No difference. All AA partner award seats are opened to all members. They are strictly first come first service.

Status has no role here. Status only makes difference on AA's own metals when AA yield management could open up award seats for elites and EXPs have better inventory available to them, ONLY on AA's own metals.

Although it might involve change fees, my recommendation would be to book what you can find now and then change later when seats open. If you need additional AA miles, you can always buy them at AA.com or get bonus miles by applying for and using a Citi AAdvantage credit card (although it might be a little late considering you are leaving in 6 weeks).

He would not incur change fee if he uses AA miles and DONT use AS in his itinerary.

Also booking it NOW would avoid the 21 days close in fee given the poster has no status.

Good point about buying AA miles because right now AA is offering 30% bonus. OP has 109K AA miles so he is just a little bit short for business r/t, literally 1K short. But if he goes one way F, the balance would not be enough for a one way J. So buying miles with the 30% bonus is an idea worth considering.

Getting the AA cards may not be in time for his trip in May. Even if he can meet the spend requirement very quick, he is still at the mercy of Citi's processing time on his app, as well as the statement date which seems totally at random regardless how you request it on the app form. Any tinkering the statement date after card issuance would only DELAY the bonus miles for another statement cycle.

Only EVA (not yet Star Alliance) or CI (Ekyteam) have direct flights. UA SFO-NRT-TPE is still time efficient.

Thanks everyone for their contributions. I ended up booking a flight on AA with a layover at HND on JAL. The original dates were not the ones I had hoped for, but after calling a few times a week, I finally got the availability I wanted (somehow coming home on Memorial Day opened up). Total was 40k AA miles + $100 taxes, phone fee on economy on JAL airlines. Overnight layover in Tokyo but worth the extra 20k miles in savings.

Thanks!

I am re-reading the threads but cannot be figure out how you only need 40K AA miles plus taxes to go to TPE (roundtrip I assume?). Am I missing something not really obvious here? I fly to TPE periodically too and have been thinking of doing AA/OW partners instead of UA/*A partners.

He can do 40K r/t to JAPAN thanks to this sale that ends on 05/31,

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ay-2012-a.html

It seems the sale restricts to AA/JL metals only but also covers Asia2 as China is bookable based on posts on the above thread. So yeah, that is how OP could travel with 40K r/t. He actually has asked questions on the thread about extend his travel to June - the condition is travel must complete by 5/31.

It is a One-Time bargain.

I would not call this One-Time. Remember:
Last Nov till Feb, SFO-HND was 50% off.

Not the same thing. Far from it.

Last year's SFO-HND was limited to the specific route. Those who are not in SFO needed to do a position flight r/t for the SFO departure / arrival, and it is only to HND.

This time it covers all the JL / AA NA-Asia cities, plus all the possible routes as long as they are on JL or AA.

Fundamentally different between the one you cite from last year and the one that is available this year. OP would not be able to go to TPE with 40K on last year's offer. He would need an additional ticket HND-TPE either an award or a pay ticket. This year he could have TPE in the same 40K. This is the First Time the offer is NOT limited to SFO-HND. Folks on the East Coast can do it with 40K, and to other parts of Asia than HND this year with only 40K. Major difference.

How do you know the route AA flies? I thought you need to call in to get the mile cost and availability. You can't find international route on AA website - not like BA. Or do I miss something here?

OP's intended SFO-TPE itinerary is eligible for this limited-time 40K offer because it met the promotion requirement, i.e. N.A. to Asia on AA/JL metal.

FWIW, OP is traveling to TPE, not China. TPE is in the Republic of China, not the PRC China I assume you had in mind. And yes, per AA's zone definition, Taiwan is in Asia 2 Zone:
(bolding mine)

For international you have to call AA and they will look up flights via cathay or JAL. I am taking JAL using the promo from N.A to Asia for 40k, ends 5/31.