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ARCHIVE: 2018 NEWBIE LOUNGE Ask Your "Newbie" AA Questions Here (flame free)

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Old Jan 1, 2018, 1:26 pm
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The 2019 Newbie Lounge thread can be found here.

Welcome to the 2018 "NEWBIE LOUNGE"
Ask Your Consolidated / Combined AA Questions Here (flame free)

MODERATOR GUIDEPOST:
(This post can only be edited by moderators.)



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.

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NOTE: The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
NOTE: The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here



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ARCHIVE: 2018 NEWBIE LOUNGE Ask Your "Newbie" AA Questions Here (flame free)

Old May 2, 2018, 12:47 pm
  #721  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AA
Posts: 15
Originally Posted by MathMusic
Believe it or not, AA's IT holds a seat and creates a booking record for you before you get to the point where you can view the seat map. It's not obvious but that is what they are doing under the hood.

You might notice these temporary bookings briefly showing up in your AA app if you get to that point again. There is a better way of viewing the seat map I referenced above that doesn't require a partial booking to view.
Apologies for not thanking the forum sooner for the advice, but I maxed out my posts yesterday with the last attempt to post a similar picture as flymonthly posted above.
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Old May 2, 2018, 1:03 pm
  #722  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 54
Where do I go through passport control PHL-MUC-HER?

Flying AA PHL-MUC then transferring to A3 MUC-HER, will I go through passport control in MUC and then fly to HER like a domestic flight, or not until I reach HER? I'm confused about the process when entering the EU and how the Schengen area works.
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Old May 2, 2018, 1:33 pm
  #723  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by Marsh11
Flying AA PHL-MUC then transferring to A3 MUC-HER, will I go through passport control in MUC and then fly to HER like a domestic flight, or not until I reach HER? I'm confused about the process when entering the EU and how the Schengen area works.
In my experience, youll go through immigration and get your EU entry stamp at your port of entry, recovering your hold baggage at your EU destination. Mind you, this is if youre flying both sectors as one ticket; if on separate ticketing your checked bags will only be tagged as far as MUC. Youll have to recover and recheck them in that case.
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Old May 2, 2018, 1:41 pm
  #724  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 54
Originally Posted by JDiver
In my experience, youll go through immigration and get your EU entry stamp at your port of entry, recovering your hold baggage at your EU destination. Mind you, this is if youre flying both sectors as one ticket; if on separate ticketing your checked bags will only be tagged as far as MUC. Youll have to recover and recheck them in that case.
Thanks. It's all on one ticket, so I hope it goes as you've predicted!
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Old May 2, 2018, 1:48 pm
  #725  
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Originally Posted by Marsh11
Thanks. It's all on one ticket, so I hope it goes as you've predicted!
You'll definitely get your passport stamped upon arriving into MUC. You'll then head over to T2 where your A3 flight will depart from the Schengen area (i.e no passport control). On a single ticket your bags will be checked through all the way to HER.
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Old May 2, 2018, 4:20 pm
  #726  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 54
Originally Posted by JJeffrey
You'll definitely get your passport stamped upon arriving into MUC. You'll then head over to T2 where your A3 flight will depart from the Schengen area (i.e no passport control). On a single ticket your bags will be checked through all the way to HER.
Great. Thanks for the explanation!
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Old May 3, 2018, 8:19 am
  #727  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 54
Originally Posted by JJeffrey
You'll definitely get your passport stamped upon arriving into MUC. You'll then head over to T2 where your A3 flight will depart from the Schengen area (i.e no passport control). On a single ticket your bags will be checked through all the way to HER.
Out of curiosity: a while back I flew IAD-LHR-LYS and did not go through passport control in LHR (which would be the EU port of entry, right?), only when I arrived at LYS. Why is the process for PHL-MUC-HER different?
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Old May 3, 2018, 8:29 am
  #728  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by Marsh11
Out of curiosity: a while back I flew IAD-LHR-LYS and did not go through passport control in LHR (which would be the EU port of entry, right?), only when I arrived at LYS. Why is the process for PHL-MUC-HER different?
Perhaps because the United Kingdom is not a signatory to the Schengen Agreement? (But as MADPhil says below, transit is transit at LHR).
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Last edited by JDiver; May 3, 2018 at 10:03 am Reason: Typo! Add...
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Old May 3, 2018, 8:51 am
  #729  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,914
Originally Posted by Marsh11
Out of curiosity: a while back I flew IAD-LHR-LYS and did not go through passport control in LHR (which would be the EU port of entry, right?), only when I arrived at LYS. Why is the process for PHL-MUC-HER different?
When you pass through LHR you do not enter the UK, unless you choose to. Even if you did you would still have to go through passport control at your eventual destination. The US does not provide transit facilities and everyone goes through passport control.
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Old May 3, 2018, 4:38 pm
  #730  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: ORD
Programs: aadvantage, mileage plus, millemiglia
Posts: 100
AA EQD as tie-breaker

