A couple of questions from an AAdvantage newbie

[asg29e]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I don't know how to be more subtle but if you follow the instructions in red then that may help...

Well, blow me down with a feather!! I didn't think for a moment that their IT systems would be so flaky for that to work. Flight not ticketed yet, but booking is "on request" with an AA Record Locator.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

What I usually do is exactly what Kangol suggested.

For example. Say my name is John Smith. I have a CC under my name which says John Smith on it. I make two AA accounts. One is under my name, John Smith. The other is under some random on the street, his name is Brian Williams.

John Smith's account is already maxed out for the year. So I buy with Brian Williams' account. When I pay for Brian William's points purchase online I put in my actual credit card number, but then for the name I enter the name as per the AA account which I am buying for, which is Brian Williams.

And a month later Brian's account is maxed out too, so then Brian's sister "Emily" who also has an account under her name "Emily Williams" - she buys miles online she will also use the CC number for John Smith, but for the name I would enter the account holder, which would be Emily Williams.

Hope that makes sense. As far as I know AA do not use a system that matches names with the CC number.

I assume this is for accounts within the same or extended family? Wouldn't it be easier for the family member to pay with their own credit card?

 

[Nizar]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I assume this is for accounts within the same or extended family? Wouldn't it be easier for the family member to pay with their own credit card?

PM sent...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

It seems the requirement for the credit card to match the account holder's name has been a topic of discussion going back as far as 2009 - and in fact the requirement has been there for even longer - just not always enforced.

The issue of awards for minors (where minors hold the account) can be managed in two ways... either getting them a supplementary credit card (if eligible), or completing the transaction through the call centre.

If you have family or friends donating you miles, they should pay with their card.

In some cases, circumventing the system would be a case of fraud, with a watertight evidence trail.

 

[asg29e]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Well, blow me down with a feather!! I didn't think for a moment that their IT systems would be so flaky for that to work. Flight not ticketed yet, but booking is "on request" with an AA Record Locator.

And... ticketed within half an hour. No end to the things you learn on this forum. Thanks Kangol.

 

[Nizar]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

If you have family of friends donating you miles, they should pay with their card.

But then you don't get the points

 

[Pushka]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

But then you don't get the points

Ah. My kids cards in their name are secondary cards in my account. I get the points.

 

[Kangol]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

And... ticketed within half an hour. No end to the things you learn on this forum. Thanks Kangol.

I was only, er.. speculating!! Well done!

 

[hossein_au]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Well, blow me down with a feather!! I didn't think for a moment that their IT systems would be so flaky for that to work. Flight not ticketed yet, but booking is "on request" with an AA Record Locator.

I believe systems in the US usually check CC number agains billing address (the most important part being the ZIP code). I'm not sure whether name on the card is actually checked at all.

EDIT: I'm only speculating; I have never bought any AA points, neither do I have any plan to do so anytime soon.

 

[serfty]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I have come across several anecdotes of AAdvantage member being able to book awards on Qantas where such was not available for QFF members.

It may very well be that QFF make more awards available for certain/routes/periods for AAdvantage (or other oneworld) for commercial / contractual reasons- easy enough to do with modern GDS's.

I was thinking about this - and have considered at least two possible reasons.

One could be a desire to generate direct cash revenue from Qantas' oneworld partners, another may be an agreement to have at least some availability for AAdvantage members when 330 days arrives.

All this is conjecture; it could be a combination of none, one, both and/or other possible facets.

 

[drron]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Though on the last occasion that I got an AA award on QF and mrsdrron got one on her QFF account we couldn't online or by ringing QF get seated together so I then rang AA.It was for SYD-NRT in J.I was put through to an EXP agent who told me I could only select from 2A,3A,4A and 5A although there were plenty of seats for mrsdrron to select through Qantas.The only B seat available was 4B so whilst I got allocated 4A mrsdrron was booking 4B.
So do AA have an allocation of seats which they can then decide to make available as an award.The Aagent thought not.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Another possibility. I wonder if there is such a thing as OneWorld availability. I was talking to an AAgent about an Etihad booking, and I found out that there was such a thing as 'OneWorld award seats' on Etihad (or so she said). I asked her about such in general and she said replied (jn a bit of a disjointed fashion), OneWorld make airlines have seats available for partners, beyond their own Award seats, as everyone knows that most of Award seats in higher cabins are gobbled up immediately by the airline's own members as soon as they come on the market.

As I say, the explanation was a bit dis-jointed and may not be 'gospel' but it may also explain why apparent 'phantom' availability exists when doing searches on certain airlines sites for travel on other airlines.

Happy to be shot down on this.

 

[Nizar]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Another possibility. I wonder if there is such a thing as OneWorld availability. I was talking to an AAgent about an Etihad booking, and I found out that there was such a thing as 'OneWorld award seats' on Etihad (or so she said). I asked her about such in general and she said replied (jn a bit of a disjointed fashion), OneWorld make airlines have seats available for partners, beyond their own Award seats, as everyone knows that most of Award seats in higher cabins are gobbled up immediately by the airline's own members as soon as they come on the market.

As I say, the explanation was a bit dis-jointed and may not be 'gospel' but it may also explain why apparent 'phantom' availability exists when doing searches on certain airlines sites for travel on other airlines.

Happy to be shot down on this.

I don't think EY has anything to do with One World. it's an AA partner and that's it.

Sort of like how EK is a QF partner. QF members can book EK award seats but EK has nothing to do with One World.

Well that's my understanding

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I don't think EY has anything to do with One World. it's an AA partner and that's it.

Sort of like how EK is a QF partner. QF members can book EK award seats but EK has nothing to do with One World.

Well that's my understanding

I agree that EK doesn't have anything to do with oneWorld, but that's how the AAgent described the pool of Award seats that AA could access on Etihad, when I compared the availability on Etihad Guest versus what she (and later, others) said was available. I note airberlin is also an Etihad partner for Award flights.

 

[knasty]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I think that's it; they have their usual classes for redemptions and within those a certain number are made available to partners. I doubt they would.quarantine award seats for partners which are not available to their own members.

 

[drron]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I think that's it; they have their usual classes for redemptions and within those a certain number are made available to partners. I doubt they would.quarantine award seats for partners which are not available to their own members.

But what if a partner gets a certain allocation of seats and the partner decides to make 1 or 2 available as awards for their members.

 

[ChasingDaylight]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Quick query to save a phone call to AA - is it possible to book an Aadvantage redemtpion in J on LAN Airlines AKL-SYD? I'm wanting to do AKL-?-DRW in J but nothing around the dates I want is available trans-tasman in QF J.

 

[Nizar]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Quick query to save a phone call to AA - is it possible to book an Aadvantage redemtpion in J on LAN Airlines AKL-SYD? I'm wanting to do AKL-?-DRW in J but nothing around the dates I want is available trans-tasman in QF J.

Can't see why not as LAN is part of oneworld

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....em-using-aa-swu-ticket-66855.html#post1216288

 

[wandering_fred]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Quick query to save a phone call to AA - is it possible to book an Aadvantage redemtpion in J on LAN Airlines AKL-SYD? I'm wanting to do AKL-?-DRW in J but nothing around the dates I want is available trans-tasman in QF J.

As mentioned as LAN is part of oneworld it should not be a problem. Note that SWP award rules apply for NZ->AUS if you use LAN rather than the one country exception if QF is used. IE a lot more expensive.

Have you tried AKL-BNE-DRW? Typically QF availability there would be better than via SYD.

Happy wandering

Fred