Jan 3, 2018, 5:05 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
AA has increased award availability at the SAAver / MileSAAver level, apparently at the cost of reducing the availability of nonstop and direct routing and increasing availability requiring connections using married segment logic.
This means those originating travel at one hub may well find themselves forced to connect through another hub - whose residents will also be required to connect through another hub. This is suspected to be a way of accommodating SAAver awards without competing with those purchasing more convenient nonstop routing. See post #17 by ashill.
Gary Leff: “Cranky Flier got American to confirm last week that much of the space they’ve opened up is on connecting flights. They’re offering married segment availability — award space that’s highly restrictive...”
See American Significantly Increases Coach Award Space On Connecting Flights, By Cranky Flier on Dec 21, 2017
How to Game American’s New Connecting Flight Award Availability to Get the Ticket You Want, by Gary Leff on December 26, 2017 but see post #75 by Psyclone*Jack; this loophole may now be closed.
"When selling seats for through flights and the desired inventory is not available, you cannot opt to sell the flight point-to-point. If sold point-to-point, the error response MULTIPLE SEGMENTS FOR SAME FLIGHT - SELL AS ONE SEGMENT will be received, indicating this booking is not allowed. Overriding the error check by ending the PNR twice is not acceptable." Link to FT thread; see wikipost info by JonNYC and hillrider.
"Sometimes when you’re searching for award space... you’ll find that some seats will show as available when you search for them from origin to destination, but when you call to book the flights segment-by-segment, those flights show as unavailable."
"Married segment logic is a tool used by airlines that restricts availability based on origin and destination, rather than by segments."(DCTA, on Boarding Area)
Link to Boarding Area: Sunday Reader Question: What are married segments?
Link to Worldspan page with extensive information on MSL and coding.
Older posts have been archived off to https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...nnections.html
This means those originating travel at one hub may well find themselves forced to connect through another hub - whose residents will also be required to connect through another hub. This is suspected to be a way of accommodating SAAver awards without competing with those purchasing more convenient nonstop routing. See post #17 by ashill.
Gary Leff: “Cranky Flier got American to confirm last week that much of the space they’ve opened up is on connecting flights. They’re offering married segment availability — award space that’s highly restrictive...”
See American Significantly Increases Coach Award Space On Connecting Flights, By Cranky Flier on Dec 21, 2017
How to Game American’s New Connecting Flight Award Availability to Get the Ticket You Want, by Gary Leff on December 26, 2017 but see post #75 by Psyclone*Jack; this loophole may now be closed.
Married Segment Logic and Effects on Awards
"When selling seats for through flights and the desired inventory is not available, you cannot opt to sell the flight point-to-point. If sold point-to-point, the error response MULTIPLE SEGMENTS FOR SAME FLIGHT - SELL AS ONE SEGMENT will be received, indicating this booking is not allowed. Overriding the error check by ending the PNR twice is not acceptable." Link to FT thread; see wikipost info by JonNYC and hillrider.
"Sometimes when you’re searching for award space... you’ll find that some seats will show as available when you search for them from origin to destination, but when you call to book the flights segment-by-segment, those flights show as unavailable."
"Married segment logic is a tool used by airlines that restricts availability based on origin and destination, rather than by segments."(DCTA, on Boarding Area)
Married segment logic controls routings based on origin and destination, rather than segment-by-segment availability. Boarding Area
From Amadeus: Married Segment Control Link
Amadeus Married Segment Control is a revenue maximisation tool that ensures that airline revenue management decisions, made at availability time, are applied throughout the booking process. It prevents agents bypassing availability controls, based on origin and destination (O&D) information. It also improves both load factors and revenue forecasting accuracy.
Key benefits
Amadeus Married Segment Control is a revenue maximisation tool that ensures that airline revenue management decisions, made at availability time, are applied throughout the booking process. It prevents agents bypassing availability controls, based on origin and destination (O&D) information. It also improves both load factors and revenue forecasting accuracy.
Key benefits
- Ensures more effective forecasting by preventing O&D misuse and matching revenue forecasts with final revenues.
- Improves consistency of sales processes by controlling travel agent selling behaviour.
- Fully customisable and flexible solution that meets airline unique system requirements.
Older posts have been archived off to https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...nnections.html
More award availability restricted by married segments / connections
Apr 24, 2019, 12:57 pm
#391
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 519
Award available for separate segments but not combined
I am trying to book MAN-MCI in business via PHL but it does not show. But when I tried different combination it shows as follow:
MAN-PHL business saver not available.
