AAdvantage MileSAAver: Through Award Fare Restriction Dec 2018
Mar 26, 2019, 6:25 am
#106
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: Delta, AA-Gold, Hilton-Gold
Posts: 93
I think they look at routing that is more desirable and has less overall seat inventory and release none/ higher priced A-C married segment awards on those particular routes. I booked at exactly midnight a year out when inventory was released and there were tons of crappy long layover / wrong direction flights for me through DCA/ JFK/ LGA (lots of seats) but they released none A-C for my route even though A-B and B-C were released. Granted, that isn't to say they may not randomly release A-C later for my desired routing, closer to flight date.
Mar 31, 2019, 7:04 am
#107
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
It’s bad enough that I cannot get AA direct flights using miles, but award segment logic will only embolden me to avail myself of the Citi Reduced Mileage Award chart. If Discount Dougie won’t offer up availability on direct TCONs, then I will gladly fly to Burbank or Ontario or Oakland and use less miles. I’ve also been double-stacking it with our 10%. I’ll miss this once it is gone, but there’s no incentive to pay full price whilst these shenanigans continue. In a separate issue, I’ve noticed purported “Web Economy Savers” price out to be more than MileSAAver and even AAnytime Awards. Seems like a big bust.
Mar 31, 2019, 7:31 am
#108
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
This AA game of devaluing the points with married segment and through-awards (and some other things) has been a major driver in my wanting to avoid collecting AA miles (and even way too many BA points) and has driven me to get/redeem mile for UA flights instead. UA seems way more willing to load in “saver” type space on relatively empty short-haul flights within 12-24 hours of departure (so as to try to collect that “close-in redemption” type fee, a fee which has been nothing but a cheap money grab for way too long); AA, however, seems to do anything but that on the comparable routes of relevance to me.
Apr 1, 2019, 10:44 am
#109
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: SPG, AA, UAL, Hyatt, Amex Plat
Posts: 38
Apologies if this is the wrong place but I'll throw this out there...
I take it this means that there isn't a convenient way to monitor Business (or Premium Economy) MileSAAver awards on connecting flights with AA (I'm generally a UA flyer but have a moderate collection AA miles I've accumulated over time that I was trying to burn off with a trip this summer)?
I've got an itinerary for late summer already booked from LAX-ORD-VCE on an Economy SAAver award. Generally what I would plan to do is setup alerts in ExpertFlyer for just the ORD-VCE legs for saver awards in the premium cabins and then if they hit call in to upgrade my award to the given level by paying the additional miles (I'm fine not getting the premium cabin on the domestic leg (although if I can at least get an automatic upgrade if saver premium becomes available on the leg that is great), I really just want to get into the premium cabin for the transatlantic leg). This general approach has always worked with UA but I take it these new rules make it less likely to work with AA since monitoring for the one leg doesn't mean they will let me book it since I'm on a connection?
I take it this means that there isn't a convenient way to monitor Business (or Premium Economy) MileSAAver awards on connecting flights with AA (I'm generally a UA flyer but have a moderate collection AA miles I've accumulated over time that I was trying to burn off with a trip this summer)?
I've got an itinerary for late summer already booked from LAX-ORD-VCE on an Economy SAAver award. Generally what I would plan to do is setup alerts in ExpertFlyer for just the ORD-VCE legs for saver awards in the premium cabins and then if they hit call in to upgrade my award to the given level by paying the additional miles (I'm fine not getting the premium cabin on the domestic leg (although if I can at least get an automatic upgrade if saver premium becomes available on the leg that is great), I really just want to get into the premium cabin for the transatlantic leg). This general approach has always worked with UA but I take it these new rules make it less likely to work with AA since monitoring for the one leg doesn't mean they will let me book it since I'm on a connection?
Last edited by KParks; Apr 1, 2019 at 10:46 am Reason: grammar!
Apr 3, 2019, 8:33 am
#110
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
I have used this approach in the past, on the hope/expectation of one or more schedule changes. While it may require HUCA to book, I have had very good success securing a much more desirable itinerary.
Apr 3, 2019, 8:37 am
#111
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
AS has been expanding service from my SAN base, to the point where they are now my go-to carrier. Quite easy to earn gold status (change fees are waived), good success with first class upgrades. AA has become my fallback, where my LT PLT comes in handy.
Aviator card was up for renewal, Barclay's was unwilling to waive the annual fee, so I decided to cancel.
Aviator card was up for renewal, Barclay's was unwilling to waive the annual fee, so I decided to cancel.
Apr 3, 2019, 12:36 pm
#113
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
The new policy is that the award must be available when searching on the origin to the destination and not just available segment by segment. The availability may (or increasingly) may not be the same. Why? Because AA believes that it is in their interest.
Apr 3, 2019, 12:39 pm
#114
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
Even if it's booked as a multi-city trip?
Apr 3, 2019, 1:45 pm
#115
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
If you wsnt to go from A-C via B, there needs to be availability when searching for A-C ; if one of the sectors is unavailable it cannot be booked.
Holding 1 sector and then trying to add another will show no availability when trying to add it to the booking
Holding 1 sector and then trying to add another will show no availability when trying to add it to the booking
Apr 3, 2019, 2:44 pm
#116
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: United Premier Platinum
Posts: 638
Are agents virtually all complying with the new way of searching for availability, or would HUCA be a viable option to eventually build an itinerary “the old way?” Does the system even let noncompliant agents do it any more?
Apr 3, 2019, 2:49 pm
#117
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
I dunno, that just seems like straight up lying. Leave it to AA to take "mileage availability games" to the grey area between "maximizing profits" and "extorting miles out of you". To say there's availability on A-B and B-C, to the extent that you can book separate tickets for them, but not A-B-C, even as a multi-city itinerary, seems so borderline criminal.
Last edited by wiivile; Apr 3, 2019 at 4:36 pm
Apr 3, 2019, 4:25 pm
#118
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I wonder if the ticket reissue process may end up getting in the way even if an agent on the phone or elsewhere got the booking to add the additional segment as confirmed.
Apr 3, 2019, 4:34 pm
#119
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
More award availability restricted by married segments / connections
-- this is NOT a separate topic or some kind of "new" "Through Award Fare(s)" restriction -- it's all the same as that other thread.
In that thread, I noted that agents are strictly monitored on this even including their screens being preserved for review, etc:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30603997-post309.html
Apr 3, 2019, 6:57 pm
#120
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
I dunno, that just seems like straight up lying. Leave it to AA to take "mileage availability games" to the grey area between "maximizing profits" and "extorting miles out of you". To say there's availability on A-B and B-C, to the extent that you can book separate tickets for them, but not A-B-C, even as a multi-city itinerary, seems so borderline criminal.