Building itinerary with Google Flights, but aa.com won't price it
Feb 17, 2020, 3:26 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
Building itinerary with Google Flights, but aa.com won't price it
I built a routing using OW carriers on google flights and got decent pricing.
AA 8986 JFK-HEL Finnair (marketed as AA flight #)
AY 707 HEL-LED Finnair
S7 6105 LED-BCN S7 (Siberian) Airways
AA 741 MAD-PHL AA
AA.com 'does not compute' after I click select flight, I'm figuring because they aren't booking s7 flights online. Before I spend too much time on the phone only to be shot down, is this something that the agent would be able to piece together exactly as google flights did to get me the same price?
AA 8986 JFK-HEL Finnair (marketed as AA flight #)
AY 707 HEL-LED Finnair
S7 6105 LED-BCN S7 (Siberian) Airways
AA 741 MAD-PHL AA
AA.com 'does not compute' after I click select flight, I'm figuring because they aren't booking s7 flights online. Before I spend too much time on the phone only to be shot down, is this something that the agent would be able to piece together exactly as google flights did to get me the same price?
Feb 17, 2020, 3:30 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
I built a routing using OW carriers on google flights and got decent pricing.
AA 8986 JFK-HEL Finnair (marketed as AA flight #)
AY 707 HEL-LED Finnair
S7 6105 LED-BCN S7 (Siberian) Airways
AA 741 MAD-PHL AA
AA.com 'does not compute' after I click select flight, I'm figuring because they aren't booking s7 flights online. Before I spend too much time on the phone only to be shot down, is this something that the agent would be able to piece together exactly as google flights did to get me the same price?
AA 8986 JFK-HEL Finnair (marketed as AA flight #)
AY 707 HEL-LED Finnair
S7 6105 LED-BCN S7 (Siberian) Airways
AA 741 MAD-PHL AA
AA.com 'does not compute' after I click select flight, I'm figuring because they aren't booking s7 flights online. Before I spend too much time on the phone only to be shot down, is this something that the agent would be able to piece together exactly as google flights did to get me the same price?
Feb 17, 2020, 3:55 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,586
Looking at some of the cheaper fares they seem to have a restriction
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL WITHIN EUROPE
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AY
ANY AY FLIGHT OPERATED BY AY.
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL WITHIN EUROPE
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AY
ANY AY FLIGHT OPERATED BY AY.
Feb 18, 2020, 11:22 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
My concern is that the 3rd party booking agent will downgrade my fare class if they later find a reduced fare. Right now my fare class I'm looking at is eligible for the BXP3 upgrade award on the MAD-PHL leg. I'd hate for them to later bump me down to a fare that's not eligible.
Feb 18, 2020, 1:12 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 994
Thanks for that tip. I tried seeing where that landed me and it put me with flightnetwork.com, with the full itinerary and such. I've read reviews that these guys are shady at times. I refreshed my BWM page and then it gave me Priceline as an option as well, same pricing.
My concern is that the 3rd party booking agent will downgrade my fare class if they later find a reduced fare. Right now my fare class I'm looking at is eligible for the BXP3 upgrade award on the MAD-PHL leg. I'd hate for them to later bump me down to a fare that's not eligible.
My concern is that the 3rd party booking agent will downgrade my fare class if they later find a reduced fare. Right now my fare class I'm looking at is eligible for the BXP3 upgrade award on the MAD-PHL leg. I'd hate for them to later bump me down to a fare that's not eligible.
Feb 18, 2020, 2:06 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
I'm leaning towards PL, though I would likely not be in a scenario to cancel within 24 hours of booking once I finalize it. My comment about the reviews of flightnetwork.com saying they charge a fare for a given itinerary. If the coach fare drops, they internally reissue the ticket and pocket the fare difference. I'm guessing once a PL booking is locked in and confirmed, it's a done deal.
Feb 18, 2020, 10:21 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: AA, WN, UA, Bonvoy, Hertz
Posts: 2,491
I would also say Priceline is very reputable. As long as you book with enough advance to be eligible for a 24 hr refund, you should be able to confirm all of the booking classes. It is good that Priceline is still plugged into taking Matrix generated itineraries. I have never seen Priceline touch an itinerary on its own after booking.
