A couple of questions from an AAdvantage newbie

[get me outta here]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

It looks like row 11 is a bassinet, so if it is occupied, I hope the bubba is a quiet sleeper.

Seatguru is not particularly accurate anymore for non-USA airlines. Always better to go directly to the MMB function of the particular airline to choose seats.

Your seat allocation with CX should stick, but you can go on line to MMB and confirm.

12A/C (and the other side) can be bulkheads. The only thing to watch out there is that one of them is a bassinet so you may be asked to move.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

It looks like row 11 is a bassinet, so if it is occupied, I hope the bubba is a quiet sleeper.

While SIN-HKG is only about 3 hours, I generally recommend mid-cabin for CX flights. Away from the galley and WC noise at the front and rear of the cabin. (A333 long haul configuration anywhere from mid front cabin is fine, the second galley isn't used in flight)

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

It goes row 12 and then row 15. Would 15 be an exit? It has let me choose it.

While SIN-HKG is only about 3 hours, I generally recommend mid-cabin for CX flights. Away from the galley and WC noise at the front and rear of the cabin. (A333 long haul configuration anywhere from mid front cabin is fine, the second galley isn't used in flight)

 

[rogerkambah]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Seatguru is not particularly accurate anymore for non-USA airlines. Always better to go directly to the MMB function of the particular airline to choose seats.

Your seat allocation with CX should stick, but you can go on line to MMB and confirm.

12A/C (and the other side) can be bulkheads. The only thing to watch out there is that one of them is a bassinet so you may be asked to move.

I was using Seatguru too so will go into CX and check what is happening.

 

[hossein_au]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

On A330, row 15 is pretty good. It is in the middle of the front (large) cabin, which means away from the loo and either of the galleys.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Thanks, I'll stick with that. But, why no row 13 or 14?

On A330, row 15 is pretty good. It is in the middle of the front (large) cabin, which means away from the loo and either of the galleys.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

It goes row 12 and then row 15. Would 15 be an exit? It has let me choose it.

Depends on the configuration of the aircraft. CX long-haul configured 777s don't have rows 13 and 14.

For aircraft with first class, 11 and 12 are the mini cabin (good seats), then you go to row 15, although it's not an exit.

For long haul without first class, it just goes 11, 12 (not desirable), then 15-19 (15-17 pick of the bunch), and 21-23 in the second cabin (not recommended seating).

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

You'll see the seat plan and availability by clicking on 'update' under MMB.

I was using Seatguru too so will go into CX and check what is happening.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Thanks Hossein and MET_T, I finally have it sorted out now.

Depends on the configuration of the aircraft. CX long-haul configured 777s don't have rows 13 and 14.

For aircraft with first class, 11 and 12 are the mini cabin (good seats), then you go to row 15, although it's not an exit.

For long haul without first class, it just goes 11, 12 (not desirable), then 15-19 (15-17 pick of the bunch), and 21-23 in the second cabin (not recommended seating).

 

[drron]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Shouldn't SIN-HKG be a regional 777.We fly them frequently NRT-HKG-BKK and always have row 14.Except when a new 330.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Shouldn't SIN-HKG be a regional 777.We fly them frequently NRT-HKG-BKK and always have row 14.Except when a new 330.

Can be anything on those regional routes. Long-haul configured aircraft are fairly common, although so are last minute substitutions.

 

[diningdecadence]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

i think the answer is no, but can you transit UAE on a < 24 hour stop and still get it ticketed as 1 award price?

eg. SYD-xDXB <24 hours-LHR

i seem to recall you can get the QF flight to price nicely if you continue on the same flight number, but could you extend that to the same flight but 24 hours later?

so basically with AA no stopovers, instead 2 awards?

cheers

 

[LA10]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I am currently booked on Mel - HK - LHR on QF/CX in J. Due to plans changing, I now need to leave a week later, which means it's difficult to now again find availability. My final destination has now been changed to Prague.
I can see CX availability from HK - Europe on Thursdays, but none on Friday/Sat in J. Surprisingly, there are F seats. Do people know if CX still releases last minute J award seats (i.e. if I book F and change to J closer to the date)? Thanks.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I am currently booked on Mel - HK - LHR on QF/CX in J. Due to plans changing, I now need to leave a week later, which means it's difficult to now again find availability. My final destination has now been changed to Prague.
I can see CX availability from HK - Europe on Thursdays, but none on Friday/Sat in J. Surprisingly, there are F seats. Do people know if CX still releases last minute J award seats (i.e. if I book F and change to J closer to the date)? Thanks.

