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.
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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)
#226
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,359
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.
#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
#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
#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
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
#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
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
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
#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
#232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,360
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
#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?
#234
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,359
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?
#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.
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.
#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!
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!
#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
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
#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
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
#239
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,920
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.
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.
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
- Airport info SYDNEY (SYD) - amenities, transfers, transport Click to open the wiki
- Australia immigration (incl ETA visa) & customs
- Smartgate at Australia & NZ immigration Click to open the wiki
- Free Australian ETA Visa application* Click to open the wiki
Processing Australian ETAs for free * to FT members (and up to 3 more friends & family) who have more than 80 posts, AND have at least been members for more than 12 months! Please read post 1. Thanks to Guy Betsy for his service to the FT community - Au Government web site link --> Australian Electronic Travel Authority AUD$20. For passports holders from Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Hong Kong (SAR PRC), Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and United States. Beware of non government 3rd party look-a-like web sites that charge more, often found with a browser web search.
#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
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