sdsearch

AA and LATAM are both members of the oneworld alliance (OW). LATAM has two types of availability, its own and what it publishes to its OW partners. To see if there's OW availability that you could call in to AA about, you need to search other using other OW partners. The simplest way, if you don't already have accounts with them, might be to use Award Nexus, which you can sign up for free (and do a number of searches for free) as a FlyerTalk member (click "more signup options" under the green Purchase button to sign up using your FT login). At AwardNexus, you can search via QF and/or BA (for OW flights such as LATAM), and you might want to search both. If neither shows the flights, then AA won't see them either if you call in. If at least one of them shows the flights, an experienced person at AA should be able to see them if you call in.

If neither QF nor BA show the flights, the only way to book is either to pay for the flight or to obtain LATAM miles (actually Multiplus points), but if you cannot use AA miles, then anything more you want to about transferring to LATAM miles or booking with LATAM miles, you should ask in the LATAM forum, rather than here in the AA forum. The LATAM/Multiplus English US website is kind of a mess right now (it's in a long state of transition), so you may need assistance with all that from the LATAM forum.

txp

Thank you very much, this is very useful. I will sign up for Award Nexus; I did not know about it...

tikchik

Is there a deadline on using AA miles for a LATAM flight?

Mwenenzi

Has been reported that 12 months notice is required to leave Oneworld alliance
But getting an award on LATAM is another question. Awards are not guaranteed.
https://www.oneworld.com/news/2019-0...ement-on-LATAM

LA---> Booking LATAM (LAN and TAM) award / flights using AA miles

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...m-exit-ow.html

VNYC

I have AA miles and would like to take LATAM tickets to MPN (Falkland Islands) from Cordoba of Sao Paulo. AA website doesn't give such options. Any suggestions?

Mwenenzi

Phone AA
LATAM flights GRU to MPN only started 6 Nov 2019 (wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Mount_Pleasant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A...tional_Airport

cmtlatitudes

With LATAM scheduled to leave OW Oct 1 (and speculation perhaps earlier), and AA codeshares ending in January, I'm soliciting opinions on how comfortable folks would be scheduling an AA - LATAM Award flight this summer?

There's a flight I'd like to use miles for while the opportunity is available, but don't want to set up myself for headaches with a trip derailment, possibly at the last minute. AA/OW doesn't have flights on the route so my options would be limited to purchasing a LATAM ticket.

Or this likely a non-issue to worry about --- LATAM would honor the AA Award ticket even if they pulled out of OW sooner?

millionmiler

Yes.

cmtlatitudes

I looked at the Wiki - (which the Wiki section itself mostly seems to be deleted?) All there is, is a blurb about the One World departure, and the following statement:

LATAM must give notice one year prior to departure. AA has apparently already pulled its codeshares operated by LATAM. The ability to use AA miles to fly LATAM on awards could also end before LATAM departs oneworld.



Is this expected/anticipated?

Now that I realize the entire Wiki has been removed, I'm more concerned about going forward with an expensive trip based on a LATAM award ticket. And I haven't seen any posts encouraging folks to use miles for LATAM awards while the opportunity remains, which seems somewhat odd under the circumstances (if award tickets weren't an uncertainty). Most of the LATAM posting has dried up completely. Any insights/thoughts -- thanks.

cmtlatitudes

Just bumping this for any feedback/insight. Thanks.

cmtlatitudes

Well, I didn't get any takers on requests for thoughts -- unusual for FlyerTalk where posters usually can't wait to tell people what they think - lol - but will share my experience in case it's helpful to anyone FWIW.

This morning I was able to book to an Award on LATAM for August 2020. The agent I got was helpful, courteous, pleasant, and efficient. This was a happy bonus, as I already felt extremely lucky, as my wait time for an agent was literally about 90 seconds. She was able to see availability on my date after I told her I'd seen the availability on BA. She was able to complete the reservation on her end, even securing me a window seat. I asked how long the flight might take to ticket. (Mainly because of breathing easier once actually issued, due to the situation with LATAM.) She put me on hold for a bit, came back and said it might take awhile (days+) due to being so far out (Aug). OK, no problem, assumed it might be. But ---- Flight ticket confirmation received 40 minutes later from AA. Entire process was 65 minutes start to finish.

So, the couple interesting notes. The first thing the agent said, when I asked to the award, was "we're not going to be partnering with LATAM any longer". (She said it nicely.) I told her I saw the availability on BA, and asked if there was a cutoff date for booking Award flights, and whether those already booked would be honored. She found the flight availability, but seemed quite surprised the system let her book it. In fact she proactively stopped the process twice to check with someone else about the cutoff date / policy on Awards - she seemed really surprised the system was letting her book it. She didn't specifically say, but I could tell from her trying to confirm dates, she didn't expect to be able to book an Award at all on LATAM, and did not want to set a customer up for later disappointment. So much so that she proactively put me on hold a second time to try to confirm again with someone else. Both times the Agent came back on and said no one seemed to be able to find or confirm any policy guidance or dates with regard to LATAM Awards, either for booking or honoring down the road. Then she said that perhaps AA and LATAM were still negotiating Awards, and she thought it'd probably end up being OK either way, if I actually received a ticket confirmation from AA from her booking. That LATAM and AA would honor it.

So.... I'm not entirely comfortable the Award won't still be cancelled at some point by AA. But right now I am happy and still blinking to have scored a Business class Award for IPC !! Fingers Crossed....

JDiver

LATAM has stated it intends to leave oneworld 01 October 2020. It should theoretically be possible to secure AA awards using LA / LATAM (JJ / TAM flight coding ceased in latter 2019) until then (through September 2020). If previous precedent is held to, awards could be valid through September 2021, but no award changes involving LATAM would be allowed.

Mwenenzi

https://www.oneworld.com/news/2020-0...ive-1-May-2020