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No int'l. AA saaver or SWU availability 11+ days out – Being resolved? (Nov 2014)

No int'l. AA saaver or SWU availability 11+ days out – Being resolved? (Nov 2014)

Old Nov 25, 2014, 10:40 am
  #1  
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No int'l. AA saaver or SWU availability 11+ days out – Being resolved? (Nov 2014)

I tried to find some discussion related to this topic, but didn't find anything. So, do Economy SAAver awards disappear for some days of the week. Last week I was looking at an award flight PTP-MIA in January. It was available at 17.500 miles. Since Friday night the price has remained at 37.000 miles. What is really ridiculous in my opinion is that the price for that particular flight (only operated on Saturdays until sumemr) is 37.000 miles or more for every single date as long as the calender shows, until next November. That was not the case last Thursday when I checked some dates.

It's been reported in hundreds of articles that the cheapest day to book flights is Tuesday. However, there doesn't seem much discussion about prices disappearing just to return again. Does anyone have any ideas on when the PTP-MIA flight will (at least for some dates) return to the 17.500 price? This same thing has happened before when I have tried to book award flights. Once earlier this year when I was checking out Europe-USA-Europe flights and a couple of years ago when ELP-MIA wasn't available on my preferred date, only to become available later.

It's Tuesday night soon in the US, so maybe the price will return then. I'll let you know. But would you say that prices (not only mileage prices) go up for the weekend and if they do, when do they tend to return to the normal price? Also it seems that long-haul flights are generally not affected by this (despite my example) and also not all shorter routes? Would you say that holiday destinations are affected by these, since it is assumed that people book their holidays during weekends?
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 11:31 am
  #2  
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SAAver awards are dynamically offered on flights where they do not anticipate a high demand. Holidays, weekends, seasons, can all affect demand.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 11:49 am
  #3  
 
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Originally Posted by VickiSoCal
SAAver awards are dynamically offered on flights where they do not anticipate a high demand. Holidays, weekends, seasons, can all affect demand.
I think the OP is referring to AA's sudden removal of all international sAAver award inventory more than 11 days out. This is being discussed here:

<removed circular link post merge>

Last edited by Microwave; Nov 26, 2014 at 4:42 am
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:10 pm
  #4  
 
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No int'l. AA saver or SWU availability 11+ days out – Being resolved? (Nov 2014)

In an effort to draw attention to this recent change in international sAAver availability on AA metal, I'm creating this thread. There's been some discussion of this in side threads, but it is important that we pool our collective knowledge and resources to better understand the cause of the changes in award availability and whether such changes will remain for the long term.

Many surmise that these changes are short term, and I hope those folks are right, but regardless, they continue with no sign of abating. Thanks in advance for your contributions. Here are some excerpts from past posts on this point:


Originally Posted by JonNYC
That's self-evident.

But to those of us who have a different perspective-- and a highly informed one in my case-- I say that if this is not a temporary situation, it's tantamount to the death of the AAdvantage program.

And unlike some, I don't say that every time we hit a bump in the road or an award chart is tweaked, award type eliminated, etc. I'm more sane and pragmatic than that and have a history to prove it.

Again, if this were to turn out to be the new normal, AAdv instantly becomes the worst FF program-- by far-- of the US FF programs and would instantly become worthless to some/many members.

And, therefore, personally speaking, I'd rather we actually get to the bottom of what's going on using knowledge and thoughtfulness rather then anger, resentment and a few personal anecdotes/bad experiences in making such an important determination.

Therefore, I suggest we urgently need a new thread that is high-profile and laser-focused.
Originally Posted by jamesb2147
Can you give us more specifics? What routes were you checking, whether you checked the entire calendar, the latest date that you're seeing C space, etc.

For saver award space, we've pretty well established that the buckets for international saver space on AA metal are empty for everything 11+ days out.
Originally Posted by JonNYC
Too soon for such conspiratorial theories to be established. Not to say, of course, that anyone isn't entitled to draw any conclusion they see fit-- nor that something "might have changed" but knowledgeable and thoughtful folks will want to wait for some real data. YMMV, needless to say.


Absolutely agree-- it's important to distinguish between what just happened this weekend and the overall trend over the last 3 years or so.

At least if anything useful and informative is to come out of the conversation/examination.
Originally Posted by OccasionalUser
Just checked: According to AA.com, there are NO sAAver award tickets on AA metal for January JFK- LHR, in any class; ditto DFW to LHR in February; ditto MIA-LHR in September. Tried using the AA map which allows checking from a US city to ANY city in Europe. I used LAX and JFK as the originating cities, I could find NO sAAver award tickets to ANY city in Europe served by AA for a series of days picked randomly in June through September. It looks more and more like this is not a glitch and AA has cancelled ALL sAAver award tickets. Of course, AAnytime award tickets are available.
Originally Posted by eponymous_coward
So, you think AA's revenue department is convinced they're going to fill their planes in Y during January going to Europe?

Because nobody's going to be daft enough to spend 120k AA miles on Y round trip to Europe when the cash fare's below $1000... and the reason the cash fares are cheap is demand is low.

Also... your theory doesn't really explain why US has low availability.
Originally Posted by eponymous_coward
They haven't cancelled anyone's tickets; they've withdrawn open award space. People noted a lot of schedule changes got loaded over the weekend, and the award space getting messed up and needing to be fixed can be part of that (I've seen schedule changes do all kinds of wacky things over the years).

