Oct 22, 2016, 9:28 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Currently (24 Sep 2017): airberlin has filed for insolvency, and announced they will wind down all operations by 28 October 2017. As of 15 Oct 2017 discontinued all long haul operations. Link to Forbes Magazine article.
Previously:
NOTE: change may be in the air.
Previously:
NOTE: change may be in the air.
http://aviationweek.com/awincommerci...ses-us-partner
http://www.aero.de/news-25278/Americ...ir-Berlin.html
http://www.tt.com/home/12164834-91/a...nes-bangen.csp
The end is nigh...
Should be interesting for those holding award seats on airBerlin... (that would include me).
http://www.aero.de/news-25278/Americ...ir-Berlin.html
http://www.tt.com/home/12164834-91/a...nes-bangen.csp
The end is nigh...
Should be interesting for those holding award seats on airBerlin... (that would include me).
AB / airberlin "Air Berlin" award issues (by 28 Oct 2017 winds down ops)
Dec 3, 2015, 2:22 pm
#16
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Dec 3, 2015, 2:27 pm
#17
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The only upcoming BAEC change I've heard about is that the 4,500-Avios routes within North America will go up to 7,500 Avios. Hard to believe that such a change would cause BA to stop offering award seats on AB.
Originally Posted by AAnerd
Dec 3, 2015, 2:40 pm
#18
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The only upcoming BAEC change I've heard about is that the 4,500-Avios routes within North America will go up to 7,500 Avios. Hard to believe that such a change would cause BA to stop offering award seats on AB.
The only upcoming BAEC change I've heard about is that the 4,500-Avios routes within North America will go up to 7,500 Avios. Hard to believe that such a change would cause BA to stop offering award seats on AB.
Dec 3, 2015, 2:44 pm
#19
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i am a pessimist and just skeptical since AA announced the devaluation..I just dont think it is a coincidence that the award availability are close to none across the board..
Given that QF is also showing no availability on AB, I think that the most likely explanation is that AB is the cause, not AA or BA. (Whether AB is having an IT problem or it is just not releasing award seats to all of its partners, I do not know.)
Originally Posted by AAnerd
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
The only upcoming BAEC change I've heard about is that the 4,500-Avios routes within North America will go up to 7,500 Avios. Hard to believe that such a change would cause BA to stop offering award seats on AB.
The only upcoming BAEC change I've heard about is that the 4,500-Avios routes within North America will go up to 7,500 Avios. Hard to believe that such a change would cause BA to stop offering award seats on AB.
Dec 3, 2015, 3:20 pm
#20
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Getting on the phone to book award tickets for AB flights has been a workaround even when the award space wasn't showing up on AA/BA/QF websites.
It could be different now, more so if AB and the Oneworld relationship is on a path to fraying.
Dec 3, 2015, 3:26 pm
#21
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OW Summer 16
I've been looking every day and have multiple expertflyer alerts set for US-EU travel in the coming summer. Availability at the saver level is about nonexistent in any class on AA metal and non-BA OW partner metal. Really. There's not a single saver seat beteween DFW and FRA in all of June. It's not an engine issue with AA.com since expertflyer and the Advantage phone reps don't see any inventory either (all three use a different system).
My only response from AA was "there's nothing available, but keep trying!" It's very, very frustrating. Right now my only options are to book at anytime levels or fly BA with a $500 fuel surcharge per ticket EACH WAY.
It's so bad that American is actually making Delta award redemption look good!
My only response from AA was "there's nothing available, but keep trying!" It's very, very frustrating. Right now my only options are to book at anytime levels or fly BA with a $500 fuel surcharge per ticket EACH WAY.
It's so bad that American is actually making Delta award redemption look good!
Dec 3, 2015, 3:34 pm
#22
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I've been looking every day and have multiple expertflyer alerts set for US-EU travel in the coming summer. Availability at the saver level is about nonexistent in any class on AA metal and non-BA OW partner metal. Really. There's not a single saver seat beteween DFW and FRA in all of June. It's not an engine issue with AA.com since expertflyer and the Advantage phone reps don't see any inventory either (all three use a different system).
