Changing from J to F on AA Award Ticket on JAL
Apr 22, 2016, 11:36 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AA Ex Platinum
Posts: 161
Changing from J to F on AA Award Ticket on JAL
I'm sure many others did the same thing I did. But right before the devaluation, I booked 2 seats in J on a JAL flight from NRT to DFW in November.
I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion on how to find available F award space, so that I can exchange our J tickets.
I've been using the JAL award search tool, but im nervous that it doesnt show available award space for partners.
Any help would be great.
I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion on how to find available F award space, so that I can exchange our J tickets.
I've been using the JAL award search tool, but im nervous that it doesnt show available award space for partners.
Any help would be great.
Apr 22, 2016, 11:42 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 260
NRT -> DFW is not served by a JL 777, which means that it doesn't contain F - you'll need to connect through ORD/JFK/LAX if you want first class on JL.
Alternatively, I guess you can redeem F on AA instead for the direct flight, but I'd honestly take J in JL over F in AA....
BA is your friend to find availability. The JL award search tool will let you know of F availability, but not whether any connecting flights through ORD/JFK/LAX -> DFW are available.
Keep in mind that upgrading at this point will mean that you'll have to pay the post-devaluation price for Asia 1 -> North America, so you'll have to pay a significant amount of extra miles.
Alternatively, I guess you can redeem F on AA instead for the direct flight, but I'd honestly take J in JL over F in AA....
BA is your friend to find availability. The JL award search tool will let you know of F availability, but not whether any connecting flights through ORD/JFK/LAX -> DFW are available.
Keep in mind that upgrading at this point will mean that you'll have to pay the post-devaluation price for Asia 1 -> North America, so you'll have to pay a significant amount of extra miles.
Apr 22, 2016, 3:57 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,186
My understanding of the special conditions of booking awards prior to the "devaluation" were that we could make changes to the flights at no additional miles if: i) the class of service is the same, ii) the airline is the same, iii) the region is the same. That means if you booked business, you can't change to first without paying the new award level. And if you booked AA flights, you couldn't book JL or another OW carrier flying the same region, though if you booked another OW carrier, you could go from say CX to JL. So in OP's situation, to upgrade to first from business, the new chart would be applied (unless there was a JL or CX first flight sector so that the award was issued at the first class level).
Apr 24, 2016, 7:11 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,597
Even the mix of carriers can cause problems. I had a Y ticket NRT-SEA flying JL/AS. When I made a change upgrading to J I was required to stay on AS only once back in the US. To do otherwise would have incurred the $150 cancellation fee. I'm not certain the OW carrier matters unless you're on OW every leg. In my case AS opened up a lot of options for the initial booking but narrowed my options when making changes.
Apr 25, 2016, 7:41 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AA Ex Platinum
Posts: 161
NRT -> DFW is not served by a JL 777, which means that it doesn't contain F - you'll need to connect through ORD/JFK/LAX if you want first class on JL.
Alternatively, I guess you can redeem F on AA instead for the direct flight, but I'd honestly take J in JL over F in AA....
BA is your friend to find availability. The JL award search tool will let you know of F availability, but not whether any connecting flights through ORD/JFK/LAX -> DFW are available.
Keep in mind that upgrading at this point will mean that you'll have to pay the post-devaluation price for Asia 1 -> North America, so you'll have to pay a significant amount of extra miles.
Alternatively, I guess you can redeem F on AA instead for the direct flight, but I'd honestly take J in JL over F in AA....
BA is your friend to find availability. The JL award search tool will let you know of F availability, but not whether any connecting flights through ORD/JFK/LAX -> DFW are available.
Keep in mind that upgrading at this point will mean that you'll have to pay the post-devaluation price for Asia 1 -> North America, so you'll have to pay a significant amount of extra miles.
Apr 25, 2016, 8:49 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 260
Not sure what you're referring to when you say "work". JL in F is rare and you only really have two opportunities to book - either very far ahead (330+ days in advance) or very close to your departure date (less than two weeks ahead).
Apr 25, 2016, 9:59 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 1,394
Doesn't JL also fly F to SFO?
FWIW, i used the BA "spend avios" search tool and it worked like a charm. I started checking every day from 3 weeks out and managed to snag 2 F seats LAX-NRT-LAX. Suggest you just use the BA tool to find availability for NRT-ORD/LAX/JFK/SFO? then figure out the second leg to DFW when you call in to book the ticket (you can't book JL online).
Even with the devaluation at 80k for japan to US it is worth every penny.
FWIW, i used the BA "spend avios" search tool and it worked like a charm. I started checking every day from 3 weeks out and managed to snag 2 F seats LAX-NRT-LAX. Suggest you just use the BA tool to find availability for NRT-ORD/LAX/JFK/SFO? then figure out the second leg to DFW when you call in to book the ticket (you can't book JL online).
Even with the devaluation at 80k for japan to US it is worth every penny.