Jan 6, 2019, 2:14 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
ARCHIVE: 2017 HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Help, Assistance & Discussion
The current thread can be read here.
The current thread can be read here.
Some of you might have found your thread merged into this "consolidated" thread. If your desire is to become thoroughly familiar with the knowledge that has been accumulated about the process for acquiring MileSAAver awards feel free to read this entire thread. If you only want the assistance from those who have the knowledge your request has been merged at the end. Feel free to wait for a forthcoming answer.
If you have reached this thread by using the search process you have the same choices as above. Read the thread and become knowledgeable or post at the end and wait for a forthcoming answer.
thanks
~magic111
If you have reached this thread by using the search process you have the same choices as above. Read the thread and become knowledgeable or post at the end and wait for a forthcoming answer.
thanks
~magic111
NOTE: for more detailed fare rules, see AA oneworld & Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (master thd)
Awards can generally be held for five days; five day extensions require continued availability of your flights and generating a new award booking and five day hold.
Though AA can start releasing awards 331 days from the desired flight date (even though some other airlines might make award seats available to their members 355 days out), it’s very likely award seats may be released a few days after that. If seats aren’t sold and Revenue Management algorithms signify slow sales, more seats might be released going forward.
Airlines that can be booked for award travel on aa.com
oneworld alliance airline partners other airline partners
oneworld alliance airline partners
- AA - American Airlines
- BA - British Airways (awards incur significant YQ surcharge)
- AY - Finnair
- IB - Iberia
- QF - Qantas
- QR - Qatar Airways
- RJ - Royal Jordanian Airlines
- S7 - S7 Airlines
- UL - Sri Lankan Airlines
- 9K - Cape Air (but only certain cities)
- TN - Air Tahiti Nui
- AS - Alaska Airlines
- EY - Etihad
- HA - Hawaiian Airlines
All others must be requested by telephone; see Note below.
NOTE: To search for partner awards, go to advanced search from the awards search or home page and select all airlines.
Full list of oneworld airline partners (and their affiliates)
- AA - American Airlines
- BA - British Airways (Cityflyer, Comair, OpenSkies, Sun-Air of Scandinavia)
- CX - Cathay Pacific (Dragonair)
- AY -Finnair (Flybe)
- IB - Iberia (Air Nostrum, Iberia Express)
- JL - Japan Airlines (JAL Express, J-Air, Japan Transocean Air)
- LA- LAN Airlines (LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador, LAN Express, LAN Colombia, LAN Peru only, merging with JJ to LATAM)
- MH - Malaysia Airlines
- QF - Qantas Airways (QantasLink, Jetconnect)
- QR - Qatar Airways
- RJ - Royal Jordanian Airlines
- S7 - S7 Airlines (Globus) (excludes Siberia / far eastern Russia awards)
- UL - SriLankan Airlines
- JJ - TAM Airlines (merging with LA to LATAM)
When you do call, you might want to search for award space on the flights you want and tell the agent about those flights; sometimes AA agents won't find award seats unless they search by segment.
When using other airline web sites or tools to search for award availability, it’s best to do so by segment rather than by trip. E. g. BA May show availability SAN-LHR and LHR-AMS, but not SAN-AMS. And in some instances (EY, FJ, etc.) AA US may not see availability that AA Australia or New Zealand might see.
Full list of additional airline partners offering award redemptions
- TN - Air Tahiti Nui
- AS - Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air
- 9K - Cape Air
- EY - Etihad Airways
- FJ - Fiji Airways
- GF - Gulf Air
- HA - Hawaiian Airlines
NOTE: Ticketing charge
Effective February 16, 2015, a Reservations Ticketing Service Charge of $30.00 for domestic itineraries and $40.00 for international itineraries will be applied by AA Reservations when ticketing award reservations that can be booked on aa.com. The charge is waived for award reservations that cannot be booked on aa.com including reduced mileage awards, and for Executive Platinums. N.B. Executive Platinums booking award for non-EP will pay the service charges.
