TechMarauder

+1 on the pokey local train in BRU. It took me back to post-war days!
Otherwise, I do like BRU airport much better than CDG and nice lounges too (esp the SK one)

shar161

Flying into LHR still has the same taxes when booking at AA.com. We can only go during the holiday. I was on hold forever with AA last night ( to ask them about the partner airlines) and got too tired waiting. I'll call again today.

oopsz

Storms in DFW yesterday. Whenever there's weather, the hold times get outrageous recently.

anc-ord772

Just to make sure, you need to be looking for AA operated flights to LHR on AA.com. Booking BA flights on AA.com will still yield the high fee.

Thunderroad

shar161, You might try awardnexus.com to search for various options that might exclude the high BA fees. The initial, relatively modest level of use you have in mind is free for FTers. Then, $50 for more expansive use, though you probably wouldn't need to plunk that down.

Having said that, you could run into the problem of seeking four award tix around Xmas, but it's worth a try.

Mods, FWIW, I also support this excellent idea...

+1 to all of the above

JDiver

I can handle a pokey train for 20-30 minutes or so - especially if it makes raveling easier (e.g. staying in Brussels, Noord /Nord or Centraal / Centrale for Brugge or Antwerp, going on to a high speed modern train, Zuid / Midi and onward). Especially since i can catch it from the airport lower floors. (Too bad it's not like FRA where the high speed ICE also comes calling at the Flughafen Fernbahnhof - still, miles ahead of much of what we have in the USA.)

JDiver

While we appreciate the member interest in establishing this topic as a "sticky", at this time we are not likely to add yet another sticky for something as narrow as AA awards on BA without significant moderator discussion and consensus. Some have have put considerable energy and effort into the FAQ and the Wiki, as well as trying to "stick" some gateway type threads to help people get to their destination safely.

If we added a "AA award on BA" sticky, I suspect we would soon have request for awards on TN, business and first awards on CX, etc. etc. "sticky" threads. But the majority of members are not looking to use AA awards on BA, they are also seeking CX awards, upgrade information, lounge access information, seating information, etc.

Instead, we will more likely continue to seek to assist the most possible with useful tools, and establish new stickies a bit like TalkBoard establishes new fora, with lots of discussion and consensus, and of course taking into consideration member requests and interests.

Four stickies so far (with an occasional temporary sticky for a specific urgency or bit of news):

[NEWBIE LOUNGE] Ask Your AA-Related Questions Here (flame free) - This suppresses a lot of new, repetitive threads and allows newer members to draw less fire.

FAQ: American Airlines and AAdvantage - Please check here first! - A guide to most of the questions people commonly ask and where to find the information on aa.com and FlyerTalk threads.

AWARD DESK: Information about AA, Partner, and oneworld Awards - links to the main threads about AA, oneworld and non-"ow" partner awards.

HELP DESK: Ask questions about Lounge Access, Challenges, Upgrades, Miles & Points - Again, this links to "HELP DESK" threads where many members are helping others with common lounge, challenge, upgrade, miles and points questions.

I promise we will take up discussion on this matter, but at this moment, I wanted to convey to you what we are attempting to do in this forum and why a narrower subject like CX Biz and F awards, AA on BA awards, etc. are not likely to be stuck - we would have a first page with stickies and I opine we would have a whole new flock of requests to unstick many of them - and difficult navigating for newer members or those jumping over here form fora they spend more time on to check an AA related issue out.

Note: this is not a post for discussion, as it is merely a response to member declared interests and extensive discussion would take this thread entirely off topic (it may be merged with the similar thread on this topic in any case) merely for informational purposes - we are discussing a thread for back and forth communication with these kinds of issues as topics of discussion.

Thank you for your understanding. May your flights be trouble free, comfortable and free of YQ.

