Joh1717y

Hello all,

I am seeking for your expertise since this will be my first time redeeming avios points for reward flight. I am looking to flying to ORD from SNA towards the end of May but as mention at the beginning of this forum a lot of the dates are blocked or showing unavailable. As mentioned on this post it will become available as the date is closer. Does anybody know how close I would have to wait? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

guv1976

AA might open "SAAver" award seats (the only AA seats bookable with Avios) as you get closer to departure date, but you cannot count on that happening. If AA predicts that it can sell the seats for a good cash price, they are unlikely to open up "SAAver" seats.

There are reasonable public transportation options between Orange County and both LAX and SAN. Have you checked award-seat availability on AA nonstops from those airports to ORD for your desired dates? Have you checked cash fares, as well? AA sometimes has very low fares out of SNA. Earlier this year, I flew SNA-DFW-EWR on AA for $60 one way!

Joh1717y

Thanks for your reply,

I have tried looking for reward seats on British Airways but the date i'd selected for May 24th to May 28th is not available. I have about 100K avios on BA and would like to use it to fly from SNA to ORD with American Airline as they have direct flights there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

guv1976

Are you looking for a one-way on any date between May 24 and May 28, or are you looking for a roundtrip departing SNA on May 24, and returning from ORD on May 28?

AA currently has SAAver seat availability SNA-DFW-ORD on May 23 and May 26. Such a routing would cost 17,500 Avios (10,000 + 7,500).

Because you are hoping to travel around a holiday weekend (Memorial Day), I would not count on SAAver award seats opening up on your preferred travel dates, but anything is possible.

Joh1717y

Guv1976,

That's correct. I am trying to fly out on May 24 from SNA to ORD and return on May 28. Dang, I went on AA and checked it and it will cost me 25K AAvantage points flying out on May 23 to May 29. How do I see how much it would cost for Avios?

legrandfromage

Anyone come across problems trying to amend an Avios booking on CX where the flight required has availability showing on BA and agent can also see it but can only be booked for a "new" reward booking? I have a multi carrier award booking in J to NZ and Oz via HKG and back and when the final sector showed 6 J available , BA couldn't see any when booking, so rather than risk losing the other 6 sectors I took a different CX flight than the one I wanted with a stopover I didn't need. Now there is definitely availability that BA can see but apparently can't be booked for an amendment? BA agent tried a workaround but couldn't manage to do anything and had only seen it once before.

guv1976

It varies, depending on the routing. AA nonstops cost 10,000 Avios each way on that route. connections via DFW or PHX would cost 17,500 Avios each way.

Note that the ba.com website sometimes has trouble displaying connections involving AA flights. If aa.com shows SAAver availability on a connecting route between SNA and ORD in both directions but ba.com is not offering those connections as Avios redemptions, you can either:

1) book each individual leg of the connection separately on ba.com (which will cost you an extra $5.60 in fees each way); or

2) call a BAEC Service Center and see if they can book both legs together as one redemption and waive the telephone-booking fee because ba.com is failing to display the available connection.

Good luck!

BA6501

I've seen this as an issue with CX, AY and IB - it is a known thing. Sometimes, you can put the "trouble" flight in the booking first then put the other one, but often even that doesn't work. Sort of a married-segment issue.

jlemon

Please forgive my ignorance! I am trying to figure out how to book reward travel on AA/BA in first and/or business using Avios with a stopover in London. Example routings:

LFT-DFW-LHR-DUB

DUB-LHR

LHR-DFW-LFT

I've looked on ba.com but have not been able to ascertain how to book award travel with a stopover.

Thanks in advance!

guv1976

A free stopover at LON is available on long-haul awards only when connecting to or from another point in the U.K. (such as Glasgow or Belfast). Since DUB is not within the U.K., no free stopover is available; you would have to book the DUB-LON segment as a separate redemption -- ideally as a "Reward Flight Saver" redemption.

jlemon

Many thanks and I continue to learn something new just about every day.

onlysuites

If I am booking a LHR-HKG on Cathay am I able to add a free domestic flight into this?

KARFA

SCSA

Hi, all. Have an Avios upgrade query. I'm looking at AMS-LHR-JFK/JFK-LHR in WT+ All BA metal, but the fare is 30 quid cheaper on AA.com (also can book in Sterling which saves me transaction fees).

The outbound I'm looking at shows Avios ability in J. If I book this on AA will that prevent me from using Avios to upgrade via BA? Thanks

KARFA