Code:
oneworld Partners Award Fare Codes First-Business-Economy -------------------------------------------------------- AA - American Airlines Z U T -------------------------------------------------------- AY – Finnair U X -------------------------------------------------------- BA – British Airways Z U X -------------------------------------------------------- CX – Cathay Pacific Z U T KA - DragonAir -------------------------------------------------------- IB – Iberia U X -------------------------------------------------------- JL – Japan Airlines (Intl) Z U T JL – Japan Airlines (Dom) Z D S -------------------------------------------------------- LATAM Group JJ - TAM Airlines O I X LA – LAN Chile Z U T XL - LAN Ecuador LP - LAN Peru 4M - LAN Argentina -------------------------------------------------------- MH - Malaysia Airlines P U X -------------------------------------------------------- QF - QANTAS Airways P U X -------------------------------------------------------- QR - Qatar Airways Z U X -------------------------------------------------------- RJ – Royal Jordanian U X -------------------------------------------------------- S7 – S7 Airlines U E -------------------------------------------------------- UL - SriLankan Airlines -------------------------------------------------------- Other Partners First Business Economy -------------------------------------------------------- FJ – Fiji Airways U X -------------------------------------------------------- TN – Air Tahiti Nui F for Business U for Economy -------------------------------------------------------- AS – Alaska Airlines A W -------------------------------------------------------- LY – El Al Israel P X E -------------------------------------------------------- EY - Etihad O I N -------------------------------------------------------- HA – Hawaiian Airlines D T --------------------------------------------------------
Other rules that may affect your awards:
Award Rules
American Airlines Awards are valid for travel on flights that are marketed and operated by AA (no codeshares). These awards can be booked online at AA.com.
oneworld and Other Airline awards are valid for travel on AA and any of its partner airlines, and can include travel on multiple partners. Many of these awards must be booked over the phone, and will not incur a Ticketing Service Charge (waived for EXPs in any case) if they cannot be booked online.
Up to four one-way awards can be booked on a single PNR. Codeshares are not bookable as Awards.
MPM or Maximum Permitted Miles: A Fare or award may not exceed the most direct routing by more than 25% (unless the fare routing includes a ticketed point deduction (essentially a miles allowance that extends MPM). See MPM / Maximum Permitted Mileage & Ticketed Point Deductions (merged threads).
Stopovers and Connections
Stopovers are no longer allowed on AA awards. Stopovers will require multiple awards.
Connections are limited to two connections / three flight segments for domestic awards, and three connections / four flight segments for international awards as of Aug 2017. Link
Domestic Connections must be under 4 hours for domestic flights, with some exceptions: "LIFO" (Last In - First Out connections are generally allowed.
Hawaii itinerary: Effective on 14 Jul 2014 on an all-AA-metal award itinerary, you now have up to 18 hours to connect when traveling to/from Hawaii. NOTE: Hawaii interisland connections must be separate awards and can not be included as part of a mainland-island award.
International Connections must generally not exceed 23:59 hours. Some leeway has occasionally been granted when connecting flights are not daily. If the itinerary includes an international flight, the rules for international connections apply. Link to these courtesy of JonNYC.
If there is a non-stop flight that departs after the 4h / 23h59m windows and arrives at the destination earlier than a connecting flight within the 4h / 23h59m window, the passenger may be booked on the non-stop flight. It may be difficult getting some agents to book this.
"Most Significant Carrier" rule: To price as a single award, AAdvantage requires the most significant carrier to publish a cash fare (non-constructed) between the origin and destination. Airline MSC (e.g. DFW-SFO-HKG-BKK, CX SFO-HKG is the prevailing or most significant carrier) would have to have a published fare from XXX to YYY that allows travel on all included airlines, and routing that you want. If the MSC only offers constructed fares between your desired origin and destination, AA will price this as two awards.
Constructed fares: Another rule disallows awards where the fare must be constructed (also referred to as "YY"): Using a partner, the trip will require two awards if the governing carrier (e,g. airline operating on the major route, such as transpacific carrier) doesn't publish a through fare that includes the award's proposed origin and destination that allows the carriers proposed.
