Apr 25, 2018, 6:21 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
What we know now:
Must be booked through ANEX PTS (Platinum Travel Service) or AMEX
AMEX Platinum members can contact AMEX PTS (Platinum Travel Service) and secure both cheaper fares than AA offers (when available) and fares with waived change fees for some routings, using AMEX “insider fares”, paying the $39 PTS booking fee (and $39 for ticket reissue if you change your original itinerary).
“If you book an "insider fare" on amextravel.com and pay with your points you will get free changes on AA ($39 phone fee applies per passenger)”
“If you want to pay in cash you have to call to get the insider/private fares... some agents know how to do it, others don't. You will have to pay $39 per passenger if you book this way...”
“Also, if you apply an SWU or upg with miles on one of these fares it makes it very difficult to change. It becomes an AMEX vs AA battle and can be very frustrating as AA takes "control" of the ticket when the upgrade is applied yet they still defer to AMEX for changes and AMEX defers to AA.”
“AMEX Platinum Travel telephone agent today shared with me the magic code to mention to invoke the AA change-fee-waiver: F80O
said it applies to AA bookings made via both AMEX Platinum Travel telephone agents (Phoenix address on statement) and AMEXTravel.com for Plats (Chicago address on statement) bookings.”
What we don’t know
If this applies to a subset of AMEX cards or if we can find these easily online. Let’s add what we learn and fill in the blanks; looks like a great payoff.
Thanks to Airstat, Colin, kar don.
Must be booked through ANEX PTS (Platinum Travel Service) or AMEX
AMEX Platinum members can contact AMEX PTS (Platinum Travel Service) and secure both cheaper fares than AA offers (when available) and fares with waived change fees for some routings, using AMEX “insider fares”, paying the $39 PTS booking fee (and $39 for ticket reissue if you change your original itinerary).
“If you book an "insider fare" on amextravel.com and pay with your points you will get free changes on AA ($39 phone fee applies per passenger)”
“If you want to pay in cash you have to call to get the insider/private fares... some agents know how to do it, others don't. You will have to pay $39 per passenger if you book this way...”
“Also, if you apply an SWU or upg with miles on one of these fares it makes it very difficult to change. It becomes an AMEX vs AA battle and can be very frustrating as AA takes "control" of the ticket when the upgrade is applied yet they still defer to AMEX for changes and AMEX defers to AA.”
Updated Experience: Obviously not every situation may work out so well but I just had an itinerary on insider fare (pay with points) which had an SWU applied. When I called AMEX, they said hands were tied. When I called AA Ex Plat desk, they said they had to call "contracts" to make any changes. The Ex Plat agent handled everything, made the change I wanted. I had to pay fare difference only (no change fee and no booking fees at all) and he applied the SWU to the new reservation. This is the 2nd time I've been able to make a change in this way, without incurring any additional booking fees (the prior one AA said they'd have to charge $50 to "takeover" the reservation but ended up waiving it because of my Ex Plat status). --cphurley
AMEX Centurion members may be able to do this as well, without paying the fee.“AMEX Platinum Travel telephone agent today shared with me the magic code to mention to invoke the AA change-fee-waiver: F80O
said it applies to AA bookings made via both AMEX Platinum Travel telephone agents (Phoenix address on statement) and AMEXTravel.com for Plats (Chicago address on statement) bookings.”
I used this a couple of weeks ago. I called the AMEX Platinum Travel and inquired about a ticket to BGI in business it was $200 cheaper than the AA website. She told me they normally had cheaper fares than what AA was offering. She also said it was changeable I just had to pay the $39 reissue fee.
If this applies to a subset of AMEX cards or if we can find these easily online. Let’s add what we learn and fill in the blanks; looks like a great payoff.
Thanks to Airstat, Colin, kar don.
Waived AA Change Fees for Amex Card members booking F80O fare via AMEX
Nov 24, 2019, 3:13 am
#61
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Zurich / Europe / New York
Programs: LH, BA, AA
Posts: 1,307
From US ... I’ve the same expensive AMEX non-branded card issued in CH - similar restrictions for flights only originated from Switzerland, except Emirates, this is less restrictive. I’ve never used it though neither in US nor CH. It’s such a hassles to call etc. 99% of my flights are international, Do you guys really think it worths the call checking every time?
Dec 4, 2019, 6:42 pm
#62
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: BOS
Programs: JetBlue Mosaic, WN A List Preferred, Hyatt Globalest, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Spire
Posts: 3,966
Booking Online Personal Platinum
Has anyone had success booking these AA fares with no change fees online, namely to save the $39 booking fee?
I called in to PTS, and they really were not sure if you could book these online paying cash instead of points.
They put my reserrvation on hold for 24 hours when I called.
Also both the J and Y fare were a little bit lower than what shows on the aa.com web site. For instance DFW to ICT was about $303 in J with PTS and about $366 on AA.
I called in to PTS, and they really were not sure if you could book these online paying cash instead of points.
They put my reserrvation on hold for 24 hours when I called.
Also both the J and Y fare were a little bit lower than what shows on the aa.com web site. For instance DFW to ICT was about $303 in J with PTS and about $366 on AA.
Dec 4, 2019, 7:37 pm
#64
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: USA
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Gold, Marriott/SPG Gold
Posts: 221
I have a personal Amex Platinum and made a booking over the phone with PTS, made of two separate tickets (AA and another OW airline) in a single PNR. They charge 2x $39 (one for each airline's ticket, for each passenger). When I wanted to change the reservation, they said the AA ticket has no change fee, but the other OW airline's change fee will apply. In addition, they will charge 2x $39 since there are two separate tickets (from two airlines) in that PNR. It still saves $44 per person ($39 x 4, for original booking and changing) compared to the AA $200 change fee.
Dec 12, 2020, 11:17 am
#66
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP, lowly UA 1K; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold; National EC, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,214
Bumping this again. Ideally it would be awesome to book the Insider Fares as cash these days but I don't think there is any way to do that.
Dec 12, 2020, 12:04 pm
#67
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958
Dec 12, 2020, 1:51 pm
#68
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
you can but f80o incurs the $39 phone ticketing fee f80q is available for some fares and routes and is bookable online with cash with what appears to be a roughly 20% discount.
Dec 12, 2020, 8:01 pm
#69
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: BOS
Programs: AA PP, DL PM
Posts: 2,086
Are the F80Q fares the same as the "Recommended Flight" discounts that show up on the Amex Travel website for some searches (e.g. JFK-LAX)?
Dec 12, 2020, 11:38 pm
#70
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
Dec 13, 2020, 4:00 pm
#71
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP, lowly UA 1K; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold; National EC, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,214
How do you get around the MR redemption requirement to book these online with cash to avoid the ticketing fee? Or is it just select markets they will show up?
Dec 13, 2020, 4:04 pm
#72
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
for some markets it will show up as a preferred flight. You most have amex platinum and be signed in. I started a ft tread on it a few weeks ago.
Jan 17, 2021, 10:23 pm
#73
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
The F80Q fares appear to still be available, despite the fact that it's after December 31. The official program language has not been updated.
Jan 18, 2021, 7:04 am
#74
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,545
Don't see any benefit with these F80O fares these days due to the same flexibility now being offered on all AA "I" fares. It helps crystalize a decision to cancel AMEX Biz Plat, which I was keeping purely as a way to painlessly self-service book cheap & flexible cheap business fares. Only saving ~10% is not worth the hassle factor of being forced to deal with Expedia for changes.
Jan 18, 2021, 11:10 am
#75
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958
I don't think Amex has a monopoly on private fares with respect to pricing or mandated form of payment. Perhaps with respect to self-service booking they do, however.