Switching Partner Award Flight Plus One Day
Mar 9, 2021, 11:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: AA EXP, Hertz Gold Plus, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 338
Switching Partner Award Flight Plus One Day
I have on hold two Business award tickets (hard to find for this route) XXX-LAX-PPT-AKL with the first leg on AA and the next two on Air Tahiti Nui, leaving 10/29 and arriving in AKL on 10/31. Purely speculatively, in the "what if" imaginary world, my concern is that NZ may not open for tourists until 11/1 (if even then) as one possible date that has been publicly mentioned. If any Y or J seats are available, and we're then allowed to stay overnight in Tahiti, what are the chances of AA getting its partner airline to move our PPT-AKL flight to the following day so that we arrive in AKL on 11/1? There are no current alternative viable XXX-LAX-PPT-AKL award options. I understand that there are no related guarantees.
Mar 9, 2021, 11:20 am
#2
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,453
AA will only reach out to TN to force open award space if there is a significant schedule change on one or both TN flights, and even in that case it is not guaranteed that they will. They will not do it based on border opening dates, even after NZ has "officially" announced it, whenever that may be.
If AA is flying its own metal to AKL (or you can get on AA metal to SYD and book onward award space on QF to AKL), then you might be able to get AA to open award space on its own flights to line you up with the border opening date, but I certainly wouldn't count on it (and also be prepared to be disappointed if the border opening date gets pushed back).
If AA is flying its own metal to AKL (or you can get on AA metal to SYD and book onward award space on QF to AKL), then you might be able to get AA to open award space on its own flights to line you up with the border opening date, but I certainly wouldn't count on it (and also be prepared to be disappointed if the border opening date gets pushed back).
Mar 9, 2021, 11:24 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,481
All else being equal, local travel restrictions are not grounds for a free change on award tickets (or any tickets for that matter, although paid tickets are just much easier to deal with).
So if you keep your current ticket with the 31st arrival and NZ does end up opening up up tourists on Nov. 1, you would either need to A) change to another date that has award availability or B) cancel and rebook another carrier or paid ticket, etc.
TN will see your itinerary as LAX-PPT-AKL so you most likely wouldn't even be able to check-in to get as far as PPT on the 30th.
So if you keep your current ticket with the 31st arrival and NZ does end up opening up up tourists on Nov. 1, you would either need to A) change to another date that has award availability or B) cancel and rebook another carrier or paid ticket, etc.
TN will see your itinerary as LAX-PPT-AKL so you most likely wouldn't even be able to check-in to get as far as PPT on the 30th.
Mar 11, 2021, 10:34 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,022
I have on hold two Business award tickets (hard to find for this route) XXX-LAX-PPT-AKL with the first leg on AA and the next two on Air Tahiti Nui, leaving 10/29 and arriving in AKL on 10/31. Purely speculatively, in the "what if" imaginary world, my concern is that NZ may not open for tourists until 11/1 (if even then) as one possible date that has been publicly mentioned. If any Y or J seats are available, and we're then allowed to stay overnight in Tahiti, what are the chances of AA getting its partner airline to move our PPT-AKL flight to the following day so that we arrive in AKL on 11/1? There are no current alternative viable XXX-LAX-PPT-AKL award options. I understand that there are no related guarantees.
AA is flying LAX-SYD and QF SYD-AKL, but check schedules.
NZ hotel isolation---> https://allocation.miq.govt.nz/portal/
FT thread-->New Zealand’s response to Covid-19 [was Soft closing of NZ Border]
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Mar 12, 2021 at 9:13 pm Reason: added "90%"