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

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Old Jan 1, 2019, 2:12 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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!
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.)
Q. How can I find information more easily than reading through all the threads? Now that I'm here, what do I do next?

Check out the following resources:

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:


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

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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.

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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)

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Old Mar 29, 2019, 12:55 pm
  #496  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
Originally Posted by Lefleur
Dumb question:

I had Gold status on American (I don't normally fly American these days though I do fly a lot for work) through January but have since "lost" my status. I'm Platinum with United and Gold with Delta, FWIW. Last year I did about 100,000 EQM on United (I didn't hit the spend to get 1K, womp womp) so that was my primary carrier/alliance for 2018.

I need to buy a series of tickets for this summer and AA/AA codeshares are coming up as the best options, but I won't get any benefits as if I flew UA or DL (lounge access, etc. -- these are international long-haul tickets).

AA has offered to let me 'buy back' my gold status for $650. I also have 14 500-mile upgrades sitting in my AA account that I can't use unless I am elite (I have ~250,000 AA miles at the moment).

I am thinking of instead asking for a status match. Has anyone successfully done a status match based upon UA or DL status?

Would it be better to buy back gold rather than to do a status match?

Does anyone know the status match challenge requirements for various categories? Would rather not "burn" a status match if I should just buy my gold back and then save status match for when I *really* think I need/want to use it (because you can only do it once, right?)?

Thanks!
american does things differently when it comes to status matches.
Unless you are a DM/1K then you will the offered the standard pay to play match.

$100 for Gold challenge with no status 7.5K EQM 1K EQD
$200 for Platinum challenge with no status 12.5K EQM 2K EQD

You can pay extra to have trial status of either Gold/Platinum while you complete the challenge.

Its $500 for Platinum challenge with Platinum status.

I believe you can get 2 status exceptions(challenge or buy back/up) every 5 years but I’m not 100% about this.
Shadowfactor is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2019, 7:50 pm
  #497  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, 2MM
Posts: 1,254
Flying HEL-LHR-JFK on AA miles. The HEL-LHR segment is in Y on AY, but the connection is on AA in J.

Will I have club access in HEL?
iflyalexair is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2019, 9:19 pm
  #498  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
Originally Posted by Lefleur
Dumb question:

I had Gold status on American (I don't normally fly American these days though I do fly a lot for work) through January but have since "lost" my status. I'm Platinum with United and Gold with Delta, FWIW. Last year I did about 100,000 EQM on United (I didn't hit the spend to get 1K, womp womp) so that was my primary carrier/alliance for 2018.

I need to buy a series of tickets for this summer and AA/AA codeshares are coming up as the best options, but I won't get any benefits as if I flew UA or DL (lounge access, etc. -- these are international long-haul tickets).

AA has offered to let me 'buy back' my gold status for $650. I also have 14 500-mile upgrades sitting in my AA account that I can't use unless I am elite (I have ~250,000 AA miles at the moment).

I am thinking of instead asking for a status match. Has anyone successfully done a status match based upon UA or DL status?

Would it be better to buy back gold rather than to do a status match?

Does anyone know the status match challenge requirements for various categories? Would rather not "burn" a status match if I should just buy my gold back and then save status match for when I *really* think I need/want to use it (because you can only do it once, right?)?

Thanks!
Originally Posted by Shadowfactor


american does things differently when it comes to status matches.
Unless you are a DM/1K then you will the offered the standard pay to play match.

$100 for Gold challenge with no status 7.5K EQM 1K EQD
$200 for Platinum challenge with no status 12.5K EQM 2K EQD

You can pay extra to have trial status of either Gold/Platinum while you complete the challenge.

Its $500 for Platinum challenge with Platinum status.

I believe you can get 2 status exceptions(challenge or buy back/up) every 5 years but I’m not 100% about this.
Also, the cost of a challenge depends on whether you do it before or after Jul 01. See the Gold and Platinum Status Challenge thread. Yes, it appears the "rule" is 2 every 5 years, but of course like everything else related to Challenges it is unwritten and subject to change.
SpammersAreScum is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2019, 9:44 pm
  #499  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
Do you get Etihad bus service between AUH- to Dubai for any flight booked with Aadvantage miles? Do you get free checked bags on this on coach award?? What's the tips/tricks to get 3 J seats for travel from 3rd week of December for a week. ORD- AUH and return around Dec 30th. We are a couple and small child. Thanks
Blueskyheaven is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2019, 1:56 am
  #500  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 8,000
Last year I asked this question:

"Admirals Club Access Question.
I would be flying Canada - Central America. Paid Business Class.
There would be connections in one or two AA hubs.
Spend the night in a hotel continue to destination.
Return the same way.
Do I get club for all segments of just the one from USA-Central America.?"

The result,
Southbound Club access no problem.
On the return, we had a connection in DFW to ORD. Access no problem.
The next morning, went to the club in ORD for the last segment to Canada.
Question 1. Which one of you has club membership? A. None of us.
Question 2. Are you using your AS status to get access?
A. We don't have AS status. We're on an international ticket.
Much key punching ensued, then we were given invitations to the Flagship lounge.
tracon is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2019, 11:29 pm
  #501  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 171
Has AA changed their mind on offering a complimentary upgrade to PE for EXP?
TATL flight this morning had W3 available but I was still unable to see the option either on the app or website. When I inquired at the airport, I was told by the check-in agent that no more comp upgrades offered.

Last edited by ckn2; Mar 30, 2019 at 11:37 pm Reason: typo
ckn2 is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2019, 7:58 am
  #502  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ORD/MKE
Programs: UA General Member, AA Gold, SPG (Bonvoy) Gold; IHG Plat. Ambassador
Posts: 399
Flying ORD to HND in F (JFK>HND on JL) connecting @ JFK. Will I have lounge access at ORD? If so, what lounge?

