ARCHIVE: AA Awards on Cathay Pacific (2016)
Mar 25, 2016, 4:57 pm
#1396
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
I hear ya, should be no problem done that way, but have received reports all over the place with regard to agent's resistance and weird claims by them (NOT pertaining to this particular strategy, to be clear), etc., so, simply expressing my preference for what makes me personally most comfortable/confident with my own miles-- not in any way advising anyone what to do with their's.
Mar 25, 2016, 6:52 pm
#1397
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,721
I hear ya, should be no problem done that way, but have received reports all over the place with regard to agent's resistance and weird claims by them (NOT pertaining to this particular strategy, to be clear), etc., so, simply expressing my preference for what makes me personally most comfortable/confident with my own miles-- not in any way advising anyone what to do with their's.
Mar 25, 2016, 7:05 pm
#1398
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,352
So I'm curious. When you give an agent a(n electronic) ticket number with no active reservation, what does that look like to them? Do they see just origin, destination, and price paid? And then in theory they can just book a new itinerary with the same O/D, do any add/collect on the taxes, and then re-issue the ticket?
Mar 25, 2016, 10:39 pm
#1399
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,721
So I'm curious. When you give an agent a(n electronic) ticket number with no active reservation, what does that look like to them? Do they see just origin, destination, and price paid? And then in theory they can just book a new itinerary with the same O/D, do any add/collect on the taxes, and then re-issue the ticket?
Ticket shows, for each segment, date, flight, origin, destination, fare construction, taxes/carried imposed charges paid, exchange rate, endorsements, place of issue, baggage allowance (not complete list of what is on ticket). Pretty much everything on the original PNR except for seat assignments, special requests, other airline PNR (not complete list).
If you go to refunds.aa.com and input your ticket (it does not initiate refund until several screens away), the first screen after search will give you a window on what information is on the ticket.
And yes you give them ticket number and a new ticket number would be issued. And this is not in theory, this is how it has been working for years.
Mar 26, 2016, 10:58 am
#1400
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 105
I then found I couldn't change the seat on the Cathay website, so had to call into Cathay. That was another 5 minute hold, but they were also able to change my seat to 1A without a problem.
But it has been 10 years since I've seen one - hand-written at that, on a OWE...
Mar 26, 2016, 4:06 pm
#1402
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 106
Looking for Feb 7, 8, 9 or 10th, 2017...CX F HKG-JFK, PM flight preferable. Please private message me if you are holding and will release. Thank you!
Mar 26, 2016, 6:29 pm
#1403
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 15
I just cancelled 2 first class JFK to Manila on 3/29 in case someone needs some last minute tickets.
Mar 26, 2016, 10:01 pm
#1404
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NYC,BCN
Programs: DL-PM, TK-Elite, AA-lifetime gold, SPG-Plat
Posts: 453
Just made a date change and released 1 F seat HKG-JFK on Feb 6.
It went back in to inventory as I can see it available now on ba.com
It went back in to inventory as I can see it available now on ba.com
Mar 26, 2016, 10:15 pm
#1406
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: NYC,BCN
Programs: DL-PM, TK-Elite, AA-lifetime gold, SPG-Plat
Posts: 453
Mar 27, 2016, 1:51 am
#1407
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC//TLV
Programs: DL-PM; Marriott-Plat; SPG (soon RIP) - Plat, and e/t connected to AMEX Plat
Posts: 112
First off, if you are holding award space you have no intention of using, cancel it. The pre-Mar22 award has already been ticketed. That ticket is valid from one year of issue regardless of whether there is an active reservation (PNR) tied to it.
Second, trying to make the change in the manner you described in a pre-existing and ticketed PNR will, in my experience, not be possible. Agent will not let you make a change without sending the PNR off to ticketing at the end of the call. What you describe would be dropping last segment (HKG-CMB) which should be no change fee. However when you add on the HKG-CMB the next day, you will be hit with $150. Not sure if it will trigger redeposit and new award at post-Mar 22 rates. In other words, no holding flights allowed on a pre-existing PNR.
