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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.

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).

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

Old Feb 10, 2019, 5:45 am
  #226  
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
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Posts: 12,359
Originally Posted by IAD_flyer
The AA gift card terms say that:


I want the pay the taxes on an award originating outside the US. Are there any workarounds to pay with the AA gift card?
Gift cards cannot be used to pay for the taxes/fees on award tickets, so even if your flight was originating in the US you still wouldn't be able to use it. But to answer your question no, there are no real workarounds to use gift cards on flights that don't originate in the US etc.
JJeffrey is online now  
Old Feb 11, 2019, 7:53 pm
  #227  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, AA, SW, Delta
Posts: 882
i am flying business class to bcn but stopping in phl , would i have access to lax flagship lounge? My leg from lax to phl is first but phl to bcn is business
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 10:29 pm
  #228  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by happyvoid
i am flying business class to bcn but stopping in phl , would i have access to lax flagship lounge? My leg from lax to phl is first but phl to bcn is business
PHL-BCN in Business should get Flagship Loungevaccess at LAX as well.
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Old Feb 11, 2019, 11:13 pm
  #229  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, AA, SW, Delta
Posts: 882
Thanks for info. I plan to fly to Barcelona but have layover in PHL for 12 hours, can the airport store my luggage during that time?
My final destination is BCN. But since I am flying from LAX to PHL , i arrive to phl at 6:00 am , but my flight to bcn is at 7:00 pm the same day
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Old Feb 12, 2019, 12:39 am
  #230  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by happyvoid
Thanks for info. I plan to fly to Barcelona but have layover in PHL for 12 hours, can the airport store my luggage during that time?
My final destination is BCN. But since I am flying from LAX to PHL , i arrive to phl at 6:00 am , but my flight to bcn is at 7:00 pm the same day
AA usually has a baggage connection cutoff of 12 hours. Try through checking, but they might deny you.
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Old Feb 12, 2019, 2:37 am
  #231  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, AA, SW, Delta
Posts: 882
Is that 12 hours from the time you land or the time you fly? I plan to land on PHL at 6:00 AM. But that say day I will fly to BCN from 7:00 PM. So it is about 13 hours. But is it possible for me to stay in the centurion lounge for an hour and then drop off luggage from the 12 hour mark? Also, one of the passenger is Platinum Pro but not sure if that makes a difference
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Old Feb 12, 2019, 10:47 am
  #232  
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Originally Posted by happyvoid
Is that 12 hours from the time you land or the time you fly? I plan to land on PHL at 6:00 AM. But that say day I will fly to BCN from 7:00 PM. So it is about 13 hours. But is it possible for me to stay in the centurion lounge for an hour and then drop off luggage from the 12 hour mark? Also, one of the passenger is Platinum Pro but not sure if that makes a difference
Suggest that you call AA and ask. The fact that AA will allow you to through-check a bag on a less-than-12-hour connection does not necessarily mean that AA will let you check bags in at PHL 12 hours before departure time.
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 8:54 am
  #233  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Watergate
Posts: 94
I'm flying ORD-DFW (AA 1106) on April 16th. The flight originally left at 11:45am but now leaves at 10:50 (55 min net change). I booked through American Express Travel so I called them up and requested to change to a later flight that day. They are insisting that because the change is under an hour that a fee will apply. My reading of the guide here is that "If the Schedule Change is: 59 minutes or less - May book AA or AA* (any AA Codeshare) flights for the same travel dates, origination/destination, same inventory as originally ticketed" means they should rebook me without fees. Am I reading that correctly? Is Amex wrong?
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 9:00 am
  #234  
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Originally Posted by RichardNixon
I'm flying ORD-DFW (AA 1106) on April 16th. The flight originally left at 11:45am but now leaves at 10:50 (55 min net change). I booked through American Express Travel so I called them up and requested to change to a later flight that day. They are insisting that because the change is under an hour that a fee will apply. My reading of the guide here is that "If the Schedule Change is: 59 minutes or less - May book AA or AA* (any AA Codeshare) flights for the same travel dates, origination/destination, same inventory as originally ticketed" means they should rebook me without fees. Am I reading that correctly? Is Amex wrong?
I would certainly try a few HUCAs with Amex.
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 9:23 am
  #235  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
AMEX Travel sells some changeable fares, actually more than AA. But as a travel agency, they can superimpose other requirements to the airkines. So you can have a fare AA detailed fare rules allow specified changes on, but the selling travel agency as ticket owner can impose more restrictive rules.

Thats one of the problems one can expect with OTAs - some may not refund cancellations even though the airline might have refunded or vouchered all but a change fee.
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 11:37 am
  #236  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 4
Hello,

When is the best time to check in for a Basic Economy fare to try to score the best seats? I know with Frontier I always check in as late as possible (like an hour before takeoff) and it usually works pretty well. Is AA Basic Economy set up the same way? Or should I try to check in as early as possible?

Thanks!
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Old Feb 13, 2019, 3:21 pm
  #237  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 40
Hi - Probably a Newbie question;

Hoping I'll be able to make a SDFC to my current booking IAD>CLT>MSY. I know you can only make those changes 24hours in advance of the flight you want to change to. I want to check if that 24hours is from the first leg or any flights in the booking? So;

Does that mean it needs to be T-24 to the new IAD>CLT flight or the 2nd leg CLT>MSY?

Thanks
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 10:28 pm
  #238  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 8
Hello Folks,
AA Platinum traveling economy for my employer.
Just found out I need to be in Sydney (Dep from PHL Sat) Monday morning, have to be home Thursday. Trying to decode best rate of return booking straight AA or straight Qantas. See the flights but don't want to miss out on the most. Looks like class K on AA flights, not sure what economy class is on Qantas. $2900 on AA, $3500 on Qantas.

Help appreciated.
Dave
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 10:47 pm
  #239  
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Originally Posted by audiodave1
AA Platinum traveling economy for my employer.
Just found out I need to be in Sydney (Dep from PHL Sat) Monday morning, have to be home Thursday. Trying to decode best rate of return booking straight AA or straight Qantas. See the flights but don't want to miss out on the most. Looks like class K on AA flights, not sure what economy class is on Qantas. $2900 on AA, $3500 on Qantas.
Money matters, even if its your employers
Can your employer pay for premium economy? (not economy plus)

QF do not fly from PHL so the first flight will be an AA codeshare
QF fly from JFK(via LAX), DFW, LAX & SFO to SYD

Most(all?) the flights ex USA land at SYD very early morning.
You would probably earn more AA miles/status on a AA ticket/flight number than QF, but will need to do the calculation.

With AA you could upgrade with AA ff miles/instrument. But hard. AA thread--->LAX-SYD AA 73 / 72 Upgrade & Waitlist Discussion
On QF you will not be able to upgrade with AA ff miles.

Be aware of the date line changes USA<----->Australia
You skip a day going to Au.

Information
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Old Feb 14, 2019, 11:03 pm
  #240  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 8
Thank you,
I cannot find a PE fare less than $6k so suck it up on AA metal it looks like to and take their 380 to DFW back.

Best Regards,
Dave
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