AAExecPlatFlier

Might want to become a little more informed.... All of this is EYs doing. They cranked down on availability for the US point of sale due to increased redemptions. I am sure AA is none too pleased with this and is in dicussion a with EY.

SeeBuyFly

This is well known (see wiki) and is not an error. They are favoring people who are starting from or ending in AUH, i.e. their own members.

Also, since US-AUH costs the same number of miles as US-AUH-India, they have no incentive to provide a free ticket AUH-India. (This is speculative--I admit I don't know how or if they get paid by AA.)

Since this issue is clearly discussed in the wiki, you should not waste so much time calling them. On the other hand, you should call them starting about a month in advance, not a week in advance (also in the wiki). This works because a few weeks in advance, EY decides that its members have already booked whatever they're going to book; so it lets AAdvantage members book normally.

aktchi

This is incorrect. Etihad has not "agreed" to any such thing. Even AA has not "agreed" to make space available---not even to its own elites, not even on its own flights. According to COC, AA does not even "agree" to be fair in its dealings with you. The whole enterprise is based on "whatever we feel like".

Dave Noble

That sounds like it could be married sector issues. What happens when searching for the through journey rather than sector by sector

A-B may be available and B-C may be available ; that doesn't mean that A-C via B is available

omaralt

Actually it absolutely does mean that. I've booked etihad award space a few times and all was good until a few months ago when it all went to ..... I honestly have no problem if they wanted to limit availability to AA customers. They can do that by not making guest award space available! That way we don't see availability and then get frustrated when we can't book it

aktchi

I believe that they do want to make the space available to their own flyers, as well as those of other partner airlines who reciprocate and don't abuse. I believe they specifically wish to exclude AA flyers from the USA.

Big_Foot

It's some lame Etihad IT attempt to block sets they don't want us to book.
I'd prefer to know Etihad is not a partner, period.
Rather than this stupid game I'm refusing to play.

Dave Noble

Given the ease of booking EY travel that I have had with its availability and the quality of its product, I would have no desire to see it removed as a partner

That there are some situations where booking require calling Australia to make a booking doesn't seem like a difficult game to play

cmd320

While I value EY as a partner, I will say that the fact in 2016 you have to call anyone to book anything is pretty ridiculous. I don't understand why this can't just be done online.

Dave Noble

That isn't uniquely an issue with booking EY with AA ; this is a limitation that AA has in place with its systems rather than an EY issue

I would agree that AA's booking system for awards is pretty poor

omaralt

i agree that i dont want to see EY removed but the issue many of us are having (including myself) is that even Australia call center can't do it

dukerau

Be careful what you wish for. What would availability in EY F/J be like if it could be booked on aa.com?

jmgriffin

I called in to change an existing reservation from Royal Jordanian to Etihad and AA tried to charge me $150 per reservation change fee "because Etihad is not a OneWorld partner". Does this sound normal?

omaralt

unfortunately yes. they are not a one world partner, simply an american airlines partner

jmgriffin

any way around the fee? I called the US call center and they tried to charge it but maybe Australia call center doesn't charge it?