Jan 18, 2021, 1:06 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Welcome to the archived 2021 "NEWBIE LOUNGE"Ask Your Consolidated / Combined AA Questions Here (flame free)
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST: (This post can only be edited by moderators.)
FOR THE 2022 THREAD, SEE HERE: link
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Important links:
Link to American Airlines Conditions of Carriage
Link to AAdvantage Terms and Conditions
NOTE: See below for links to the archived older threads.
Q. How can I find information more easily than reading through all the threads? Now that I'm here, what do I do next?
Check out the following resources:
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.)
NOTE: 2020 NEWBIE LOUNGE posts are here.
2019 NEWBIE LOUNGE older posts are here.
The 2018 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST: (This post can only be edited by moderators.)
FOR THE 2022 THREAD, SEE HERE: link
Welcome to the Newbie Lounge!
Welcome to Flyertalk!
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.
We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
The Newbie Lounge is a place for newer and less experienced members to ask their questions about American Airlines and the AAdvantage program and have answered by our more experienced and knowledgeable members. Feel free to ask any question related to American Airlines and AAdvantage here.
NOTE: This is a "flame free" thread; flaming, personal criticism for "failing to search" etc. is not allowed (if posted, the post will be summarily deleted, the poster subject to sanctions).
Advanced questions posed by veteran FT users may be moved and / or merged into existing master or GUIDE threads, most of which have Wikiposts at the top of the page that contain summaries of important information.
We volunteer Moderators monitor this "lounge" thread to assist you as well. When browsing the fora, look at the page tops of the various forums. There will be a menu, and often "sticky" threads, and threads with header "wiki posts" (created and maintained by the FlyerTalk community) with important information relating to that forum / topic.
Don't hesitate to contact a moderator or another member if you have any additional questions. You can PM the Moderators by clicking on
, which pops up a message box; the message goes to all this forum's Moderators. Note that unlike some sites with paid staff moderators, FlyerTalk Moderators are volunteers, and most work, travel, go on holiday, etc. You can Private Message us using the PM system (My Flyertalk) and our handles.We're glad you've chosen to join the Flyertalk frequent flyer community!
Your American Airlines | AAdvantage Forum Moderation Team,
AZ Travels the World, aztimm, dstan, JDiver, JY1024, Microwave
(Our thanks to thread founder / "plank owner" HNL.)
Link to American Airlines Conditions of Carriage
Link to AAdvantage Terms and Conditions
NOTE: See below for links to the archived older threads.
Q. How can I find information more easily than reading through all the threads? Now that I'm here, what do I do next?
Check out the following resources:
- GUIDE: FT - AA Forum, LOUNGE DASHBOARD and OSO / IRROPS (Links to most important threads, "Help Desk" assistance threads, the thread with resources for off-schedule operations / irregular operations (including links to AA weather policy and tools), hub airport threads, AA lounge Dashboard for all lounges and lounge related issues.)
- FAQ: American Airlines and AAdvantage - Please check here first! (Our FAQ were originally written for the pre-merger AA forum, but there's still a lot of useful information there.)
- New and uncertain where to start here, and it's about American Airlines? Start in our "NEWBIE LOUNGE" thread, here: link.
- Do you have questions about other travel related issues that do not pertain to AA and are unsure where to start? Visit our Information Desk Forum here: U]link.
- Especially useful to new members: FAQs (How to post like a pro and more)
- The NEW FlyerTalk: Helpful Hints, Tips and Suggestions to Enhance Your Experience (Information Desk Forum)
- FlyerTalk Glossary (What is all this jargon?)
- Airport Code Guide (How do I decode an airport code / find one for a city?)
Searching can be key to finding important information and answers without waiting for someone to drop by and answer, and it helps prevent that information fragmentation. FlyerTalk Advanced Search can seem quirky to the infrequent user, but it's fairly powerful if one knows how to use it. There are several ways to search:
- Canarsie's Using the Search Feature on FlyerTalk: The Definitive Thread has relocated to the Information Desk Forum; it can be found there.
