Oct 28, 2012, 8:27 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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For AA's announcement of their new One-Way Flex Awards, see: http://www.aa.com/i18n/amrcorp/newsr...FlexAwards.jsp

For AA's FAQ on the new One-Way Flex Awards, including the new stopover rule, see: http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...award_faqs.jsp

Quote:

Q: Do one-way awards include any stopovers?
A: Awards between North America and Europe, India, Asia, and Central / South America allow a stopover at the North American gateway. However, other one-way awards do not allow stopovers.

Note that free stopovers have been eliminated as of 8 April 2014, so that portion of this discussion is no longer current.

/AA Moderator Team

New One-Way Flex Award / Awards, <NO> Stopover Rule, and Booking Engine (May 9, 2009)

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Jul 23, 2014, 9:14 am

#1006

JonNYC

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Accumulating and posting some of the latest version of this info on TB:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showthread.php?t=5804

Jul 23, 2014, 9:17 am

#1007

Dave Noble

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.....(didn't realise it was 3 months old)

Jul 23, 2014, 9:20 am

#1008

JonNYC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Noble

.....(didn't realise it was 3 months old)

is there a point you're trying to make?

Jul 23, 2014, 10:37 am

#1009

25milesfromhome

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Jon, quick question, on an international award ticket issued after 4/8, are domestic connections limited to 4 or 24 hours?

Jul 23, 2014, 10:40 am

#1010

geclub1

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Quote:

Originally Posted by BasilBush

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djokison

I force through long connections all the time (usually in MIA. int-int, int-dom). In fact, I just booked one for early May (arrive 10:25, depart 10:15, next day.)

In your case I would just HUACA.

I'm a newbie to Aadvantage but I'm wondering how you force through connections that don't immediately come up online. For example if I want to go LCY-JFK and then JFK-ORD (within 24 hours), connections are not shown, even if both individual sectors have award availability. And if I then try to do it using the multi-sector tool it prices up each sector individually, increasing the number of miles required.

Obviously I could just use the phone, but is there any way of forcing such connections online?

If you have not already, try multiple destination search.

Jul 23, 2014, 9:12 pm

#1011

JonNYC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by 25milesfromhome

Jon, quick question, on an international award ticket issued after 4/8, are domestic connections limited to 4 or 24 hours?

24 hours, April 8 change did not impact that.

Jul 23, 2014, 10:07 pm

#1012

JonNYC

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Investigating these new interesting but odd 3rd region exceptions added in just the last few weeks:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showp...74&postcount=9

Quote:

North America to Indian Sub Cont/Middle East

Central/South America Zone 1 to Indian Sub Cont/Middle East

South America Zone 2 to Indian Sub Cont/Middle East

Can now all connect in:

Quote:
Europe & Afghanistan /Bangladesh /Bhutan /British Indian Ocean Territory India /Nepal /Pakistan /Maldives /Sri Lanka

Jul 24, 2014, 10:26 am

#1013

UA Fan

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Jon, any chance AA might allow one to go TPAC to India? Or include Sri Lanka in the Ind sub continent?

Jul 24, 2014, 11:12 am

#1014

JonNYC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by UA Fan

Jon, any chance AA might allow one to go TPAC to India? Or include Sri Lanka in the Ind sub continent?

Would be pure guesses on my part, unfortunately.

Jul 24, 2014, 1:36 pm

#1015

JonNYC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by JonNYC

Investigating these new interesting but odd 3rd region exceptions added in just the last few weeks:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showp...74&postcount=9

Still looking into this-- hard to find anyone who knows how to read it!

For sure, it allows/encourages use of UL and connection(s) at CMB, just not clear how that plays in on awards that start in places that UL doesn't serve.

And, why a few airports are mentioned where OneWorld has exactly zero service.

Hope to have an answer soon. As pointed out by Lucky in his blog, -any- movement on adding new exceptions/routings to match new AAdv partners is a very good thing.

