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AA ends North American Gateway Stopover for International Awards [8 Apr 2014]

Old Apr 9, 2014, 10:25 pm
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Last edit by: JDiver
AA Ends International Award Free N. America Gateway Stopover
As of April 8, 2014 - no prior notice given.

● As of 8 April 2014, AA North America to international destination awards no longer offer a voluntary stopover at the N. A. international gateway.

● Stopovers are defined as more than 4 hours for itineraries using an award within/between the U.S./Canada/PR/USVI and more than 24 hours for itineraries using a Mexico, Caribbean or other international award as of 8 Jan 2014. (JonNYC).

● Awards ticketed prior to April 8 can add or change a stopover. Refer the AAgent to the "All Partner Award Guidelines" document which can be found on jetnet at Webref-> jetnet-> aawrcontent-> res-> resstaff-> internal-> AADAP. Giving this to the agent should be enough to find it. This is from the version dated 7/22/2014 with credit to JonNYC:

Tickets issued prior to April 8, 2014, free international stopovers on international awards are allowed at the North American gateway.

●For stopover purposes only, the North American gateway is defined as the passenger's first point of arrival or last point of departure in the U.S./Canada/PR/USVI/Mexico

●Stopovers within/between all other regions require additional awards
●Changes or adding a stopover to this ticket will require a call to Tariff for PQR prior to setting up reissue
This thread is for discussion of the now eliminated international north american gateway stopover on awards.

Other topics that are related may be followed here:

. . . Wiki: AA Quietly Increases AAnytime Award Mileage Charges [8 Apr 2014]

. . . Oneworld Explorer Awards Eliminated -- Effective Immediately [8 Apr 2014]

. . . Wiki: Free Checked Bag / Baggage Changes as of 8 Apr 2014

. . . Angry about AAdvantage devaluation / vent / what can I do? (April 2014, consolidated)
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AA ends North American Gateway Stopover for International Awards [8 Apr 2014]

Old Apr 15, 2014, 2:23 pm
  #76  
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Originally Posted by rrgg
...Losing international stopovers in the old-old rules was worse, which I regularly used...
Yeah, the was "the biggie" in my mind as well-- that was a huge step down in award value.

With this version though, people were adding N.American stop-overs onto awards that made zero sense in the context of the award itself-- and using AA metal there were almost no published-fare restrictions on same (unlike on partner awards)-- so AA really was providing free vacations (well, 1/2 of one) to some members in addition to the value that members who used the stopovers in the way you describe got from the stopover.

Would have been nice if they could have reigned in the nonsensical stopovers (NOT that I'm saying there's ANYTHING wrong with people availing themselves fully of same while they existed) and kept the ability to have an "en route" stopover-- where a logical transit point is simply turned into stopover-- meaning no extra flight segments were being flown by the member.

But, alas, elimination instead.
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Old Apr 15, 2014, 3:50 pm
  #77  
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Originally Posted by rrgg
I only used the N.A. stopover once, but it was not my preference and necessary to get an award. Losing international stopovers in the old-old rules was worse, which I regularly used. At the time it sort of made sense to lose it since we had Explorer!
Sure, but weren't those free stopovers only on roundtrip award tickets?

I wouldn't be surprised if this is AA's way to signal to UA and DL that they too can go ahead and get rid of free stopovers completely in a move to a new US industry standard. UA doesn't have free stopovers on one-way awards. DL isn't yet offering one-way awards, but has free stopovers on at least some roundtrip/multicity awards. I doubt that DL would offer free gateway stopovers on one-way award tickets when they get around to one-way award tickets for no more than half the miles of the cheapest roundtrip mileage ticket.

I used the NA stopover on one-way awards way more than the stopover on the old roundtrip AA awards, but that was often -- and increasingly so -- because there was no same-day or next-day mileSAAver space on AA or otherwise on non-BA flights.
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Old Apr 23, 2014, 11:20 am
  #78  
 
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RE: the elimination of stopovers for INTL routes:

I have previously used award travel for STL-LHR, with a stopover in ORD to change planes.

Under this new change, would my award route then be broken into two separate routes: STL-ORD & ORD-LHR?

