Avoid LHR using AA award possible?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: NYC, NY US
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 88
Avoid LHR using AA award possible?
I'd like to book award tickets NA-EU using AA miles for the fall '22 & winter '23. After two really unpleasant transits through LHR this past spring, including missing a flight due to their TSA mishaps and holding me up on both legs, plus the BA surcharges, I'd like to avoid it completely like I have typically done in past years when I flew more.
My ideal route is JFK - Faro (PT), OW. I'm willing to be creative in the routing to use up my miles. Both Royal Air Maroc & Iberia are Oneworld partners and I'm okay transiting through Casablanca/Madrid/Malaga/Seville/etc or even just booking any of those as my final destination from NYC & staying a few days. But no matter what destination I choose on the AA award flight booking page for these off season trips all the results transit through LHR, a few LGW.
I'm trying to understand why NYC - MAD (etc) searches aren't giving me direct IB choices for example, same with the rest. What has changed & how do I avoid LHR?
My ideal route is JFK - Faro (PT), OW. I'm willing to be creative in the routing to use up my miles. Both Royal Air Maroc & Iberia are Oneworld partners and I'm okay transiting through Casablanca/Madrid/Malaga/Seville/etc or even just booking any of those as my final destination from NYC & staying a few days. But no matter what destination I choose on the AA award flight booking page for these off season trips all the results transit through LHR, a few LGW.
I'm trying to understand why NYC - MAD (etc) searches aren't giving me direct IB choices for example, same with the rest. What has changed & how do I avoid LHR?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,038
I'd like to book award tickets NA-EU using AA miles for the fall '22 & winter '23. After two really unpleasant transits through LHR this past spring, including missing a flight due to their TSA mishaps and holding me up on both legs, plus the BA surcharges, I'd like to avoid it completely like I have typically done in past years when I flew more.
My ideal route is JFK - Faro (PT), OW. I'm willing to be creative in the routing to use up my miles. Both Royal Air Maroc & Iberia are Oneworld partners and I'm okay transiting through Casablanca/Madrid/Malaga/Seville/etc or even just booking any of those as my final destination from NYC & staying a few days. But no matter what destination I choose on the AA award flight booking page for these off season trips all the results transit through LHR, a few LGW.
I'm trying to understand why NYC - MAD (etc) searches aren't giving me direct IB choices for example, same with the rest. What has changed & how do I avoid LHR?
My ideal route is JFK - Faro (PT), OW. I'm willing to be creative in the routing to use up my miles. Both Royal Air Maroc & Iberia are Oneworld partners and I'm okay transiting through Casablanca/Madrid/Malaga/Seville/etc or even just booking any of those as my final destination from NYC & staying a few days. But no matter what destination I choose on the AA award flight booking page for these off season trips all the results transit through LHR, a few LGW.
I'm trying to understand why NYC - MAD (etc) searches aren't giving me direct IB choices for example, same with the rest. What has changed & how do I avoid LHR?
#4
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: LAX/ORD/HNL
Programs: AA EXP, 4.6 MM, LT Pt, HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 443
Yesterday, I booked two tickets from LAX to CDG for next April. One ticket was cash and the other ticket I paid for with miles. I was able to avoid LHR on both the outbound and on the return. The outbound is LAX to DFW to CDG and the return is CDG to JFK to LAX. There were many itineraries through LHR using BA from London to Paris but also many itineraries that avoided LHR altogether. I avoided connecting through ORD or PHL because I really don't like the J seating on the 788. Using DFW on the outbound gave me the 789 from DFW to CDG. Connecting through JFK on the return gave me the 772. I chose seats 2D and 2H on this flight so that we will have forward facing seats whether we end up with the Super Diamond or the Zodiac seats.