Phoenixtinct

That may happen but it's not for sure. The loan AB got is supposed to last them for 3 months, so until some time in November. Worst case scenario if they money runs out and nothing has been decided about the future of the company and it stops flying, yes, AA will either reaccommodate you or give you a full refund. However, we're talking about a month prior to the Christmas holiday season, so availability will be scarce and you'll have a tough time finding alternatives. That's why I advised you to act now. Best case scenario - if LH buys AB, the flights may be flown but not sure if those award tickets will be honored. Not sure LH has a relationship with AA - they partner with UA in the US. So, you can wait and hope that things work out that way but I don't think that's your best bet.

gosha83

I am due to fly with AB from SFO to DUS next Thursday (two award J tickets booked) as well as from DUS to Florence on 14 September. I don't feel to stressed out by this, as the flights are relatively soon, but for s**ts and giggles, I did call the ExPlat desk to ask them what my options are if the flights do get cancelled.

The rep told me that they've received no instructions on how to deal with this, but if the flight is cancelled ahead of the trip, to call AA. If the flight is cancelled mid-way through (i.e. after I fly from LAX to SFO but before I fly on AB from SFO to DUS), to deal with AB, though she did voice doubt they would be responsive.

Funnily, she went on to say that all US carriers went through bankruptcy (she did omit AA from her list, but did call out US Air, United, Delta, which I found funny).

Net net, doesn't look like there is a contingency plan at American at the moment. Ominously, she did say "it will be a nightmare for all of us" if flights do begin to get cancelled.

seawolf

Page 22 may offer insight on how it would be handled if AB no longer operating.

srdshelly

I don't know if my situation is applicable to you or not. I booked a flight from TXL to ORD on AB for Nov. 22 long before the insolvency filing. I was concerned about it so I called AA last night.

The agent didn't seem knowledgeable. He said that bankruptcy makes no difference to the traveler; flights keep operating normally under Chapter 11. I observed that German law has no Chapter 11 and I didn't think his rosy scenario was valid. He told me that if AB cancelled the flight they would either re-accommodate me on another partner or refund my miles. Upon prompting he clarified I would only be re-accommodated if award space would be available.

I could just see myself in Germany when AB stops flying, with no other award space available at that point, and needing to get to Chicago. Fortunately as of yesterday award space was available the same date on BA from TXL to LHR, connecting with AA to ORD, and the surcharges weren't terrible - just $44 more than the AB non-stop. I don't think the agent quite gets it yet why I didn't trust AB would operate the flight in November and didn't want to worry about it for three months.

I guess I'd advise not booking AB with your AA miles at this point unless you have other safe fallback options; and if you already have a booking beyond mid-November, think carefully about changing it now if you can.

srdshelly

If you can find other OneWorld seats GVA to SFO on a date acceptable to you, you can change without penalty. You will have to pay any difference in fees, and that could be substantial if your changed transatlantic flight is on BA.

If you just want to cancel the award seats on AB and figure out another way for the kids to get home, there will be award redeposit fees to pay, unless AB actually cancels the flights. If that happened, AA would let you choose to redeposit your money without penalty.

Travelomania

I'm hoping for schedule changes to come through rather sooner than later and then be able to cancel without fees and be done with AB.
In that case I currently can still easily re-book awards (or revenue tix) with other airlines, since I only need the outbounds and can be very flexible with the outbound-departure-airports.

JPG3392

Award seats using AA miles are available GVA-SFO on Tuesday, December 19, flying via MAD and JFK on IB/IB/AA or via MAD and PHL on IB/AA/AA. Since IB imposes surcharges (though not as hefty as BA's), fees will be lower if the transatlantic portion is on AA (MAD-PHL).

Similar saver award flights are now also available on Sunday, December 17, and Monday, December 18.

Lyssa

I was looking at using AA miles to buy tickets on Niki airlines in February, from Berlin to TFS. As of today, it's still available on the AA site. Any thoughts as to how Niki will be impacted?

MultiFlyer

Niki is impacted in the same way as airberlin.
So I would never ever book a flight for February 2018.

meowtown

Hi all Flyertalk!

So I have a reservation in November that is BOS-Stuttgart with Airberlin (over Dusseldorf) and then a separate reservation with BA on the way back. I have called the platinum desk many times and they have said they have heard nothing about AirBerlin other than "rumors".

I am trying to change my ticket, but many of the BA flights wont fit my schedule and importantly come with ~$200 more fees. My three questions:
1) Will AA open up more award availability when they finally realize my flight is canceled?
2) When will AA realize what is going on with Airberlin?!?!
3) Will AA ever be able to absorb the taxes and fees of BA flights?

seawolf

AA will know when the rest of the world knows the fate of AB.

AA will not absorb BA surcharges.

JPG3392

Welcome to FT!

AA knows what is going on with Air Berlin, and will not treat a likelihood that flights will be cancelled in the same way it will treat an actual cancellation. If and when your flights are cancelled, AA has the choice of offering an alternative that is acceptable to you or refunding your miles and fees. If and when that time comes, AA has the ability to force open additional award seats on its own flights (as long as seats remain available for sale), but it can only request its partners to make additional award seats available. Since AA does not fly to STR, its options are limited.

Two thoughts: 1) You might check now to see if saver award seats are available on your date for BOS-MAD-STR on IB. IB does impose a surcharge, but a much lower one than BA's. 2) If the AB flights are cancelled, you might ask AA if you can fly to MUC, FRA or ZRH instead of STR. AA has flights to all three of there areas via JFK or PHL. Normally, there is a fee for changing the destination, and I doubt that AA would permit this change without a fee at the present time, but it might be more flexible if a cancellation actually takes place. Travel by train from any of those cities to Stuttgart is quite convenient (Frankfurt would be the closest).

JDiver

Air Berlin long-haul shutting down completely link

POSTED BY SETH MILLER ON 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 IN NEWS, PAXEX |

Air Berlin previously announced many long-haul route cuts effective over the next couple weeks. But the route network from Dusseldorf was mostly untouched. That changed today as the company set an 15 October 2017 date to wrap up the long-haul operations. (See link for more.)

beltway

Welp.

Travelomania

AA agents are refusing to cancel without redeposit-fees the award flights I have booked for 12/23 for my children to the US, while AB does not seem to care one bit about notifying their passengers that all their flights to the USA are eliminated.
The flights are still showing as scheduled and the same itinerary is still for sale on the AB website for tomorrow.
Go figure !