Richklhs

Definitely not true - I've spent 45 minutes on the phone with 2 Etihad agents searching SN availability.

The quality of Etihad phone agents varies wildly - you should be able to tell within the first 2 minutes of the call whether it is worth hanging up and trying again or sticking with who you have on the other end.

mlqsko

Did you find any?

Abhinavt

I did contact the reservations but they said no availability for whole year. Why is the Etihad Team Lying. Can we open a case with FAA on this against Etihad. Etihad is misleading people.

kshastry

Reviving this old thread...

I tried to try my luck booking SN with EY miles. My requirement was intra-europe city pair where SN has multiple frequencies.

No luck on whatever the date from now to next 12 months.

I guess its just a gimmick OR SN is simply trolling EY by not releasing any inventory.

Seriously, what is the point of this relationship?

stephem

I think if they tell you there is nothing at all that they aren't skilled in how to create a partner award. Many of us had faced this for months, but thanks to some inspiration from Richklhs in another thread many of us have now called in enough to get agents who can in fact navigate the partner award system. I can tell you for a fact that once I had a skilled agent I was able to verify that at least for ANA awards, the availability matches what you find on UA.com but the agent will only see that if they know how to request the space. I suspect the same is true of SN awards. From my crude understanding of it in listening to my agent talk to himself as he booked my ANA awards, they have to move to a different screen for partner awards. I think that 90% of the agents havent been trained and so are entering your request into a system that will only return "computer says no" ;-) Keep calling...

Possibongi

I tried to get a quote for BRU-CDG, BRU-NYC and BRU-KGL, knowing that I see X and I class availability in Expertflyer.
First agent was not skilled enough, but the second agent was : she could see availabilty in ALL classes (she is using Sabre) except X and I and suggested me to call SN :-(

Does anybody here had a positive outcome?

Possibongi

Hy Etihad Help,

I had a tweet conversation with Brussels Airlines (Flying Brussels) today and I got a very disappointing answer.

Their seems to be no availability at all for Etihad Miles. Could you explain me why there is a redemption chart and a partnership if we can't book flights?

Here is my last tweet and the answer from Brussels Airlines



http://www.dropbox.com/s/deqtw34nidx...06-12.jpg?dl=0

erik123

They are just telling you to contact Etihad - not that there are no award seats available.

Again, you need to find an EY agent with the knowledge to book partner seats.

Possibongi

Erik,

On Expertflyer there is availability in X and I class
On Sabre, the system Etihad is using, she can see availability in ALL classes but not in I and X. That means that SN is blocking those classes. not?
Tried Etihad already 3 times in different languages to be sure to have another agent

erik123

There are some threads (e.g. search ANA award using EY) that explains that most agents do not know how to do it as they have to switch from one system (Sabre?) to another system. Perhaps they even have to manually request the award before it shows as available. Supposedly the call center in the UK knows how to manage it.

So it seems unlikely SN is blocking the awards.

Richklhs

I've spent a lot of time with Etihad now, in the air and on the phone. It's the most 'unique' airline I've dealt with in both ground and air aspects.

I have yet to get an agent able to find a single economy or business seat on any Brussels flight.

Based on the haphazard way these partner relationships seem to have been designed, award charts created, and with Etihad's customer service and Etihad Guest's service in mind, it would not surprise me at all if someone at either airline forgot to cross the final T or dot the final I to make this booking process feasible.

I was on the phone again with Etihad Guest today as they awarded me 0 miles for a full Y fare AUH-NRT ticket bought and flown and upgraded with Etihad Select to J. While I had them on the phone and read this thread I gave it another shot to find an SN seat - no dice.

The airline is inept in regards to customer and loyalty program service; but as long as some of these partner redemptions continue to be possible I'll wade through the bad to receive the good.

oliver2002

Expertflyer is no good searching for SN award inventory (available to FFP partners) you have to use UA or ANAs website. Then ask the ethiad agent to do a longsell query in their system and it will return availability. Direct sell availability queries will not work.

ExpertFlyer Voice

The SN award search on ExpertFlyer does show partner level award inventory now, please try again.

Richklhs

Do the usual X, I, and O fares showing as available delineate these seats are bookable with partner miles?

ExpertFlyer Voice

They do now, yes.