Jan 14, 2016, 5:43 am
Last edit by: medellinfein
Booking Award Seats on EY / Etihad Airways Using AA / AAdvantage Miles
Also see: Earning AA Miles EQM / EQD / EQS on EY / Etihad (master thread)
This thread is about how to book Etihad / EY award seats using AA AAdvantage miles, and sharing success stories. This wiki is new, so anyone with 90/90 who wishes to add helpful information is, of course, urged to do so.
NOTE:AA has removed most EY and QR award access from aa.com due to a glitch booking these:
Please see the archived threads for previous experiences:
Also see: Earning AA Miles EQM / EQD / EQS on EY / Etihad (master thread)
This thread is about how to book Etihad / EY award seats using AA AAdvantage miles, and sharing success stories. This wiki is new, so anyone with 90/90 who wishes to add helpful information is, of course, urged to do so.
NOTE:AA has removed most EY and QR award access from aa.com due to a glitch booking these:
From One Mile at a Time (link)
Bottom Line
For the time being you’ll have to call American if you want to ticket AAdvantage awards on Etihad & Qatar that aren’t for travel to & from the US or Canada. It makes sense that American took these awards “offline,” and now it also makes sense why so many passengers have been having issues with checked bags on awards.
Bottom Line
For the time being you’ll have to call American if you want to ticket AAdvantage awards on Etihad & Qatar that aren’t for travel to & from the US or Canada. It makes sense that American took these awards “offline,” and now it also makes sense why so many passengers have been having issues with checked bags on awards.
- You can now search or book awards for travel on EY (Etihad) on www.aa.com.
- You can search award availability on EY's website. Look only for seats on flights operated by Etihad Airways that are labeled as "GuestSeats". You can also search on ExpertFlyer
- Note: You may see more availability if you search on EY's website using itineraries that do not originate in the US. In other words, to potentially see more availability on a USA-XYZ segment, search for XYZ-USA-XYZ. Expertflyer does not report this additional availability (if any), and US-based agents probably will not be able to see or book it (but see further below for Fiji).
- To expand on this point a bit, it seems that even if you only want to fly USA-AUH (or to other foreign destinations, since they route through AUH), due to an EY website quirk you need to search AUH-USA-AUH in order to find available USA-AUH routes.
- You no longer have to call AA to book them. You may need to request the AA agent to look up the inventory one segment at a time in order to find the inventory in their system. OR:
- It is often or even typically the case that for first and business class awards US agents cannot see the award space that you see on Etihad's site. Your best bet, then, is to call AA Australia (+61 2-9101-1948 ) then press 3 - or the New Zealand number (+64 09-308-4014) (actually South African contractor Mindpearl in Fiji) or Singapore (+65 6349-8444) as an alternative - what you need is the specific call center which is actually in Suva, Fiji (I believe it's our old South African agency friend Mindpearl) or, according to recent reports, in Trinidad (since there have been some reports that the Fiji center has closed). You can put the EY segments on hold so you can flesh out the award afterward and/or pay the fees in USD through the US call center, or simply buy it through non-US call center if you think you won't be making subsequent routing changes (such as adding AA connecting flights within the USA) that would incur fees. (NOTE: calls may get picked up by the local Brisbane office, or rerouted to Trinidad or the USA. As noted, there are reports that the Fiji call center has closed, but people have still been able to book some of the time, particularly if they reach the Trinidad center since that seems to be the call center that yields the greatest success in late 2017 and 2018 - with the big caveat that there are at least as many failures as successes in calling there, including repeatedly. To increase the chances of success, you may have to call several times, since for some reason a given customer service representative at a given time won't see availability even if it shows at the EY site, but another CSR at the same center may be able to do so even a few minutes later. It's conceivable that this difference is due to some CSRs knowing how to search for award availability better than others do, but that's simply a matter of speculation at this point.)
- Note: EY award holds only last 72 hours...irrespective of what AA reservation hold email states
- Booking connections via AUH / Abu Dabhi using one award is now allowed.