- One can search FlyerTalk with Google with this web form.
- Or, if you are used to Google search, use Google Advanced Search and insert www.flyertalk.com in the "site or domain" box.
Forum basics: Now that the new AA has become by some measures "the world's largest airline", this new, combined has become a "mega-forum", very large, very active - and theoretically very difficult to find information and easy to lose one's place. Having to search for and sort through dozens - or more - of threads on baggage, airports, minimum connect times or the like could soon become unproductive and discouraging.
To prevent this from occurring, please note we try to:
Keep a few "sticky" threads: such as GUIDE posts, OSO / IROPS, etc. for urgent and quick reference, such as basic "where do I find" reasons
Keep threads to specific topics: Prevent information fragmentation and loss by consolidating questions, answers and discussion of one topic contained in one thread. (This also honors those members who have already shared valuable information and experiences.)
"Popular" threads are likely to have a Wikipost at the head that will summarize important information and have resource links. These are "community property", and as any wiki are established, maintained and updated by the members (with 90 days of tenure and 90 posts on FlyerTalk).
You may find your question or post merged into one of those threads. Be sure that we will leave a link behind from your original thread, and to look up to see if there's a wiki with information. We apologize for any possible inconvenience or difference between this forum and others, but we think you'll like some of the resources and tools here to enable more convenient, comfortable travel on AA and greater knowledge sharing.
Keep it welcoming: We're proud the members of both FFPs have kept the brickbats to a minimum; we want this forum to be welcoming, civil and information rich, so name calling (including calling a member one disagrees with "AApologist") and snark are not tolerated. Posts with such are likely to be summarily deleted in their entirety; repeated such behavior may result in suspension of one's membership privileges or being banned from this forum. Let's keep it friendly and in accordance with the FT Rules.
FlyerTalk Rules (We all agree to abide by these, and are held accountable.)
NOTE: 2020 NEWBIE LOUNGE posts are here.
2019 NEWBIE LOUNGE older posts are here.
The 2018 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2017 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
The 2016 AA NEWBIE LOUNGE post thread is here
Thanks for reading!
NEWBIE LOUNGE 2021: Ask AA newbie questions here - flame-free thread
Nov 12, 2021, 8:37 am
#1036
Join Date: Jul 2021
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 150
Are there *any* current direct AA TATL flights to Italy (ROM or MXP or maybe VCE)? From any US city? I've tried flightconnections and flightmapper but I'm getting nowhere. Would love to find an alternative to connecting in LHR.
Heck any and all AA TATL flights would be interesting.
thanks
Heck any and all AA TATL flights would be interesting.
thanks
Nov 12, 2021, 8:46 am
#1037
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,605
Nov 12, 2021, 2:00 pm
#1039
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 63
I have a question regarding earning AA miles on AS. The chart has a column titled "cabin bonus" what does this mean?
Nov 12, 2021, 5:46 pm
#1041
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 106
Looking for some clarity on when my current status will expire. I am reading 2 different things, and not sure which is accurate.
Both on the app and website it says "Platinum through Jan 31, 2023" under my account information.
In an email for the new Loyalty Points change it says "Loyalty status extended to March 31, 2022. To thank you for your loyalty during the time, we're extending all current members status to March 31, 2022."
So which is it...March 31, 2022 or Jan 31, 2023?
Edit: I think I've found the answer of 1/31/23 since I have earned that status throughout the year flying. Just wanting to make sure...
Both on the app and website it says "Platinum through Jan 31, 2023" under my account information.
In an email for the new Loyalty Points change it says "Loyalty status extended to March 31, 2022. To thank you for your loyalty during the time, we're extending all current members status to March 31, 2022."
So which is it...March 31, 2022 or Jan 31, 2023?
