AAward availability on BA Question

[turtlemichael]

I'm toying with my first AA redemption using some of the points recently bought. It's all new to me. I am planning to go from Europe (preferably PRG) to South Africa (CPT or JNB) between Feb 6 and 12 next year, using points. It has to be then to fit in with other travel. (Two of us are going for the cricket - Aussies are touring. I know, I am a sad case ). I've been watching AA award availability in Business and First via the AA website. Prior to Christmas, booking 330 days out, it was good. Now it has dried up. I have put that down to the holiday period and a lot of South African travel on BA. Now availability is coming back a little eg Jan 18th currently appears to have one seat in First for 50K AA MileSAAver points. We will want 2. Consistently, when I try to dummy book the few J and F seats that have appeared I get told they are no longer available. Is this an AA quirk? There has been loads of Y availability but we've ruled that out.

Questions:
As a general principle, am I wasting my time hanging on for 2 J or F seats on BA with AA miles? QF seems to have better availability but with astronomically more points and dollars of course.

Is there any way I can easily check on upcoming availability for AA miles? eg. is what is available on QF a good indication of what is coming up on AA as we get closer to the 331 days period? I can't see BA Z and U availability on Expert Flyer and, in any case, is this a good indication of upcoming AA availability?

I have the option to bite the bullet using VS points, particularly LHR-JNB, as there appears better availability, at least to mid-January. However, it would be more points and dollars and getting from PRG to LHR will add a few more. Of course I'd prefer to travel BA F rather than VS J.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

ps We have enough AA or VS points for these options. QF points would be a struggle.

 

[serfty]

I believe half the problem is that BAEC members have access to award availability weeks before those using AAdvantage.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have a paid subscription to Award Nexus, it has been very accurate so far in terms of crossover between BA Award availability and the ability to book that Award on the phone with AA miles. At times QF has shown no availability for the same flights (and vv of course)
You can search BA free of charge by joining the Executive Club with a non- Asia-Pacific address.
I find the beauty of the multi-search engines is well worth paying for (KVS tool is another but not so user-friendly)
and the convenience outweighs the cost

 

[Longrass]

I have found that BA is very limited as so far as seats are concerned.

Generally speaking, it appears as though the glitch you are seeing is because the award flights are available, but not "made available" because the flight is to close to the deadline, I found that a day or to later, the flights were able to be booked.

Stressed me out, but all sorted in the end.

If you want to call the US number, you can download Bobsled for iPhone and call for free, has to be set up for location being the US.

 

[NM]

Personally try to avoid BA operated flights for AAdvanatge awards since AA include the fuel surcharge in the 'extras" payment for BA flights, killing most of AAdvantage they have over using the QFF program for award flights.

 

[turtlemichael]

Personally try to avoid BA operated flights for AAdvanatge awards since AA include the fuel surcharge in the 'extras" payment for BA flights, killing most of AAdvantage they have over using the QFF program for award flights.

Unfortunately there are no other practical Oneworld options PRG-JNB. The dollars are a bit different but not that different between AA and QF. The difference is in the points. QF first-134k, business -92k, AA first-50k, business- 37.5k. Of course, the difference is academic if you can't get seats. I am getting the impression that very few survive the 25 odd days between BA and AA availability opening. VS from London remains a fallback.

 

[turtlemichael]

I have a paid subscription to Award Nexus, it has been very accurate so far in terms of crossover between BA Award availability and the ability to book that Award on the phone with AA miles. At times QF has shown no availability for the same flights (and vv of course)
You can search BA free of charge by joining the Executive Club with a non- Asia-Pacific address.
I find the beauty of the multi-search engines is well worth paying for (KVS tool is another but not so user-friendly)
and the convenience outweighs the cost

Princess Fiona, thanks for the suggestion re Award Nexus. Maybe we need an Award Nexus thread?

I took out a free I think trial subscription (for anyone with an FT handle) and it showed me there was some BA availability on some of my preferred days. I guess though the issue is the one I mentioned above ie will it still be there when AA opens? How long is a piece of string? I'm assuming that it is the same pool of seats not added to when AA comes on line. ps now i know how other OW FFs feel about QFF members eating up all the QF availability.

 

[dalereardon]

Hi,

Here's a good article I found on Award Nexus and the other services like it. There is also mention of award ticket booking experts you can pay on a performance basis to get you seats as well:

InsideFlyer.com: Award Search Strategies

Dale.