- Get both AA and EY reservation codes/numbers: Upon booking with AA, make sure to get the EY reservation number as well as that of AA from the AA CSR, as without the EY number it will be difficult or impossible to deal with EY, such as for checking or managing your reservation online. And of course, if there is another airline involved in the reservation as well (such as BA), get its reservation number.
- A handy EY route map is here: http://flights.etihad.com/routemap.
- The applicable AAdvantage miles award chart is the oneworld and partner airlines award chart.
- Award routing rules are in the wikipost of this thread.
- If you find EY inventory from your continent but not your city of choice, as usual you can include any other AAdvantage award airlines in order to complete the itinerary. E.g. LHR-xAUH-DEL-xAUH-CDG on EY connecting to CDG-LHR on BA.
- WARNING: While this trick is great for new bookings (especially if you have patience to get lucky for call to be routed to Fiji office), modifying booking on partner airlines is always risky especially when an overseas center is involved, Your original seats are immediately released and while new reservation is supposedly confirmed, it may actually not the case until ticket desk actually issues ticket after approval of the partner liaison. Weekend/Holidays/Time-Difference can delay issuance of ticket and if something goes wrong, there is always risk of being SOL. (Mistakes by agents are rare but not unheard of).
- SEAT ASSIGNMENTS: You cannot choose seats until after ticketing. Even then, the regular web site will not allow seat assignments to be made for AAdvantage award bookings. The mobile site (which can be reached with either a mobile or a desktop browser) may work in some cases. Calling EY to make seat assignments always works, as long as you can give them the EY record locator, and as long as AA has issued the ticket (which can take a few days, you will get e-mail). Call 1-877-690-0767, press 1 for English, then 2 for First/Business, then 2 for existing bookings, then they will tell you the call is ending - but it's not: they have added "press 1 to speak to an agent", so finally, press 1 to continue the call. After this, you should have someone on the line quickly to help you. They will ask you a series of questions such as "What class are you traveling in?" and "Where are you going?" Alternatively, you can choose your seats on the Etihad website and app by using the EY record locator to find your award itinerary.
- Availability: EY award availability using AA miles can be fairly good, including in business and first class - IF you get past the big, aforementioned challenge of actually booking award seats that the EY site shows as available but that AA agents have trouble finding. But it ebbs and flows quite a bit in at least two respects (in addition to the general rule that the further in advance you seek availability, the better, as well as reports that availability is easier to find from one to three weeks before a flight): 1) availability showing at the EY site and 2) even if availability shows at the EY site, the ability of non-US call centers (especially the "least bad" ones for finding availability, which might have been Fiji and might now be Trinidad) to find that availability. So if the EY site is not showing availability for a given day or week, and if you have flexibility, check other dates. And if availability seems to be particularly constrained across many dates, particularly if you are searching many months in advance, check again periodically to see if this has changed (or arrange an alert via ExpertFlyer, if it provides such a service for EY flights).
- "Baby-sit" your tickets: Though this advice could apply to many award bookings, EY's systems can be glitchy and the airline apparently is going through some financial challenges. So it makes sense to check online or via phone occasionally with EY to make sure everything remains in order, particularly if there have been even minor changes in things like your flight times. And if there seem to be problems, including with checking in online or other procedures, the EY forum here at FT can be a source of useful advice about whether or not those problems are worth worrying about.
- Itinerary: You can use https://www.virtuallythere.com/new/login.html to enter your EY record locator and last name to 1)display your complete itinerary 2)save a pdf 3)add to outlook/ical 4)view ticket # and different times the ticket has been reissued
- AA lounge access: If you book a premium cabin itinerary on EY with domestic connections on AA, you will not be able to access the Admiral's Club during your domestic layovers because EY is not a member of OW.
