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ARCHIVE: NEWBIE LOUNGE 2019: Ask "Newbie" AA Questions Here (flame free)

Old Jan 1, 2019, 2:12 pm
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Last edit by: JDiver
Welcome to the 2019 "NEWBIE LOUNGE"
Ask Your Consolidated / Combined AA Questions Here (flame free)
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST:
(This post can only be edited by moderators.)



Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
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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.

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NOTE: 2019 NEWBIE LOUNGE older posts are here.

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ARCHIVE: NEWBIE LOUNGE 2019: Ask "Newbie" AA Questions Here (flame free)

Old Feb 3, 2019, 11:28 am
  #181  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: PSP
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, United
Posts: 1,081
Interlining checked luggage AA to EY??

Not new to AA or FT but can not find if AA will check luggage thru to EY. Any info is appreciated.
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Old Feb 3, 2019, 1:20 pm
  #182  
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Originally Posted by pssteve
Not new to AA or FT but can not find if AA will check luggage thru to EY. Any info is appreciated.
Same PNR = yes
Different PNR= no
AA thread on bag interlining with OW --->https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...es-2016-a.html
Expect AA to EY will be same as AA to other OW airlines
So if the EY flight has been purchased separately AA will not check luggage through to EY

Edit
Another AA to EY thread (but exactly not the same topic). Look at post 9
AA connecting to EY in BCN - recheck luggage?

Last edited by Mwenenzi; Feb 3, 2019 at 1:27 pm
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 12:06 pm
  #183  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: AA, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 40
LHR arrivals lounge question

Newbie to AA lounges here. I have access through the world elite credit card, but have only ever use the access domestically. My husband and I are travelling to LHR in may, and I was wondering about the arrivals lounge. We will most likely be coach class. Does my access allow us access for showers and such on arrival? Is the arrivals lounge before we have to go through customs or after? Is the lounge on the front side of security (I saw one on the LHR map) a regular lounge we are able to use? I will be flying into LHR a bit over the next few years, as my son is moving to England in June. Will I be able to take my son and daughter-in-law with me into the lounges? I know my husband can, but can I take all 3 on occasion that we may all be flying together? Thank you in advance for all of the help.
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 1:21 pm
  #184  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
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Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by Smrtmom1
Newbie to AA lounges here. I have access through the world elite credit card, but have only ever use the access domestically. My husband and I are travelling to LHR in may, and I was wondering about the arrivals lounge. We will most likely be coach class. Does my access allow us access for showers and such on arrival? Is the arrivals lounge before we have to go through customs or after? Is the lounge on the front side of security (I saw one on the LHR map) a regular lounge we are able to use? I will be flying into LHR a bit over the next few years, as my son is moving to England in June. Will I be able to take my son and daughter-in-law with me into the lounges? I know my husband can, but can I take all 3 on occasion that we may all be flying together? Thank you in advance for all of the help.
What world elite credit card do you have that offers longe access? If its an AA Citi Executive MasterCard, that allows Admirals Class access, and there are showers, as it confers membership. Two guests allowed, if thats your card. If you have another AAdvantage card, you actually dont have lounge access at all, though you can purchase one day passes for everyone.

The AA arrivals lounge is landside and will not be available to you, unless youre one world Emerald - but without guests - or arriving in Business or First.
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 3:27 pm
  #185  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: AA, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 40
Originally Posted by JDiver
What world elite credit card do you have that offers longe access? If its an AA Citi Executive MasterCard, that allows Admirals Class access, and there are showers, as it confers membership. Two guests allowed, if thats your card. If you have another AAdvantage card, you actually dont have lounge access at all, though you can purchase one day passes for everyone.

The AA arrivals lounge is landside and will not be available to you, unless youre one world Emerald - but without guests - or arriving in Business or First.
I have the AA Citi Executive World Elite MasterCard, which does grant me Admirals Club access membership. I used to be OW Sapphire, but didn't fly enough last 2 years to maintain, so now I'm back to "member" status. Hopefully this year, with multiple trips to England planned, that will change.

And I want to make sure that I understand, I CAN go into the Admirals Club after security, and they have showers. And unless we upgrade to Business or First (which we may still do...haven't purchased tickets yet), then we can NOT use the arrivals lounge. Is that correct?

I'm sorry to have so many questions, as I said, the whole international lounge access issues are new to me. Thank you again.

I know I also have complimentary membership to Priority Pass locations with my Hilton card, and have found one in our terminal at LHR. But I wasn't sure which lounges I had access to on the AA side.
Thank you again!
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 6:01 pm
  #186  
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I will be flying from LHR to DFW in business class on board an AA operated B777-200 in early April. According to the Seat Guru website, there are two 772 business class seating configurations used by American including one where every other window seat in business faces to the rear. I'd much rather being facing forward.

Is American still operating the 772 with this configuration which includes rear facing window seats in business class? Looking at my seat assignment on the aa.com, the seat chart does not indicate which way the seat faces.

Thanks in advance.
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 6:06 pm
  #187  
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Originally Posted by Smrtmom1
I have the AA Citi Executive World Elite MasterCard, which does grant me Admirals Club access membership. I used to be OW Sapphire, but didn't fly enough last 2 years to maintain, so now I'm back to "member" status. Hopefully this year, with multiple trips to England planned, that will change.

And I want to make sure that I understand, I CAN go into the Admirals Club after security, and they have showers. And unless we upgrade to Business or First (which we may still do...haven't purchased tickets yet), then we can NOT use the arrivals lounge. Is that correct?