See this thread about examples using TN.
Married Segment Logic - a prospective trip may be available when searching segment by segment, yet not be bookable through from origin to destination. When selling seats for through flights and the desired inventory is not available, you cannot opt to sell the flight point-to-point. If sold point-to-point, the error response MULTIPLE SEGMENTS FOR SAME FLIGHT - SELL AS ONE SEGMENT will be received, indicating this booking is not allowed. Overriding the error check by ending the PNR twice is not acceptable.
See Award with available segments not bookable? (Married Segment issues)
Award Rules
American Airlines Awards are valid for travel on flights that are marketed and operated by AA (no codeshares). These awards can be booked online at AA.com.
oneworld and Other Airline awards are valid for travel on AA and any of its partner airlines, and can include travel on multiple partners. Many of these awards must be booked over the phone, and will not incur a Ticketing Service Charge (waived for EXPs in any case) if they cannot be booked online.
Up to four one-way awards can be booked on a single PNR. Codeshares are not bookable as Awards.
MPM or Maximum Permitted Miles: A Fare or award may not exceed the most direct routing by more than 25% (unless the fare routing includes a ticketed point deduction (essentially a miles allowance that extends MPM). See MPM / Maximum Permitted Mileage & Ticketed Point Deductions (merged threads).
Stopovers and Connections
Stopovers are no longer allowed on AA awards. Stopovers will require multiple awards.
Connections are limited to two connections / three flight segments for domestic awards, and three connections / four flight segments for international awards as of Aug 2017. Link
Domestic Connections must be under 4 hours for domestic flights, with some exceptions: "LIFO" (Last In - First Out connections are generally allowed.
Hawaii itinerary: Effective on 14 Jul 2014 on an all-AA-metal award itinerary, you now have up to 18 hours to connect when traveling to/from Hawaii. NOTE: Hawaii interisland connections must be separate awards and can not be included as part of a mainland-island award.
International Connections must generally not exceed 23:59 hours. Some leeway has occasionally been granted when connecting flights are not daily. If the itinerary includes an international flight, the rules for international connections apply. Link to these courtesy of JonNYC.
If there is a non-stop flight that departs after the 4h / 23h59m windows and arrives at the destination earlier than a connecting flight within the 4h / 23h59m window, the passenger may be booked on the non-stop flight. It may be difficult getting some agents to book this.
"Most Significant Carrier" rule: To price as a single award, AAdvantage requires the most significant carrier to publish a cash fare (non-constructed) between the origin and destination. Airline MSC (e.g. DFW-SFO-HKG-BKK, CX SFO-HKG is the prevailing or most significant carrier) would have to have a published fare from XXX to YYY that allows travel on all included airlines, and routing that you want. If the MSC only offers constructed fares between your desired origin and destination, AA will price this as two awards.
Constructed fares: Another rule disallows awards where the fare must be constructed (also referred to as "YY"): Using a partner, the trip will require two awards if the governing carrier (e,g. airline operating on the major route, such as transpacific carrier) doesn't publish a through fare that includes the award's proposed origin and destination that allows the carriers proposed.
See this thread about examples using TN.
Married Segment Logic - a prospective trip may be available when searching segment by segment, yet not be bookable through from origin to destination. When selling seats for through flights and the desired inventory is not available, you cannot opt to sell the flight point-to-point. If sold point-to-point, the error response MULTIPLE SEGMENTS FOR SAME FLIGHT - SELL AS ONE SEGMENT will be received, indicating this booking is not allowed. Overriding the error check by ending the PNR twice is not acceptable.