I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place or if this question has already been rehashed somewhere else, I haven't gotten very efficient at searching the forums yet. If I understand correctly, AA uses EQDs as a tie breaker for upgrade requests between elites with the same status. Do EDQs earned by credit card spend count in this calculation?
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Old May 3, 2018, 4:38 pm
  #731  
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Originally Posted by Marsh11
Out of curiosity: a while back I flew IAD-LHR-LYS and did not go through passport control in LHR (which would be the EU port of entry, right?), only when I arrived at LYS. Why is the process for PHL-MUC-HER different?
Originally Posted by MADPhil
When you pass through LHR you do not enter the UK, unless you choose to. Even if you did you would still have to go through passport control at your eventual destination. The US does not provide transit facilities and everyone goes through passport control.
Most countries allow passengers to transit airside at an airport without formally entering the country. For some people~countries a transit visa may be needed.
USA is very different in that everyone goes through full passport control. 1000's of people avoid transiting USA for this reason.
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Old May 3, 2018, 5:18 pm
  #732  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Marriott: Platinum/LT Silver, AS: MVP
Posts: 67
I have an award itinerary booked through AA where I'm flying CX F connecting to AA Y for the domestic leg ("voluntary" downgrade as they don't have any award space) - that economy leg will still allow me the full baggage allowance of CX F when I re-check after customs, right? Or am I in for a nasty surprise at the baggage counter?
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Old May 3, 2018, 10:23 pm
  #733  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
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Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by goldmarch
I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place or if this question has already been rehashed somewhere else, I haven't gotten very efficient at searching the forums yet. If I understand correctly, AA uses EQDs as a tie breaker for upgrade requests between elites with the same status. Do EDQs earned by credit card spend count in this calculation?
EQDs are EQDs. EQM are EQM. Regardless of origin, theyre counted for status, etc.
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Old May 4, 2018, 9:34 am
  #734  
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,369
Originally Posted by ejg930
I have an award itinerary booked through AA where I'm flying CX F connecting to AA Y for the domestic leg ("voluntary" downgrade as they don't have any award space) - that economy leg will still allow me the full baggage allowance of CX F when I re-check after customs, right? Or am I in for a nasty surprise at the baggage counter?
No nasty surprises. You're flying on a First Class ticket (and some AA Eagle aircraft only offer a Coach cabin).

In any event, your bags should be checked through to your final destination, so you would just drop them at the baggage re-checking desk after Customs, not at an AA ticket counter.
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Old May 4, 2018, 4:09 pm
  #735  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: HKG/LON
Programs: QRPC-Plat/OWE, MPC, BAEC
Posts: 106
Hi all,

New to the AA forum, in fact just booked my first ever flight on AA, did a bit of research, didn't get the answers I needed though.

I booked BRU thru LHR to JFK, AA6748, AA6144, AA142, BA388, all in one booking, with only AA142 operated by AA itself. I have Ruby status.

1. How may bags can I check in? (The AA allowance or the BA allowance?)
2. Will it be a problem if I shortcheck one of the bags to LHR on the inbound?
3. Where can I check the booking class of my flight? (It's not available on AA manage my booking?)

Thank you!
Kelvin
HOLYMOLEAIR is offline  

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