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)
Aug 10, 2018, 11:36 am
#1246
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
I tried to look but could not find an A320 master thread. I am planning on flying AA845 PHL-PUJ and there is upgrade eligibility. Considering its almost a 4 hour flight, I would be willing to go for the upgrade if there is IFE and newer seats. Any help on this aircraft type or the forum for A320 would be greatly appreciated!
Aug 10, 2018, 11:44 am
#1247
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
I tried to look but could not find an A320 master thread. I am planning on flying AA845 PHL-PUJ and there is upgrade eligibility. Considering its almost a 4 hour flight, I would be willing to go for the upgrade if there is IFE and newer seats. Any help on this aircraft type or the forum for A320 would be greatly appreciated!
Aug 10, 2018, 12:26 pm
#1249
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
Ahh thanks! Wondering if the $37 price tag on MCE is worth it?
Aug 10, 2018, 12:28 pm
#1250
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
I tried to look but could not find an A320 master thread. I am planning on flying AA845 PHL-PUJ and there is upgrade eligibility. Considering its almost a 4 hour flight, I would be willing to go for the upgrade if there is IFE and newer seats. Any help on this aircraft type or the forum for A320 would be greatly appreciated!
See LUS A320 / 320 – First class seating, best seats (consolidated).
You’ll get a better seat with greater width and pitch, first cabin amenities - but no power or IFE.
Aug 10, 2018, 8:16 pm
#1251
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 138
Question about EQSs
Signed up for a gold challenge and need 8 EQSs in the next few months. I don't have many flights to book, but live in a smaller town where I have to connect to get to where I'm going. My understanding is that if the connections are all under the same flight number, they would only count as one EQS each way. If I booked each leg as a separate flight (basically two round trips nested inside each other), would that count as 4 EQSs? And if so, would I need to stay a minimum amount of time before catching my second (connecting) flight, which would technically be the first leg of my second round trip?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Aug 10, 2018, 9:43 pm
#1252
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
Signed up for a gold challenge and need 8 EQSs in the next few months. I don't have many flights to book, but live in a smaller town where I have to connect to get to where I'm going. My understanding is that if the connections are all under the same flight number, they would only count as one EQS each way. If I booked each leg as a separate flight (basically two round trips nested inside each other), would that count as 4 EQSs? And if so, would I need to stay a minimum amount of time before catching my second (connecting) flight, which would technically be the first leg of my second round trip?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
I’d be cautious about nesting if the flights violate any fare rules (weekend requirements, minimum number of days, etc.)
Aug 11, 2018, 12:16 am
#1253
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: American, Delta, United
Posts: 1
If I pay to upgrade a ticket in some manner when checking in online (such as paying for preferential seating), do those dollars spent get included in EQD? Looks like I'll have sufficient EQM, but be $50 EQD short of qualifying for a challenge to make Gold. I figured that it might be worth paying for preferential seating or something like that if it earns me EQD.
Aug 11, 2018, 2:31 am
#1254
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,739
Good morning. I have what I think counts as a newbie question. I do a lot on BA but much less on AA so before I call them I want to know what to expect. I was booked SFO-CLT-MAD in a couple of weeks time leaving SFO at the relatively civilized time of 8.40 am (AA 1960). They have told me that they have rebooked me on AA 776 at the unpleasant time of 5.29 am. I'd really rather not do that at the end of my holiday!
There seems to be a better way to get to MAD at roughly the same time leaving SFO at 8am via JFK. Will they rebook me on that if I ask nicely? It seems unreasonable to change a departure time by over three hours....
Edited to answer my own question. I called them. They swapped to my preferred flights without question. I think BA would have been more difficult.
There seems to be a better way to get to MAD at roughly the same time leaving SFO at 8am via JFK. Will they rebook me on that if I ask nicely? It seems unreasonable to change a departure time by over three hours....
Edited to answer my own question. I called them. They swapped to my preferred flights without question. I think BA would have been more difficult.
Last edited by hsmall; Aug 11, 2018 at 7:05 am
Aug 11, 2018, 7:49 am
#1255
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
Good morning. I have what I think counts as a newbie question. I do a lot on BA but much less on AA so before I call them I want to know what to expect. I was booked SFO-CLT-MAD in a couple of weeks time leaving SFO at the relatively civilized time of 8.40 am (AA 1960). They have told me that they have rebooked me on AA 776 at the unpleasant time of 5.29 am. I'd really rather not do that at the end of my holiday!
There seems to be a better way to get to MAD at roughly the same time leaving SFO at 8am via JFK. Will they rebook me on that if I ask nicely? It seems unreasonable to change a departure time by over three hours....
Edited to answer my own question. I called them. They swapped to my preferred flights without question. I think BA would have been more difficult.
There seems to be a better way to get to MAD at roughly the same time leaving SFO at 8am via JFK. Will they rebook me on that if I ask nicely? It seems unreasonable to change a departure time by over three hours....
Edited to answer my own question. I called them. They swapped to my preferred flights without question. I think BA would have been more difficult.
Aug 11, 2018, 7:59 am
#1256
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,739
Aug 11, 2018, 1:48 pm
#1257
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: TPA/SRQ
Programs: Hyatt Explorer, Marriott Titanium, AA Plat Pro, UA Silver, Avis Plus, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,692
Quick question. I want to put an Itinerary on 24 hold, then buy the next day. Do you still have 24 hours to cancel after it’s bought?
appears on tpg looks like yes but hoping for recent reports
appears on tpg looks like yes but hoping for recent reports
Last edited by Ceres; Aug 11, 2018 at 5:17 pm
Aug 11, 2018, 5:22 pm
#1258
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
If I pay to upgrade a ticket in some manner when checking in online (such as paying for preferential seating), do those dollars spent get included in EQD? Looks like I'll have sufficient EQM, but be $50 EQD short of qualifying for a challenge to make Gold. I figured that it might be worth paying for preferential seating or something like that if it earns me EQD.
No, paying for preferential seating does not add to your EQD. Now, if you've purchased an economy class ticket, and then go back and pay the full difference between that and a business class ticket, those dollars would count; same for buying up from business to first. That's called "upfaring" rather than "upgrading".
Aug 12, 2018, 9:30 am
#1260
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
If I pay to upgrade a ticket in some manner when checking in online (such as paying for preferential seating), do those dollars spent get included in EQD? Looks like I'll have sufficient EQM, but be $50 EQD short of qualifying for a challenge to make Gold. I figured that it might be worth paying for preferential seating or something like that if it earns me EQD.
See GUIDE: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA & partner airlines (2017 on) for further information.