ARCHIVE: MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction discussion post-2015 AAdvantage merger
Jan 2, 15, 12:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
ARCHIVE: MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction discussion post-2015 AAdvantage merger
I can't find any business/First MilageSAAver awards on AA metal to any international destination. Granted I have only looked at EZE, NRT, and HKG but I can't find anything for multiple months windows. Is this the New American Airlines or is there something else going on? Thanks.
Jan 2, 15, 12:33 pm
#2
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I can't find any business/First MilageSAAver awards on AA metal to any international destination. Granted I have only looked at EZE, NRT, and HKG but I can't find anything for multiple months windows. Is this the New American Airlines or is there something else going on? Thanks.
And that an even better point.
Last edited by JonNYC; Jan 2, 15 at 12:40 pm
Jan 2, 15, 5:00 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 731
Cannot speak to non ORD - NRT routes as I have not bothered tracking them (no interest in going ORD - xxx - DFW - NRT or ORD - xxx - LAX - NRT given that ORD - DFW and ORD - LAX are extremely hard to get nonstop for sAAver) but AA and JL both open up a lot of award seats closer to departure.
I was trying to switch mrs. smilinganddialing from AA ORD - NRT to JL ORD - NRT for a while and saw a pattern of it opening up 2 - 3 weeks before departure. I started logging in 3 weeks before and 19 days before, boom, there it was. Called AA and switched.
Now re-ticketing baby smilinganddialingnightmare. Ended up going straight to JL and saving about $200 on the LAP INF fare by booking with them.
I was trying to switch mrs. smilinganddialing from AA ORD - NRT to JL ORD - NRT for a while and saw a pattern of it opening up 2 - 3 weeks before departure. I started logging in 3 weeks before and 19 days before, boom, there it was. Called AA and switched.
Now re-ticketing baby smilinganddialingnightmare. Ended up going straight to JL and saving about $200 on the LAP INF fare by booking with them.
Jan 3, 15, 3:20 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 68
This is so frustrating - can't find AA business saver to Europe!!!
I'm sitting on 1.4M AA points, and I've NEVER been able to find AA metal or non-BA business saver awards to Europe. I'm not kidding when I say I spend 2 to 3 hours a week searching for flights. I'm based out of Tampa, I look at various US departures and various Europe destinations, I search hundreds of dates and routes, and NOTHING!!!
I ended up booking 2 business award flights to Spain in May 2015 on Iberia, and 2 business award flights to Paris in October 2015 on Iberia, which costs me almost $1,500 in "fees". And that's after laboring for weeks searching for American or non-BA metal AND paying for Expert Flyer which proved worthless.
Am I missing something? <redacted>
I'm looking for 2 more business saver flights to Paris in September or October of 2015, btw. But frankly at this point I"ll take the trip ANYTIME in 2015.
I ended up booking 2 business award flights to Spain in May 2015 on Iberia, and 2 business award flights to Paris in October 2015 on Iberia, which costs me almost $1,500 in "fees". And that's after laboring for weeks searching for American or non-BA metal AND paying for Expert Flyer which proved worthless.
Am I missing something? <redacted>
I'm looking for 2 more business saver flights to Paris in September or October of 2015, btw. But frankly at this point I"ll take the trip ANYTIME in 2015.
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 3, 15 at 4:57 pm Reason: Redacted obscenity and sexually offensive comment per Rules
Jan 3, 15, 3:31 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Unfortunately -- and not surprisingly -- AA has been recently unwilling to give away SAAver awards far in advance on high-demand routes (like US-Europe in the high/shoulder seasons). At some point you have to weigh the value of 2-3 hours per week (!) of your time vs. just booking AAnytime awards and keeping your fingers crossed for last-minute SAAver availability (which I've had quite a bit of luck with, especially if my travel dates are flexible +/- a couple days on either end).
Jan 3, 15, 3:42 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 642
There were a few pairs of business award seats on US CLT-CDG and PHL-CDG earlier this week. Also some seats PHL-MAN. This is for July travel.
Unfortunately it does not look like AA is releasing anything at all on pretty much any route in July (I was hunting for July).
You might also try the new Finnair route ORD-HEL (in addition to JFK-HEL), though I haven't seen many pairs of seats for summer travel.
Unfortunately it does not look like AA is releasing anything at all on pretty much any route in July (I was hunting for July).
You might also try the new Finnair route ORD-HEL (in addition to JFK-HEL), though I haven't seen many pairs of seats for summer travel.
Jan 3, 15, 3:53 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 301
I barely found an econ 20k to GDN that wouldnt take me 3 days to get there on AB but I'm not traveling until May. hoping to stumble across a business award closer to departure. Gdluck but i wouldnt hold your breath....prob. the worst i've seen it. especially with the all BA junk flights.
Jan 3, 15, 4:02 pm
#8
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"I ended up booking 2 business award flights to Spain in May 2015 on Iberia, and 2 business award flights to Paris in October 2015 on Iberia, which costs me almost $1,500 in "fees"."
