When to book awards?
Oct 8, 2012 | 12:29 pm
#31
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA LT PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,567
As JamesQ said, the award ticket is valid for 1 year from the date of ticketing (on AA.) So if you booked an award ticket on July 15th, 2012 for travel on January 15, 2013, you could extend the flight by as much as 6 months. That's the one downfall of booking award flights 300+ days in advance...if something comes up and you need to delay, you don't have much time remaining to do so as your year is nearly up.
Oct 8, 2012 | 12:54 pm
#33
Suspended
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 613
i plan to fly to bangkok on December 30th, 2012(international flight) but I am not 100% sure of our trip yet, so if I book AA award flight today, I only have 3 days to finalize? If I cancelfrom oct 12th, I will pay $150 fee to get our miles back?
Oct 8, 2012 | 5:08 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus, HH Gold, Hertz PC, National Executive, etc.
Posts: 31,670
1K is a status level with United Airlines, typically earned by flying 100,000 miles in a qualifying year with United.
EXP is Executive Platinum, is a status level with American Airlines, typically earned by flying 100,000 miles in a qualifying year with American.
Higher-tier status members typically have many fees waived, policies loosened, and award inventory more plentiful, though not to the extent they were in the good old days.
EXP is Executive Platinum, is a status level with American Airlines, typically earned by flying 100,000 miles in a qualifying year with American.
Higher-tier status members typically have many fees waived, policies loosened, and award inventory more plentiful, though not to the extent they were in the good old days.
Oct 8, 2012 | 5:26 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
If you cancel then you can pay $150 to have the miles re-deposited to your account.
Unless you're sure that you won't be able to use the tickets, rather than cancel outright you could try to find availability up to 1 year from the date of booking, just to delay a final decision. Once you've made the actual booking, if you decide to cancel the reservation then you will have to pay the $150, whether it's on Oct 12th, 2012 or Oct 11th, 2013.
It sort of sounds like you're a bit lost here and, while FT is a great resource, you really should review all the conditions related to award travel. They're listed on AA's website or you can call AA's award reservation number and ask an agent. Just a suggestion.
Oct 8, 2012 | 5:53 pm
#36
Suspended
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 613
I believe AA will hold your reservation for 5 days.
If you cancel then you can pay $150 to have the miles re-deposited to your account.
Unless you're sure that you won't be able to use the tickets, rather than cancel outright you could try to find availability up to 1 year from the date of booking, just to delay a final decision. Once you've made the actual booking, if you decide to cancel the reservation then you will have to pay the $150, whether it's on Oct 12th, 2012 or Oct 11th, 2013.
It sort of sounds like you're a bit lost here and, while FT is a great resource, you really should review all the conditions related to award travel. They're listed on AA's website or you can call AA's award reservation number and ask an agent. Just a suggestion.
If you cancel then you can pay $150 to have the miles re-deposited to your account.
Unless you're sure that you won't be able to use the tickets, rather than cancel outright you could try to find availability up to 1 year from the date of booking, just to delay a final decision. Once you've made the actual booking, if you decide to cancel the reservation then you will have to pay the $150, whether it's on Oct 12th, 2012 or Oct 11th, 2013.
It sort of sounds like you're a bit lost here and, while FT is a great resource, you really should review all the conditions related to award travel. They're listed on AA's website or you can call AA's award reservation number and ask an agent. Just a suggestion.
Oct 8, 2012 | 7:37 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
If I want to travel in Mid 2013, I can call again to have the date moved from Dec 2013 to travel date of June 2013 ? travel date can be changed within the year?
You still seem confused. I would suggest that you review the comments already made here and, if necessary, call AAdvantage reservations with your questions.
Oct 8, 2012 | 8:22 pm
#39
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 769
Great info in this thread. One thing I'd like to mention is you need to know what regions fill up fastest. For example, Europe on holidays/summer goes relatively early, as does Hawaii over the holidays.
You can often book Asia on United without much warning, even for the holidays, but not Hawaii/Europe.
It might be different on AA or Delta (I think everything is tough there). But with that said, as soon s you can narrow down date/location, book!
You can often book Asia on United without much warning, even for the holidays, but not Hawaii/Europe.
It might be different on AA or Delta (I think everything is tough there). But with that said, as soon s you can narrow down date/location, book!
Oct 8, 2012 | 9:00 pm
#40
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: United, Cathay, Delta, Priority Pass (gold), SPG
Posts: 100
I have not been able to plan vacations too far ahead. The challenge that I face is then getting 4 tickets on awards. part on rewards and other purchased often does not make sense as the purchased tickets may be more expensive than others available for the same route, and I dont really want to break up the family. Any idea whether they keep on adding availability (so as to not sure more than say 2 tickets at one go), or do they normally show all available reward tickets at the same time.
