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)
Jan 16, 2018, 10:30 am
#121
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LGB
Posts: 1,205
If I'm flying AA Flyover-ORD-NRT in a few weeks, do I need to check in and drop bags at Flyover by the domestic cutoff or the international cutoff? It's never been an issue before because I show up by the international cutoff and pass the time in the AC. But the Flyover-ORD leg is already rather early, and I don't really want to arrive at the airport at 3AM.
Jan 16, 2018, 2:57 pm
#122
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 4
Is there a trick to using the Aadvantage miles?
First of all, forgive me. I am new to these boards and don't know all the abbreviations, plus my question may be silly. So here's the story: I was offered an Aviator card on one of my flights. We were told that we would get 60,000 miles and no annual fee and that would be enough to go to Europe and back. Well, there was a fee. Four phone calls later, I still had to pay the fee, but they gave me extra miles to compensate. I used the card and was excited to be able to fly to Geneva for free on my upcoming trip. No. The only flights I could find were multiple connections with huge layover times. I spent hours trying to figure it out. I finally bought my tickets on United and called it a day. I thought I had just picked a bad route for American Airlines. I then looked to see if AA has a direct flight to Milan. Yes, they did!! All excited, I went online to book a flight to Milan. When I said I was using my miles, there were no direct flights even listed. All the flights were like the ones to Geneva (multiple stops, long layovers... just a misery to experience). <br />So, this brings me to my question. Is there a way to use these miles and not have to spend days traveling or have I just been scammed and I own tens of thousands of useless miles. I can't imagine that this is the case since so many people collect these miles too. Please tell me the secret to using these points and flying directly to Europe.<br />Thank you!!!<br />Lori
Jan 16, 2018, 3:08 pm
#123
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
First of all, forgive me. I am new to these boards and don't know all the abbreviations, plus my question may be silly. So here's the story: I was offered an Aviator card on one of my flights. We were told that we would get 60,000 miles and no annual fee and that would be enough to go to Europe and back. Well, there was a fee. Four phone calls later, I still had to pay the fee, but they gave me extra miles to compensate. I used the card and was excited to be able to fly to Geneva for free on my upcoming trip. No. The only flights I could find were multiple connections with huge layover times. I spent hours trying to figure it out. I finally bought my tickets on United and called it a day. I thought I had just picked a bad route for American Airlines. I then looked to see if AA has a direct flight to Milan. Yes, they did!! All excited, I went online to book a flight to Milan. When I said I was using my miles, there were no direct flights even listed. All the flights were like the ones to Geneva (multiple stops, long layovers... just a misery to experience). <br />So, this brings me to my question. Is there a way to use these miles and not have to spend days traveling or have I just been scammed and I own tens of thousands of useless miles. I can't imagine that this is the case since so many people collect these miles too. Please tell me the secret to using these points and flying directly to Europe.<br />Thank you!!!<br />Lori
You need to tell us what your home city is: there are no direct flights to Europe from Toledo, Ohio; there are lots from AA hubs like JFK, PHL, MIA, etc.
AA has different tiers of award seats. The cheapest are "MileSAAver" seats which are capacity controlled, and therefore not always available. You should almost always be able to find an "AAnytime" award seat, but they require lots of miles; on popular routes, MileSAAver award seats can be hard to find.
Jan 16, 2018, 3:12 pm
#124
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 4
Dear Guy,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I live close to Miami, so I was astonished to have the problem I experienced. Yes, I was using MilesAAver. There were plenty of options, but they were all very long trips with long layovers. Are you saying that AAnytime seats would have direct routes??
Again, thank you so much
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I live close to Miami, so I was astonished to have the problem I experienced. Yes, I was using MilesAAver. There were plenty of options, but they were all very long trips with long layovers. Are you saying that AAnytime seats would have direct routes??
Again, thank you so much
Jan 16, 2018, 3:18 pm
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
Dear Guy,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I live close to Miami, so I was astonished to have the problem I experienced. Yes, I was using MilesAAver. There were plenty of options, but they were all very long trips with long layovers. Are you saying that AAnytime seats would have direct routes??
