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Using OneWorld Sapphire Status to Avoid Seat Selection Fees

Using OneWorld Sapphire Status to Avoid Seat Selection Fees

Old Apr 5, 2019, 5:43 pm
  #1  
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Using OneWorld Sapphire Status to Avoid Seat Selection Fees

Is it still possible to avoid paying for seat selection if you're a OneWorld Sapphire (AA Platinum) member? I have purchased a ticket on BA which by default loaded my BA Executive Club number--is there a way to change this so it sees my AAdvantage number and Sapphire status? I've done this before but don't recall how and have searched here but am not having any success.
Thanks
Kaneohe
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 6:22 pm
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Originally Posted by Kaneohe0850
Is it still possible to avoid paying for seat selection if you're a OneWorld Sapphire (AA Platinum) member? I have purchased a ticket on BA which by default loaded my BA Executive Club number--is there a way to change this so it sees my AAdvantage number and Sapphire status? I've done this before but don't recall how and have searched here but am not having any success.
Thanks
Kaneohe
You may be able to change your associated frequent flyer account through the Finnair website after entering your record locator.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 9:47 pm
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Finnair does not work anymore. It stopped last year sometime. I just call AA now, give them the flight number(s) and have them switch the frequent flyer number to my AA one. When you do that the trip will no longer show up on the BA website but will show on the AA web site under their version of the PNR.You can then select seats for free. Ask the agent what the American PNR is, and keep a note of both the AA PNR and and the BA PNR. They use different systems hence the need for different PNRs. Anyway, I have never had any issues after changing over to the AA PNR and FF number. I am also One World Sapphire via AA, but only blue with BA.

Update: Thinking some more about this, I have always done it when booking an AA flight on the BA website using Avios, so not sure if it will work if you are talking about a BA operated flight, but maybe you could just call BA and ask them to change it in the phone.

Last edited by Furby; Apr 5, 2019 at 10:44 pm
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 10:18 pm
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Originally Posted by Furby
Finnair does not work anymore. It stopped last year sometime.
It worked for me just last week when I changed from my AA number to that of my BAEC account on a BA booking and I received a confirmation email from Finnair within a few minutes. The change was also reflected in MMB.

Are you saying that it doesn't work doing the other way around because I confess that is news to me?
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 10:49 pm
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Originally Posted by Blueboys999
It worked for me just last week when I changed from my AA number to that of my BAEC account on a BA booking and I received a confirmation email from Finnair within a few minutes. The change was also reflected in MMB.

Are you saying that it doesn't work doing the other way around because I confess that is news to me?
It worked for me recently too, I successfully changed an AA award booking to have my BAEC number so I could choose a wider range of seats on QF.
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Old Apr 5, 2019, 10:50 pm
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Could be that it has changed back. It quit working in the latter half of 2018, and others on this site have reported the same issue. I have not tried it for couple of months. It could also be that they won't let you change it on AA tickets, or maybe it is isolated to AA award tickets using Avios. Anyway glad it seems to work now,
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 9:06 am
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Thanks everyone. I can confirm that I was able to change to my AAdvantage number and then log into BA.com and select a seat. The FinnAir trick still works!
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 1:32 pm
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Apparently this a restriction that AA has placed on awards using another airlines miles. They have a rule that "You cannot redeem partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number and obtain AAdvantage program benefits such as priority boarding and access to preferred seats". They appear to have taken steps last year to enforce this at least on Avios award tickets by not allowing updates to the FF#. That explains why the Finnair trick works for most but not everyone.