If you paid that much in fees for travel on IB only (or IB and AA) when redeeming AAdvantage miles, I am sure that the IB surcharge accounted for only a fraction of those fees. France has very high taxes on long-haul Business Class departures. If you flew ORY-MAD-U.S.A. on IB metal, I suspect you got hit with those French taxes.
"I ended up booking 2 business award flights to Spain in May 2015 on Iberia, and 2 business award flights to Paris in October 2015 on Iberia, which costs me almost $1,500 in "fees"."
If you paid that much in fees for travel on IB only (or IB and AA) when redeeming AAdvantage miles, I am sure that the IB surcharge accounted for only a fraction of those fees. France has very high taxes on long-haul Business Class departures. If you flew ORY-MAD-U.S.A. on IB metal, I suspect you got hit with those French taxes.
Jan 3, 15, 4:12 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 68
The 2 Spain flights were TPA, MIA, MAD and $600 in fees.
The 2 Paris flights were TPA, MIA, BCN, ORY and $900 in fees.
Both long-haul segments were on Iberia. And to be fair I quoted "fees" cause they're crap fees. The $1,500 was total out of pocket for the 4 flights.
The 2 Paris flights were TPA, MIA, BCN, ORY and $900 in fees.
Both long-haul segments were on Iberia. And to be fair I quoted "fees" cause they're crap fees. The $1,500 was total out of pocket for the 4 flights.
Jan 3, 15, 4:21 pm
#10
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
Call back. You were almost certainly overcharged. Unless there has been a very recent change, AA only charges about $50 in surcharges per IB segment.
Originally Posted by MannyCPA
The 2 Spain flights were TPA, MIA, MAD and $600 in fees.
The 2 Paris flights were TPA, MIA, BCN, ORY and $900 in fees.
Both long-haul segments were on Iberia. And to be fair I quoted "fees" cause they're crap fees. The $1,500 was total out of pocket for the 4 flights.
The 2 Paris flights were TPA, MIA, BCN, ORY and $900 in fees.
Both long-haul segments were on Iberia. And to be fair I quoted "fees" cause they're crap fees. The $1,500 was total out of pocket for the 4 flights.
Jan 3, 15, 4:33 pm
#11
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I'd say so too.
Jan 3, 15, 4:51 pm
#12
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Is it possible to switch from AAnytime to MileSAAver after ticketing while keeping the same PNR? I'm guessing it would require redeposit/reissue (with applicable fee unless miles come from an EXP account).
Jan 3, 15, 5:24 pm
#13
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The French tax de solidarite is a bargain compared to UK air passenger duty. That's not the primary tax/fee problem with the OP's redemptions.
Business class CDG-JFK vs. LHR-JFK, per ITA Matrix:
French Aviation Civile Tax (FR)
€7.85
French International Passenger Service Charge (QX)
€28.45
French Airport Tax (FR)
€12.75
French Air Passenger Solidarity Tax (IZ)
€45.07
United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB)
€176.36
United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB)
€53.75
Business class CDG-JFK vs. LHR-JFK, per ITA Matrix:
French Aviation Civile Tax (FR)
€7.85
French International Passenger Service Charge (QX)
€28.45
French Airport Tax (FR)
€12.75
French Air Passenger Solidarity Tax (IZ)
€45.07
United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB)
€176.36
United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB)
€53.75
Jan 3, 15, 5:48 pm
#14
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W/that said, I"m seeing "U" & "Z" milesaaver availability to/from LHR scattered throughout the Fall.
Jan 3, 15, 6:41 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BOS, BWI, DCA, IAD
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Posts: 2,030
I'm sitting on 1.4M AA points, and I've NEVER been able to find AA metal or non-BA business saver awards to Europe. I'm not kidding when I say I spend 2 to 3 hours a week searching for flights. I'm based out of Tampa, I look at various US departures and various Europe destinations, I search hundreds of dates and routes, and NOTHING!!!
I ended up booking 2 business award flights to Spain in May 2015 on Iberia, and 2 business award flights to Paris in October 2015 on Iberia, which costs me almost $1,500 in "fees". And that's after laboring for weeks searching for American or non-BA metal AND paying for Expert Flyer which proved worthless.
Am I missing something? <redacted>
I'm looking for 2 more business saver flights to Paris in September or October of 2015, btw. But frankly at this point I"ll take the trip ANYTIME in 2015.
I ended up booking 2 business award flights to Spain in May 2015 on Iberia, and 2 business award flights to Paris in October 2015 on Iberia, which costs me almost $1,500 in "fees". And that's after laboring for weeks searching for American or non-BA metal AND paying for Expert Flyer which proved worthless.
Am I missing something? <redacted>
I'm looking for 2 more business saver flights to Paris in September or October of 2015, btw. But frankly at this point I"ll take the trip ANYTIME in 2015.