Again, thank you so much
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I live close to Miami, so I was astonished to have the problem I experienced. Yes, I was using MilesAAver. There were plenty of options, but they were all very long trips with long layovers. Are you saying that AAnytime seats would have direct routes??
Again, thank you so much
If you're not too particular about where you fly to in Europe, you can search for other cities to which AA offers nonstop service from MIA, and hope to find a nonstop that has SAAver award availability. Google "MIA airport wiki" to see a list of all nonstop destinations served by AA from MIA. What time of year were you hoping to travel?
And it's "Guv," not "Guy."
Jan 16, 2018, 3:20 pm
#126
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 4
Dear Guv,
I'm so sorry about your name. Since my flights to Geneva are done, I don't have any specific time of the year for my next trip. Why do you ask??
Lori
I'm so sorry about your name. Since my flights to Geneva are done, I don't have any specific time of the year for my next trip. Why do you ask??
Lori
Jan 16, 2018, 3:30 pm
#127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
Also, some AA flights operate less than seven days a week; that might account for no availability at all on certain days if you've restricted your award search to nonstops.
Last edited by guv1976; Jan 16, 2018 at 3:36 pm
Jan 16, 2018, 3:42 pm
#128
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 4
Thank you Guv! I will renew my search once I have some plans in mind. I will aim for off season and try my best to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday. I will look online for the direct flights. I am relieved. Thank you so much!
Lori
Lori
Jan 16, 2018, 3:46 pm
#129
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...age-awards.jsp
Jan 16, 2018, 6:35 pm
#130
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Amex MR, SPG, Aeroplan
Posts: 129
I have tried searching but was not able to find if this was already covered...
Looking to burn some left-over Avios for a flight from West Coast to Hawaii in July. So I searched and found plenty AASaver space from SFO area - OGG, connecting through LAX. So, naturally, I searched LAX to OGG, only to see NO availability at all (aside from going back to SFO to catch the Alaskan flight on some days).
Is this normal? That AASaver space is available only if connecting from another city (and effectively preventing me from booking it via Avios)?
Looking to burn some left-over Avios for a flight from West Coast to Hawaii in July. So I searched and found plenty AASaver space from SFO area - OGG, connecting through LAX. So, naturally, I searched LAX to OGG, only to see NO availability at all (aside from going back to SFO to catch the Alaskan flight on some days).
Is this normal? That AASaver space is available only if connecting from another city (and effectively preventing me from booking it via Avios)?
Jan 16, 2018, 7:18 pm
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,505
I have tried searching but was not able to find if this was already covered...
Looking to burn some left-over Avios for a flight from West Coast to Hawaii in July. So I searched and found plenty AASaver space from SFO area - OGG, connecting through LAX. So, naturally, I searched LAX to OGG, only to see NO availability at all (aside from going back to SFO to catch the Alaskan flight on some days).
Is this normal? That AASaver space is available only if connecting from another city (and effectively preventing me from booking it via Avios)?
Looking to burn some left-over Avios for a flight from West Coast to Hawaii in July. So I searched and found plenty AASaver space from SFO area - OGG, connecting through LAX. So, naturally, I searched LAX to OGG, only to see NO availability at all (aside from going back to SFO to catch the Alaskan flight on some days).
Is this normal? That AASaver space is available only if connecting from another city (and effectively preventing me from booking it via Avios)?
FYI: AS currently flies SAN-OGG, and will be starting LAX-OGG service in April.
Jan 16, 2018, 10:37 pm
#132
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
does anyone know where/what gate VIRT in LAX is ? flying LAX-SEA AA6047 and my app just updated to gate VIRT
Jan 16, 2018, 10:44 pm
#133
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
Jan 17, 2018, 9:01 am
#134
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LGB
Posts: 1,205
Gary Leff posted about this. He said that if you see this, you should book the full married segment itinerary online, then call AA and drop the segment(s) you don't want. As long as your origin and destination remain in the same zones as they were previously, it won't reprice and should be easy to do.
Jan 17, 2018, 9:12 am
#135
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,516
Gary Leff posted about this. He said that if you see this, you should book the full married segment itinerary online, then call AA and drop the segment(s) you don't want. As long as your origin and destination remain in the same zones as they were previously, it won't reprice and should be easy to do.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...egments-3.html
