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)
Jul 14, 2018, 8:19 am
#1096
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
If the Sapphire Reserve is more than needed, the Sapphire Preferred offers very similar benefits, without the $300 travel credit, or GE reimbursement. Still offers primary auto rental insurance, which can be a big plus for a lot of people.
Jul 14, 2018, 4:02 pm
#1097
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: American Aadvantage
Posts: 1
AA182 connecting AA2281 at LAX
I will have a 5 hour stay at LAX and I am unfamiliar with USA airports and LAX. AA182 Arrives at TB but no terminal has been set for AA2281 to leave from.
I am Flying in business (D) and OneWorld Emerald with QF) so should have access to a good lounge. From what I understand the flagship lounge is in T4. What lounge options are in what terminals and does it really take an hour to get between terminals.'
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
I will have a 5 hour stay at LAX and I am unfamiliar with USA airports and LAX. AA182 Arrives at TB but no terminal has been set for AA2281 to leave from.
I am Flying in business (D) and OneWorld Emerald with QF) so should have access to a good lounge. From what I understand the flagship lounge is in T4. What lounge options are in what terminals and does it really take an hour to get between terminals.'
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Jul 14, 2018, 5:55 pm
#1098
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
I'm trying to change my seat on a flight that departs tomorrow in about 25 hours, AA 348. The app gives me the option to change my seat but returns an error when I selected it. The website has the change seat button grayed out. I called reservations 2x and two agents said the flight was under airport control and they could do nothing. I have never seen a flight under airport control 24 hours before departure. What gives?
Jul 14, 2018, 8:48 pm
#1099
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 106
Just wanted to pop in and thank those of you that answered my initial question. I ended up transferring my UR into Avios and booking via the BA site. Once I figured out how to look up the route(s) I was seeking, it was easy. That was the difficult part for me - finding the right search screen to use.
Jul 15, 2018, 1:40 pm
#1100
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: TUL
Programs: AA Plat Pro, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 5
I'm a Newbie on FT needing some help with a multi-city trip to Hawaii from TUL and trying to determine the best way to book it. Itinerary will be TUL - KOA on 12-16-18, then KOA - HNL on 12-21-18 with a return from HNL - TUL departing on 12-25-18. It's for a total of 8 tickets, of which 5 are immediate family including myself and remaining 3 are extended family. I have ~522k miles & 22 upgrade stickers to use and will purchase the remaining tickets that miles won't cover on my Aviator Red card so I can get EQD credit. I'm AA Plat Pro and also have Citi Executive card. Is this the best way to maximize spend, miles and upgrade potential? Guess I'm not eligible for upgrades on award tickets since I'm only Plat Pro? Will I get main cabin extra for everyone since I'm booking & paying for all tickets? Sorry if this isn't the correct thread for this question. Any guidance is greatly appreciated!
Jul 15, 2018, 3:31 pm
#1101
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1
Hello All,
New to the forums. I've searched a bit and had trouble finding my answer.
I booked BE ORD to VCE. I'm planning to only travel with carry on, so I chose not to "upgrade" to economy.
I am traveling with my girlfriend, and wanted to know the best way to go about sitting next to each other. I looked at both the BE and economy, and neither had 2 seats available next to each other minus the MCE seats and preferred seats (140 and 92$ respectively). I prefer not to spend $360 between the two of us for seats.
Any ideas on how to do that? I've read that 48 hours before flight the seats open, or go to the kiosk 2.5 hours before flight was also recomendend. Anyone with experience getting a decent seat 48hours before?
Or perhaps would getting an AA credit card help us at all in this situation?
appreciate any ideas
New to the forums. I've searched a bit and had trouble finding my answer.
I booked BE ORD to VCE. I'm planning to only travel with carry on, so I chose not to "upgrade" to economy.
I am traveling with my girlfriend, and wanted to know the best way to go about sitting next to each other. I looked at both the BE and economy, and neither had 2 seats available next to each other minus the MCE seats and preferred seats (140 and 92$ respectively). I prefer not to spend $360 between the two of us for seats.
Any ideas on how to do that? I've read that 48 hours before flight the seats open, or go to the kiosk 2.5 hours before flight was also recomendend. Anyone with experience getting a decent seat 48hours before?
