A couple of questions from an AAdvantage newbie

[casanovawa]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

The 4 hour rule sounds like what AA (and maybe other US based carriers) applies to domestic US awards while everyone else seems to apply the rule that over 24 hours is considered a stop over and under is a transit... If i was making an AA award here in Oz and they kicked up a fuss I would say that here in Oz we are accustomed to the more than 24 hour rule and see if i could get a few transits in my award... Hopefully you wouldn't have a problem with that 4 hour rule if the flights your booking aren't in the US...

And the 45,000 in J might be right if that is what it quotes for a SP-Europe award... I was just going on you quoting that figure for a SP-ME award... It might be the same total for both destinations, I'm not looking at the partner award chart at the moment...

Not sure if we have answered your question about transits and stopovers... The award only allows one stopover (which effectively ends the award flight) but you are allowed to have transits in between (up to 15) to get to your destination... It seems in Oz with our airlines, and most other airlines, you can make transits if you don't stay in a connecting airport/city for more than 24 hours on the way to your destination, in the US AA says each transit has to be less than 4 hours (for domestic or 6 hours for international) or it ends the award flight...

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

See here from FT: (oneworld Awards Using American Airlines Miles info (NOT info for All-partner awards) - FlyerTalk Forums)

Now this FT thread has all you ever wanted to know but never though you would:

AA and All-Partner Award info, stopover & routing rules (NOT for oneworld Awards) - FlyerTalk Forums

According to that, you have 23H59m to connect:

Some reading for me to do. I also note that it says you must travel by the most direct routing which would rule out something like PER-xMEL-xCNS-xSYD-AKL.

That link, though, seems to indicate it's for non-oneworld awards which means that set of rules wouldn't be applicable to AA awards on QF but would be, for example, applicable to my SYD-xAUH-LHR routing.

The 4 hour rule sounds like what AA (and maybe other US based carriers) applies to domestic US awards while everyone else seems to apply the rule that over 24 hours is considered a stop over and under is a transit... If i was making an AA award here in Oz and they kicked up a fuss I would say that here in Oz we are accustomed to the more than 24 hour rule and see if i could get a few transits in my award... Hopefully you wouldn't have a problem with that 4 hour rule if the flights your booking aren't in the US...

Okay. So I think, if I've got it right, with North America an AA award can have up to 16 segments for 'the one low price' provided connections are less than four hours. However, as drron noted, you can get lucky. If you go beyond four hours it's counted as a stopover and is now longer 'one low price' but a minimum of two (ie. 2 x awards). Outside NA you have up to 24 hours but must still use the most direct routing meaning something like BME-xPER-xMEL-xAKL-CHC would probably be possible.

And the 45,000 in J might be right if that is what it quotes for a SP-Europe award... I was just going on you quoting that figure for a SP-ME award... It might be the same total for both destinations, I'm not looking at the partner award chart at the moment...

I got a little carried away there. It's 45k in J to the Middle East but 60k in J to Europe.

 

[casanovawa]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Sounds like your getting it pretty right Danger, I did add another little para to my post above which hopefully clears it up... I think booking something international, especially where you might stray into another continental zone and therefor attract a different cost of miles, they would be a lot tighter on the direct routings but hopefully here in Oz, as its all in the one country region and not using AA metal, that they might be flexible enough to allow a bit of zig zagging (without being silly and crossing back and forth across Oz) but i haven't tested them on this yet...

I forget which thread i was reading it on here, but there is some destination in Asia i think that people talk about being the best value in terms of AA redemption as you only get charged SP-Asia miles but the only way to fly to it is to fly via Europe... Which might be one of the exceptions about being able to fly outside the zones and not be charged the extra miles simply because its the only way to get to it... But not sure its one of the most desirable locations to go to...

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I forget which thread i was reading it on here, but there is some destination in Asia i think that people talk about being the best value in terms of AA redemption as you only get charged SP-Asia miles but the only way to fly to it is to fly via Europe... Which might be one of the exceptions about being able to fly outside the zones and not be charged the extra miles simply because its the only way to get to it... But not sure its one of the most desirable locations to go to...

I very much like the sound of that!

 

[NM]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I'm seeking some help understanding AA's other airline awards.

