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 22, 2018, 3:17 am
#1351
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 36
Yes, it shouldn't be a problem to book Osaka to YVR in JL F via LAX. Don't forget about connecting through SFO as well.
JL is really your only option for flying F between Japan and North America. CX offers F through HKG as you mentioned, but this would require 2 awards and a lot more miles (and flying).
JL is really your only option for flying F between Japan and North America. CX offers F through HKG as you mentioned, but this would require 2 awards and a lot more miles (and flying).
I cant seem to get this to work in the online UI, I guess I have to call an agent
Aug 22, 2018, 4:21 am
#1352
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,443
Of course, and yep you need to call, awards on JL are not bookable online.
Aug 22, 2018, 6:15 am
#1353
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I have about 90k AA points between two accounts and was excited to be able to redeem it on an international flight, but all the saved awards have connections that make it a really long flight, so I find myself not finding anything to book with my points, and just using shopping portals to keep my points from expiring. Does anyone know any way of finding good routes using saver AA points? Or is this just the way AA is??
Bear in mind that with miles in two accounts, you will need to have enough miles in each individual account to ticket an entire award, i.e. a one way portion of a round trip or other itinerary. You cannot just combine any odd number of miles from account A and account B, unless you pay a large fee to “give” miles to another account - which could defeat the purpose of the award redemption in some cases if large number of miles needed to be transferred.
You have not said where you are or where you want to fly with AA miles. That information is necessary if you want advice.
By the way, when you say two accounts, are both in your own name? Or is one account in your name and the other in a family member’s name? In the former case, the accounts could possibly be merged into one. In the latter case, what I said above would be the case re award ticketing and “gifting” miles.
Aug 22, 2018, 2:18 pm
#1354
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 294
I've got the chance to do a challenge to Platinum Pro. I understand the rule about only one challenge every five years, but does this affect elite buy-back status? I've got a potential trip that will earn me Platinum again for next year, but it's iffy. Not sure what the right strategy here is. Any input?
Aug 22, 2018, 2:27 pm
#1355
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA
Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 310
According to the Status Challenge Wiki:
Q. How often can I sign up for a Challenge?
First, one can not extend or retain status made through a Challenge with a subsequent Challenge. As well, knowledgeable members have posted AA generally allows two "status exceptions" in a five year period, and the Challenge is considered as a status exception. Buying status back would be considered a status exception as well.
First, one can not extend or retain status made through a Challenge with a subsequent Challenge. As well, knowledgeable members have posted AA generally allows two "status exceptions" in a five year period, and the Challenge is considered as a status exception. Buying status back would be considered a status exception as well.
Aug 22, 2018, 3:49 pm
#1356
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
We haven heard one way or the other, but we do know offers for buy back or up tend to depend on EQM (and EQD?) earned. There’s a buy back thread for each year it has been offered.
Aug 22, 2018, 8:45 pm
#1357
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 33
Thanks! Two separate accounts, one for me, one for my husband so unfortunately I don’t think I can combine, but just book our own same tickets separately
Aug 23, 2018, 7:43 am
#1358
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,922
You should look at booking the flights as two one ways with both people on the same PNR for each direction. That way you are more likely to stay together if flights get changed.
Aug 23, 2018, 4:13 pm
#1359
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
Aug 23, 2018, 7:41 pm
#1360
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 294
Kind of what I figured. The challenge expires in early September, though.
Aug 24, 2018, 8:44 am
#1361
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,607
To maximize AA miles earning should I fly AA or BA?
I'm new to the EQD thing and am finding it quite confusing.
I can easily fly either AA or BA (and I can either buy from AA or BA). I usually book the cheapest fare I can though the next few flights I'll need checked bags so that's cheapest excluding hang-baggage-only fares.
If I book a cheap flight on aa.com the arning will be based on $$ (with a muliplier of 5?) and if I book on ba.com it'll be based on miles right? It looks to me like I'll get more miles on the miles-based earning even if it's a 0.5 earn rate economy fare than the $$ based earning.
e.g. If I spend $500 on a ticket LHR-NYC it looks like I would earn about 2500 on aa.com and about 3,500 on ba.com (or more if there's a connection). And as I understand it that will be based on where the ticket is purchased, not which airline operates the flight?