My only response from AA was "there's nothing available, but keep trying!" It's very, very frustrating. Right now my only options are to book at anytime levels or fly BA with a $500 fuel surcharge per ticket EACH WAY.
It's so bad that American is actually making Delta award redemption look good!
My only response from AA was "there's nothing available, but keep trying!" It's very, very frustrating. Right now my only options are to book at anytime levels or fly BA with a $500 fuel surcharge per ticket EACH WAY.
It's so bad that American is actually making Delta award redemption look good!
Using AA miles for US-Europe travel has indeed gotten to be awful enough that I'm finding DL miles as useful or more useful for such trips -- but that has been largely because of Virgin Atlantic space to get me to LHR before I connect.
Dec 3, 2015, 7:14 pm
#23
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Same here. Nothing on AB, very few choices on AA and almost everything I do see is BA and I'm not paying the fuel charges. Annoying!
Dec 3, 2015, 7:26 pm
#24
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AB is a small carrier with little TATL capacity or routes. AA saver award availability is poor. Nobody (well, maybe a few) wants to pay BA long-haul YQ. Iberia awards aren't searched on aa.com. What availability comes open on AB gets taken immediately by the frenzied award searches of maybe 100 million AAdvantage members post-merger.
Dec 3, 2015, 10:43 pm
#25
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no AirBerlin availaibilty for summer'16 - no space or engine trouble?
There was *tons* of AB award availability this past fall (mostly Y but some J), and frankly tons of AA availability (in Y). Maybe summer is a popular time to travel to Europe so there's less award availability?
Dec 3, 2015, 11:30 pm
#26
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AB FF here.
Two reasons I can think of:
1) AB just announced flights from SFO and some other places to DUS. AB 7393 for example. Maybe the route change caused some issue with award availability.
2) AB recently switched to Sabre to align with Etihad. I haven't read anything about the transition being complete, but on the website it still says:
Strange, because I don't recall seeing this message in August, but maybe I didn't check that week.
Two reasons I can think of:
1) AB just announced flights from SFO and some other places to DUS. AB 7393 for example. Maybe the route change caused some issue with award availability.
2) AB recently switched to Sabre to align with Etihad. I haven't read anything about the transition being complete, but on the website it still says:
Please note:
Due to the migration of our website to a new platform you will unfortunately
be unable to redeem miles from 31 July to 6 August 2015. The redemption options
will be fully functioning again by 7 August. Thank you for your patience.
Due to the migration of our website to a new platform you will unfortunately
be unable to redeem miles from 31 July to 6 August 2015. The redemption options
will be fully functioning again by 7 August. Thank you for your patience.
Dec 3, 2015, 11:36 pm
#27
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This is not a transatlantic issue. AB has had excellent availablity within europe, and there is not much open right now even for short TXL-ZRH stops, or anything Germany - Greece. I do see some options on Niki though.
Dec 4, 2015, 2:50 am
#28
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AB TATL summer award availability was good this summer, as it was in prior summers too.
That concluding sentence just hasn't held up as true, at least not unless and until there had/has been some change within just the past several weeks.
AB award availability using points from any and all of the OW airline programs has been very good and was often just sitting there as available for long periods of time and/or refreshed frequently. Even in October.
AB is a small carrier with little TATL capacity or routes. AA saver award availability is poor. Nobody (well, maybe a few) wants to pay BA long-haul YQ. Iberia awards aren't searched on aa.com. What availability comes open on AB gets taken immediately by the frenzied award searches of maybe 100 million AAdvantage members post-merger.
AB award availability using points from any and all of the OW airline programs has been very good and was often just sitting there as available for long periods of time and/or refreshed frequently. Even in October.
Last edited by GUWonder; Dec 4, 2015 at 2:59 am
Dec 4, 2015, 5:12 am
#29
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'Not much open' is different from none. Truly zero availability would point to a systems issue. Some availability could suggest either tighter AB control or selective AA blocking.
Dec 4, 2015, 5:17 am
#30
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"Truly zero availability" may also point to either tighter AB control or selective AA blocking -- whether done by AB or AA systems. And "not much open" may also point to either tighter AB control or selective AA blocking -- whether done by AB or AA systems.