To answer you question, you will have to make a brand new PNR and place it on the 5-day hold. Make sure the reservation is in the exact name as the the original ticket. Once you get all segments confirmed within that 5 day-hold period, tell the agent you want to apply the pre-Mar22 ticket against the new PNR.
Second, trying to make the change in the manner you described in a pre-existing and ticketed PNR will, in my experience, not be possible. Agent will not let you make a change without sending the PNR off to ticketing at the end of the call. What you describe would be dropping last segment (HKG-CMB) which should be no change fee. However when you add on the HKG-CMB the next day, you will be hit with $150. Not sure if it will trigger redeposit and new award at post-Mar 22 rates. In other words, no holding flights allowed on a pre-existing PNR.
To answer you question, you will have to make a brand new PNR and place it on the 5-day hold. Make sure the reservation is in the exact name as the the original ticket. Once you get all segments confirmed within that 5 day-hold period, tell the agent you want to apply the pre-Mar22 ticket against the new PNR.
I have a ticketed award for 2 passengers for the following:
LAX-HKG-CMB in J for 55k miles each passenger
I ticketed the award on March 20, 2016, so I have until March 20, 2017 to complete the travel. I picked random dates with the intention to change later because it's not 331 days from my intended travel dates in early March 2017 yet.
The LAX-HKG flight at my desired time is the most difficult to get, however if I call 331 days before my intended LAX-HKG travel date, it will still be 332 days for the intended HKG-CMB segment. I'm afraid if I call to change the entire reservation 331 days before the HKG-CMB segment, the LAX-HKG segment that I want will be gone.
I have the following idea and would like to know if this will work:
1. Hold my desired LAX-HKG flight 331 days from my intended travel date on a separate booking code
2. The next day, call back to replace the LAX-HKG segment from my pre-devaluation reservation with the one I held the day before, and also replace my original HKG-CMB segment with the HKG-CMB flight I intend to travel on
QUESTION: Will the idea I posted above work without incuring a redeposit of miles and ticketing at the higher rate?
Thanks!
LAX-HKG-CMB in J for 55k miles each passenger
I ticketed the award on March 20, 2016, so I have until March 20, 2017 to complete the travel. I picked random dates with the intention to change later because it's not 331 days from my intended travel dates in early March 2017 yet.
The LAX-HKG flight at my desired time is the most difficult to get, however if I call 331 days before my intended LAX-HKG travel date, it will still be 332 days for the intended HKG-CMB segment. I'm afraid if I call to change the entire reservation 331 days before the HKG-CMB segment, the LAX-HKG segment that I want will be gone.
I have the following idea and would like to know if this will work:
1. Hold my desired LAX-HKG flight 331 days from my intended travel date on a separate booking code
2. The next day, call back to replace the LAX-HKG segment from my pre-devaluation reservation with the one I held the day before, and also replace my original HKG-CMB segment with the HKG-CMB flight I intend to travel on
QUESTION: Will the idea I posted above work without incuring a redeposit of miles and ticketing at the higher rate?
Thanks!
Mar 27, 2016, 7:32 am
#1409
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC//TLV
Programs: DL-PM; Marriott-Plat; SPG (soon RIP) - Plat, and e/t connected to AMEX Plat
Posts: 112
Yes, you are right - wrong to assume those in AA forum automatically have BA Avios to use, my apologies. However, should be able to do it by holding all portions of AAward under individual PNRs, cancelling those, and then rebooking your ticket on the seats you have "ensured" would still be there (since these are the ones you just cancelled). In any of these scenarios, you will always be playing the "I hope they go back into inventory" game.
Mar 27, 2016, 9:34 am
#1410
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 181
If anyone is holding an F on any USA-HKG (but preferably one of the JFK-HKG) flights on 1/25/17 and may plan to release one day, would appreciate a PM!