So for any given route I should calculate the actual distance, divide by 10 and if the fare is more than that buy on aa.com and if it's less buy on ba.com?
And if I'm booking premium economy with the 1.0 earn rate then almost certainly better off booking with ba.com for the miles based earning?
I can easily fly either AA or BA (and I can either buy from AA or BA). I usually book the cheapest fare I can though the next few flights I'll need checked bags so that's cheapest excluding hang-baggage-only fares.
If I book a cheap flight on aa.com the arning will be based on $$ (with a muliplier of 5?) and if I book on ba.com it'll be based on miles right? It looks to me like I'll get more miles on the miles-based earning even if it's a 0.5 earn rate economy fare than the $$ based earning.
e.g. If I spend $500 on a ticket LHR-NYC it looks like I would earn about 2500 on aa.com and about 3,500 on ba.com (or more if there's a connection). And as I understand it that will be based on where the ticket is purchased, not which airline operates the flight?
So for any given route I should calculate the actual distance, divide by 10 and if the fare is more than that buy on aa.com and if it's less buy on ba.com?
And if I'm booking premium economy with the 1.0 earn rate then almost certainly better off booking with ba.com for the miles based earning?
Aug 24, 2018, 9:31 am
#1362
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,443
I'm new to the EQD thing and am finding it quite confusing.
I can easily fly either AA or BA (and I can either buy from AA or BA). I usually book the cheapest fare I can though the next few flights I'll need checked bags so that's cheapest excluding hang-baggage-only fares.
If I book a cheap flight on aa.com the arning will be based on $$ (with a muliplier of 5?) and if I book on ba.com it'll be based on miles right? It looks to me like I'll get more miles on the miles-based earning even if it's a 0.5 earn rate economy fare than the $$ based earning.
e.g. If I spend $500 on a ticket LHR-NYC it looks like I would earn about 2500 on aa.com and about 3,500 on ba.com (or more if there's a connection). And as I understand it that will be based on where the ticket is purchased, not which airline operates the flight?
So for any given route I should calculate the actual distance, divide by 10 and if the fare is more than that buy on aa.com and if it's less buy on ba.com?
And if I'm booking premium economy with the 1.0 earn rate then almost certainly better off booking with ba.com for the miles based earning?
I can easily fly either AA or BA (and I can either buy from AA or BA). I usually book the cheapest fare I can though the next few flights I'll need checked bags so that's cheapest excluding hang-baggage-only fares.
If I book a cheap flight on aa.com the arning will be based on $$ (with a muliplier of 5?) and if I book on ba.com it'll be based on miles right? It looks to me like I'll get more miles on the miles-based earning even if it's a 0.5 earn rate economy fare than the $$ based earning.
e.g. If I spend $500 on a ticket LHR-NYC it looks like I would earn about 2500 on aa.com and about 3,500 on ba.com (or more if there's a connection). And as I understand it that will be based on where the ticket is purchased, not which airline operates the flight?
So for any given route I should calculate the actual distance, divide by 10 and if the fare is more than that buy on aa.com and if it's less buy on ba.com?
And if I'm booking premium economy with the 1.0 earn rate then almost certainly better off booking with ba.com for the miles based earning?
Take your JFK-LHR round trip example, assume 7000 flight miles, at the $500 fare (before taxes), in a cheap O booking code. No status:
Booking BA flight numbers: 1750 RDM, 3500 EQM, $350 EQD
Booking AA flight numbers: 2500 RDM, 7000 EQM, $500 EQD
But if the exact same flight were booked under an N fare code, the earning for AA stays the same, but the earning for BA shifts to: 3500 RDM, 3500 EQM, $700 EQD.
Again, every scenario is different and it all depends on what you're chasing.
Aug 24, 2018, 2:12 pm
#1363
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,993
With Oneworld alliance marketed (flight number) determines earning, if an eligible operating carrier.
With Star alliance operated (airline) determines earning, if an eligible flight.
Aug 26, 2018, 7:46 am
#1365
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 789