IB MAD-BOS award availability completely disappeared?
Oct 31, 2018, 7:08 am
#1
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IB MAD-BOS award availability completely disappeared?
I have been looking for a seat in J from MAD-BOS and for the next 330 days I can only find 4-- yes-- 4 days when it is available (from BOS-MAD). Zilch from MAD-BOS on AA.com.
Furthermore, JFK availability vanishes after the summer season begins (March 28th)... with zero seats for the remaining bookable dates.
This used to be a very reliable route for AA award availability. I have read different stories that availability has been restricted because of IB's 90k promotion... who knows... Does anyone have any insight here as to what is going on?
If AA restricts IB space then we might as well forget US-Europe redemptions in J altogether....
Furthermore, JFK availability vanishes after the summer season begins (March 28th)... with zero seats for the remaining bookable dates.
This used to be a very reliable route for AA award availability. I have read different stories that availability has been restricted because of IB's 90k promotion... who knows... Does anyone have any insight here as to what is going on?
If AA restricts IB space then we might as well forget US-Europe redemptions in J altogether....
Oct 31, 2018, 11:05 pm
#2
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Have you tried using BA.com's fairly user-friendly search engine? Or ExpertFlyer, which lets you search a week at a time?
Oct 31, 2018, 11:55 pm
#3
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You do realize that IB flies one of the smallest J cabins in the sky, right? I think their 333/332 fleet has the same amount of J seats on them as the LUS ones.
Nov 1, 2018, 12:44 am
#4
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Yes I tried BA and EF. Nothing as well.
Nov 1, 2018, 12:48 am
#5
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Not an issue of how big their cabins are. As I said there has always been decent availability until now. And yes I monitor this frequently.
Nov 1, 2018, 12:52 am
#6
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Are they also not offering availability in the Y cabin on these flights as well? If they are not, then it might be an inventory-loading issue. But as was posted earlier, IB is the one which loads inventory availablity on their flights, not AA.
Nov 1, 2018, 12:56 am
#7
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Err, the question was if anyone knew what was going on- not who restricted but why such a dramatic change.
Nov 1, 2018, 8:21 am
#8
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I think the 90,000 Avios promotion is a big factor in the limited amount of J awards available at the moment. IB generally only releases 2 J award seats when the schedule opens. Add in the fact that IB frequent flyers can book awards seats something like 360 days out versus 330 booked with AA miles. I booked ORD-MAD and MAD-ORD for Sep 2019 the days they became available using Avios promotion miles coupled with the current Amex 1.4 to 1 transfer bonus.
That said, I did check some dates in late September 2019 and it's available in Saver J on IB & Ba's website but not AA or Expertflyer. I would double check your dates via IB or BA's websites and call AA and see if maybe it is available and just a technical issue.
That said, I did check some dates in late September 2019 and it's available in Saver J on IB & Ba's website but not AA or Expertflyer. I would double check your dates via IB or BA's websites and call AA and see if maybe it is available and just a technical issue.
Nov 2, 2018, 8:54 am
#9
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I think the 90,000 Avios promotion is a big factor in the limited amount of J awards available at the moment. IB generally only releases 2 J award seats when the schedule opens. Add in the fact that IB frequent flyers can book awards seats something like 360 days out versus 330 booked with AA miles. I booked ORD-MAD and MAD-ORD for Sep 2019 the days they became available using Avios promotion miles coupled with the current Amex 1.4 to 1 transfer bonus.
That said, I did check some dates in late September 2019 and it's available in Saver J on IB & Ba's website but not AA or Expertflyer. I would double check your dates via IB or BA's websites and call AA and see if maybe it is available and just a technical issue.
That said, I did check some dates in late September 2019 and it's available in Saver J on IB & Ba's website but not AA or Expertflyer. I would double check your dates via IB or BA's websites and call AA and see if maybe it is available and just a technical issue.
Nov 30, 2018, 9:19 am
#10
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Here's a new twist. So I am able to see the traditional 2 seats in J every day on BA.com. Expertflyer shows none.
When you try AA.com or call AA they see nothing.
Usually BA and IB have shown the same availability as AA (if I'm not mistaken)... is this what anyone else has seen?
When you try AA.com or call AA they see nothing.
Usually BA and IB have shown the same availability as AA (if I'm not mistaken)... is this what anyone else has seen?