I know, for example, that 10k AAdvantage miles gets a one way flight with Australia and New Zealand but I'm sketchy on how it's applied. I understand that that 10k is perfectly valid for a flight, say, PER-xMEL-AKL. Is this correct?

Correct

If so, would PER-xMEL-xBNE-AKL be valid for 10k?

Yes, it is valid. The only criteria is around the need for the flights to be "connecting" flights by AA'd definition of connecting as it is applied to awards. For AA flights in north America, that means the conneciton should be <4 hours or the next available onward flight to your destination withing 24 hours. For flights wholy with-in or between other regions, the connection must be <24 hours. While the rule says that travel should be via the most direct routing, that is always interpreted as "the most direct routing with availability" so if you cannot find AKL-xSYD-PER and can find AKL-xSYD-xBNE-PER then that is ok.

I'm assuming not, obviously because it isn't economical for AA. So where is the line drawn? Similarly, I note 45k will get you a one way flight from South Pacific to the Middle East in J. This would mean, I think, a business seat on Emirates from SYD-AUH. But it would it also include, say, SYD-xAUH-LHR?

Emirates is not an AA award partner. However, Etihad is a partner, but are restricted to "Service within the Middle East and between the Middle East and North America, Europe, Africa and Asia" so does not include to South Pacific region. See the list here at aa.com.

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Thanks for the additional clarification, particularly re Etihad.

I've ticked over 80k AA miles since February and I'm fairly excited about the many prospects to reap the rewards.

 

[djfuzz]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Thanks for the additional clarification, particularly re Etihad.

I've ticked over 80k AA miles since February and I'm fairly excited about the many prospects to reap the rewards.

Danger, do you ticket locally or through the US desk?

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Danger, do you ticket locally or through the US desk?

I haven't booked one yet, just trying to get my head around the options. I only joined AAdvantage earlier this year so I'm learning a whole new program! I guess I'd probably try to ticket through AA in the US first although the restrictions on four hour/24 hour and direct routings might lead me to speak to local staff.

 

[NM]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

When making an award booking, I recommend using the USA phone number if you can. The service fees are considerably less in US$ than in A$.

 

[djfuzz]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

When making an award booking, I recommend using the USA phone number if you can. The service fees are considerably less in US$ than in A$.

As posted above, I made a booking through the US number and was subsequently advised that they couldn't process international credit cards now and I'd have to pay the +++ at the respective airline desks at the airport, who naturally couldn't help me. Ended up having to call the local reservations number - am yet to see the tickets or the charges on my bill, but will keep you posted.

I've also heard (and this may be more an issue for non-EXPs like me) that the local desk can see better award availability of QF than they can from the US (eg couldn't book F awards despite P availability showing on EF and QF) - didn't end up getting a chance to verify this though.

 

[dfcatch]

As posted above, I made a booking through the US number and was subsequently advised that they couldn't process international credit cards now and I'd have to pay the +++ at the respective airline desks at the airport, who naturally couldn't help me. Ended up having to call the local reservations number - am yet to see the tickets or the charges on my bill, but will keep you posted.

I've also heard (and this may be more an issue for non-EXPs like me) that the local desk can see better award availability of QF than they can from the US (eg couldn't book F awards despite P availability showing on EF and QF) - didn't end up getting a chance to verify this though.

This is not my experience.

IME - AA in the US can see everything I can see on EF.

Anecdotally - drron as an EXP has been able to have AA see more QF awards than EF showed.

Also - they can ticket the fare - and then you can call the local number (which goes to Fiji) and they can process your Aus credit card.

AA OneWorld awards are awards on 2 or more OW carriers other than AA.

All-Partner Awards are what is applicable if you want to redeem on QF.

 

[drron]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

On 3 occasions now I have been able to get a premium cabin Aaward on QF when mrsdrron as WP could not.Once on line,once with the US number and the last occasion using the local number-in fact off on that on Monday.Flying BNE-AKL-SYD.We have 2 J class awards whereas QF could only offer 1 BNE-AKL and none AKL-SYD.
Just as an aside they would not let us do AKL-SYD-BNE with 3 days in SYD.I did ask but not surprised at the answer-nothing ventured,nothing gained.
I do not use EF so dont know what availability was shown there.

