rgAAFT

Is skipping the last leg of an award itinerary looked down upon / is in the airlines view as bad as Hidden City ticketing?

I booked an award ticket for 2015 before the AAdvantage rule changes with stopovers

YYC -DFW-(stop) DFW-MAD-TXL
my original plan was to go to KGD Russia through TXL , but plans changed and I decided to go visit family in inner Russia.
Based on flight timing to Moscow, it looks like it's best for me to catch a direct flight from MADRID rather than continue and go through TXL. I would officially change the itinerary if not for the fact that in doing so I would lose my stopover in DFW based on the new award rules. Hence my question?
I probably won't make a habit of it , but even based on the new rules doesn't going through a third city like TXL add a certain degree of flexibility to where because you can't fly to TXL directly from DFW , if someone really wanted to they could book an itinerary though one city and could change that transit city at any time +potentially skip the last leg, all the while not needing to pay change fees? (i can't imagine AA would like that too much)
Anyway,
Thanks

guv1976

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What Canada stopover? DFW is in the U.S.

guv1976

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There is no charge for dropping the final segment(s) of a one-way Flex award, as long as doing so does not change the award's destination zone. If you are worried about losing your free DFW stopover, then do not call to drop the MAD-TXL segment until after you have flown YYC-DFW.

If the AA agent (erroneously) tries to charge you a change fee, refer the agent to the February 3, 2011, internal memo entitled "Dropping OWFA segments."

guv1976

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You could also try changing the award destination from TXL to DME for the $150 change fee after arriving in DFW (assuming that $150 is less than the cost of a one-way MAD-DME ticket). But I'm not sure if AA allows destination changes -- even with the change fee -- after the first leg of an award has already been flown.

ckpeter

I can confirm that AA allowed destination change even after the first leg before the stopover of an award has been flown. Of course, now that stopover feature is gone, it may be trickier to get AA agents to process the change on an old ticket, but it was very much possible.

rgAAFT

What do you mean by "flex awards?" I am booked on business class miles saaver award

JonNYC

shown here with some examples:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54131097@N07/14520915433/

Originally posted here:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showthread.php?t=4814

Same thing, interchangeable terminology.

guv1976

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"What do you mean by "flex awards?" I am booked on business class miles saaver award"

As noted by JonNYC, your Business Class SAAver award is a one-way "Flex" award. All AA awards -- whether AAnytime or SAAver, and regardless of cabin class -- are now one-way Flex awards. AA no longer offers roundtrip awards, or the distance-based, multi-partner "Explorer" awards.

The one-way Flex award was introduced when AA eliminated roundtrip awards. Flex awards can be combined to create roundtrip itineraries, open-jaw itineraries, circle trips, etc. That's what makes them flexible. They used to be a lot more flexible, when a free gateway stopover could be included on Flex awards between North America and another zone, but the new AA eliminated that benefit, as you know.

rgAAFT

Thanks for the info

seawolf

If you have checked bags then all bets are off if you are simply not going to board MAD-TXL as bags checked at DFW will not be in your possession again until TXL.

mvoight

There is no cost to drop the last segment of an award, so there should be no reason to worry about checked bags. OP should call reservations and have the last segment dropped.

Brewmaster

I booked some award tickets using AAdvantage miles to have a free one way ticket using a 2 month stopover (prior to the rules changing that no longer allow this). The ticket was from Paris to Chicago - 2 month stopover - then continuing on to LAX. Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to use the free one way ticket to LAX (second leg of ticket after stopover) and I don't foresee being able to change the dates on this. What happens if I just don't show up? If I cancel, would I be charged a fee? I don't want to get in trouble with American, but I also don't want to pay a cancellation fee (there would be no return of miles back to my account as I've already completed the Paris to Chicago segment).

JDiver

There should be no adverse consequence to not using the last leg of your award, ORD-LAX. Personally, I'd call before the two months is up and tell them I can't take advantage of the remaining segment due to unforeseen circumstances just to release that award seat.

guv1976

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AA will not charge to drop the last leg(s) of a one-way Flex award (which is what the OP has), as long as doing so does not change the destination zone of the award. So if the OP is certain of not being able to use the ORD-LAX segment before the award ticket expires, it makes sense to call and cancel that segment. While there is no guarantee, there is some chance that doing so will make that seat available for someone else's award travel.

rgAAFT

+1

Does anyone know if canceling the last leg generates any kind of tax/fee refund? Probably not, but I thought I'd ask.