AA Cyber Monday 2015 bonus miles - extended to 4th Jan 2016

[grussellt]

Unfortunately a trip SYD-CDG will cost 148000 (J) as opposed to 128000 to LHR only. It's probably better to travel onward from DXB on awards to other destinations ..........and forsake travel on the LHR leg on the QF A380. Another benefit of an AA 60000mile award SWP-Europe.

 

[anat0l]

...another benefit of an AA 60000mile award SWP-Europe.

Well, commonly by that time one might just go through Asia instead of DXB, since getting SYD/LHR or MEL/LHR is pretty difficult, let alone double QR segments.

We'll see how it all pans out from here. In any case, surely AA can't do a serious rug pull and enforce new charts on its members without any notice, so you'd have some respite to react accordingly if things sour. I could eat my words, but the backlash on Parker et al. would be nothing short of severe.

 

[tania73]

Can someone please refresh my memory. Can you travel on Qatar or Ehtiad through to Europe as one AA award or do you still need to bra it up as two separate awards which makes it much more expensive.

 

[Croupier]

Can someone please refresh my memory. Can you travel on Qatar or Ehtiad through to Europe as one AA award or do you still need to bra it up as two separate awards which makes it much more expensive.

Qatar yes, Etihad no.

 

[anat0l]

Can someone please refresh my memory. Can you travel on Qatar or Ehtiad through to Europe as one AA award or do you still need to bra it up as two separate awards which makes it much more expensive.

Of those two, you can travel on QR on a single award (i.e. no splitting required), but it must be QR into DOH and QR out of it.

 

[Croupier]

Very tempted to max out the offer and take the 2 of us in J to Rio De Janero return, Its pricing at over $20'000 AUD on LAN's new 787 on the dates I want and the award availability is there.
What do you reckon? Should I do it?

 

[anat0l]

Very tempted to max out the offer and take the 2 of us in J to Rio De Janero return, Its pricing at over $20'000 AUD on LAN's new 787 on the dates I want and the award availability is there.
What do you reckon? Should I do it?

If you're tempted enough to do it, what you can do is call AA to put your award on hold; this will help to secure the available seats. Then, purchase the points and call them again to confirm the booking once the points deposit into your account.

Most airlines will allow a hold time of a few days, but double check with the agent of the time when you need to finalise the booking.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

Of those two, you can travel on QR on a single award (i.e. no splitting required), but it must be QR into DOH and QR out of it.

Has anyone flown with QR into Europe? They fly a lot of A320 on some of the routes to europe. What is J class like on those ? Does anyone have any feedback ?

 

[tania73]

Just a word of warning - on the AA sight there appears to be lots of QF1 F availability - its not correct - when you try and click through, it shows that its not available, checked about 30 dates. I am now less likely to buy

 

[serfty]

...
Most airlines will allow a hold time of a few days, but double check with the agent of the time when you need to finalise the booking.

AAdvantage has a default 5 day hold- but be wary when the booking involves carriers other than AA.

 

[Isochronous]

Has anyone flown with QR into Europe? They fly a lot of A320 on some of the routes to europe. What is J class like on those ? Does anyone have any feedback ?

I did the A320 in J on DOH-WAW last year. The food and beverage is just as good as on the 777 or the rest of the fleet, but you of course don't get a flat bed or even an angled lie-flat. It was a day flight so no big deal though - but I would avoid if an overnight. Legroom was decent though.

Of those two, you can travel on QR on a single award (i.e. no splitting required), but it must be QR into DOH and QR out of it.

How does that work since you'd be changing QR flight numbers?

 

[andye]

QR has an exception for the usual AA block of a free transit in middle east.
You would also change flight numbers on an Au-HKG-Eur on CX which prices as one award

 

[anat0l]

How does that work since you'd be changing QR flight numbers?

What I meant to say is in order to have a free transit in DOH (viz. one award), you must fly into DOH on QR, and then out of it on another QR flight.

For example, if you fly MEL-DOH-LHR with QR on the first leg but BA on the second, it will price as 2 awards, not 1. Both legs must be on QR to qualify for free transit.

I have no first or second hand experience; this is based on blog content which has reported this limited exception (not just for SWP/Europe, but also some other combinations like N America/Africa).

 

[PlutekPlutek]

I did the A320 in J on DOH-WAW last year. The food and beverage is just as good as on the 777 or the rest of the fleet, but you of course don't get a flat bed or even an angled lie-flat. It was a day flight so no big deal though - but I would avoid if an overnight. Legroom was decent though.

That's the exact segment I would be looking for, i.e. SYD-DOH-WAW. Sucks a bit about the seat, you're paying for J, and really getting a recliner, not much better than Y. I think the flight DOH-WAW is a red-eye these days (2:40am departure, 6:35 arrival). A flat bed would be nice (the flight is a between 5:30 and 6 hours in duration), especially after the long flight from the east coast of AU. Might as well book in Y if all you're getting extra is some nicer food.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

And so it happens. They have announced the reward chat devaluation. Makes it even less valuable now.
American Airlines Details the 2016 AAdvantage Program

 

[andye]

On the other hand, buy and burn before March

(although availability may be hard with so many points flooding the system)

 

[andye]

Finding an award then holding before buying miles would seem wise if you can

 

[vae086]

promotion extended to January 4th!

 

[avaction]

We are travelling back from Europe in April 2017. If I buy the miles in the current offer and then book a flight before March 2016 (say for October 2016) could I then change the ticket later to our desired dates as the ticket is valid for one year at no charge or extra miles?

That way I could take advantage of the current promotion AND save over 50,000 miles. We are looking at the Manchester to Sydney route with Qatar Business Class.

Sorry if this has come up before in this thread but I couldn't find it.

 

[andye]

We are travelling back from Europe in April 2017. If I buy the miles in the current offer and then book a flight before March 2016 (say for October 2016) could I then change the ticket later to our desired dates as the ticket is valid for one year at no charge or extra miles?

That way I could take advantage of the current promotion AND save over 50,000 miles. We are looking at the Manchester to Sydney route with Qatar Business Class.

Sorry if this has come up before in this thread but I couldn't find it.

General consensus was that you could change the flight dates at old rates but that maximum time from original ticketing to fly is 12 months