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Are AA miles basically useless for US-Europe redemptions?

Are AA miles basically useless for US-Europe redemptions?

Old Feb 20, 2019, 6:37 pm
  #91  
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Do you mean AA-operated flights? Yes, I've definitely seen that phantom availability show on BA.com.
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Old Feb 20, 2019, 7:54 pm
  #92  
 
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A weird pattern, but I have noticed that when AA loads a schedule or aircraft change, they sometimes temporarily dump space, perhaps by accident. For example, there was a 24-hour period late-last year when they (re)upgraded the LAX-LHR aircraft on AA108/109 to the 77W (re-adding a First cabin to this flight). At this time, the entire F cabin was available at the MileSaaver rate, and on every day in the calendar after the upgrade schedule. The space was there for c. 24 hours, and tickets ticketed; my partner and I booked 2 MileSaaver seats in F for July. The same thing happened to us a year prior, when AA dumped J seats after downgrading the aircraft on this flight. Coincidentally, in 2016 we were travelling from LHR to LAX for our wedding, around the time AA added a second daily flight, they again dumped all the F space for about 24-hours as flights loaded (we held 4 F seats on one flight so our family could all go together, but eventually cancelled as we travelled on different dates and the space disappeared). I've noticed that changes like this seem to create a window of dumping space. It's a once a year unicorn moment - so long as they keep changing their aircraft or schedules - but if you're obsessively consistent in checking (which, of course, you should not have do do) and you begin planning the day the flights open (again, they can do better here), you can sometimes get something on a west coast nonstop in J or F if the conditions are right. In our last booking, we were planning 330 days in advance (a luxury I know, but it's for a sibling wedding so dates were set) I also noticed loads of flights with at least 2 J on DFW-LHR flights.
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Old Feb 20, 2019, 8:09 pm
  #93  
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Originally Posted by enviroian
Curious, how is availability , saver J or Y on the new LHR flights?
I have not checked.

I only fly BA metal to LHR and Europe, usually PE as it nets an insane amount of EQDs and EQMs. I only fly AA to Asia, more specifically just to use my SWUs on AA's LAX-HKG route.

Last time I redeemed AA miles for EU was in 2017 on a one-way First Class ticket in BA flying home from Ibiza.

I usually only use my AA miles for miles+co-pay upgrades to Asia after my SWUs are gone.

I am sitting in Bali right now on a month-long vacation and flying home next week but in SQ J on their new SIN-LAX nonstop! Should be exciting on the A350!

(But I am the strange person who doesn't understand why people pay cash or redeem hundreds of thousands of miles for east coast to EU in J.....I mean, geez....isn't it like a 7hr flight? I fly to Maui all the time in Y and its about 6.5hrs nonstop from PHX and never complain. LAX-EUROPE, however, is plenty long and worth the money or miles. )
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 1:18 am
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by tkelvin69
I just got a couple PHL-PRG for mid may. Economy which sucks but at least you can get there.
If anything summarized the sad state of things and extremely low expectations these days it is this statement...at some point these programs are going to not be quite as profitable as they are now for the airlines. Eventually Joe Q Public wakes up...no more AA CCs, buying of miles by customers, selling of miles to retailers, etc.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 6:56 am
  #95  
 
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Phantom availability?

Originally Posted by ijgordon
Do you mean AA-operated flights? Yes, I've definitely seen that phantom availability show on BA.com.
No, I am referring to award availability on Iberia (using AA miles). IE: If a Iberia award flight (biz) from Miami to Madrid, is seen on BA.com (Or Iberia.com) , as available.....But does not show up on AA.com. Is the Iberia award availability on ba.com and iberia.com.....Phantom?

thanks
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 10:26 am
  #96  
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Originally Posted by AA Flyer
No, I am referring to award availability on Iberia (using AA miles). IE: If a Iberia award flight (biz) from Miami to Madrid, is seen on BA.com (Or Iberia.com) , as available.....But does not show up on AA.com. Is the Iberia award availability on ba.com and iberia.com.....Phantom?

thanks
You can try to go thru the booking process on BA site - if it is phantom it would not go to the last payment step. If it is real, it would go all the way. Seems easy to check.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 2:10 pm
  #97  
 
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I'm another one who uses AA miles for coach to Europe. I have used them for J but for me and my husband, a short trip to Europe (under 12 hours) isn't that bad in economy. (My husband is 6'3" but luckily we almost always get bulkhead). We haven't had any trouble getting MilesSaver economy awards to/from Europe this summer. We got J to South Africa (on Iberia metal) last September/October but we booked it pretty far out.

I agree with others to call AA for some other options such as Iberia that might not always show up. They always waive the booking fee for us.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 5:32 pm
  #98  
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Originally Posted by AA Flyer
No, I am referring to award availability on Iberia (using AA miles). IE: If a Iberia award flight (biz) from Miami to Madrid, is seen on BA.com (Or Iberia.com) , as available.....But does not show up on AA.com. Is the Iberia award availability on ba.com and iberia.com.....Phantom?

thanks
That's harder to say. AA won't necessarily have the same award availability on partners that those partners release to their own frequent flyer members. I would guess BA/IB both have the same inventory for each other, but I'm not entirely sure.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 5:38 pm
  #99  
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I haven't tried to redeem to Europe for a couple of years, but needed a one way in late June to link up to a superb ex-CDG RT in J on AF. I was stunned that I was able to find an AA J award PHL-MAN on the exact day I wanted and could make it PHL-MAN-LHR-STR. (I had been planning on driving a rental car to IAD and flying VS PE IAD-LHR on award, with YQ.) I will have to position RDU-PHL the night before but I haven't been in Philly for a few years and will enjoy the vacation day.

I have always found that booking 5 months out was the sweet spot for me between flexibility, availability, and ability to commit to specific dates.
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