See Award with available segments not bookable? (Married Segment issues)
Resources
Some airlines or areas have different, extra or special characteristics for securing awards. See
aa.com Basic (front page) vs Advanced Award Search Results (abbreviated results for front page search vs. Advanced award search)
AAdvantage awards to / from Australia, New Zealand link
AAdvantage awards to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador link
AAdvantage awards on Air Tahiti Nui link
AAdvantage awards using British Airways incurring (avoiding) high fees link
AAdvantage award on Cathay Pacific (and Cathay Dragon) link
AAdvantage awards using Etihad Airways link
AAdvantage awards using Fiji Airways link
AAdvantage awards using Japan Airlines link
AAdvantage awards using Qantas Airways link
AAdvantage awards on S7 (Siberian) Airlines link
aa.com Basic (front page) vs Advanced Award Search Results (abbreviated results for front page search vs. Advanced award search)
AAdvantage awards to / from Australia, New Zealand link
AAdvantage awards to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador link
AAdvantage awards on Air Tahiti Nui link
AAdvantage awards using British Airways incurring (avoiding) high fees link
AAdvantage award on Cathay Pacific (and Cathay Dragon) link
AAdvantage awards using Etihad Airways link
AAdvantage awards using Fiji Airways link
AAdvantage awards using Japan Airlines link
AAdvantage awards using Qantas Airways link
AAdvantage awards on S7 (Siberian) Airlines link
Awards assistance tools: Use at your own risk; may not be up to date. These are not recommendations.
- Check this oneworld interactive map and timetable by Innosked to see potential routes.
- British Airways Executive Club: You can sign up for British Airways Executive Club, Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank or Qantas Frequent Flyer to use their sites to find awards (look for the lowest level awards) you can't see on aa.com. BA in particular is prone to show "phantom" availability.
- Award booking services - list and reviews (FT thread)
- Award Nexus: It's easy to do your experiments for some free browsing (click "more signup options" under the green Purchase button to sign up with your FlyerTalk login info). You might want to run each segment rather than origin to destination.
...Award Nexus is free (up to a point) for FlyerTalk users. Click "more signup options" under the green Purchase button to sign up for free as a FlyerTalk member.
What I like about Award Nexus is it has a much nicer user interface than BA and lets you choose whether to search through BA and/or QF, and as you can see each of those may give somewhat different results.
The "cost" to do all these searches once was a total of 12 points, and you get 200 points free when you signup, and then every 90 days you can reload 100 more points for free (once you're below 10 points). So that gives an idea of how many searches could do free...
- AwardAce: Compare Award Redemptions Across Airlines In Seconds
- AwardHacker: "a tool we build to tell you how to travel with the least miles"
- Award Nexus: which can search availability but can't determine cost, with FT member free limited use
- Economical Excursionist's Tools: compare Frequent Flyer Mile Redemptions
- ExpertFlyer is a common tool used on FT. There is a $99.99 annual fee, monthly fee and five day trial
- Great Circle Mapper is useful for calculating distance and MPM (Maximum Permitted Mileage)
- You can try PEX+ (currently in beta), which will even tell you how many miles you'll need, though it draws data from aa.com and S7 so it can't reveal awards that can not be seen on those sites.
- Travel Codex Award Maximiser commercial blog
Also see:
aa.com Basic (front page) vs Advanced Award Search Results
Phantom / false AA award availability with AA partners (consolidated)
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
Help with British Airways / BA surcharge / YQ (AA award on BA, consolidated) (Awards using BA incur significant "YQ" surcharges.)
UK APD / Air Passenger Duty charged for UK departures[/quote] (Flights originating in the UK other than INV or BFS - or connections 24:00 or over - incur UK Air Passenger Duty excise taxes.)
MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction / scarcity >= Aug 2011 onward (consolidated)
Older posts from 2017 have been archived to: this archive thread
Older posts from 2016 have been archived to: this archive thread
Older posts through 2015 have been archived to: this archive thread
ARCHIVE: 2017 HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
Feb 7, 2017, 11:22 am
#196
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,700
Source: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/iberi...-madrid-2.html
And that TN seats are not as well?
Source: http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...-class-review/
Feb 7, 2017, 11:24 am
#197
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
I heard that LAX-MAD on IB is not lie-flat?