Or perhaps would getting an AA credit card help us at all in this situation?
appreciate any ideas
Jul 16, 2018, 7:19 am
#1102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,437
I'm a Newbie on FT needing some help with a multi-city trip to Hawaii from TUL and trying to determine the best way to book it. Itinerary will be TUL - KOA on 12-16-18, then KOA - HNL on 12-21-18 with a return from HNL - TUL departing on 12-25-18. It's for a total of 8 tickets, of which 5 are immediate family including myself and remaining 3 are extended family. I have ~522k miles & 22 upgrade stickers to use and will purchase the remaining tickets that miles won't cover on my Aviator Red card so I can get EQD credit. I'm AA Plat Pro and also have Citi Executive card. Is this the best way to maximize spend, miles and upgrade potential? Guess I'm not eligible for upgrades on award tickets since I'm only Plat Pro? Will I get main cabin extra for everyone since I'm booking & paying for all tickets? Sorry if this isn't the correct thread for this question. Any guidance is greatly appreciated!
If you're going to book a few tickets using cash anyways for family members, you might as well make that your ticket, so you will at least earn a few miles and be able to request upgrades for yourself and a companion.
And you can get everyone seated with you in MCE, even if they are on awards and separate PNRs, but you have to call AA once everything is booked to do this.
Jul 16, 2018, 8:48 am
#1103
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 343
Is there a way to lock down a seat assignment? Someone in my company's travel area keeps changing my seat for an upcoming flight. And it's getting progressively worse and worse. Clearly, contacting them is going nowhere. Can agents shut down that seat jockeying? I realize a seat can change due to equipment changes, but that has not been the case so far.
Jul 16, 2018, 8:52 am
#1104
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AA PLT, IHG Spire
Posts: 550
Is there a way to lock down a seat assignment? Someone in my company's travel area keeps changing my seat for an upcoming flight. And it's getting progressively worse and worse. Clearly, contacting them is going nowhere. Can agents shut down that seat jockeying? I realize a seat can change due to equipment changes, but that has not been the case so far.
Jul 16, 2018, 9:01 am
#1105
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: United Premier Platinum
Posts: 638
If you buy a refundable ticket with gift cards/vouchers, then cancel and request a refund, how will the refund be paid out? Will the portion of the ticket paid for in vouchers be refunded as a voucher only?
Jul 16, 2018, 9:36 am
#1106
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 343
If you use Concur and select a preferred seat that you don't have status for I have noticed a similar issue. Selecting your seat via https://seatselect.aa.com/ may help you out.
Jul 16, 2018, 10:26 am
#1107
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,437
Yep, refunds generally go back to the original form of payment. The gift card or voucher portion will be refunded in the form of another GC or voucher.
Jul 16, 2018, 5:13 pm
#1108
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: ORD
Programs: aadvantage, mileage plus, millemiglia
Posts: 100
Would someone be willing to explain to me the difference between a stopover and a multi city ticket? I often read in the forums about fares that allow stopovers, but I'm not sure how to search for this using GF. If I want to stop somewhere en route, I use the multi city function of GF and plug in the days that I which to depart each leg. I fear that I am missing something.
Jul 16, 2018, 6:19 pm
#1109
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: WAS
Programs: Virtuoso TA, UA 1MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 445
It seems that QR flies DOH-RAK via CMN, but returns RAK-DOH direct. While RAK-DOH shows up on BA search engine, DOH-CMN-RAK does not on the dates I looked. Is it possible to book USA-DOH-CMN-RAK on one QR award?
Jul 17, 2018, 2:57 am
#1110
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 54
Estimated delay time inconsistent
Hi,
Can anyone help me understand how to interpret delay information? This is specifically about AA4240 CLE-DCA on July 17, but I'm curious in general, too.
AA itself sent me an alert that the departure was changed from 5:20pm to 6:08pm and at the moment, that's what they still show. On the other hand, I got an alert from TripIt showing this flight as departing at 7:09pm. Kayak also said 7:09pm.
How would TripIt know something that AA itself doesn't know?
I looked on EF and saw that they show 6:08pm but also have this interesting "comments" bit. Can someone explain where that comes from and why different sources are showing different departure times? Who should I trust?
Just looked at FlightAware and it says 6:27pm. Seems like every site has its own opinion (or guess).
UPDATE: ...and now it's back to the originally scheduled time
Still curious about this topic, though.
Can anyone help me understand how to interpret delay information? This is specifically about AA4240 CLE-DCA on July 17, but I'm curious in general, too.
AA itself sent me an alert that the departure was changed from 5:20pm to 6:08pm and at the moment, that's what they still show. On the other hand, I got an alert from TripIt showing this flight as departing at 7:09pm. Kayak also said 7:09pm.
How would TripIt know something that AA itself doesn't know?
I looked on EF and saw that they show 6:08pm but also have this interesting "comments" bit. Can someone explain where that comes from and why different sources are showing different departure times? Who should I trust?
Just looked at FlightAware and it says 6:27pm. Seems like every site has its own opinion (or guess).
UPDATE: ...and now it's back to the originally scheduled time
Still curious about this topic, though.
Last edited by Marsh11; Jul 17, 2018 at 5:24 am