Edit: I think I've found the answer of 1/31/23 since I have earned that status throughout the year flying. Just wanting to make sure...
Last edited by JustDandy; Nov 12, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Nov 12, 2021, 7:32 pm
#1042
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: LAX/ONT
Programs: AS 100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott G, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 518
Interesting fare, LAX-DFW $100 RT
I used Google to search LAX-DFW, although most weekend shows a $100 return when I click through and on the page of selecting inbound, the price usually goes up to $200-300 which is normal. Some dates, even the price stay at $100, once I went to AA.com and after adding passenger details, the next page shows that the fare is no longer available.
However, there are dates that can make this work. The interesting thing is, such fare is not available if I search on AA.com, but bookable and can get ticketed.
For the dates I get it to work, on the reservation page, it shows Los Angeles to Los Angeles, in the fare rules, it has the following
City Pair Fare Basis Code Flight
LAX to SFO OVAKUSN3 (Displayed Below) LAX to SFO
SFO to LAX OVAKZNN3 View rule DFW to LAX
Notice the city pair and the flight, I guess that's how the flight is this cheap eventually. Currently, the only weekend works are the 1/8/22 - 1/9/22. There may be weekday deals available.
There is only one thing I worry about is something is going to happen when I check in the flight. But the reservation is ticketed, so I guess I am safe.
I used Google to search LAX-DFW, although most weekend shows a $100 return when I click through and on the page of selecting inbound, the price usually goes up to $200-300 which is normal. Some dates, even the price stay at $100, once I went to AA.com and after adding passenger details, the next page shows that the fare is no longer available.
However, there are dates that can make this work. The interesting thing is, such fare is not available if I search on AA.com, but bookable and can get ticketed.
For the dates I get it to work, on the reservation page, it shows Los Angeles to Los Angeles, in the fare rules, it has the following
City Pair Fare Basis Code Flight
LAX to SFO OVAKUSN3 (Displayed Below) LAX to SFO
SFO to LAX OVAKZNN3 View rule DFW to LAX
Notice the city pair and the flight, I guess that's how the flight is this cheap eventually. Currently, the only weekend works are the 1/8/22 - 1/9/22. There may be weekday deals available.
There is only one thing I worry about is something is going to happen when I check in the flight. But the reservation is ticketed, so I guess I am safe.
Nov 12, 2021, 7:34 pm
#1043
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,410
How long after canceling a flight am I supposed to receive my wallet/trip credit? I don't remember it taking this long before, but it's been nearly a week now for this most recent trip and I have a cancellation email... If I look up the record locator the credit does show up, is that just something I need to call AA about to have it added to my wallet?
Last edited by Smiley90; Nov 12, 2021 at 7:41 pm
Nov 13, 2021, 5:48 am
#1044
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,495
Looking for some clarity on when my current status will expire. I am reading 2 different things, and not sure which is accurate.
Both on the app and website it says "Platinum through Jan 31, 2023" under my account information.
In an email for the new Loyalty Points change it says "Loyalty status extended to March 31, 2022. To thank you for your loyalty during the time, we're extending all current members status to March 31, 2022."
So which is it...March 31, 2022 or Jan 31, 2023?
Edit: I think I've found the answer of 1/31/23 since I have earned that status throughout the year flying. Just wanting to make sure...
Both on the app and website it says "Platinum through Jan 31, 2023" under my account information.
In an email for the new Loyalty Points change it says "Loyalty status extended to March 31, 2022. To thank you for your loyalty during the time, we're extending all current members status to March 31, 2022."
So which is it...March 31, 2022 or Jan 31, 2023?
Edit: I think I've found the answer of 1/31/23 since I have earned that status throughout the year flying. Just wanting to make sure...
From the aa.com Loyalty Points FAQ:
- If you have already achieved status in the 2021 qualification year, the end date of that status will update to March 31, 2023, by the end of March 2022.
