Are AA miles basically useless for US-Europe redemptions?
Feb 12, 2019, 4:30 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SFO or OAK
Programs: AA 1MM GLD, Hertz #1 Gold, bunch of other programs w/no status
Posts: 1,452
I just booked a SFO-Germany r/t award in saver J, with TATL legs on AA, for travel this May. Two stops each way, and granted it was a single ticket, but by checking every day over the last month or so I was able to avoid the dreaded BA surcharges by snagging an AA TATL leg when it popped up.
Feb 12, 2019, 4:56 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New England
Programs: UA 1P, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,502
You are right, OP. Back in the days there was an OW carrier Airberlin, which released J award frequently on its TATL routes. Now with Airberlin gone, you are stuck with AA, BA or AY for TATL routes.
Feb 12, 2019, 5:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,585
I wish we could dispel with the myth that award availability is magically there at the 330 day mark. It may be, it may not be. IME, award availability gets better at a closer date to departure.
AA metal Saver J is limited, yes, but not useless/nonexistent. The married segment crap is really obnoxious, though.
I've in the past few week redeemed 4 AA metal Saaver seats: 2 US-->Europe and 2 Europe--->US - booking around 2 months ahead of departure. On the dates I wanted the flights, but not the exact/best routings I wanted.
It can be done. YMMV.
Oh - I don't use Expertflyer. Sometimes I think people around here are getting commissions from EF, the way it is always referenced in these threads.
AA metal Saver J is limited, yes, but not useless/nonexistent. The married segment crap is really obnoxious, though.
I've in the past few week redeemed 4 AA metal Saaver seats: 2 US-->Europe and 2 Europe--->US - booking around 2 months ahead of departure. On the dates I wanted the flights, but not the exact/best routings I wanted.
It can be done. YMMV.
Oh - I don't use Expertflyer. Sometimes I think people around here are getting commissions from EF, the way it is always referenced in these threads.
Feb 12, 2019, 5:15 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,439
Yesterday I was on a flight and heard the obnoxious pitch for the credit card. "You'll get something-thousand bonus miles!!!".
I said to myself "Yeah, and good luck using them on a flight I want to take."
Miles are worthless if I can't use them when I want to use them.
I said to myself "Yeah, and good luck using them on a flight I want to take."
Miles are worthless if I can't use them when I want to use them.
Feb 12, 2019, 5:43 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 29,994
Feb 12, 2019, 6:09 pm
#22
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
It is indeed a shame that BA YQ is so insanely high. I would redeem for BA F more often (with Avios not AA miles) if it wasn't going to cost as much as a J class revenue ticket in fees. If you're flexible as to where you're going, I have been able to find NYC-Europe J class roundtrips on OW partners for no more than $2,300 every time i've needed to get over recently (AY in particular has had good deals). Also search C-space and consider miles+copy to upgrade a coach ticket (or does the new "enhancement" mean you can only go Y to PE?). Managed to upgrade JFK-CDG-JFK during summer peak season with SWUs.
Feb 12, 2019, 6:11 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 181
It's at the bottom right of the search fields on the homepage. Once you click to the advanced search page and check the "Redeem Miles" box it will default the selection at the bottom of the page to "All Airlines". If you change it back to American Airlines it will only display AA metal award space.
Feb 12, 2019, 6:15 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,750
It is on the full site - but only on the Advance Search screen. IIRC it is at the right hand bottom there is a little box you can check the AA only or All partners.
Feb 12, 2019, 6:28 pm
#25
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,578
or if you uncheck BA and you still see dates available, upon closer inspection, one of the flights (and more often than not, it’s the TATL leg) books into T in economy. I.E. pay another 17.5K miles more to sit in F from SAN to LAX and end up in coach for the LAX-LHR leg.
I've search US to anywhere AA flies to Euro to no avail. My dates are flexible but not within 2 weeks to fly.
Feb 12, 2019, 6:46 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,004
I've had 4 seats reserved to BCN and MAD for last summer, and again for this summer, at various times, though we had to end up cancelling. But I was looking in October/November for June flights. I suspect looking only 3 months out, you won't find much - those who looked in Oct/Nov probably have them.
Feb 12, 2019, 6:54 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
I think AA gets plenty of its own bad rap for lack of Saaver awards, especially TATL. Grass isnt' always greener by the way, the lowest business class DL award you can find is 82k and it requires 90 day notice. That's 22,500 miles more than AA, which on DL is about a $225 - $300 value.
Feb 12, 2019, 8:04 pm
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,186
It’s possible, but sometimes very hard, to find any non-BA U-class seats.
I found one Finnair U-class seat from the US to Europe for Christmas 2017.
I found one AA U-class seat from the US to Europe (RDU-LHR) for Christmas 2018.
I found one Iberia U-class seat from the US to Europe for Christmas 2019.
No non-BA availability for Europe-US U-class for any of the Christmas periods referenced above.
I found one Finnair U-class seat from the US to Europe for Christmas 2017.
I found one AA U-class seat from the US to Europe (RDU-LHR) for Christmas 2018.
I found one Iberia U-class seat from the US to Europe for Christmas 2019.
No non-BA availability for Europe-US U-class for any of the Christmas periods referenced above.
Feb 12, 2019, 10:46 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Hello!
I hate to start such a negative thread but for the first time since moving over from DL, I'm trying to use AA miles to travel from WAS to Europe and am having no luck. I've looked at NAP, VCE, DUB, and LHR so far and all flights are coming back with BA segments which of course carry huge fees ($1,000+ per ticket). To be fair, I am looking for a May redemption so it may be too late/high season but I've been looking for months now. I think it's really the fact that AA doesn't seem to open up any award availability on their own metal that's frustrating. DL get's a bad rap for reward redeeming miles but I never had issues like this. I'm hoping that I'm just going about it wrong?
Thanks!
I hate to start such a negative thread but for the first time since moving over from DL, I'm trying to use AA miles to travel from WAS to Europe and am having no luck. I've looked at NAP, VCE, DUB, and LHR so far and all flights are coming back with BA segments which of course carry huge fees ($1,000+ per ticket). To be fair, I am looking for a May redemption so it may be too late/high season but I've been looking for months now. I think it's really the fact that AA doesn't seem to open up any award availability on their own metal that's frustrating. DL get's a bad rap for reward redeeming miles but I never had issues like this. I'm hoping that I'm just going about it wrong?
Thanks!
That's in Economy.. (May 14-22)....... What class are you looking for?