Jan 1, 2018, 1:26 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
The 2019 Newbie Lounge thread can be found here.
Q. How can I find information more easily than reading through all the threads? Now that I'm here, what do I do next?
Check out the following resources:
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.) NOTE: The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
NOTE: The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
Welcome to the 2018 "NEWBIE LOUNGE"
Ask Your Consolidated / Combined AA Questions Here (flame free)
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST:
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST:
(This post can only be edited by moderators.)
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Welcome to Flyertalk!
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.
We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
Check out the following resources:
- GUIDE: FT - AA Forum, LOUNGE DASHBOARD and OSO / IRROPS (Links to most important threads, "Help Desk" assistance threads, the thread with resources for off-schedule operations / irregular operations (including links to AA weather policy and tools), hub airport threads, AA lounge Dashboard for all lounges and lounge related issues.)
- FAQ: American Airlines and AAdvantage - Please check here first! (Our FAQ were originally written for the pre-merger AA forum, but there's still a lot of useful information there.)
- New and uncertain where to start here, and it's about American Airlines? Start in our "NEWBIE LOUNGE" thread, here: link.
- Do you have questions about other travel related issues that do not pertain to AA and are unsure where to start? Visit our Information Desk Forum here: U]link. [/U]
- Especially useful to new members: FAQs (How to post like a pro and more)
- The NEW FlyerTalk: Helpful Hints, Tips and Suggestions to Enhance Your Experience (Information Desk Forum)
- FlyerTalk Glossary (What is all this jargon?)
- Airport Code Guide (How do I decode an airport code / find one for a city?)
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
- Canarsie's Using the Search Feature on FlyerTalk: The Definitive Thread has relocated to the Information Desk Forum; it can be found there.
- One can search FlyerTalk with Google with this web form.
- Or, if you are used to Google search, use Google Advanced Search and insert www.flyertalk.com in the "site or domain" box.
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.)
NOTE: The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
ARCHIVE: 2018 NEWBIE LOUNGE Ask Your "Newbie" AA Questions Here (flame free)
Oct 4, 2018, 5:58 pm
#1621
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 812
I've been designated travel coordinated for my girlfriend and her family. They have 3 traveling to Europe. They have acquired points through sign-up bonuses and plan to fly Economy there for 30k points (60k RT).
The question they/I have is can I change 1 of 3 to Business (57.5k points) after purchasing the economy for 30k?
I dont' want to get charged the $150 cancel/rebook fee but haven't found any info on a reward to reward upgrade
Thanks
The question they/I have is can I change 1 of 3 to Business (57.5k points) after purchasing the economy for 30k?
I dont' want to get charged the $150 cancel/rebook fee but haven't found any info on a reward to reward upgrade
Thanks
Along with others comments, you cannot upgrade unless there is 57.5k sAAver availability on the flights you want. And be careful that the inventory is on AA and not BA, unless you are comfortable paying very high taxes.
Oct 4, 2018, 6:54 pm
#1622
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
I've been designated travel coordinated for my girlfriend and her family. They have 3 traveling to Europe. They have acquired points through sign-up bonuses and plan to fly Economy there for 30k points (60k RT).
The question they/I have is can I change 1 of 3 to Business (57.5k points) after purchasing the economy for 30k?
I dont' want to get charged the $150 cancel/rebook fee but haven't found any info on a reward to reward upgrade
Thanks
The question they/I have is can I change 1 of 3 to Business (57.5k points) after purchasing the economy for 30k?
I dont' want to get charged the $150 cancel/rebook fee but haven't found any info on a reward to reward upgrade
Thanks
Oct 4, 2018, 8:29 pm
#1623
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: American Airlines, AAdvantage
Posts: 1
Award Connection Question
I would like to fly out of IAD on QR, but need to get to DC from NYC. Since AA does not fly into IAD, is it possible to fly NYC-DCA and then IAD-DOH all on one award ticket? Is an airport transfer like that allowed?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Oct 5, 2018, 1:23 am
#1625
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 3
AA saver flights to Europe disappeared?
I've been checking AA over the past few weeks to get an idea of whats available in business class for Sept next year to Europe. I'm trying to fly on AA metal to avoid BA's charges. I thought I had found a good deal by changing my arrival city to TXL and found AA availability for almost every day in August (I was hoping the trend would continue into Sept). Most other cities at least had AA availability on Monday or Tuesday flights. Suddenly last night, everything in saver on AA has disappeared. June through Sept are anytime awards only. Ive tried changing departure city and arrival city and still can't find anything to anywhere in Europe in U on AA. And even the BA flights are now crappy routings.