Source: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/iberi...-madrid-2.html
And that TN seats are not as well?
Source: http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...-class-review/
Source: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/iberi...-madrid-2.html
And that TN seats are not as well?
Source: http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...-class-review/
Feb 7, 2017, 11:37 am
#198
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
If truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, might be worth paying an award concierge service (there are many) their fee to arrange AA 77W. This, of course, assumes that the flier is willing to plan their entire trip around award availability and potentially delay their plans until summer 2018 in order to find award availability.
Feb 7, 2017, 12:39 pm
#199
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
So if BA data is not reliable, and for that matter, QF is even more so and far more often than BA's, just how Award Nexus can improve the search result other than the convenience feature (but if you stick to the free search, the hits are limited).
Feb 7, 2017, 9:03 pm
#200
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
I see award flights from Sydney to the States. There are options from SYD to LAX via SFO. And options from SYD to SFO via LAX. However there are no non-stop options showing online to either city. What gives? If I call would they ticket me an award non-stop to just one of the cities?
If not I suppose I can try to "carry on" my luggage and just get off at the first stop... but I'd hate to gamble that I can carry it on.
If not I suppose I can try to "carry on" my luggage and just get off at the first stop... but I'd hate to gamble that I can carry it on.
Feb 8, 2017, 12:42 am
#201
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: AAdvantage (Platinum)
Posts: 470
If you're looking for flights from Sydney in biz or 1st then take a closer look at the class on the longhaul flight. It's like in coach, and these 1-hop options only show up because the short SFO/LAX hop is in 1st.
Otherwise, you could just book the desired longhaul with extra hop and call AA to drop the hop (there's a thread dedicated to the rule permitting the drop of 1st or last segment on award travel [subject to certain constraints]).
Otherwise, you could just book the desired longhaul with extra hop and call AA to drop the hop (there's a thread dedicated to the rule permitting the drop of 1st or last segment on award travel [subject to certain constraints]).
Feb 11, 2017, 11:18 am
#202
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
I thought Award Nexus is merely an interface that rescrambles the data pulls from sites like BA, so it is more user friendly but the data sources are NO DIFFERENT from if you use the raw sources directly?
So if BA data is not reliable, and for that matter, QF is even more so and far more often than BA's, just how Award Nexus can improve the search result other than the convenience feature (but if you stick to the free search, the hits are limited).
So if BA data is not reliable, and for that matter, QF is even more so and far more often than BA's, just how Award Nexus can improve the search result other than the convenience feature (but if you stick to the free search, the hits are limited).
By the way, no matter where else you search, I don't know of a "filter" for only flights that work as a "single award" when using AA miles. You have to know the AA award rules for your origin-destination and do the filtering yourself. (QF and BA have very different rules about which direction you can go to make it a "single award" than AA has.) And thus know that if, for example, tons of CX or QR availability comes up on a New York-to-Paris search, it's "litter" from the AA standpoint.
And, also no matter where you search, you have to be aware of sometimes you need to search connections as connections (because of "married" segment issues), while other times you have to search one leg at a time (because of known phantom availability issues with connection searches). But Award Nexus' ability to edit existing searches seems much easier than varying searches on, say, BA's site, which wastes me tons of time always asking if I want a stopover, even it's a one-way nonstop flight
! (Is there a way to tell ba.com "don't ask me about stopovers?"?)
Feb 12, 2017, 6:51 am
#203
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,955
This probably belongs in the AA web thread, but why on earth can't AA enable itinerary changes on awards? We have a horrid forecast coming up, and waivers all over, yet I'd need to sit on hold for half a day to actually act on that. A paid fare could be done online - why not an award?
I've been flying a lot of Delta lately. I can see why DL has its following.
I've been flying a lot of Delta lately. I can see why DL has its following.
Feb 12, 2017, 12:36 pm
#204
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
This probably belongs in the AA web thread, but why on earth can't AA enable itinerary changes on awards? We have a horrid forecast coming up, and waivers all over, yet I'd need to sit on hold for half a day to actually act on that. A paid fare could be done online - why not an award?
