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Older posts have been archived off to https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...nnections.html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
Sep 27, 2023, 9:40 am
#571
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Global Services 1MM,, AA Exec Plat. Hilton Honors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 606
Holding an AA award on BA: LAX-LHR-BCN in Biz. We are trying to move the LHR-BCN to a slightly earlier connection (2h earlier for convenience sake, as it wasn't originally available).
Phoned agent and was informed that because this was booked as a "married segment", they would need to cancel and rebook. Challenge is of course- finding LAX-LHR is a needle in the haystack. Why can AA not make this simple change? Their 90's technology sucks.
Phoned agent and was informed that because this was booked as a "married segment", they would need to cancel and rebook. Challenge is of course- finding LAX-LHR is a needle in the haystack. Why can AA not make this simple change? Their 90's technology sucks.
Sep 27, 2023, 10:14 am
#572
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,498
Holding an AA award on BA: LAX-LHR-BCN in Biz. We are trying to move the LHR-BCN to a slightly earlier connection (2h earlier for convenience sake, as it wasn't originally available).
Phoned agent and was informed that because this was booked as a "married segment", they would need to cancel and rebook. Challenge is of course- finding LAX-LHR is a needle in the haystack. Why can AA not make this simple change? Their 90's technology sucks.
Phoned agent and was informed that because this was booked as a "married segment", they would need to cancel and rebook. Challenge is of course- finding LAX-LHR is a needle in the haystack. Why can AA not make this simple change? Their 90's technology sucks.
Dec 13, 2023, 1:30 am
#573
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 294
Married segments SGN-HND-SFO
I want to book Sgn-Hnd-Sfo in business, but was only able to book Hnd—Sfo in business with JAL. AA agent was not able to combine economy award for the segment sgn-hnd with business award for the segment hnd-sfo. AA search also doesn’t show the mixed award for my day and my route.
So, I booked hnd-sfo in business by searching for that only segment. When I add sgn as my origin, the business seat for hnd-sfo is no longer available.
When I search for sgn-sfo, AA shows availability for sgn-hnd-sfo in economy. My question is if it’s ok for me to book another ticket with sgn-hnd-sfo in economy. So, I will have two different tickets for the segment hnd-sfo: one in coach and one in economy. This will cost me more miles, but I am willing to pay more miles to get to Haneda from Sai Gon. Does anyone know if this is allowed?
So, I booked hnd-sfo in business by searching for that only segment. When I add sgn as my origin, the business seat for hnd-sfo is no longer available.
When I search for sgn-sfo, AA shows availability for sgn-hnd-sfo in economy. My question is if it’s ok for me to book another ticket with sgn-hnd-sfo in economy. So, I will have two different tickets for the segment hnd-sfo: one in coach and one in economy. This will cost me more miles, but I am willing to pay more miles to get to Haneda from Sai Gon. Does anyone know if this is allowed?
Dec 13, 2023, 4:03 am
#574
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,807
Why wouldn’t it? It’s just self connect. Given JAL is the operating carrier, they treat it almost as if it was it was a through ticket - not only check through luggage provided you meet MCT, they’ll even protect you in disruptions.
Can’t think of an objection from an immigration perspective either - you’re just an airside transit in Japan (this isn’t India - separate tix are allowed). For Vietnam they don’t care if your going onwards to Japan, rather than return to the US (even if you don’t have residency rights in Japan).
Can’t think of an objection from an immigration perspective either - you’re just an airside transit in Japan (this isn’t India - separate tix are allowed). For Vietnam they don’t care if your going onwards to Japan, rather than return to the US (even if you don’t have residency rights in Japan).
Dec 13, 2023, 10:13 am
#575
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 294
Why wouldn’t it? It’s just self connect. Given JAL is the operating carrier, they treat it almost as if it was it was a through ticket - not only check through luggage provided you meet MCT, they’ll even protect you in disruptions.
Can’t think of an objection from an immigration perspective either - you’re just an airside transit in Japan (this isn’t India - separate tix are allowed). For Vietnam they don’t care if your going onwards to Japan, rather than return to the US (even if you don’t have residency rights in Japan).
Can’t think of an objection from an immigration perspective either - you’re just an airside transit in Japan (this isn’t India - separate tix are allowed). For Vietnam they don’t care if your going onwards to Japan, rather than return to the US (even if you don’t have residency rights in Japan).
Dec 13, 2023, 10:21 am
#576
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,498
Thank you. I am just worried about the worst case scenario that both my tickets for the segment hnd-sfo will be cancelled if I have two different tickets. When I googled booking two different tickets for the same flight, some people mentioned the possibility of both get cancelled. I am unsure on this.
If that's the case, then it would be up to JL's policies on if they cancel a duplicate booking like that.
Why not just book SGN-HND on the separate ticket, rather than SGN-HND-SFO? Then there wouldn't be an issue.
Dec 13, 2023, 12:48 pm
#577
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 294
Ok, it wasn't quite clear at first, but now it seems like you're going to have HND-SFO in business on one ticket, and SGN-HND-SFO in economy on another ticket?
If that's the case, then it would be up to JL's policies on if they cancel a duplicate booking like that.
Why not just book SGN-HND on the separate ticket, rather than SGN-HND-SFO? Then there wouldn't be an issue.
If that's the case, then it would be up to JL's policies on if they cancel a duplicate booking like that.
Why not just book SGN-HND on the separate ticket, rather than SGN-HND-SFO? Then there wouldn't be an issue.