They do release seats, even in the day of departure (I've seen it as close in as a few hours that seats have become available).

However, nothing is guaranteed, and you should expect to fly in the class you booked. There was a flight cancellation the other day out of hong Kong and a couple of flights had to be combined (packed in all classes), so probably no last minute awards.

 

[knasty]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I am currently booked on Mel - HK - LHR on QF/CX in J. Due to plans changing, I now need to leave a week later, which means it's difficult to now again find availability. My final destination has now been changed to Prague.
I can see CX availability from HK - Europe on Thursdays, but none on Friday/Sat in J. Surprisingly, there are F seats. Do people know if CX still releases last minute J award seats (i.e. if I book F and change to J closer to the date)? Thanks.

I think it's often easier to get lastminute F than J. My last CX F from LHR to HKG still had F9 3 days out and they made 6 available for awards. On the day I could still see F8 seat and only 2 people joined me with a full J so I can only assume they were op-ups. One of the unfortunate things about the retirement of the 744s is now there only 6 rather than 9 seats on the 77W.

 

[smit0847]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I am currently booked on Mel - HK - LHR on QF/CX in J. Due to plans changing, I now need to leave a week later, which means it's difficult to now again find availability. My final destination has now been changed to Prague.
I can see CX availability from HK - Europe on Thursdays, but none on Friday/Sat in J. Surprisingly, there are F seats. Do people know if CX still releases last minute J award seats (i.e. if I book F and change to J closer to the date)? Thanks.

An expert flyer membership will be enormously helpful for you to determine the likelihood of seats opening up. I 'rolled the dice' with CX last minute a week ago and it worked out perfectly.

 

[smit0847]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

It's the 'overwater' carrier that needs to publish the fare. In the absence of any published fares between the origin and destination AA will apply MPM+25%, provided the agent is satisfied you are on the most direct routing (which is where it comes down to agent discretion).

you also have the rules about transits and connections in third regions which are imposed on all of the above (for example, those which don't allow transits in the ME except for DOH or QF/QF etc).

Does the published fare have to be by the first operating carrier or any carrier on that routing?
How do people get away with booking QF connecting onto EY in Australia? QF would never publish a routing via AUH.

It depends if there is a published fare allowing CMB-HKG on UL connecting to HKG-MEL on CX.

The published fare has to relate to the journey/trip as a whole, not the individual flights.

Had an interesting experience with the routing rules this week. I'm currently in CMB with an MH booking back to MEL via KUL. I wanted to upgrade this to CX via HKG. I spoke to a very competitive agent who told me the only way to do this between these city pairs was to fly on CX CMB-HKG-MEL. There was a UL flight CMB-HKG which stops in BKK but keeps the same flight number and was told this was not a valid routing and that it would be split into two awards.
This confused me because I believe obviously fares are published between these two cities and the BKK stop is only 40 miles longer than the direct CX flight so no MPM issues.
The agent insisted the only way to do it as one award was to fly CX the whole way. Was this correct? Is there some rule I don't know about?

A follow up to this story. After arguing with an incompetent agent for over an hour (who told me things like 'MCT in HKG is 120 minutes' and 'it's the same flight number but they change planes during the transit stop' I HUACA and got a very competent agent who looked up the routing rules between the two cities and within 2 minutes read out to me 'if you wish to transit HKG you must fly direct from CMB there on CX'. That made sense.
I managed to book both my cousin and myself on CMB-HKG-MEL in J to abide by the routing rule and it kept it as one award. We both really enjoyed the flights.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

'if you wish to transit HKG you must fly direct from CMB there on CX'. That made sense.

In other words... CX has a published fare for the route, UL doesn't allow connections in HKG

 

[LA10]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

An expert flyer membership will be enormously helpful for you to determine the likelihood of seats opening up. I 'rolled the dice' with CX last minute a week ago and it worked out perfectly.

Thanks, I've got some alerts set up.

 

[LA10]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

They do release seats, even in the day of departure (I've seen it as close in as a few hours that seats have become available).

However, nothing is guaranteed, and you should expect to fly in the class you booked. There was a flight cancellation the other day out of hong Kong and a couple of flights had to be combined (packed in all classes), so probably no last minute awards.

Thanks for the advice.