Feb 19, 2020, 7:44 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AA EXP & Life Plat; AA 4MM; TWA Life Plat; HH Diamond
Posts: 1,109
Try booking a multicity ticket on American's Germany site. It has an Amadeus gds backend instead of Sabre. Be aware the ticket will price in Euro. https://www.americanairlines.de/intl/de/index_en.jsp
Feb 22, 2020, 6:27 am
#10
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 179
I built a routing using OW carriers on google flights and got decent pricing.
AA 8986 JFK-HEL Finnair (marketed as AA flight #)
AY 707 HEL-LED Finnair
S7 6105 LED-BCN S7 (Siberian) Airways
AA 741 MAD-PHL AA
AA.com 'does not compute' after I click select flight, I'm figuring because they aren't booking s7 flights online. Before I spend too much time on the phone only to be shot down, is this something that the agent would be able to piece together exactly as google flights did to get me the same price?
AA 8986 JFK-HEL Finnair (marketed as AA flight #)
AY 707 HEL-LED Finnair
S7 6105 LED-BCN S7 (Siberian) Airways
AA 741 MAD-PHL AA
AA.com 'does not compute' after I click select flight, I'm figuring because they aren't booking s7 flights online. Before I spend too much time on the phone only to be shot down, is this something that the agent would be able to piece together exactly as google flights did to get me the same price?
Feb 22, 2020, 9:15 am
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: AA: CK
Posts: 2,230
Recently tried to book JFK-MIA-RDU in D class. That *is* a legal routing per the fare rules. However, even though both flights had D class, married segment availability was J only. AA.com still showed it, however, as a through D fare, but would error out at the last step. Playing dumb, I called AA reservations. They could clearly not book it. I was transferred to web support, who, after an hour, could also no book it, even though they acknowledged that AA.com was showing it. So there seems to be an issue whereby AA.com doesn't check married segment availability using multi-city before trying to price it. Oddly, Matrix showed it as well, but Priceline could not price it either. Was a weird situation.
Feb 22, 2020, 10:36 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,586
Recently tried to book JFK-MIA-RDU in D class. That *is* a legal routing per the fare rules. However, even though both flights had D class, married segment availability was J only. AA.com still showed it, however, as a through D fare, but would error out at the last step. Playing dumb, I called AA reservations. They could clearly not book it. I was transferred to web support, who, after an hour, could also no book it, even though they acknowledged that AA.com was showing it. So there seems to be an issue whereby AA.com doesn't check married segment availability using multi-city before trying to price it. Oddly, Matrix showed it as well, but Priceline could not price it either. Was a weird situation.
When doing a multiple segment search, then each segment will be searched for based on segment availability - when then going to pay, it will find the issue when trying to pay
AA is not the only airline that works in this manner
Feb 23, 2020, 3:54 am
#13
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: AA: CK
Posts: 2,230
Indeed - to book JFK-RDU and have aa.com correctly search for availability based on married segment availability, you need to use a normal search and look for JFK-RDU and find the connection via MIA in the lis of options
When doing a multiple segment search, then each segment will be searched for based on segment availability - when then going to pay, it will find the issue when trying to pay
AA is not the only airline that works in this manner
When doing a multiple segment search, then each segment will be searched for based on segment availability - when then going to pay, it will find the issue when trying to pay
AA is not the only airline that works in this manner
Feb 23, 2020, 4:54 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Arizona
Programs: BA (GGL G4L), AA (Gold), HH (Diamond); Marriott (Gold)
Posts: 3,011
Use ITA Matrix and then ITA-Matrix-Powertools ( ITA-Matrix-PowerTools - Userscript for Orbitz/DL/UA/AA/BA/CZ/IB/LA/LH/LX/TK )... it will find a way to let you book via aa.com, though it may be the Amadeus version of AA. I've booked a few more complex itineraries in this manner.
Feb 23, 2020, 4:59 am
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: AA: CK
Posts: 2,230
Use ITA Matrix and then ITA-Matrix-Powertools ( ITA-Matrix-PowerTools - Userscript for Orbitz/DL/UA/AA/BA/CZ/IB/LA/LH/LX/TK )... it will find a way to let you book via aa.com, though it may be the Amadeus version of AA. I've booked a few more complex itineraries in this manner.