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)
Nov 17, 2018, 3:23 pm
#1861
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: Southwest A-List, Alaska MVP
Posts: 1,231
If traveling with Platinum Pro do I get MCE or just them?
Nov 17, 2018, 5:19 pm
#1862
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
You can get MCE too. If you're on the same PNR then you should be able to select MCE online at aa.com. If you're on a separate PNR then the PLT Pro needs to call AA to get you seated in MCE, but it's still complimentary.
Nov 17, 2018, 7:39 pm
#1863
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 155
I was wondering if AA international std level award flights that are currently at 110,000 would ever INCREASE to 135,000 on that exaxt same day as we get closer to summer flight day.
Was also wondering whether Aadvantage program will have the last seat available on that int'l flight at the saver award redemption level.
Was also wondering whether Aadvantage program will have the last seat available on that int'l flight at the saver award redemption level.
Nov 17, 2018, 11:59 pm
#1864
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
I was wondering if AA international std level award flights that are currently at 110,000 would ever INCREASE to 135,000 on that exaxt same day as we get closer to summer flight day.
Was also wondering whether Aadvantage program will have the last seat available on that int'l flight at the saver award redemption level.
Was also wondering whether Aadvantage program will have the last seat available on that int'l flight at the saver award redemption level.
And for obvious reasons if there is only one seat left for sale on any given flight it will generally only be bookable as an AAnytime award, not sAAver.
Nov 18, 2018, 10:37 am
#1865
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Diego
Programs: UA LTP, AA LTG, DL Plat, Marriott LTT, HH Diamond
Posts: 865
I'm booking a pretty straightforward SAN-ORD flight, as a reward (just 12.5K so presumably sAAver) for me and my wife. We both have AA accounts, and I'd like to save my miles for a future big flight, to keep them in one place, and use her miles instead of mine.
However, I'm a gold, which gives me better seat assignments and a free checked bag, and she has no status. If we use her miles, will I still be able to:
[] Check a bag free (under my name, not hers)
[] Take advantage of better advanced seating
[] And if I can get better advanced seating, will that work for both of us, or would it only work for me?
Many thanks for your help.
FTF
However, I'm a gold, which gives me better seat assignments and a free checked bag, and she has no status. If we use her miles, will I still be able to:
[] Check a bag free (under my name, not hers)
[] Take advantage of better advanced seating
[] And if I can get better advanced seating, will that work for both of us, or would it only work for me?
Many thanks for your help.
FTF
Nov 18, 2018, 10:50 am
#1866
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
I'm booking a pretty straightforward SAN-ORD flight, as a reward (just 12.5K so presumably sAAver) for me and my wife. We both have AA accounts, and I'd like to save my miles for a future big flight, to keep them in one place, and use her miles instead of mine.
However, I'm a gold, which gives me better seat assignments and a free checked bag, and she has no status. If we use her miles, will I still be able to:
Check a bag free (under my name, not hers)
Take advantage of better advanced seating
And if I can get better advanced seating, will that work for both of us, or would it only work for me?
Many thanks for your help.
FTF
However, I'm a gold, which gives me better seat assignments and a free checked bag, and she has no status. If we use her miles, will I still be able to:
Check a bag free (under my name, not hers)
Take advantage of better advanced seating
And if I can get better advanced seating, will that work for both of us, or would it only work for me?
Many thanks for your help.
FTF
Nov 18, 2018, 12:46 pm
#1867
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 315
JJeffrey Thanks for that answer. I recently asked this same question multiple places and many people said it could change. I have a ticket held at 110k miles but the surrounding days are 135k. But the trip is a way out and if it's really not going to change I don't see any reason to lock myself in at this point. Not until the first/business class cabins are starting to fill, since it's any available seat. Would you agree? I was wondering how you know for sure it won't change when others say anything is possible. Thanks
Nov 18, 2018, 3:06 pm
#1869
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
JJeffrey Thanks for that answer. I recently asked this same question multiple places and many people said it could change. I have a ticket held at 110k miles but the surrounding days are 135k. But the trip is a way out and if it's really not going to change I don't see any reason to lock myself in at this point. Not until the first/business class cabins are starting to fill, since it's any available seat. Would you agree? I was wondering how you know for sure it won't change when others say anything is possible. Thanks
For AAnytime awards like this it typically never makes sense to book in advance unless the flight is close to selling out. I agree that there's no reason to book now in your scenario. Booking an AAnytime award early also takes one more seat out of available inventory, which means AA is then one more seat less likely to release any sAAver space down the line.
I think others are saying that sure, it could change, as in at anytime AA could change the way that it sets the AAnytime rates. However as the program is now it doesn't work like that.
Also, if AA were to change in this way, where a date that was originally set at 110k could fluctuate to 135k or 150k etc. as the flight fills up, that would be a major shift to more dynamic award pricing and a huge devaluation, I doubt it's something AA would just casually decide to turn on one day.
Nov 18, 2018, 3:11 pm
#1870
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 315
Thanks. My personal feeling is that a lot of people are answering for what they've seen with Saver awards which do have dynamic award pricing. Maybe not many people actually use Anytime awards so aren't speaking from real experience.
Nov 18, 2018, 4:03 pm
#1871
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Diego
Programs: UA LTP, AA LTG, DL Plat, Marriott LTT, HH Diamond
Posts: 865
Nov 19, 2018, 1:28 am
#1872
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1
Chances of upgrade as CX Diamond MPC member?
Hi all,
I'm a CX Diamond MPC which translates to Oneworld Emerald status. I'm flying AA192 (HKG-LAX) and AA1314 (LAX-MIA) on 21 November 2018 on Economy class (O fare class).
What are my chances of an operational upgrade on these flights with AA?
Thank you! 😊
I'm a CX Diamond MPC which translates to Oneworld Emerald status. I'm flying AA192 (HKG-LAX) and AA1314 (LAX-MIA) on 21 November 2018 on Economy class (O fare class).
What are my chances of an operational upgrade on these flights with AA?
Thank you! 😊
Nov 19, 2018, 1:30 am
#1873
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,026
AA has a lot of upgraders
Nov 19, 2018, 8:16 am
#1874
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,106
That said, an MCE seat with the snack box should be plenty for a transcon like that. Domestic F seats are nice, but I don't care that much.
Nov 19, 2018, 3:49 pm
#1875
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, 2MM
Posts: 1,254
AA or BA marketed. Any downside?
I am looking to book MXP to JFK round trip for $1600 in Business. Books in I class. The same fare is available BA marketed or IB marketed. Based on the charts, I’d actually come out better with the OAL stock in terms of miles earned and EQD. (I have no AA status).
Is there any draw back for booking via the partner?
Long time Delta Diamond. Just making sure there isn’t something obvious I’m missing.
Is there any draw back for booking via the partner?
Long time Delta Diamond. Just making sure there isn’t something obvious I’m missing.