SAN_Finn

Take your companion / friend to Bali in Business class for a long weekend away from cold and smog (22500 x 2 miles needed). Cathay via HKG. You can use BA website to check availability.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

How do the two of them then get home from Bali? After the one-way for two passengers, the OP won't have any miles left.

SAN_Finn

Who wants to go back to Beijing anyways? I guess I'm a little tired

Clay Clayton

Currently booked on BA (using AA award) in First from LHR nonstop to IAH one way. Fees were around $600 for us both. While I am excited about my first BA flight and my first international FIRST, I wouldn't mind saving the $600.

I have been checking AA regularly to see what might be available as we get closer to the trip (April 2016). My first choice would be the nonstop to DFW (and then add a connection to get home to Houston) but I can't get it to appear at the saver level - J or F, however, a connection to DFW through ORD does show up at the F saver level. So smart me thinks, get the non-stop from LHR to ORD and then add on ORD to IAH....alas, when I inquire about a saver award from LHR to ORD, it routes me through JFK, RDU, MIA.

So I presume the algorithm is set up to only show connection flights at the Saver lever. Is there a work around? Seems to me if a saver seat is available to ORD if I was going to DFW, then it ought to be available if I am going to IAH....I know I know, logic right? Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated.

TIA and Happy HOHOHOlidays!
Clay

LaphroaigAndRibeye

You won't find every combination of connections online. If you can find LHR-ORD and ORD-IAH both at Saver levels, you should be able to call AA and get them to book it as one award, assuming it's a legal routing (i.e. is appropriately direct, doesn't take you out of the way, etc.) Try splitting up your search; you're allowed a single connection at a gateway city provided you don't spend more than 24 hours on the ground.

Also keep in mind there's no charge to change your dates, so if you find a flight back a day earlier or later that works for you, that's always an option. You can also change destinations for the $150 fee (if non-elite) if you find something else that works nicely and wouldn't cost too much more to get you home with that plus a cash leg.

That all said, it may be worth the $600 to stay on BA metal depending on which plane you're in and what the alternatives are!

flyingeph12

This sounds like a married segment issue, where LHR-ORD-DFW is available but LHR-ORD is not. Will they not allow you to do LHR-ORD-DFW-IAH? You could also check to see if LHR-MIA/CLT/PHL-IAH is available.

Clay Clayton

That is the issue. I canNOT find LHR-ORD nonstop at saver level, BUT I can find LHR-DFW at saver level with a connection in ORD...SO there must be saver seats on the LHR-ORD segment but I just can't see it unless I want to go to DFW. I was hopeful that if I could grab the LHR-ORD segment and get an ORD-IAH saver segment then I would call and have them bundle it together....but the LHR-ORD leg alone won't price out as saver.

While I could fly LHR-ORD-DFW-IAH it is worth $600 to me to fly nonstop to IAH....especially since we are really starting in BUD ahead of LHR!

Geauxtigers

Happy holidays everyone! Quick few questions: has anyone noticed AA releasing milesaaver award space last minute? I'm scheduled to fly BTR-CLT-XXX-PHL on Friday but I saw there's a late night bank tomorrow night with saaver space BTR-DFW, only problem now is finding a midnight flight DFW-XXX-PHL. Ideally CLT-PHL they would open up on Friday but I'm starting to doubt it. Also, if I'm waiting for aaward space to open, should I avoid checking in until the airport? Wondering if as soon as I check in it's impossible for aagents to change award tickets.

Appreciate your help!

Clay Clayton

You've got it! So is there a way to overcome married segment?

As I noted in my response to Stephen, I suspect I could add IAH to the LHR-DFW or one of the other alternatives you suggest but for $600 it will be worth it to only have two connections rather than five. (BUD-LHR-IAH vs. BUD-LHR-ORD-DFW-IAH).

If any of you are divorce lawyers and can advise on how to handle the married segment I am all ears! LOL

flyingeph12

What date are you trying to book for? I took a look on aa.com and didn't really see any dates where LHR-ORD-DFW was available but LHR-ORD was not. And you're looking for 1 seat or 2?

deltame

Just a thought. How long is this "a while"? You can still book at the old rate before March 2016 deadline for travel up to 300+ days from ticket issuing date. I would consider accumulating enough miles from credit card spend or purchasing miles directly from AA (they currently have a bonus running until early January) for TPAC premium awards. Furthermore, cost of business class award redemption only increases from 55k to 70k one way (e.g., for PEK-USA), so if you don't find good use on awards flights before the award chart change, it is not too bad holding onto those for future TPAC travel (some airlines have lie-flat seats in business class). Of course if you are only considering F awards then the differences are large and it would be hard pressed not trying to find F on CX before the change.

Hotel_junkie

It's all about revenue (in this case "miles") management. AA want you to burn more miles on better awards, so they reserved preferred flight routes for awards costing more miles. Happens on ORD-LHR routes lot....miles savers might give you one or two direct flights, but many of them will be through connections. Switch to an anytime award and all of your preferred routes are available. I used a business mile saver and there was one direct route available on BA...if I used an anytime award...I could fly AA, save the $500 fees and fly direct. But that is a choice around how many miles I wanted to burn (50K vs 110K)

mpete

Hello all,

After a long time of reading and earning I finally have a reason to post.

I'm looking to fly from MSP - Hong Kong or Tokyo, any big city in Asia really, round trip in February and need some booking advice. I've read through the AA forum (how I learned to earn miles in the first place), the stickies, the posts on redemption on JL/CX, Asia 1/2, etc., but still feel lost.

I'd prefer to go to Hong Kong as I've already been to Japan a few times, but I'm open to either. I Have 118,000 AA miles and am looking to fly in either J/F, I really don't care which as long as there is direct aisle access.

Through searching so far I've found:

* Flying AA metal is not an option due to the lack of SAAver business awards.
* I technically have enough miles to fly round trip in J to HKG (Asia 2), (with CX?) but availability shows up last minute. Which would work for me.
* Flying JAL to TYO in J is probably the most likely option, but not all J cabins have direct aisle access.

To get back to the point, I'm sure half of what I've learned is wrong as all my research has confused the hell out of me. I wan't to go to Asia, in February, in a J/F seat that has direct aisle access, on any airline (as long as I can use AA miles), and am fully flexible on dates. I'm able to book last minute as well. I have 118,000 AA points through the Citi card and US Air Barclaycard promotions and won't have many more points in the foreseeable future.

Is there anyway I can actually make this work?

Thanks for your advice!

JDiver

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

I'd not write off AA for MileSAAver awards for one person, via NRT or HND, or even PVG or PEK (connecting to KA to HKG - you don't need a visa to transit either airport).

In the meantime, check the following threads (be sure to read the wiki posts at the top of the pages):

HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance, discussion


oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards Rules, Information 2015 on


Partner airline awards now bookable on AA.com (AB, AS, AY, BA, HA, HG, QF, RJ, US)

We'll probably merge this into the "http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...lame-free.html" thread soon. /Moderator

mpete

Thanks for your quick reply.

As stated, I have read those posts and stickies, which is why I'm aware of the lack of SAAver awards in J/F. I understand how to book the flights, I'm just looking for advice on a specific situation with a set amount of miles, and the best use of those miles.