I do not hold any One World Status.

Thanks.
danhunterpost is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2019, 8:38 am
  #503  
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958
Originally Posted by danhunterpost
Flying ORD to HND in F (JFK>HND on JL) connecting @ JFK. Will I have lounge access at ORD? If so, what lounge?
Yes--AA Admirals Club, Flagship Lounge or BA lounge. If convenient/time-permitting, the Flagship is probably most appealing option. Otherwise, pick the Admirals Club closest to your gate.
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NYC Flyer is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2019, 4:08 pm
  #504  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: DL, BA Silver, VS, BA Amex PP
Posts: 99
Hi
I am travelling this week with my young family, in Y, connecting international to domestic at ORD. I have two hours for the connection: given that we are not US citizens and have no pre-check, and the kids will probably need the bathroom, etc I am aware that we won't be getting through immigration or T3 security particularly quickly. So I'd like to do what I can to make things easier and with that in mind I was wondering how best to get seats nearer the front of the first flight (so we're closer to the front of the immigration queue). We have been allocated seats in row 31 and I can see blocks of 4 empty further forward but don't have the budget to pay. Do these become free (in the money sense) at T-24 when check in opens? If not, am I right in thinking that I should instead delay checking in until the airport (but arrive there as early as possible) and ask there?

Thanks in advance
JimboandtheJetset is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2019, 9:57 pm
  #505  
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
Originally Posted by JimboandtheJetset
Hi
I am travelling this week with my young family, in Y, connecting international to domestic at ORD. I have two hours for the connection: given that we are not US citizens and have no pre-check, and the kids will probably need the bathroom, etc I am aware that we won't be getting through immigration or T3 security particularly quickly. So I'd like to do what I can to make things easier and with that in mind I was wondering how best to get seats nearer the front of the first flight (so we're closer to the front of the immigration queue). We have been allocated seats in row 31 and I can see blocks of 4 empty further forward but don't have the budget to pay. Do these become free (in the money sense) at T-24 when check in opens? If not, am I right in thinking that I should instead delay checking in until the airport (but arrive there as early as possible) and ask there?

Thanks in advance
Regardless of what you do, two hours connection from international to domestic at ORD is very tight with kids, and moreso if you arrive late. You arrive in the international terminal, probably have a longish walk, process immigration, retrieve your baggage, process customs, recheck baggage just outside of customs.

From there to the train to the AA terminal 3, check in if you don’t have boarding passes, process security, go to the next gate. Three hours is considered a better connection time.

AA will put you on the next flight with available seats. That’s the good news and the bad news, because there may or not be available seats on the next flight.

See AA Guide: ORD / Chicago O'Hare International Airport - MCT, Connection, etc., particularly the Wikipost st the top of the page.
Attached Images  
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JDiver is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2019, 7:20 am
  #506  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: DL, BA Silver, VS, BA Amex PP
Posts: 99
Originally Posted by JDiver
Regardless of what you do, two hours connection from international to domestic at ORD is very tight with kids, and moreso if you arrive late. You arrive in the international terminal, probably have a longish walk, process immigration, retrieve your baggage, process customs, recheck baggage just outside of customs.

From there to the train to the AA terminal 3, check in if you don’t have boarding passes, process security, go to the next gate. Three hours is considered a better connection time.

AA will put you on the next flight with available seats. That’s the good news and the bad news, because there may or not be available seats on the next flight.

See AA Guide: ORD / Chicago O'Hare International Airport - MCT, Connection, etc., particularly the Wikipost st the top of the page.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, 2 hours is not what I would have chosen - it was slightly longer when I booked but flight time changes have knocked it down to this. I have contacted AA to ask if it's wise and they have said it's a legal connection so won't consider moving me (e.g. there's an earlier flight from LHR we could get).
​​Hence now trying to get every advantage I can with seats at the front of the cabin.

(I plan to log the time we disembark, join the immigration queue, join the security queue etc and use it, if I need to, as evidence of our best endeavours in any claim for EU261 compensation if we don't connect and are delayed by 3+ hours...)
JimboandtheJetset is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2019, 7:46 am
  #507  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,973
As I read it, the train is shut down and replaced by a bus now, making this connection more difficult.
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rove312 is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2019, 3:01 pm
  #508  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
My redemption and re-deposit activity this year as a Barclay AA Aviator cardholder:

Jan 2019: Redeemed 75K AA miles. Got 10% AA cardholder refund: 7,500 miles
Mar 2019: Re-deposited 35K AA miles (ticket was originally booked in 2018). 10% AA cardholder perk reversed -3,500 miles.

Considering the above, if I book a 60K AA mile award flight this month, will I get 6K AA miles back or just 2.5K AA miles?
hightide is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2019, 7:47 pm
  #509  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,517
Originally Posted by meta99
Booking 2 award tickets for Jan 2020. I need 25k miles from my husband's account to cover. Any free way to do this?
Originally Posted by meta99
These are one way tickets to position for a cruise leaving from SCL and going to EZE.
Assuming coach, that's 30K per person each way.

Instead of using 120K miles from your account for the tickets - and it sounds like your short - you could use 90K from yours for 3 of the 1 ways and 30K from his for the 4th.

No transfers necessary, no fees.
swag is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2019, 9:26 am
  #510  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 812
Originally Posted by rove312
As I read it, the train is shut down and replaced by a bus now, making this connection more difficult.
This is true, but having been through this T3<>T5 back in February on DSM>ORD>DOH>SEZ and the reverse, it really is not tough. Maybe a 15 minute total process to leave terminal, wait for bus, drive, get off. Bigger issue is re-clearing security.
JimboandtheJetset likes this.
shimps1 is offline  


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