JDiver, for the AA Moderator team

Thunderroad

JD, thanks for the quick and thoughtful response re the sticky idea for avoiding the expensive BA award tix. I have to confess that I'd overlooked that what was being proposed was a sticky rather than simply a dedicated thread, a la the CX F award thread. So might a dedicated thread, that is not a sticky, be possible?

JDiver

It is not only possible, it shall be done. (It requires doing some scutwork looking for similar threads, creating a mod note or header post and doing some mergeology.)

Thanks, all, for your valued input.

JDiver, for the AA moderator team (say "mod squad" and we may have to kill you... )

robin13

I have been saving my miles for a trip to London in Sept 2013. I know that it is way to early to book the flights but I just wanted to see what times might be available so I used next April's date. Well, there are no AA flights offered; just BA flights. The taxes are almost $800 which I refuse to pay as I want to fly on AA metal and not BA. Can someone tell me why there are no AA flights available 9 months ahead of time? I sure hope this will not be a problem when it is time to book the tickets (in October) as I can't afford to pay for the flights to London and a cruise.

miamigrad

Excellent information - thanks! BTW - my reference was for BA-imposed charges (not for IZ from France). Perhaps you were referring to that, too.

Perhaps I had the wrong code/tax, but I remember booking a premium award on AA metal from CDG-ORD and the award ticket came with over $100 in taxes/fees. Indeed, I just did a mock booking CDG-ORD (AA metal), on Dec. 6, for a "U" award and the trip priced at 50,000 miles + $127.10

TheBOSman

Indeed. The US Airways thread referred to isn't a sticky, it's just one of, if not the most posted threads in that forum, so it always hangs near the top. I think this is a great idea.

US Airways thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ad-merged.html

Microwave

For what it's worth, the Piccadilly line runs direct from Heathrow T1/2/3 to Kings Cross-St. Pancras in about 50 minutes, and for a fraction the cost of changing at Paddington via Heathrow Express, and it only takes about 10 minutes longer. For those schlepping luggage, it will also involve one fewer changes, making it a bit easier on that front as well.

sk3

It suŠks, I completely agree. I've recently reported on the MileSAAver thread about the dearth of J and F seats on AA's LAX-LHR.

But I'm replying to you just to make sure you're aware of AA.com's kinks and that you know how to see the availability (if any!) excluding BA's flights. There's no doubt other ways to do it, but here's what I do:

On the AA.com homepage in the blue box on the left side of the screen, fill in your cities, dates, select "Redeem AAdvantage Miles" and I suggest always beginning a search for just one passenger (if you find availability you can always go back and then search the same date for 2 ppl etc, but this way gives you a sense of what's out there). I also recommend selecting "Dates Flexible", even if yours aren't, because this will pull up the whole month and again, it gives you a sense of what's out there.

[And here's the important part] Then on the bottom left of that blue box click on "More Flight Search Options". Then on the new screen that opens, scroll down to "6. What are Your Carrier Preferences?" and select "AA, American Eagle and AmericanConnectionŽ"
(Without doing this step, the "AA + AAdvantage Participating Airlines" is the default search which incorporates BA).

Then click on the "Go" on the right hand side.

If you already knew this, well, then maybe it will help someone else.

Best of luck to you robin13.

ayton

Start rant {
I know we've spoken about the absurd "fees" BA imposes on award tickets made through AA, but I have officially found a new level:

BA 710 LHR-ZRH on August 8th.

AA Miles award: 20,000 miles + $111.50

Purchase on BA.com: 67 GBP or $103.68.

So it is cheaper to BUY the ticket than to get it for free??

}End rant.

Now to the question:
I found another flight leaving out of LCY, but it's still $89 worth of fees, might as well pay the extra $20 and receivethe miles and segments.
Are there other airports with award options that I'm not thinking of? There don't seem to be any OW available flights from LGW or STN.

Thanks all,

-A

Just to be clear, I know there are huge threads on this, and I don't really need assistance. It was just the first time I saw the price tip over to be more than the free ticket in total and wanted to remark on it. We don't need to start up another sticky/search rant.