 

[grussellt]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

As posted above, I made a booking through the US number and was subsequently advised that they couldn't process international credit cards now and I'd have to pay the +++ at the respective airline desks at the airport, who naturally couldn't help me. Ended up having to call the local reservations number - am yet to see the tickets or the charges on my bill, but will keep you posted.

I just booked two awards last month through the US desk and no trouble paying with an Australian card (Amex issued by NAB).

 

[djfuzz]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I just booked two awards last month through the US desk and no trouble paying with an Australian card (Amex issued by NAB).

Strange. Ended up doing as drron and dfcatch suggested and paid locally; since the booking was made in the US they didn't hit ne with the local service fees as far a I can tell.

Still, did not have as favourable an outcome with the availability. Will have to try again sometime and see how it goes.

 

[NM]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

As posted above, I made a booking through the US number and was subsequently advised that they couldn't process international credit cards now and I'd have to pay the +++ at the respective airline desks at the airport, who naturally couldn't help me. Ended up having to call the local reservations number - am yet to see the tickets or the charges on my bill, but will keep you posted.

They can, and have and continue to, process international credit cards. I have done it many times paying with my Aussie Amex credit card. But when they ask for your post code, prefix it with a leading 0 since their system required a 5-digit post code entry, and if they only enter the usual 4 digits for an Aussie postcode it will always fail and their system does not explain the reason for the failure. I found this after having many agents try and fail and tell me I would need to go to the airport to pay etc. Through persistence they eventually get it to work, and I once asked what they had to do to make it work. So now I always tell them my postcode is 040xx and there is never an issue.

 

[djfuzz]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Thanks NM, excellent advice. Will definitely keep this is mind next time.

 

[adrian]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

They can, and have and contoinue to, process international credir cards. I have done it many times paying with my Aussie Amex credit card. But when they ask for your post code, prefix it with a leading 0 since their system required a 5-digit post code entry, and if they only enter the usual 4 digits for an Aussie postcode it will always fail and their system does not explain the reason for the failure. I found this aftre having many agents try and fail and tell me I would need to go to the airport to pay etc. Through persisteance they eventually get it to work, and I once asked what they had to to make it work. So now I always tell them my postcode is 040xx and there is never an issue.

I have done this 40+ times one the last few years, twice in the last week. Works every time....

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

canMy first attempt at redeeming AA miles on QF has been a huge failure.

I've just phoned the AA Brisbane number and asked about availability, in Y or J, from Perth to Sydney on 1 June, direct or otherwise. The only seat AA can offer me is on a JQ direct (an airline the operator said was Jet Airways). There was no availability on any QF flight, not direct or via MEL, DRW, CNS, ADL, BNE, AKL, CHC or WLG.

 

[grussellt]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Have a look at the J availability as a flight via MEL/ADL etc and quote the flight numbers to AA. If necessary ring the US number and you should have no problems getting a result.

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I just got off the phone with AA in the US and they could offer one additional flight: PER-xBNE-SYD in J (approximately 90 minutes between arrival and departure in BNE). I still think that's pretty poor availability but my bigger concern is they've quoted me 35k miles, not 17.5k. I asked why it wasn't 17.5k and the agent said because it was two one-ways (in J), which equals 35k.

What have I done wrong?

I'm seeking some help understanding AA's other airline awards.

I know, for example, that 10k AAdvantage miles gets a one way flight with Australia and New Zealand but I'm sketchy on how it's applied. I understand that that 10k is perfectly valid for a flight, say, PER-xMEL-AKL. Is this correct? If so, would PER-xMEL-xBNE-AKL be valid for 10k? I'm assuming not, obviously because it isn't economical for AA. So where is the line drawn? Similarly, I note 45k will get you a one way flight from South Pacific to the Middle East in J. This would mean, I think, a business seat on Emirates from SYD-AUH. But it would it also include, say, SYD-xAUH-LHR?

It's 10K for a one-way journey with no stopover; limited to 16 segments.:shock:

So PER-xADL-xCBR-xSYD-xBNE-AKL would be valid as long as X class is available for each flight.

(Also, it's 17½K for Business and U class - same deal as far as routing goes.)