Happy

I would make an effort NOT to fly out from any German airport due to their outsize taxes when redeeming an award.

Same applied to LHR. Last year we disembarked at Southampton but instead of flying out from LHR and paid well over $300 taxes, we opted to head to Madrid for a few days - used up 2 expiring Marriott certs, got 2 needed pay stays to earn a fresh cert, and hit a Crowne Plaza to finish the IHG Acceleration promo - all for just an extra $100 above the taxes out from LHR...

This year again we need to come home after a TATL cruise, this time disembarks at CPH - AA has made this an easier decision due to the very poor availability - we had only 2 options using AA miles - either make our way to BCN to come home on AA metal or head to YYZ and spend a few days in YYZ visiting families and friends then a revenue ticket home. We opted for the latter so for the first time we would fly the 9W route AMS-YYZ which seems to have availability every day! The route actually is HEL-AMS-YYZ and I had to use some trick to get the HEL-AMS segment due to AA would not show 95% of the availability BA readily sees. Yet there are indeed availability in AA system, just not showing online despite AY is bookable online.

beltway

Conversely, AA has a serious problem with phantom AY award availability in J showing in September 2017 (e.g., AY 6 on 9/10 & 9/12). I spent more than an hour on the phone with AA reservations & help desk last weekend, but the error still isn't fixed.

flyinghigh77

Air Berlin not bookable with AAdvantage miles on aa.com?

During the last step of purchase process, this message pops up:

"Heads up. You cannot place this reservation on hold or purchase because the departing flight leaves within two hours. Please select another flight, an alternate date or Start Over."

However, the flights that I want to book are months in advance.

Anyone else having these issues?

DeltaFlyingProf

I've booked two AB related tickets without issues. It must be a glitch. Call AA, have them reproduce it and they should waive any fee.

flyinghigh77

I called them. They see the flights too as being available but cannot book it. I am trying to book something for March and all AB flights then seem to be affected.

flyinghigh77

An agent just told me that AA is having "direct connect issues" which effects Air Berlin, Iberia, TAM among others. Aadvantage awards with these carriers cannot be booked at the moment.

azepine00

I don't see anything on AS either - definitely some glitch

seawolf

Had same issue today. Tried moving my flight up by one day for this coming weekend. Agent saw new date had availability and, in hindsight, not a smart move, cancelled my original segments before confirming the new flights. New flight did not come back as confirmed. Original flights also not available. Got agent to reinstate the award without fee and booked the new AB flights via Avios for less points.

ChimzB

I just came across Niki a few days ago while trying to figure out how to get from London to Palma in June. Of course BA or Iberia on a somewhat logical westward direction has zero availability searching on the BA website, but the AA site shows tons of options through various German cities, first on BA from London and then Niki to Palma.
When i called the ExecPlat desk yesterday to book they had no idea how to book award flights on Niki...tried two different operators and same result. I don't know if this is just phantom award space or user error at the helpdesk.

Anyone else here have luck booking what you see on the AA site on this airline , can it be done ?

JonNYC

I went on AA.com juts now, put in "using miles" LHR-PMI, random date and came back with a flood of availability like:

BA 936
LHR-DUS

HG 3080
DUS-PMI

Are you not able to just book it on AA.com? (i.e does it error out or whatever?). I can't quite follow you post as to why you need to call in-- maybe indeed AA.com wouldn't let you book, can't quite tell.

ChimzB

Once you select the flights it says 'flight no longer available' or something similar and asks you to re select ...so you end up in an endless loop. That's why i tried the helpdesk

JonNYC

Ahhhhhh, gotcha. Yeah, there's been an issue with AB phantom availability, I guess must include this (check the end portions of the thread) :
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ing-etc-5.html

as far as trying to get a phone agent to help, FWIW (and I think it's worth almost nothing, as I don't think this is the issue, now that I understand it) there are these instructions to agents for Niki:

JY1024

Merged with our existing thread discussing Air Berlin redemptions. Thanks. /Moderator

IamHungry

Does airberlin open up their biz award for AA when close in departure date?

seawolf

Not really unless load is light. AB J is not that great to begin with either. And yes, they will let the doors close with empty J seats without making them available for awards.