LAX to DOH. She told me that they can't see what I can see online, and sometimes my info is better than hers. I held the itinerary with a J award, and she picked that up and added my return to the PNR. I wanted to wait until next year to ticket so I could get my Citi AAdvantage card award rebate, but I was so paranoid that somehow my held award wouldn't ticket properly (even though I was shown as "on hold"), I ticketed the award yesterday. Everything went right through with no problem.
This phantom award business is very nerve-rattling!!
This phantom award business is very nerve-rattling!!
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Last edited by JDiver; Jan 3, 2020 at 11:30 pm Reason: Add moderator note