AA Award Availability
 

I'm flying JFK-HKG-AKL on May 17 on a AA 140K mile award. AA says no availability out of JFK on CX, so I'm routed to LAX on AA and then LAX-HKG on CX.

CX website shows (at least) 4 F seats available for purchase on the JFK-HKG flight on the 17th.

Of course I'd prefer, for schedule and comfort reasons, to fly CX all the way. Given that there are F seats available for sale, does anyone on this forum have an educated guess as to whether AA will have access to one of these seats as we get closer to May 17?

Thanks in advance to those who respond.

Wouldn't the ticket have to be reissued?
 

If you change routing, I think the above applies and your award ticket will have to be reissued and since you are presumably the now-discontinued CX140A, you'd have to come up with more miles?

I think that correct.

My guess is "not necessarily." I recently used an AAdvantage award for F travel from the U.S. to BKK via HKG on CX. When I needed to change my return after arriving in BKK, I didn't think I'd have a problem based on past experience and the fact that virtually all upcoming CX flights over the next few days were showing "F4." In fact, it was quite difficult, and I found that, on average, only 1 of roughly 7 flights showing F4 had an award seat available. Both of the transpacific CX flights I was confirmed on had load factors of less than 50% in the F cabin. My impression is that these awards are significantly harder to book than in the past.

If the final destination or the originating departure city is changed, then the OP can be charged $100.00. He doesn't have to redeposit miles and reissue a new award for the higher inflated cost awards we now have today. Many AA CSRs don't know this and just come up with their own rules, individually. The older, better, awards allows for 2 stopovers in HKG and 2 stopovers at a North American connection city. Now that AA is e-ticketing, the paper ticket will be replaced with an e-ticket and the paper ticket will have to be surrendered for any change, including a change in connecting. If no change, the OP can use the paper ticket when flying.

All of CXs award seats are either taken, blocked or looking for revenue passengers at this time for May in JFK. However, something could be available near the departure date, so inquire around then, but don't expect anything. CX would rather use those seats for MP and Emerald members in paid J, because someone else will pay for J. The same for J from Y as well. I hope AA gave you a seat in Z class (not U) for your JFK-LAX flight in their 3-Class 762. I wanted to do the same thing, but am also booked in a similar JFK-LAX-HKG itinerary and plan to use the LAX routing, just to experience what AA can give me in a Z on a 762.

Cygnus, thanks for the clarification of the rules for my award ticket. It didn't seem right that changing from JFK-LAX-HKG to JFK-HKG should trigger a rerouting fee.

Thanks also for your insight re the way CX handles F and C award seats out of JFK. I'll try AA for JFK-HKG availability on CX as I get closer to my travel date, but I won't expect success.