Using the new and old award search on AA
 

I go to look for the 2 days in a year when lie flat at a reasonable rate is available from OGG to DFW....usually same dates for HNL or KOA just one or 2 a year.
Anyway the new award search on AA.com has no calendar (says coming soon), no business class, just main cabin, economy preferred, and first....is economy preferred a replacement for business class, allowing them to only charge the jacked up rates for first?....I can't find any mention of this change from aa in the forums, from the bloggers, or from AA.com...so ... is it a sneaky devaluation?

There is no such thing as "economy preferred" on AA.

What you are thinking of as J is domestic F on "2-class" aircraft.

If you don't like the new award search, you can use the old award search, but it won't help.

The old search presently returns result that the new one does not, for sure, instructions:
https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...award-results/

you are correct it is not called "economy preferred" it is called "Premium economy" on the new search. it is where the "business class" awards used to be and has a limited description that doesn't say exactly what seats you will get on a 2 or 3 class flight....it does make a difference as I just searched for the flight there and it used the old award search format that includes "business"......same browser window, 2 different flights, 2 different search engines for results....with the increased cost in points, it looks like we may take one last trip to Hawaii and call it quits....350k RT each for upfront seats from DFW an AA hub?!?.....really?, really.....blah

thx
 

this is what I was looking for, thx for the link. So it seems best to use both to look for an award....and according to one of the screenshots "premium economy" is a different, lower level award from business and first as the example shows them all listed.

On domestic flights, the front cabin is marketed as "first" even though it is usually the same cabin that is marketed as "business" on an international flight (this is independent of whether the seats are lie flat or recliner). This is confusing for sure, but it isn't new.

also, because things are not confusing enough, its worth pointing out that while the marketing, boarding pass etc says "first" for domestic 2 cabin (or 3 cabin with PE) flights they are booked into business fare buckets..the "first class" buckets F and A are only for 3 (4 if PE) cabin international or transcon flights.

FWIW, I am getting different results with different browsers and also different results depending on whether I am logged in or not (with fewer premium cabin results appearing when logged in as EXP). Very suspicious.

New Interface
 

As of about 20 minutes ago American switched to a new online interface for booking awards. I can't seem to get any int'l first class awards to show up - it only shows business, premium economy and economy.

Hmnn. Everything looks the same to me, interface wise. But I use the "old" format. On a quick look, I was able to bring up International First Saver Awards on SYD - SEZ.

Strange. This is what I'm seeing:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fe168c5def.jpg

You should have 2 options: original and new interface. Go back to the aa.com and start your search there.

Aha! Thanks. Was unaware that was an option.

Flights 61 and 153 do not have a first class cabin, that is likely why they show as such.