Apr 9, 2014, 10:25 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
AA Ends International Award Free N. America Gateway Stopover
As of April 8, 2014 - no prior notice given.
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
●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
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)
AA ends North American Gateway Stopover for International Awards [8 Apr 2014]
Mar 24, 2017, 9:35 am
#121
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
You can react to AA or to us with any range of emotion but it will not change the facts about what AA will not provide you.
Mar 24, 2017, 2:17 pm
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
It is what it is, not what we want it to be.
I'm sorry you are disappointed by the AA rules, as well, but the US Airways management team who took over AA chose to implement these, rather than the US, rules.
AA awards do not allow stopovers, full stop.
The rules about connections are what astute members have been able to ferret out of those who do have them at their disposal, agents (obviously, no passengers unless they somehow have access to the tariff rules). You can spend all the time you have waiting on the phone for Ms. Godot, the magical agent fairy who knows all the rules and waves her wand to grant worthy AAdvantage members magnanimous exceptions, but IMO it's wasted time.
If you call and try to secure an award outside of the parameters that have been presented to you, you will have to pay for two or more awards. There's a slight possibility you might get an exception granted to you in cases an international LIFO connection exceeds 24 hours, but that's pretty much all I've seen documented in this forum.
The extensive thread you were referred to contains a lot of important information provided by members. Good luck planning your awards.
I'm sorry you are disappointed by the AA rules, as well, but the US Airways management team who took over AA chose to implement these, rather than the US, rules.
AA awards do not allow stopovers, full stop.
The rules about connections are what astute members have been able to ferret out of those who do have them at their disposal, agents (obviously, no passengers unless they somehow have access to the tariff rules). You can spend all the time you have waiting on the phone for Ms. Godot, the magical agent fairy who knows all the rules and waves her wand to grant worthy AAdvantage members magnanimous exceptions, but IMO it's wasted time.
If you call and try to secure an award outside of the parameters that have been presented to you, you will have to pay for two or more awards. There's a slight possibility you might get an exception granted to you in cases an international LIFO connection exceeds 24 hours, but that's pretty much all I've seen documented in this forum.
The extensive thread you were referred to contains a lot of important information provided by members. Good luck planning your awards.
Precisely because we could not make AA do what we want it to, (and AA should, because its competitors are able to do that), hence we have to find our work around - the collective knowledge base here that helps us deal with the problems in a practical way.
Mar 27, 2017, 3:10 pm
#123
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
Programs: AA ExPlat, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 909
Your opinion asserts - implicitly - that stopovers are permitted, and thus that the rule should be outlined. Turn it around - Why do you believe stopovers are permitted on awards?
As for routing and airline combinations, the rule is that there must be a published thru-fare by the most significant carrier between origin and destination for a redemption to be permitted as a single award. Across the number of origin and destination airports, across all AAdvantage award partners, and across all the published fares... that makes the count effectively infinite. AA makes a limited tool available - aa.com - to book some award redemptions and instructs us to call for the rest. I've expressed a long-standing wish to have more award partners bookable online - a feat managed by United, Delta and Alaska Airlines, among others. I am not alone in that.
You demonstrate an inadequate understanding of AAdvantage award booking rules and want parties - FTers and published AAdvantage rules - to prove to your satisfaction why you can't have what you want. Good luck with that.
As for routing and airline combinations, the rule is that there must be a published thru-fare by the most significant carrier between origin and destination for a redemption to be permitted as a single award. Across the number of origin and destination airports, across all AAdvantage award partners, and across all the published fares... that makes the count effectively infinite. AA makes a limited tool available - aa.com - to book some award redemptions and instructs us to call for the rest. I've expressed a long-standing wish to have more award partners bookable online - a feat managed by United, Delta and Alaska Airlines, among others. I am not alone in that.
You demonstrate an inadequate understanding of AAdvantage award booking rules and want parties - FTers and published AAdvantage rules - to prove to your satisfaction why you can't have what you want. Good luck with that.
I was initially unaware of the rule and had an agent who was confused over the difference between a layover and stopover. But once she explained that "stopovers longer than 24 hours aren't permitted," I figured that she really meant that no stopovers are allowed on one-way award itins. Fair enough but if I'd seen it on the AA website, we wouldn't have spent 20 minutes extra on the phone while the agent consulted with her supervisor in response to my questioning of the total mileage requirement for my upcoming PDX-LAX-HKG (stop)-PEN trip. I am pleased that FT is here to cover the gaps and wish I had thought to check FT first before calling AA.
One other brief point of clarification. CX awards are not viewable on AS.com either, which may not be a bad thing.
Aug 16, 2017, 6:06 pm
#124
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: WAS (IAD, DCA, BWI)
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum, WN CP
Posts: 245
Does AA routing permit stopover in SIN from IAD-HYD?