Nov 13, 2021, 3:18 pm
#1045
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,581
Transit in LHR: What COVID documents do I need?
I figure this topic would be so popular that I should have no problem finding answers. Searched in Destination UK, and BA board in vain. Here I am.
I am flying AA LAX-LHR with 4 hours layover in LHR. Then take BA LHR-MXP. So it is International to International transit, on SEPARATE PNRs.
Carry-on bag only. All business class if that matters.
What COVID related documents do I need to show during the transit at LHR?
TIA.
I am flying AA LAX-LHR with 4 hours layover in LHR. Then take BA LHR-MXP. So it is International to International transit, on SEPARATE PNRs.
Carry-on bag only. All business class if that matters.
What COVID related documents do I need to show during the transit at LHR?
TIA.
Nov 13, 2021, 4:46 pm
#1046
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: British Airways Executive Club, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Posts: 23
Hey everyone,
Apologies if there is a thread dedicated to this. What are the chances that any sAAver biz award seats open up on LAX/PHX/DFW/SEA-LHR for next August? Inventory looks like zero for nearly the entire summer as of now on all 4 of these routes. Totally understand that this is peak season in a very premium market, but thought I'd ask in case anyone has experience or knowledge. Trying to avoid the high BA surcharges if possible. Thank you!
Apologies if there is a thread dedicated to this. What are the chances that any sAAver biz award seats open up on LAX/PHX/DFW/SEA-LHR for next August? Inventory looks like zero for nearly the entire summer as of now on all 4 of these routes. Totally understand that this is peak season in a very premium market, but thought I'd ask in case anyone has experience or knowledge. Trying to avoid the high BA surcharges if possible. Thank you!
Nov 13, 2021, 5:00 pm
#1048
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,605
Hey everyone,
Apologies if there is a thread dedicated to this. What are the chances that any sAAver biz award seats open up on LAX/PHX/DFW/SEA-LHR for next August? Inventory looks like zero for nearly the entire summer as of now on all 4 of these routes. Totally understand that this is peak season in a very premium market, but thought I'd ask in case anyone has experience or knowledge. Trying to avoid the high BA surcharges if possible. Thank you!
Apologies if there is a thread dedicated to this. What are the chances that any sAAver biz award seats open up on LAX/PHX/DFW/SEA-LHR for next August? Inventory looks like zero for nearly the entire summer as of now on all 4 of these routes. Totally understand that this is peak season in a very premium market, but thought I'd ask in case anyone has experience or knowledge. Trying to avoid the high BA surcharges if possible. Thank you!
Not as good as a MileSAAver on AA metal for 57.5K AA miles + $5.60, but still not a bad deal.
Nov 13, 2021, 8:15 pm
#1049
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 522
"business class not available on all selected flights"
Haven't been flying much since 2016 I know everything is much different. Picking a trip to Mexico City from Richmond, there are flights through Dallas, Miami, Charlotte. Paying for "business class" reveals warning on every selection that business class not available on all selected flights. These are all mainline craft on all legs and no RJs. How does this work? If I can't get business class on a leg do I get a partial refund or is that already discounted from whichever leg does not have 'business class' that they are not explaining to me at the booking screen. I remember seeing an article or two about the rebranding of First to Business but I am not sure of the differences as pertaining to American. Appreciate any advice 
Nov 13, 2021, 8:45 pm
#1050
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,605
Haven't been flying much since 2016 I know everything is much different. Picking a trip to Mexico City from Richmond, there are flights through Dallas, Miami, Charlotte. Paying for "business class" reveals warning on every selection that business class not available on all selected flights. These are all mainline craft on all legs and no RJs. How does this work? If I can't get business class on a leg do I get a partial refund or is that already discounted from whichever leg does not have 'business class' that they are not explaining to me at the booking screen. I remember seeing an article or two about the rebranding of First to Business but I am not sure of the differences as pertaining to American. Appreciate any advice