Jul 25, 2014, 5:37 pm

#1016

GUWonder

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Quote:

Seems rather close enough to the same practice as it has been for years for the above three route types, except now those three route types are also (as of more recently) allowed to be issued as a single award (subject to AA's published fare routing rule restriction) when connecting in Europe and/or Subcontinent/ME on the way to/from Subcontinent/ME via CMB.

Last edited by GUWonder; Jul 25, 2014 at 5:49 pm

Jul 26, 2014, 8:06 am

#1017

JonNYC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by JonNYC

Investigating these new interesting but odd 3rd region exceptions added in just the last few weeks:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showp...74&postcount=9

This is obviously very new (well, that's obvious to most, clearly not all) and the best comment I can get is:

Quote:

That's how I read it [allows connection on single award now in Europe and one of the listed Countries].

Now if the new pricing engine actually agrees, and the liaisons have no problem is another story.

So, we'll see if it's the AAgents or the system that inhibit this, or, if due to the new pricing engine last month or so:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showthread.php?t=5786
allow this new flexibility will happen seamlessly.

Here's the actual section in the new rules that were "maintained" on 07/21/2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54131097@N07/14727342441/

* Sri Lanka is in AAdv zone Asia2 *

So, previous to this brand new change-- post even POST the addition of the QR->QR 3rd zone exceptions-- which was pretty recent:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/

Any AAgent would have laughed-- heartily-- if you tried to ticket a single award:

N.America -> Europe-> Asia2 -> Indian Sub-Continent / Middle East

Last edited by JonNYC; Jul 26, 2014 at 8:29 am

Jul 26, 2014, 9:59 am

#1018

GUWonder

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Quote:

Originally Posted by JonNYC

N.America -> Europe-> Asia2 -> Indian Sub-Continent / Middle East

Previously the above would have required two awards; and it still does require two awards unless CMB happens to be the connection point in Asia2 on a relevant airline's published fare routing.

The new thing is that -- for travel between North/Central/South Amercia and Subcontinent/ME -- including connections via CMB will no longer always trigger a requirement for two awards for such award travel bookings.

Other than the more recent allowance for connections via CMB on one award for travel between North/Central/South Amercia and the Subcontinent/ME, things are pretty much the way it has been for years (when it comes to AA award tickets between N/C/S America and the Subcontinet/ME). This change allowing CMB as an additional transit option on one award does a great thing in opening the door to the additional published fare routings that are a product of UL's entrance into Oneworld.

The bottom line is that this change allows for some such award travel (between for travel between North/Central/South Amercia and Subcontinent/ME) to take take place via CMB without a default requirement to pull two awards for such award travel. The other award travel rules for such itineraries is pretty much the same as it has been for years.

Jul 26, 2014, 10:19 am

#1019

JonNYC

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New Americas-> Europe-> Asia2-> M.East/Indian Sub rule

Here is the actual excerpt from the PDF of the new rules:

SriLankan? by JonNYCme, on Flickr

And the discussion on TB where this major change was discovered:
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showthread.php?t=5804

Will update as I get final, authoritative interpretation. Still a lot of diagnosis required here

Last edited by JonNYC; Jul 26, 2014 at 10:29 am

Jul 26, 2014, 1:16 pm

#1020

JonNYC

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DestinationDavid brings up an interesting point in the travelingbetter Facebook discussion group:

Quote:

I find it interesting that a routing like ORD-LHR-CMB-BOM might be a valid single award but ORD-LHR-CMB would likely cost you two.

So, assuming AA and BA's ORD-BOM published fares are MPM-based (and they appear to be-- but only did the quickest of checks.)

And assuming same -don't- have other restrictions in there that would stand in the way (something I only checked in the _most_ cursory fashion-- as in almost not at all.)

And, assuming CMB is destined to stay in Asia2.

Then, IF and only IF this "&" get confirmed, he'd have a pretty darn good point!