Please see the archived threads for previous experiences:
- How to: Use AA Miles to Book Award on Etihad / EY (Archive - 2015 and earlier)
- Success stories booking awards on Etihad using AA miles (Archive - 2015 and earlier)
- Booking AA Award travel on Etihad / EY - [2015-17 ARCHIVE]
Booking AA Award travel on Etihad / EY (master thread July 2017 onwards)
Jan 26, 2019, 10:41 am
#796
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Hey guys,
I am currently facing some major problems with adding an infant to my EY ticket. Before I ticketed the flight, I double checked with AA if they can add an infant and both agents assured me that it is possible (if we cannot then EY should be able to do it anyways) or in the worst case, I can always book a 3rd award ticket. Since EY was reluctant to add an infant and AA can't seem to price out the itinerary since its a partner flight, I called AA to book another award seat and the agent told me that's not possible to book a seat for infant with miles. Now I am stuck with 2 award tickets, but no-one is able to add the infant to ticket (10% of the fare) or book an award seat for her.
I am currently facing some major problems with adding an infant to my EY ticket. Before I ticketed the flight, I double checked with AA if they can add an infant and both agents assured me that it is possible (if we cannot then EY should be able to do it anyways) or in the worst case, I can always book a 3rd award ticket. Since EY was reluctant to add an infant and AA can't seem to price out the itinerary since its a partner flight, I called AA to book another award seat and the agent told me that's not possible to book a seat for infant with miles. Now I am stuck with 2 award tickets, but no-one is able to add the infant to ticket (10% of the fare) or book an award seat for her.
Jan 27, 2019, 8:36 am
#797
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 248
If there is award availabiliry, i believe that the agent should be able to book an awaed ticket, but will be at the same cost as an adult and the infant will have his or he own seat
With the removal of YY fares, getting an infant booked is more challenging. Even EY's most expensive fare has the restriction "TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON THE STOCK OF EY OR HR " , so AA cannot sell them. I think that you are going to have to go to EY to get an infant ticket. If it will not sell it, may be an issue
With the removal of YY fares, getting an infant booked is more challenging. Even EY's most expensive fare has the restriction "TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON THE STOCK OF EY OR HR " , so AA cannot sell them. I think that you are going to have to go to EY to get an infant ticket. If it will not sell it, may be an issue
Jan 27, 2019, 1:09 pm
#798
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,588
If you mean a paid infant without seat ticket - if one has been purchased and issued, then no reason why it would have a problem
Jan 28, 2019, 8:58 am
#799
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: LH*G, FB*G, IC *free minibar*, SLH, RC 5C-Club, LHW, and a lot of others
Posts: 536
There have beem no infant awards issued by AA - an award for an infant would have been same as adult or child - no reason why one of those currently or in the past should have an issue
If you mean a paid infant without seat ticket - if one has been purchased and issued, then no reason why it would have a problem
If you mean a paid infant without seat ticket - if one has been purchased and issued, then no reason why it would have a problem
Jan 28, 2019, 9:11 am
#800
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Silver, AA, WN, DL
Posts: 4,091
Summary of airlines' lap child award policy:
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/award...-or-lap-child/
Last edited by luv2ctheworld; Jan 28, 2019 at 1:10 pm
Jan 31, 2019, 12:28 pm
#802
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 3
In theory AA should print the boarding pass to all your segments? However, when you are at the boarding gate for your first Etihad segment, Etihad will swap AA boarding passes for their own version. In addition, any checked baggage should go all the way through to the final destination.
Jan 31, 2019, 12:30 pm
#803
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: DL FO
Posts: 668
In theory AA should print the boarding pass to all your segments? However, when you are at the boarding gate for your first Etihad segment, Etihad will swap AA boarding passes for their own version. In addition, any checked baggage should go all the way through to the final destination.
Jan 31, 2019, 9:08 pm
#804
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
So I've got an award booking I made a few weeks back. CNS > SYD > AUH > CAI. Originally I booked with the US AAdvantage line and had no issues having them find the awards that EY was showing on their site. I've got F from SYD > AUH and then J AUH > CAI. I've been watching the AUH > CAI segment because there is a different flight I was hoping to get EY653, instead of my booked EY655. Today EY site finally showed J guest business availability for my desired flight. So I called the US line, then Australia, then New Zealand, then Trinidad, then US again. All unable to see the class and flight I wanted. All call centers said the same response, only economy available. I have been watching this flight regularly and believe EY released this award as of this morning/afternoon. Is there any chance it may take 24-48 hours for the AA centers to update and see this award, or is this just another example of the typical problems booking EY with AA.