I think it really unlikely that AA is doing a stealth devaluation here; they could easily do a non-stealth devaluation if they wanted to (it's called "publish changes to your award chart", and they just did it a few months ago), and if AA Revenue Management thinks they can sell a bunch of DFW-LHR Y in the middle of winter (or getting people to drop 120K for it) instead having saver inventory readily available like they do every year, I want what they're smoking, because that's obviously the good stuff.

FWIW, United? Has a metric ton of saver USA-Europe in winter, just like they do every year. Their last devaluation? Didn't touch how much it costs to redeem Y to Europe (still 30K o/w, 60K r/t). And they really took a whack at things, but UA isn't dumb; they'll let you redeem Y TATL all winter long, because save for the obvious peak dates like Thanksgiving/Christmas, there's very little harm in letting someone redeem miles for a Y seat that is likely to be empty otherwise.
Originally Posted by jamesb2147
Certainly hoping so.

I can't find any international space more than 10 days (two days ago, it was showing Dec. 2; yesterday, it was showing through Dec. 3; today, it's showing through Dec. 4) out on AA metal in either direction. Partners show up, including US. Just not AA, unless it's domestic.

Searches used:
MIA - GRU
MIA - MGA
MIA - TGU
MIA - EZE
MIA - SCL
DFW - TYO
ORD - PAR

Checked entire calendars for those without partner flights available (TYO and PAR both offer partner space).

I suspect something is afoot. Tie my data into what others are reporting and we have a strong indication that all international AA saver space 11+ days out has been pulled from inventory. We have confirmed this over the phone with AA, and someone's checked inventory buckets on EF as well to confirm it. Even if this is a glitch, AA is clearly trying to make some kind of change, and they're doing it the week before Thanksgiving.

I have yet to see a theory that explains what that change might be... unless AA decided to massively change saver award space policies.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:17 pm
  #5  
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Thank you very much! This probably explains my current question, but not the previous examples. I thought there was something weird with all SAAver awards disappearing.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:20 pm
  #6  
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To amplify-- members on travelingbetter and my AA Facebook group have also, similarly, reported a sudden, unmistakable and kind of shocking withdrawal of milesAAver inventory during/after the past weekend schedule change load.

They've both posted and PMd-- dozens and dozens of credible (to me) reports that there has been a dramatic and unprecedented elimination of milesAAver award space-- no one can (or should) be confusing this with the standard ebb and flow and mysterious workings of revenue management, etc.

As well, major bloggers have all noticed, covered and received reports from readers all reporting same.

This is NOT your standard Tuesday afternoon "the AAdvantage sky is falling" thread-- not in any way. This would represent the biggest change to AAdvantage's competitive position since I first attained AA elite status in 2001.

Hopefully AA will answer very shortly, and maybe this thread will help.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:24 pm
  #7  
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I have been following DUS and FRA routes. For the past month in June, September and October there has been no U or C availability. However until this past weekend A was available DFW-FRA. Now there is no A availability either.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:26 pm
  #8  
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If someone wonders whether Caribbean destinations are affected, since they so often are treated by US airlines as domestic markets (baggage, premium cabin, etc.), I can confirm that they unfortunately are affected.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:28 pm
  #9  
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Start hitting up the Twitter feeds, folks.

https://twitter.com/americanair

https://twitter.com/hashtag/aadvantage

Anyone got an idea about a clever hashtag?
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:31 pm
  #10  
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#wheresourSAAver
#NoSAAver
#SAAverAAwardsMIA
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:37 pm
  #11  
 
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Just adding two more points in time for reference: Looked up various options NYC-Europe (am very flexible) for the last week of April and first week of May 2015 on Thursday, November 20th. Tons of AA metal options available. So many, that I decided to hold off on a decision until the weekend.

Went back over the weekend and my options were gone. Kicking myself for the indecision, and crossing my fingers along with most of you that this is only a temporary thing.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:37 pm
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Originally Posted by eponymous_coward
Start hitting up the Twitter feeds, folks.

https://twitter.com/americanair

https://twitter.com/hashtag/aadvantage

Anyone got an idea about a clever hashtag?
Already did - they couldn't understand that I wasn't talking about https://www.aa.com/netsaaver/viewAllNetSAAverAlerts.do

Then they gave me the run around about they carefully monitor inventory and that sAAver award inventory changes...good luck. I think if the stink is loud enough, they'll have to escalate it.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:38 pm
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David Koenig (AP airline reporter) has said this on twitter:

@AmericanAir says glitch loading new schedules caused international low-miles SAAver awards to disappear, will be back by late Weds.
Not sure if he's a user here or what his reputation is but I'd like to at least trust him somewhat on that statement.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:39 pm
  #14  
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Ironically, most A class upgrade inventory (from J to F) on Asia flights (ie. ICN, NRT) has gone from 7 across the board to Zero in the last few days. This upgrade was almost always available at time of booking for me.
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Old Nov 25, 2014, 12:40 pm
  #15  
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AAdvantage is still operating as a distinct programme, and Dividend Miles appears unaffected at this time. Therefore this thread is going off to the pmAA forum.

Thread title has also been updated — not all members live in America.

~Moderator
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