MAN-MCI business saver available but route is MAN-PHL buss, PHL-ORD buss next day, and ORD-MCI buss.
PHL-MCI buss available for evening flight- 8:46 pm and flight arrived from MAN at 1:40 pm - so enough time between two flights.
Why AA does not show MAN-MCI? I called AA and rep also tried but could not book it. She was nice and she talked to her supervisor but finally they gave up and did not know the reason. Can anyone please help or its not possible.
Thanks.
MAN-PHL business saver not available.
MAN-MCI business saver available but route is MAN-PHL buss, PHL-ORD buss next day, and ORD-MCI buss.
PHL-MCI buss available for evening flight- 8:46 pm and flight arrived from MAN at 1:40 pm - so enough time between two flights.
Why AA does not show MAN-MCI? I called AA and rep also tried but could not book it. She was nice and she talked to her supervisor but finally they gave up and did not know the reason. Can anyone please help or its not possible.
Thanks.
Apr 24, 2019, 1:00 pm
#392
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
Apr 24, 2019, 1:18 pm
#393
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AA PLT, IHG Spire
Posts: 551
Unfortunately, it's married segment logic at work. For that combination of flights there is not availability to book them together. If you book the overnight layover and saver on the one stop itinerary opens up later you can call and change for free. Or if a schedule change happens you might get them to move you.
May 15, 2019, 5:20 pm
#395
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Amongst many recent-- and increasingly more draconian-- examples:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31104975-post162.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31104975-post162.html
May 15, 2019, 5:44 pm
#396
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 336
Trouble Changing Leg in Economy on Business/First Award
Amongst many recent-- and increasingly more draconian-- examples:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31104975-post162.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31104975-post162.html
May 15, 2019, 8:17 pm
#397
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
Should I try again? I thought speaking with a Supervisor might clear things up a bit, but to no avail. . . . Even the agents who wouldn't change me to a better flight time with same-day travel told me there wouldn't be any problem changing from Economy to Business if Business opened up, but that was a couple days ago. I am taken aback by this new disappointing development from today . . . .
May 15, 2019, 9:37 pm
#398
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,318
Shouldn’t it be just available B-C as a married segment to A-B? As opposed to available on both legs?
what if A-B is sold out in business. Then it will never be available all the way.
what if A-B is sold out in business. Then it will never be available all the way.
May 15, 2019, 10:07 pm
#399
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
But the B-C availability has to be there when searched as A-C , not just a standalone B-C
May 16, 2019, 12:09 am
#400
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 64
I have a new one that I’m sure is part of the married logic problem. I’m trying to fly MHT-SJC ON Aug 12th. The AA site show that if I want to book milesaaver first, that the segment from Mht to Ord is only available in coach. I checked expert flyer, and both segments have U availability. Checked the AA website, and both segments are available in first. Additionally, if I try to book through the BA Avios site, both segments come up as available in Business class. But no matter what I do, that first segment comes up as economy only on the aa website.
May 16, 2019, 1:39 am
#401
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
I have a new one that I’m sure is part of the married logic problem. I’m trying to fly MHT-SJC ON Aug 12th. The AA site show that if I want to book milesaaver first, that the segment from Mht to Ord is only available in coach. I checked expert flyer, and both segments have U availability. Checked the AA website, and both segments are available in first. Additionally, if I try to book through the BA Avios site, both segments come up as available in Business class. But no matter what I do, that first segment comes up as economy only on the aa website.
AA3225 connecting to AA1039 seems to have U6 on both sectors, other than that there doesn't seem to be any other through availability
May 16, 2019, 1:47 am
#402
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 64
Those are the flights I’m trying to book. Both seem to have availability, but it won’t let me book first class from mht to ord. And the fact that I could book it with Avios through the BA website should prove saver awards are available. I guess a phone clall is in order.
May 16, 2019, 2:22 am
#403
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
Those are the flights I’m trying to book. Both seem to have availability, but it won’t let me book first class from mht to ord. And the fact that I could book it with Avios through the BA website should prove saver awards are available. I guess a phone clall is in order.
A phone call seems to be the way to go
May 16, 2019, 7:33 am
#404
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 336
Two agents told me even if just the one leg currently in Economy opened as a Business/First Saaver then I could change. Both were adamant it wouldn’t be a problem.
May 16, 2019, 7:42 am
#405
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,239
But it's still a fairly draconian policy (but not as bad as requiring U inventory on both segments even if you already have it on one).