Feb 1, 2019, 9:49 pm
#805
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
So I've got an award booking I made a few weeks back. CNS > SYD > AUH > CAI. Originally I booked with the US AAdvantage line and had no issues having them find the awards that EY was showing on their site. I've got F from SYD > AUH and then J AUH > CAI. I've been watching the AUH > CAI segment because there is a different flight I was hoping to get EY653, instead of my booked EY655. Today EY site finally showed J guest business availability for my desired flight. So I called the US line, then Australia, then New Zealand, then Trinidad, then US again. All unable to see the class and flight I wanted. All call centers said the same response, only economy available. I have been watching this flight regularly and believe EY released this award as of this morning/afternoon. Is there any chance it may take 24-48 hours for the AA centers to update and see this award, or is this just another example of the typical problems booking EY with AA.
Called the Australia line today to have them check. I did not tell him I had a current booking, and just had him check for the flight I wanted, EY653. He saw 2 J award tickets available for booking. I then informed him I currently had a booking and just needed to switch to the earlier fight. After pulling up my record locator and checking for the flight again he said there is now no availability.
So, this leads me to believe there is some sort of un-married logic going on here?? Is this pretty normal or should I just continue to HUCA and get a different agent? Also, any chance the married segment logic will change closer to date of departure and I would be able to switch flights?
Thanks again.
Feb 2, 2019, 11:39 am
#807
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
If the flight i'd like to switch to never opens up before I depart on my trip, is there much likelihood of getting a counter agent to switch it when in SYD on the day of departure?
Feb 2, 2019, 8:15 pm
#808
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,588
The interesting thing is when I check EY website for award availability it shows as guest business available for both the single segment from AUH > CAI, and also available for the whole itinerary from SYD > AUH > CAI. So this seems like a AA married segment issue and not something EY is restricting?
If the flight i'd like to switch to never opens up before I depart on my trip, is there much likelihood of getting a counter agent to switch it when in SYD on the day of departure?
If the flight i'd like to switch to never opens up before I depart on my trip, is there much likelihood of getting a counter agent to switch it when in SYD on the day of departure?
I think that there is no chance of getting the agent to switch it in Sydney - the agent will niot reissue the ticket but will pass it back to AA
Feb 5, 2019, 4:37 am
#809
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
The interesting thing is when I check EY website for award availability it shows as guest business available for both the single segment from AUH > CAI, and also available for the whole itinerary from SYD > AUH > CAI. So this seems like a AA married segment issue and not something EY is restricting?
That seems unlikely absent a delay with your original flight. You'd be asking an EY gate agent to change an EY flight on an AA ticket. I don't think they'd do it as a voluntary change, but they can do it as an involuntary one if the need arises.
Feb 5, 2019, 10:15 am
#810
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
I'd suggest checking ExpertFlyer, as it shows actual GDS inventory. The EY web site doesn't always match what an agent sees in a GDS such as Sabre or Amadeus.
That seems unlikely absent a delay with your original flight. You'd be asking an EY gate agent to change an EY flight on an AA ticket. I don't think they'd do it as a voluntary change, but they can do it as an involuntary one if the need arises.
That seems unlikely absent a delay with your original flight. You'd be asking an EY gate agent to change an EY flight on an AA ticket. I don't think they'd do it as a voluntary change, but they can do it as an involuntary one if the need arises.
Today I woke up and had an email from EY stating my flight had been changed to...you guessed it my preferred EY653 flight! So good news, but a bit strange. So I logged into my AA account to get a look and now it is unable to show my itinerary booked with AA, says to call in. Checked the EY website and still shows everything correct including my new preferred flight. So I'm a bit shocked that my entire flight was changed without my approval, but happy none the less. I will certainly give AA a call today to try and confirm everything is ok and I will most definitely keep an eye out on this ticket.
Also a bit strange I have not received an email from AA??? Hopefully this ends well.