When you book on BAEC and select yourself as the traveller from their pre populated list they automatically enter the BAEC number and you are stuck with that unless you can find a friendly AA agent to override the system, which is becoming harder and harder. There was a workaround which was to book flights as an "other traveller" which allowed you to enter whichever frequent flyer number you want. But it seems that household accounts do not allow bookings for anyone not already on the friends and family list, and I even see current reports of not being allowed to this anymore without a household account. Gotta love all these "improvements" that airlines are making these days.
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 7:12 pm
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Originally Posted by Furby
Apparently this a restriction that AA has placed on awards using another airlines miles. They have a rule that "You cannot redeem partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number and obtain AAdvantage program benefits such as priority boarding and access to preferred seats". They appear to have taken steps last year to enforce this at least on Avios award tickets by not allowing updates to the FF#. That explains why the Finnair trick works for most but not everyone.

When you book on BAEC and select yourself as the traveller from their pre populated list they automatically enter the BAEC number and you are stuck with that unless you can find a friendly AA agent to override the system, which is becoming harder and harder. There was a workaround which was to book flights as an "other traveller" which allowed you to enter whichever frequent flyer number you want. But it seems that household accounts do not allow bookings for anyone not already on the friends and family list, and I even see current reports of not being allowed to this anymore without a household account. Gotta love all these "improvements" that airlines are making these days.
It's been six months since I've redeemed Avios (for CX award), but certainly then I was able to change my BAEC number to AA number (I'm AA EXP). It's true that the FInnair site is occasionally flaky, but there are a number of mechanisms to change one's FF#.

tb
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Old Apr 6, 2019, 7:28 pm
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Originally Posted by trueblu
It's been six months since I've redeemed Avios (for CX award), but certainly then I was able to change my BAEC number to AA number (I'm AA EXP). It's true that the FInnair site is occasionally flaky, but there are a number of mechanisms to change one's FF#.

tb
But that's for a CX award. The restriction is using an AA number on an AA flight issued by a partner airline's frequent flyer programme.
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Old Apr 7, 2019, 3:35 am
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Originally Posted by BA6501
But that's for a CX award. The restriction is using an AA number on an AA flight issued by a partner airline's frequent flyer programme.
I see, thanks for the clarification.

yep: I haven't done those for an awfully long time since the only value would be for US domestic redemptions.

tb
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Old Apr 7, 2019, 5:58 am
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Also, if the finnair site does not work, try using the royal jordanian site, which always works for me.
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Old May 3, 2019, 6:27 am
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I have a question related to this thread subject. I have OW Sapphire status, which I believe means I do not need to pay for BA seat selection. I am booking a paid ticket LGW-MLA in July. As I go through the booking pages, I reach the seat selection (paid) page long before I can enter my AA number, which should enable free seat selection. What is the process to get my number attached to the booking to enable free seat selection?
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Old May 3, 2019, 6:31 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by SJCFlyerLG
I have a question related to this thread subject. I have OW Sapphire status, which I believe means I do not need to pay for BA seat selection. I am booking a paid ticket LGW-MLA in July. As I go through the booking pages, I reach the seat selection (paid) page long before I can enter my AA number, which should enable free seat selection. What is the process to get my number attached to the booking to enable free seat selection?
You have got the process correct, and it's a long standing feature of BA.com (as in 10 years plus). What you need to do in the first round of booking is NOT select seats, but do add in your Sapphire number. Then after payment has been confirmed, and invisibly your Sapphire status too, you should be able to go back in to Manage My Booking to select your seats for free a few minutes later. If this seems rather strange, the reason being is that those with BAEC status would / should log in first - and thus confirm their credentials - and so they go straight to seat selection on revenue bookings (but oddly, not redemptions); whereas you don't have a mechanism to log in.
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Old May 3, 2019, 10:32 am
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
You have got the process correct, and it's a long standing feature of BA.com (as in 10 years plus). What you need to do in the first round of booking is NOT select seats, but do add in your Sapphire number. Then after payment has been confirmed, and invisibly your Sapphire status too, you should be able to go back in to Manage My Booking to select your seats for free a few minutes later. If this seems rather strange, the reason being is that those with BAEC status would / should log in first - and thus confirm their credentials - and so they go straight to seat selection on revenue bookings (but oddly, not redemptions); whereas you don't have a mechanism to log in.
Thanks, I'll do that.
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