Or am I misunderstanding how this impacts me?
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Old Apr 23, 2014, 11:27 am
  #79  
 
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Originally Posted by GrandMoffJoseph
...I have previously used award travel for STL-LHR, with a stopover in ORD to change planes.
Under this new change, would my award route then be broken into two separate routes: STL-ORD & ORD-LHR?
If your time in ORD is less than 24 hours(up to and including)it is a connection and one award. If your itinerary has you in ORD more than 24 hours, then it would be a stopover and 2 awards.

Last edited by alien; Apr 23, 2014 at 11:36 am
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Old Apr 23, 2014, 11:40 am
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Originally Posted by alien
If your time in ORD is less than 24 hours(up to and including)it is a connection and one award. If your itinerary has you in ORD more than 24 hours, then it would be a stopover and 2 awards.
Ah, ok. so, the 24 hour mark is the hinge point then. Now it makes sense...not that it doesn't suck massively though.
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Old Jul 25, 2014, 5:30 am
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Has AA discontinued the allowance of a stopover on award to Australia?

We actually just got back a few weeks ago, and am booking another award. I'm finding online to stop in LAX for 1 day it is not included in the original award. Has something changed since I last booked? Thanks!
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Old Jul 25, 2014, 6:05 am
  #82  
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No stopovers, effective with the AAdvantage changes April 8, 2014.
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Old Jul 25, 2014, 8:58 am
  #83  
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Originally Posted by chris1gill
We actually just got back a few weeks ago, and am booking another award. I'm finding online to stop in LAX for 1 day it is not included in the original award. Has something changed since I last booked? Thanks!
As it says in the Consolidated forum's PLEASE READ ME BEFORE POSTING! Welcome to the New American Airlines Forum! thread, American Airlines and US Airways continue to operate as separate carriers (though both are part of the same parent company through the merger), and will continue to do so for some time.

As this question relates to the American Airlines operation, it is being moved to the pre-merger American Airlines forum, and merged into the existing thread.

/Moderator
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Old Dec 29, 2015, 10:42 pm
  #84  
 
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Question [HELP] Free Stopover at North American Gateway NOT pricing correctly

Need to call on the wisdom of my FT friends.

I thought stopovers at North American gateways are free and not priced as a separate award thus avoiding the need for extra miles.

However, when I tried booking KIX-LAX stopover > 24 hours, LAX-BOS, it is pricing LAX-BOS an extra 12,500 miles for the latter leg when it is supposed to be free

Thoughts anyone?
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Old Dec 29, 2015, 10:43 pm
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That policy ended a while ago.
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Old Dec 29, 2015, 11:09 pm
  #86  
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Originally Posted by ultrasoul
Need to call on the wisdom of my FT friends.

I thought stopovers at North American gateways are free and not priced as a separate award thus avoiding the need for extra miles.

However, when I tried booking KIX-LAX stopover > 24 hours, LAX-BOS, it is pricing LAX-BOS an extra 12,500 miles for the latter leg when it is supposed to be free

Thoughts anyone?
If you require a stopover of 24 hours or over on an international award, you will be required to use two awards. This has been policy over one and a half years now.
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Old Jan 20, 2016, 10:02 am
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Domestic Award Flight with an International Layover?

AA newbie here with a rather unique question. I'm trying to fly from JFK to PDX with a connection in YVR (so I can finally give Cathay First a try). Is there a way to book that as one ticket (to save miles!), or would I have to book the JFK-YVR award ticket and the YVR-PDX award ticket separately?
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Old Jan 20, 2016, 10:03 am
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Originally Posted by am13
AA newbie here with a rather unique question. I'm trying to fly from JFK to PDX with a connection in YVR (so I can finally give Cathay First a try). Is there a way to book that as one ticket (to save miles!), or would I have to book the JFK-YVR award ticket and the YVR-PDX award ticket separately?
You'd have to book them separately. AA can't sell you that ticket because of cabotage rules.

Chris
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Old Jan 20, 2016, 10:07 am
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You never get what you don't ask for! Many thanks for the help, Chris.
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Old Jan 20, 2016, 10:18 am
  #90  
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Originally Posted by am13
AA newbie here with a rather unique question. I'm trying to fly from JFK to PDX with a connection in YVR (so I can finally give Cathay First a try). Is there a way to book that as one ticket (to save miles!), or would I have to book the JFK-YVR award ticket and the YVR-PDX award ticket separately?
North American gateway free stopovers ended nearly two years ago (in addition to cabotage issues).
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