I've been flying a lot of Delta lately. I can see why DL has its following.
I've been flying a lot of Delta lately. I can see why DL has its following.
Truly a sad thing to see the once best program / airline has fell to the bottom on everything. The downfall started long before Parker got it and just got worse every year with no end of the downward spiral in sight.
Feb 12, 2017, 1:05 pm
#205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,603
Prior to Parker, I was loyal to AA and would willingly pay more to fly AA because they offered the best domestic product and I felt they appreciate my business. How times have changed. Now, I now simply avoid this pathetic excuse of an airline unless I have no choice, or the price is so cheap that I can justify the crappy service.
Feb 12, 2017, 6:23 pm
#206
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
It would increase customer goodwill but it would not immediately lead to increased revenue, decreased expenses and/or increased profit.
Feb 12, 2017, 6:53 pm
#207
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,905
I have no inside information on this particular issue but if I had to guess it would be that AA does not want to make it easier to book tickets on other partner airlines. Every mile that they sell to a credit card increases revenue and every award ticket redeemed decreases profit. The IT project would increase expenses and the end result would be to decrease profit i.e, the opposite result that the C-suite desires.
It would increase customer goodwill but it would not immediately lead to increased revenue, decreased expenses and/or increased profit.
It would increase customer goodwill but it would not immediately lead to increased revenue, decreased expenses and/or increased profit.
Feb 12, 2017, 7:52 pm
#208
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Agree on the former, but disagree on the latter. The precipitous downfall and spiral into mediocrity started precisely with Parker. 20/20 hindsight is wonderful but the worse thing previous management did was to choose not to go Chapter 11. They missed out resetting contracts, reducing expenses and just postponed the inevitable. Consolidation and cheap oil can make anyone look like a great airline CEO. Give Parker credit though. He counted the beans and was at the right place and the right time, hoodwinking gullible unions into believing that he was their savior.
Prior to Parker, I was loyal to AA and would willingly pay more to fly AA because they offered the best domestic product and I felt they appreciate my business. How times have changed. Now, I now simply avoid this pathetic excuse of an airline unless I have no choice, or the price is so cheap that I can justify the crappy service.
Prior to Parker, I was loyal to AA and would willingly pay more to fly AA because they offered the best domestic product and I felt they appreciate my business. How times have changed. Now, I now simply avoid this pathetic excuse of an airline unless I have no choice, or the price is so cheap that I can justify the crappy service.
On top of that while DL used the expansion international flights method to work itself out of the rut, the prior management of AA chose to keep shrinking its network.
The entitled unions certainly do not help anything either.
What about the chief of the FA union made excuses on not to offer better services on the longhaul premium cabins when AA tried to upgrade the products because "we are there primarily for the passengers' safety." Sheesh.
Feb 13, 2017, 3:07 am
#209
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Or use your existing FlyerTalk account to set up a free account at award search engine Award Nexus (www.awardnexus.com)
Feb 13, 2017, 11:18 am
#210
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,955
This!
On top of that while DL used the expansion international flights method to work itself out of the rut, the prior management of AA chose to keep shrinking its network.
The entitled unions certainly do not help anything either.
What about the chief of the FA union made excuses on not to offer better services on the longhaul premium cabins when AA tried to upgrade the products because "we are there primarily for the passengers' safety." Sheesh.
On top of that while DL used the expansion international flights method to work itself out of the rut, the prior management of AA chose to keep shrinking its network.
The entitled unions certainly do not help anything either.
What about the chief of the FA union made excuses on not to offer better services on the longhaul premium cabins when AA tried to upgrade the products because "we are there primarily for the passengers' safety." Sheesh.
I have a lot of AA miles to burn. I wish AA would make it easier for me to do that - I don't consider AAnytime Awards to be that solution. And even when I do book an AA award, the fact that I have to call in to make any kind of change almost makes me not want to book it in the first place.