Booking AA Award travel on Etihad / EY - [2015-17 ARCHIVE]
Nov 25, 2017, 9:10 pm
#3496
Join Date: May 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: American - Platinum Pro, Marriott - Platinum
Posts: 479
Nov 25, 2017, 11:02 pm
#3497
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,227
I can see no justification for this advice. In over 200 international flights, I have never had an immigration officer show any interest in my incoming flight or its relationship to my departing flight. In my experience, if they want to know about the details of ongoing travel then that's it.
Nov 26, 2017, 4:20 am
#3498
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
I can see no justification for this advice. In over 200 international flights, I have never had an immigration officer show any interest in my incoming flight or its relationship to my departing flight. In my experience, if they want to know about the details of ongoing travel then that's it.
Nov 26, 2017, 4:20 am
#3499
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
I can see no justification for this advice. In over 200 international flights, I have never had an immigration officer show any interest in my incoming flight or its relationship to my departing flight. In my experience, if they want to know about the details of ongoing travel then that's it.
Nov 26, 2017, 8:55 am
#3500
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
I can see no justification for this advice. In over 200 international flights, I have never had an immigration officer show any interest in my incoming flight or its relationship to my departing flight. In my experience, if they want to know about the details of ongoing travel then that's it.
Nov 26, 2017, 9:06 am
#3501
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,136
BAD CALL. Booking as roundtrip means you lose all ability to make changes after the first segment is flown. No upgrades. No changes in routings. And if there’s any disruption at Etihad where they offer waivers, AA won’t honour since they’re unlikely to offer the same waiver. Always book one way awards. Full stop.
Nov 26, 2017, 12:24 pm
#3502
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Oh goodie. It’s solved!
Thanks for the responses.
Reporting back that the ticket was issued with the correct amount of $48 in taxes, I just had to insist to the agent the next day, to check with the pricing desk and they were able to do it correctly. The ticket was on hold when I was requesting more info on flyertalk, so no danger of losing availability.
Lesson learnt, do not believe the agent blindly on quoted taxes, especially when your gut tells they are wrong. This has happened twice in the past week for me. If you get an incompetent agent, HUACA, and request help from pricing desk, of course putting the ticket on hold helps so you don't lose availability.
Reporting back that the ticket was issued with the correct amount of $48 in taxes, I just had to insist to the agent the next day, to check with the pricing desk and they were able to do it correctly. The ticket was on hold when I was requesting more info on flyertalk, so no danger of losing availability.
Lesson learnt, do not believe the agent blindly on quoted taxes, especially when your gut tells they are wrong. This has happened twice in the past week for me. If you get an incompetent agent, HUACA, and request help from pricing desk, of course putting the ticket on hold helps so you don't lose availability.
Nov 26, 2017, 4:03 pm
#3503
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,631
I am not sure if it is a matter of the phone number used, or the agent's skills. My guess is that it is simply a random number generator on EY's computers. One just has to keep trying.
Nov 26, 2017, 4:05 pm
#3504
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
Today I called NZ again and got transferred to an US agent. I hadn't heard of that happening before although I have been transferred to Trinidad. I hung up and tried something else---Singapore (based on a comment in OMAAT). Well, I got transferred to Fiji...and success, this agent was able to see the space!
I am not sure if it is a matter of the phone number used, or the agent's skills. My guess is that it is simply a random number generator on EY's computers. One just has to keep trying.
I am not sure if it is a matter of the phone number used, or the agent's skills. My guess is that it is simply a random number generator on EY's computers. One just has to keep trying.
Nov 26, 2017, 5:23 pm
#3505
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
But for passengers on a US tourist visa, it's advisable to book a roundtrip so you have proof of return travel. Arguably you can book 2 one-ways and the return one-way can serve as proof of return travel, but I've heard real-life incidents where the one-way has landed people in trouble with the customs officer, so decided to go with the roundtrip.
Nov 26, 2017, 5:42 pm
#3506
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,631
I have seen US immigration officers being unnecessarily rude to third world travelers although I have never experienced it myself. The agent may interpret separate one-way tickets as a subterfuge, i.e. the return portion is intended to be refunded. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, since RT award tickets can be partially refunded also, but these guys don't travel much and they are given a lot of autonomy.
Nov 28, 2017, 6:13 am
#3507
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 29
Might be a silly question, but I want to book an Etihad F award, however the AA-account is in my wife's name (all points are accumulated through CC-spend). Would I be able to call and book the award, or would it have to be my wife going through it all?
Nov 28, 2017, 6:29 am
#3508
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MLB
Programs: DL DM/2.9M, AA EXP, *A Gold
Posts: 245
Have your wife nearby when you call. I've had agents just allow me to book flights without question, and I've had others who have asked to speak to my wife to get permission first before allowing me to use her account.
Nov 28, 2017, 5:28 pm
#3509
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 29
DP: Booked AUH-LHR in F for late February. Called Australia. Wife wasn't required to verify account :-)
Dec 1, 2017, 1:05 pm
#3510
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 14
Hello FT. Is it possible to book MLE-AUH- JFK- SFO all for 115k? JFK - SFO would be on AA metal.