I'm sorry to have so many questions, as I said, the whole international lounge access issues are new to me. Thank you again.

I know I also have complimentary membership to Priority Pass locations with my Hilton card, and have found one in our terminal at LHR. But I wasn't sure which lounges I had access to on the AA side.
Thank you again!
When you arrive at LHR you will not have any lounge access, unless you upgrade to business class, at which point you could access the Arrivals Lounge. The Admirals Club is airside in the departures hall at LHR T3, and you need a valid onward boarding pass to access this area. So you can access the Admirals Club anytime you are departing LHR T3, just not arriving.
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 6:16 pm
  #188  
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Originally Posted by jlemon
I will be flying from LHR to DFW in business class on board an AA operated B777-200 in early April. According to the Seat Guru website, there are two 772 business class seating configurations used by American including one where every other window seat in business faces to the rear. I'd much rather being facing forward.

Is American still operating the 772 with this configuration which includes rear facing window seats in business class? Looking at my seat assignment on the aa.com, the seat chart does not indicate which way the seat faces.

Thanks in advance.
Yes, AA still operates the foward/backward config in business class on some of the 772's (and has no current plans to update these planes). Unfortunately you will not know which config you're set to be on until around 24-48 hrs before the flight, until then all seatmaps appear as the 100% forward facing config. The below thread/wiki has all the details...

Aircraft guide: Which 777-200ER / 772 / 777? (2019 on)
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 7:30 pm
  #189  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 125
I'm flying
NRT-ORD-DFW-DEN in J next week

From what I see AA pretty purposely blocks any saver space in all cabins 2 weeks prior to departure (I'll still check daily though to try and change prior). Is there any way to same day change/standby for a fee to get the ORD-DEN direct as a worst case? Any tips or tricks or something I"m missing?

I see their rules here are pretty strict on changes. Surely if the plane leaves with empty seats it would make business sense to take a fee and put a standby butt in the seat for the direct?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...day-travel.jsp
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 9:00 pm
  #190  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 4
business class availability with points

I usually book my flights to europe in economy for me and my family, especially with points. However I am going to london by myself for work, and I really want to book a business or first class flight from PHX to LHR. I am not finding any nonstop in business for early May, only in economy. To be frank, some of these connections suck, with layovers for 6-7 hours.... is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 4:45 am
  #191  
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Originally Posted by elhombre
I usually book my flights to europe in economy for me and my family, especially with points. However I am going to london by myself for work, and I really want to book a business or first class flight from PHX to LHR. I am not finding any nonstop in business for early May, only in economy. To be frank, some of these connections suck, with layovers for 6-7 hours.... is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?
This is completely normal with AA, they are very, very stingy with premium award availability to Europe, especially on AA metal. And May is getting into peak season to Europe, it's definitely unrealistic to expect the "perfect" award routing on the nonstop flight in business. In fact I'd consider yourself lucky if you are able to find any routing in business sAAver to LHR on AA metal that is even close to your dates, even with a 6-7 hr connection. I'd grab that now and keep checking over the coming months to see if anything better opens up.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 6:19 am
  #192  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by JJeffrey
This is completely normal with AA, they are very, very stingy with premium award availability to Europe, especially on AA metal. And May is getting into peak season to Europe, it's definitely unrealistic to expect the "perfect" award routing on the nonstop flight in business. In fact I'd consider yourself lucky if you are able to find any routing in business sAAver to LHR on AA metal that is even close to your dates, even with a 6-7 hr connection. I'd grab that now and keep checking over the coming months to see if anything better opens up.
thanks for this. I'm wondering if any other airline is better? Do they wait until the last minute to release flights? I've never flown business or first class before, except domestic flights.

Last edited by JY1024; Feb 5, 2019 at 9:46 pm
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 7:08 am
  #193  
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Originally Posted by elhombre
thanks for this. I'm wondering if any other airline is better? Do they wait until the last minute to release flights? I've never flown business or first class before, except domestic flights.
AA has all sorts of random award space release patterns. If you can book 10-11 months out, then you might find a few seats here and there. In the peak summer season to Europe, availability between about 10 months out to 1 month out is generally pretty terrible, which is exactly when you're looking now. AA sometimes releases random batches of premium award space, its always completely unpredictable and tends to be gobbled up pretty quickly. Once you get within a month, you might see a few more seats open up, but again it's unpredictable and traveling in May peak season will hurt your chances (if you were traveling in Sep-Nov or Jan-Mar then your chances would be much better of last minute space opening up).

As to other airlines, you will typically see a lot more first and business award space on BA to LHR, but of course this comes with the ripoff fuel surcharges. If you can get any United miles, availability is generally much better using UA in premium cabins to/from Europe as there are tons more options using *Alliance.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 7:55 am
  #194  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 4
thank you! I have quite a few points, but not as much knowledge regarding booking business flights to europe. I read that lufthansa is great for last minute as well. I guess I could always chance it and get a economy flight at the last minute if things dont work out.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 8:07 am
  #195  
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Originally Posted by elhombre
thank you! I have quite a few points, but not as much knowledge regarding booking business flights to europe. I read that lufthansa is great for last minute as well. I guess I could always chance it and get a economy flight at the last minute if things dont work out.
If you are ok with economy class as your fall-back option, then you're much better off to book that now. Assuming your origin and destination don't change, switching from an economy class award to a business class award is a no-fee change. So book a good economy sAAver routing now to get something nailed down, then keep an eye on things, if you do find a business sAAver you can call AA and switch for no fee, just the additional miles.
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