I've got no status on any airline, just wanting to take the last 10 years of casual flying miles and take my wife to Europe. Just wondering if this is just a computer hiccup or booking idiosyncrasy and the flights should come back up, or did AA just suddenly get rid of all saver availability to Europe?
I've got no status on any airline, just wanting to take the last 10 years of casual flying miles and take my wife to Europe. Just wondering if this is just a computer hiccup or booking idiosyncrasy and the flights should come back up, or did AA just suddenly get rid of all saver availability to Europe?
Last edited by dsb8920; Oct 5, 2018 at 1:29 am
Oct 5, 2018, 4:17 am
#1626
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
I've been checking AA over the past few weeks to get an idea of whats available in business class for Sept next year to Europe. I'm trying to fly on AA metal to avoid BA's charges. I thought I had found a good deal by changing my arrival city to TXL and found AA availability for almost every day in August (I was hoping the trend would continue into Sept). Most other cities at least had AA availability on Monday or Tuesday flights. Suddenly last night, everything in saver on AA has disappeared. June through Sept are anytime awards only. Ive tried changing departure city and arrival city and still can't find anything to anywhere in Europe in U on AA. And even the BA flights are now crappy routings.
I've got no status on any airline, just wanting to take the last 10 years of casual flying miles and take my wife to Europe. Just wondering if this is just a computer hiccup or booking idiosyncrasy and the flights should come back up, or did AA just suddenly get rid of all saver availability to Europe?
I've got no status on any airline, just wanting to take the last 10 years of casual flying miles and take my wife to Europe. Just wondering if this is just a computer hiccup or booking idiosyncrasy and the flights should come back up, or did AA just suddenly get rid of all saver availability to Europe?
Oct 5, 2018, 4:29 am
#1627
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 3
Thank you. I've been watching it for a month or so waiting for 331 days out and panicked a little when it all disappeared. I'm too tall to sleep on a TATL in coach and was afraid I'd have to either eat a BA surcharge on a lousy route or buy more miles. Neither one sounded good.
Oct 5, 2018, 10:02 am
#1628
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
Don't know if it helps, but QR also serves PHL, which has AA flights from LGA/JFK.
Oct 5, 2018, 10:47 am
#1629
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 120
Is there a general minimum time before departure to check luggage for a domestic flight? In case it matters, it's at JFK.
I'm arriving via QR, but on a different ticket. There's a AA flight leaving a little less than 2 hours later, which is cutting it very close but might be worth trying, given that I'm Global Entry and both are in the same Terminal.
I have a later flight already on Delta in case I don't make it.
I'm arriving via QR, but on a different ticket. There's a AA flight leaving a little less than 2 hours later, which is cutting it very close but might be worth trying, given that I'm Global Entry and both are in the same Terminal.
I have a later flight already on Delta in case I don't make it.
Oct 5, 2018, 10:52 am
#1630
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,738
Is there a general minimum time before departure to check luggage for a domestic flight? In case it matters, it's at JFK.
I'm arriving via QR, but on a different ticket. There's a AA flight leaving a little less than 2 hours later, which is cutting it very close but might be worth trying, given that I'm Global Entry and both are in the same Terminal.
I have a later flight already on Delta in case I don't make it.
I'm arriving via QR, but on a different ticket. There's a AA flight leaving a little less than 2 hours later, which is cutting it very close but might be worth trying, given that I'm Global Entry and both are in the same Terminal.
I have a later flight already on Delta in case I don't make it.
Oct 5, 2018, 10:52 am
#1631
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
Is there a general minimum time before departure to check luggage for a domestic flight? In case it matters, it's at JFK.
I'm arriving via QR, but on a different ticket. There's a AA flight leaving a little less than 2 hours later, which is cutting it very close but might be worth trying, given that I'm Global Entry and both are in the same Terminal.
I have a later flight already on Delta in case I don't make it.
I'm arriving via QR, but on a different ticket. There's a AA flight leaving a little less than 2 hours later, which is cutting it very close but might be worth trying, given that I'm Global Entry and both are in the same Terminal.
I have a later flight already on Delta in case I don't make it.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/arrival-times.jsp
Oct 5, 2018, 11:01 am
#1632
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 120
Thanks. I'm already over the Atlantic, 3 hours out, so too late to ask for check through :-)
Oct 5, 2018, 11:53 am
#1634
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Oct 6, 2018, 2:47 am
#1635
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 789
Thank you. I've been watching it for a month or so waiting for 331 days out and panicked a little when it all disappeared. I'm too tall to sleep on a TATL in coach and was afraid I'd have to either eat a BA surcharge on a lousy route or buy more miles. Neither one sounded good.