Pochama

Released a J seat on JFK-HND JL5 on October 13, 2017 reserved with AA miles if anyone is looking. Not showing up on BA award search, but released it just moments ago.

jix

Does JL website only allow single segment award reservation? I'm trying to get NYC-TYO-Asia reserve/waitlist but the award calendar only allows domestic Japanese cities as final destination.

I'm looking for either one way or return, will this have to be done by phone?

Edit: Nevermind I found it, they have many different award reservation promo pages.

JALPak

Don't use the award calendar when you make an award reservation for US-Asia.

RealHJ

+1. Calendar only works for direct flights. For any connecting flights, just start at one day and go forward a day at a time to see the dates that all the segments are available.

jix

Thanks.

Also, if outbound of a RT is waitlist but inbound is available, will I be charged full (miles+tax) when I reserve or it will only charge it when the seat becomes available?

JALPak

Believe JL only deduct the miles when seats are available.

RealHJ

It only gets ticketed (and thus charged) - not automatically, you have to do so timely before the hold expires (so don't miss that e-mail, and don't lose the link to use to do so!) - when all flights are available.

BEWARE of the waitlist expiration policy! If you do a round trip with a waitlisted segment, you run a high risk of losing your confirmed flights as the waitlist auto cancels quite a few months before your first unbooked flight (or in a few days otherwise closer in). Strongly recommend to book it as two one ways, that way if one direction can be confirmed you have it ticketed, while other direction you can see if you can get with another airline (or revenue) if the JL WL doesn't clear and also then one WL flight expiring won't make the other WL expire. If you do it RT, then all is subject to the earliest dated flight, so your WL for return flights will expire and it'll auto-cancel the entire itinerary prematurely.

jix

OK thanks. Unfortunately I want to use the discounted award instead and it's only available to/from Japan as round trip so I'm avoiding one way due to total cost. I will likely book separate Japan-Asia on JL cash or other carrier.

So the flights I'm currently looking at are both waitlist required in both directions, that means even if I reserve it I cannot fly unless both directions are confirmed right? Or if the outbound opens up closer to departure date, can I still ticket while the inbound remains in waitlist (it's 2 months apart)

Also, as long as one segment is on waitlist it means I can cancel without penalty right?

RealHJ

Cannot ticket until all the flights clear, correct. The flights being 2 months apart, there is a high probability that if one clears (outbound) the return will not before the hold expiry date - 82 days prior to the first flight. WL may clear at around 90 days out, and then closer in. So even if your outbound clears, your return flight won't. If you book it as two separate one ways, the chance is higher that both may clear before 82 days out (as for how good of a chance depends on your route and dates and many factors that we are not privy to).

Also if you do it as two one ways, the one (or both) that didn't clear, you can keep rebooking every 7 days, as WLs are only held for 7 days if booked 8-89 days out. Though you could also do that for a round trip, but the chances are that the confirmed outbound will be booked by someone else before your return clears, and you'll need to rebook it at close to the exact time the reservation is dropped by JL every week.

Ref. https://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/use...plication.html

Stgermainparis

I want to ticket 4 J via AA (available at least on BA site) but need a 5th. There is a triangle for the award on the JAL site, suggesting there are 5-15 seats, yes? If I get 4 via AA, what are my chances then going to JAL and getting 5th? I feel like it might be too risky. Overall, does JAL generally only release 4 J and 0 F to partners far out? Because if I could find a split, like 3 J and 2 F, I'd do that.

JALPak

You need to ask this on the AA forum regarding partner availability.

Triangle means 5-15 on English version but 10-15 in the Japanese version. There's no guarantee the award inventory will drop by the number of seats redeemed.

Stgermainparis

4 J are showing on BA so will call AA to check. I'm assuming if JAL is showing more than that, then I should have no issue purchasing one from there after getting the others. I'll ask on AA forum re BA info.

Does JAL hold an award at all? And must you have points in your account to do so?

Tokyoite

NO and YES, if you are using JAL miles.

Stgermainparis

Can you clarify? No, JAL doesn't hold award tickets? Yes, they do if you have JAL points in account?

Basically, I'd like to hold a JAL ticket while I transfer points to JAL from SPG and also book other tickets on AA for the other folks in my family.

JALPak

He already said no holding.