Hello,
I would like to travel from WAS-HYD/BOM/MAA/BLR/DEL. I would like to have a stopover in SIN along the way. Is there any way that this is possible? I would appreciate any pointers in the right direction.
BTW: I have redeemed WAS-India directly many times, and know that this is possible. I have never tried a stopover on the way there. But I am keen to do so this time. Would really appreciate helpful advice.
I would like to travel from WAS-HYD/BOM/MAA/BLR/DEL. I would like to have a stopover in SIN along the way. Is there any way that this is possible? I would appreciate any pointers in the right direction.
BTW: I have redeemed WAS-India directly many times, and know that this is possible. I have never tried a stopover on the way there. But I am keen to do so this time. Would really appreciate helpful advice.
Aug 16, 2017, 7:01 pm
#126
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 539
On awards, there are no stopovers. You can only do layovers of 24 hrs or less. Also from NA to India you can only route via the Pacific via CX. You may be able to find a combo routing NA-HKG-SIN-HYD using Jet Airways for the last leg but I'm not sure if it would be valid as one award since they're sometimes sticklers about CX only for Pacific routings. There's also the new added wrinkle of having a max of 4 segments per one way. You would max out since there are no direct IAD-HKG legs. Now if you're ok with 2 awards then the world is now your oyster and you have many options including CX, JL, MH and others.
Dec 4, 2017, 7:05 am
#127
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Washington,DC
Posts: 1,822
Is this 1 or 2 award tickets (Hawaii destination stopover - to merge)
IND to DFW at 4pm arrive 6pm
Stay at DFW Hyatt
DFW to HNL at 9am following day
Impossible to catch first flight to HNL from IND on first flight out
Thanks
Stay at DFW Hyatt
DFW to HNL at 9am following day
Impossible to catch first flight to HNL from IND on first flight out
Thanks
Dec 4, 2017, 8:40 am
#129
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I believe you’re pretty safe to claim one award as long as either of those criteria are met, but may get pushback from an uninformed agent if you are required to call it in because the .com won’t allow it.
Last edited by JDiver; Dec 4, 2017 at 8:46 am
Apr 29, 2018, 7:56 pm
#130
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 118
AA award Stopover Rules (to merge)
Forgive me, I am not experienced International Traveler so these questions may seem very basic:
I booked an award AAdavantage Business MileSaver rooundtrip award LAX-TLV (via LHR). The LAX-LHR legs are on AA metal and the LHR-TLV legs are on BA metal.
1. Do you know if AA International Awards on the Saver Level allow for a stopover? (In this case it would be at LHR).
2. If not is there a 24 hours rule allowing for the connecting flight at LHR? In this case I would arrive in LHR at 2:25 PM and taking my connecting flight at 8:10 AM the following morning.
3. Would I be able to check my bags ONLY to London, go through customs, stay overnight in at an airport hotel, and then check in the following morning at the ticket counter for my connecting flight?
4. Finally and this refers to another scenario, minimum connecting time at LHR between an AA flight at Terminal 2 and a BA flight at terminal 5 is 90 minutes. One option I am looking at is via LAX-RDU-LHR-TLV, The connecting time at LHR is 95 minutes. (RDU-LHR arrives at 6:35 AM, BA flight departs at 8:10 AM). Assuming a slight schedule change which is common (RDU-LHR flight schedule changes to arrive at 6:45 AM or the BA flight now departs at 8:00 AM) reducing the connecting time to 85 minutes. Thus not a valid connection. Would this screw up my booking on my ticketed BA flight.? BA only has 2 flights a day between LHR and TLV and the later flight doesn't have award availability. What would happen in this case?
Thanks for your help.
SBT
I booked an award AAdavantage Business MileSaver rooundtrip award LAX-TLV (via LHR). The LAX-LHR legs are on AA metal and the LHR-TLV legs are on BA metal.
1. Do you know if AA International Awards on the Saver Level allow for a stopover? (In this case it would be at LHR).
2. If not is there a 24 hours rule allowing for the connecting flight at LHR? In this case I would arrive in LHR at 2:25 PM and taking my connecting flight at 8:10 AM the following morning.
3. Would I be able to check my bags ONLY to London, go through customs, stay overnight in at an airport hotel, and then check in the following morning at the ticket counter for my connecting flight?
4. Finally and this refers to another scenario, minimum connecting time at LHR between an AA flight at Terminal 2 and a BA flight at terminal 5 is 90 minutes. One option I am looking at is via LAX-RDU-LHR-TLV, The connecting time at LHR is 95 minutes. (RDU-LHR arrives at 6:35 AM, BA flight departs at 8:10 AM). Assuming a slight schedule change which is common (RDU-LHR flight schedule changes to arrive at 6:45 AM or the BA flight now departs at 8:00 AM) reducing the connecting time to 85 minutes. Thus not a valid connection. Would this screw up my booking on my ticketed BA flight.? BA only has 2 flights a day between LHR and TLV and the later flight doesn't have award availability. What would happen in this case?