Oct 8, 2012 | 9:12 pm
#41
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cypress Hills Research Center
Posts: 5,295
I have not been able to plan vacations too far ahead. The challenge that I face is then getting 4 tickets on awards. part on rewards and other purchased often does not make sense as the purchased tickets may be more expensive than others available for the same route, and I dont really want to break up the family. Any idea whether they keep on adding availability (so as to not sure more than say 2 tickets at one go), or do they normally show all available reward tickets at the same time.
Oct 8, 2012 | 9:51 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: AA, DL
Posts: 82
One related general question I have is with regards to awards with a planned stopover (e.g. Hawaii - Continental US (stop) - Europe), especially if the planned stopover is a few months long.
Am I correct in understanding that one would need to wait until the entire itinerary was within the 330 day booking window? If so, are there any best practices to getting such an award at a lower level? In my experience, Hawaii would be long full by the time I was in the window for the full trip.
I'm currently in the early planning stages of such a trip on Star Alliance and am just trying to gather as much strategy as possible.
Thanks.
Am I correct in understanding that one would need to wait until the entire itinerary was within the 330 day booking window? If so, are there any best practices to getting such an award at a lower level? In my experience, Hawaii would be long full by the time I was in the window for the full trip.
I'm currently in the early planning stages of such a trip on Star Alliance and am just trying to gather as much strategy as possible.
Thanks.
Oct 8, 2012 | 9:55 pm
#43
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 769
You can always change your itenerary as it becomes available. Probably costs $75-150 to add a city or whatever, but waived for elite members. What you can do, esp for UA/AA, is to do your trip and add Hawaii for whatever dates are available. Both allow free date changes outside of 21 days (AA all date changes are free, I think), so when your dates are open, call and get them to change for free.
Also, outside of holidays, Hawaii is often available a few months or even weeks out.
Also, outside of holidays, Hawaii is often available a few months or even weeks out.
Oct 9, 2012 | 12:50 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: MFR
Posts: 327
One related general question I have is with regards to awards with a planned stopover (e.g. Hawaii - Continental US (stop) - Europe), especially if the planned stopover is a few months long.
Am I correct in understanding that one would need to wait until the entire itinerary was within the 330 day booking window? If so, are there any best practices to getting such an award at a lower level? In my experience, Hawaii would be long full by the time I was in the window for the full trip.
I'm currently in the early planning stages of such a trip on Star Alliance and am just trying to gather as much strategy as possible.
Thanks.
Am I correct in understanding that one would need to wait until the entire itinerary was within the 330 day booking window? If so, are there any best practices to getting such an award at a lower level? In my experience, Hawaii would be long full by the time I was in the window for the full trip.
I'm currently in the early planning stages of such a trip on Star Alliance and am just trying to gather as much strategy as possible.
Thanks.
For a round-trip award booked at the 330 day window, I've also been able to call and add the return when that date becomes available. It all depends on the carrier, of course.
Oct 9, 2012 | 1:13 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: All over
Programs: Most
Posts: 10,839
I'm curious as to how most people prefer to book award tickets and how they see inventory go up and down.
I understand it varies from person to person, planning ahead or not, how flexible you can be etc etc.
Basically, I'm interested in understanding when most people book award tickets. I've been looking over inventory for a number of routes recently, with a number of miles programs.
I think I'm in a middle ground which seems low on inventory - looking now for a trip end of Dec 2012 to either South Asia, EZE or NBO/JNB/DAR.
It seems if you book early, close to one year out for example, inventory is available, conversely, if you book two weeks out inventory seems to open up again - two weeks seems to be cutting it pretty fine, hotel availability is usually more limited.
Am I right in this conclusion? Or does *A/OW open up sporadically day to day?
I understand it varies from person to person, planning ahead or not, how flexible you can be etc etc.
Basically, I'm interested in understanding when most people book award tickets. I've been looking over inventory for a number of routes recently, with a number of miles programs.
I think I'm in a middle ground which seems low on inventory - looking now for a trip end of Dec 2012 to either South Asia, EZE or NBO/JNB/DAR.
It seems if you book early, close to one year out for example, inventory is available, conversely, if you book two weeks out inventory seems to open up again - two weeks seems to be cutting it pretty fine, hotel availability is usually more limited.
Am I right in this conclusion? Or does *A/OW open up sporadically day to day?
I normally book my award flights very close to departure date as I don't normally know where I am in 30 days.