Jan 1, 2019, 2:12 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Welcome to the 2019 "NEWBIE LOUNGE"
Ask Your Consolidated / Combined AA Questions Here (flame free)
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST:
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST:
(This post can only be edited by moderators.)
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Welcome to Flyertalk!
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.
We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
Check out the following resources:
- GUIDE: FT - AA Forum, LOUNGE DASHBOARD and OSO / IRROPS (Links to most important threads, "Help Desk" assistance threads, the thread with resources for off-schedule operations / irregular operations (including links to AA weather policy and tools), hub airport threads, AA lounge Dashboard for all lounges and lounge related issues.)
- FAQ: American Airlines and AAdvantage - Please check here first! (Our FAQ were originally written for the pre-merger AA forum, but there's still a lot of useful information there.)
- New and uncertain where to start here, and it's about American Airlines? Start in our "NEWBIE LOUNGE" thread, here: link.
- Do you have questions about other travel related issues that do not pertain to AA and are unsure where to start? Visit our Information Desk Forum here: U]link. [/U]
- Especially useful to new members: FAQs (How to post like a pro and more)
- The NEW FlyerTalk: Helpful Hints, Tips and Suggestions to Enhance Your Experience (Information Desk Forum)
- FlyerTalk Glossary (What is all this jargon?)
- Airport Code Guide (How do I decode an airport code / find one for a city?)
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
- Canarsie's Using the Search Feature on FlyerTalk: The Definitive Thread has relocated to the Information Desk Forum; it can be found there.
- One can search FlyerTalk with Google with this web form.
- Or, if you are used to Google search, use Google Advanced Search and insert www.flyertalk.com in the "site or domain" box.
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.)
NOTE: 2019 NEWBIE LOUNGE older posts are here.
The 2018 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
ARCHIVE: NEWBIE LOUNGE 2019: Ask "Newbie" AA Questions Here (flame free)
Dec 18, 2019, 3:34 pm
#2086
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,480
I booked a nonstop flight from JFK-CUN on 1-30-20 and a return on 2-3-20 and paid for the flights. I realized I wanted to use points instead. Is there a simple way to convert the existing reservation to one using points or do I have to book a new reservation and cancel the one I paid for?
Also looks like the same flights will cost me 130,000 points which seems extraordinarily steep. Any way to lower this?
Also looks like the same flights will cost me 130,000 points which seems extraordinarily steep. Any way to lower this?
Point being, I hope there's a very good reason behind wanting to do what you're proposing to do, because on the surface it doesn't make much sense...
Dec 19, 2019, 9:35 am
#2087
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,468
I have an AA partner award on JAL which is my first time using AA miles. I am not seeing any way online to make changes to the reservation. I will likely be doing a date change at some point. Does this have to be done by calling in? That's such a ludicrous notion that I'm sure I must be missing something.
Dec 19, 2019, 11:03 am
#2088
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,018
I have an AA partner award on JAL which is my first time using AA miles. I am not seeing any way online to make changes to the reservation. I will likely be doing a date change at some point. Does this have to be done by calling in? That's such a ludicrous notion that I'm sure I must be missing something.
JL---> AAdvantage Award using JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)
Dec 19, 2019, 11:16 am
#2089
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,585
I have an AA partner award on JAL which is my first time using AA miles. I am not seeing any way online to make changes to the reservation. I will likely be doing a date change at some point. Does this have to be done by calling in? That's such a ludicrous notion that I'm sure I must be missing something.
Dec 19, 2019, 2:03 pm
#2090
Join Date: May 2004
Location: HYI/AUS/SAT originally TTN/EWR/PHL
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Jetblue TrueBlue, American Advantage
Posts: 1,190
Is the A320 getting the Oasis treatment?
Flying PHL to MCO in February and they changed my plane to MCO into an A320 from a 738. My return flight to Philly appears to have been Oasised (A321) and they changed my seat. I can switch to an A320 on the return as well as it's a award ticket with availability. If I'm going to be Oasis free by doing that I will.
Dec 19, 2019, 2:40 pm
#2091
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
do you have to be AA Gold at the time of check-in or at the time of departure to be eligible for things like preferred seating or MCE? my flight is 12/31, my status expires 12/30....
Dec 19, 2019, 2:42 pm
#2092
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Select the seats before 12/30 and they'll probably stick, but no guarantees, esp. if there are any changes (aircraft swap, etc.).
Dec 19, 2019, 4:07 pm
#2093
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Flying PHL to MCO in February and they changed my plane to MCO into an A320 from a 738. My return flight to Philly appears to have been Oasised (A321) and they changed my seat. I can switch to an A320 on the return as well as it's a award ticket with availability. If I'm going to be Oasis free by doing that I will.
Dec 20, 2019, 2:58 am
#2094
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,640
Flying PHL to MCO in February and they changed my plane to MCO into an A320 from a 738. My return flight to Philly appears to have been Oasised (A321) and they changed my seat. I can switch to an A320 on the return as well as it's a award ticket with availability. If I'm going to be Oasis free by doing that I will.
Dec 20, 2019, 8:14 am
#2095
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: AA
Posts: 76
My wife is flying on an award ticket this weekend. She has miles that are set to expire in the early part of 2020. Will the award activity "reactivate" those miles?
Should clarify that the ticket was made using miles from my account, not hers
Should clarify that the ticket was made using miles from my account, not hers
Last edited by robinsondg; Dec 20, 2019 at 9:48 am
Dec 20, 2019, 8:43 am
#2096
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
Does AA have same day flight change like United does for elites? I found this to be so useful as a United elite.
Dec 20, 2019, 9:28 am
#2097
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,585
https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...day-travel.jsp
Dec 20, 2019, 9:50 am
#2098
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Doubtful, since there won’t be any activity in her acct.
Dec 20, 2019, 10:03 am
#2099
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,585
There are lots of relatively inexpensive ways for her to extend the expiration date of her miles, including redeeming miles for a magazine subscription, making a small purchase from the AA shopping portal, signing up for AAdvantage Dining and having a meal at a participating restaurant, etc., etc.
Dec 20, 2019, 10:52 am
#2100
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
Rules on AA same-day confirmed change and same-day standby here:
https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...day-travel.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...day-travel.jsp