Thanks for your help.
SBT
Apr 29, 2018, 8:54 pm
#132
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Forgive me, I am not experienced International Traveler so these questions may seem very basic:
I booked an award AAdavantage Business MileSaver rooundtrip award LAX-TLV (via LHR). The LAX-LHR legs are on AA metal and the LHR-TLV legs are on BA metal.
1. Do you know if AA International Awards on the Saver Level allow for a stopover? (In this case it would be at LHR).
2. If not is there a 24 hours rule allowing for the connecting flight at LHR? In this case I would arrive in LHR at 2:25 PM and taking my connecting flight at 8:10 AM the following morning.
3. Would I be able to check my bags ONLY to London, go through customs, stay overnight in at an airport hotel, and then check in the following morning at the ticket counter for my connecting flight?
4. Finally and this refers to another scenario, minimum connecting time at LHR between an AA flight at Terminal 2 and a BA flight at terminal 5 is 90 minutes. One option I am looking at is via LAX-RDU-LHR-TLV, The connecting time at LHR is 95 minutes. (RDU-LHR arrives at 6:35 AM, BA flight departs at 8:10 AM). Assuming a slight schedule change which is common (RDU-LHR flight schedule changes to arrive at 6:45 AM or the BA flight now departs at 8:00 AM) reducing the connecting time to 85 minutes. Thus not a valid connection. Would this screw up my booking on my ticketed BA flight.? BA only has 2 flights a day between LHR and TLV and the later flight doesn't have award availability. What would happen in this case?
Thanks for your help.
SBT
I booked an award AAdavantage Business MileSaver rooundtrip award LAX-TLV (via LHR). The LAX-LHR legs are on AA metal and the LHR-TLV legs are on BA metal.
1. Do you know if AA International Awards on the Saver Level allow for a stopover? (In this case it would be at LHR).
2. If not is there a 24 hours rule allowing for the connecting flight at LHR? In this case I would arrive in LHR at 2:25 PM and taking my connecting flight at 8:10 AM the following morning.
3. Would I be able to check my bags ONLY to London, go through customs, stay overnight in at an airport hotel, and then check in the following morning at the ticket counter for my connecting flight?
4. Finally and this refers to another scenario, minimum connecting time at LHR between an AA flight at Terminal 2 and a BA flight at terminal 5 is 90 minutes. One option I am looking at is via LAX-RDU-LHR-TLV, The connecting time at LHR is 95 minutes. (RDU-LHR arrives at 6:35 AM, BA flight departs at 8:10 AM). Assuming a slight schedule change which is common (RDU-LHR flight schedule changes to arrive at 6:45 AM or the BA flight now departs at 8:00 AM) reducing the connecting time to 85 minutes. Thus not a valid connection. Would this screw up my booking on my ticketed BA flight.? BA only has 2 flights a day between LHR and TLV and the later flight doesn't have award availability. What would happen in this case?
Thanks for your help.
SBT
2. For international itineraries stopovers would be anything 24 hours or more. I have made 22 1/2 hour connections at LHR
3. Yes, due to the overnight stop, but you would not be required to pick it up at LHR
4. Yes, if your connection is less than MCLT due to a schedule change, expect your flights to be changed to fit MCLT
Apr 29, 2018, 9:54 pm
#133
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Please refer to the Wikipost at the top of HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance for the basic rules governing MileSAAver awards.
For ore detailed information on award rules, see the Wikipost here: AA oneworld & Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (master thd)
We will ultimately merge this into the existing SAAver HELP DESK thread.
Moderator
For ore detailed information on award rules, see the Wikipost here: AA oneworld & Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (master thd)
We will ultimately merge this into the existing SAAver HELP DESK thread.
Moderator
Apr 30, 2018, 3:17 am
#134
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Nottingham, UK
Programs: HHonors - Diamond, AA - EXP
Posts: 150
Aug 29, 2018, 6:27 am
#135
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 688
international gateway layover
Are the international gateway layovers still allowed?
I tried doing the following and it tried charging me for the international gateway layover in MIA so I didn't book it. Shouldn't the 3rd segment be free?
1st segment > NYC-CUR 15k
2nd segment> CUR-MIA 15k
3rd segment> MIA-NYC 12.5k
I tried doing the following and it tried charging me for the international gateway layover in MIA so I didn't book it. Shouldn't the 3rd segment be free?
1st segment > NYC-CUR 15k
2nd segment> CUR-MIA 15k
3rd segment> MIA-NYC 12.5k