ETIHAD - AA Partner

[RooFlyer]

Having been hooked on the idea of a First Apartment on the A380, I got more creative on my schedule (I'll worry about the problems it creates later) I called back and snagged one SYD-AUH in early October. Unfortunately that meant I HAD to come back mid October and there was no F availability, on any flight to SYD or MEL over the 4 day window I had. This corresponds with just a single F seat to MEL available when I looked earlier, over a 3 day window a week later. So its J on the return. C'est la vie.

I might keep calling from time to time to see if something opens up.

As my hold was running out, I confirmed the reservation and paid the A$130 taxes. Although the agent said it was pending and would be confirmed from 24-72 hours, I received the e-ticket about 90 mins later

 

[Limewood]

oh' man I'm so jealous

 

[zig]

Looking forward to the TR

 

[RooFlyer]

Looking forward to the TR

Sure .. it'll be onwards to Azerbaijan and Georgia

 

[gwaipor]

Having been hooked on the idea of a First Apartment on the A380, I got more creative on my schedule (I'll worry about the problems it creates later) I called back and snagged one SYD-AUH in early October. Unfortunately that meant I HAD to come back mid October and there was no F availability, on any flight to SYD or MEL over the 4 day window I had. This corresponds with just a single F seat to MEL available when I looked earlier, over a 3 day window a week later. So its J on the return. C'est la vie.

I might keep calling from time to time to see if something opens up.

As my hold was running out, I confirmed the reservation and paid the A$130 taxes. Although the agent said it was pending and would be confirmed from 24-72 hours, I received the e-ticket about 90 mins later

So am I rite in guessing the process is
- check etihad for award flights availability
- call them up and ask for those specific routes

 

[RooFlyer]

So am I rite in guessing the process is
- check etihad for award flights availability
- call them up and ask for those specific routes

According to the AAgents I spoke to, the availability on the Etihad Guest site does NOT match the availability they can give Awards to. I guess if the Etihad site says wide open, its more likely that there is an AA seat available and conversely if there are only one or 2 seats on the EY Guest site, it might not be worth asking.

But at the end of the day, you have to call anyway, so choose likely dates from the EY Guest site and go from there.

 

[Nizar]

I've found that AA EY availability lines up well with what I see on KVS

 

[Beta4Me]

I've found that AA EY availability lines up well with what I see on KVS

Where is KVS getting it from? Etihad Guest?

 

[Nizar]

Where is KVS getting it from? Etihad Guest?

I'm not sure but it hasn't failed me and I've booked probably more than a dozen EY flights in the past year or so

 

[serfty]

KVS is likely screen scraping the EY web site to find availability.

 

[RooFlyer]

KVS is likely screen scraping the EY web site to find availability.

If that's the case, and if KVS does accurately show AA award seats on EY, then I'm annoyed. In the course of finalising my recent F booking, I spoke to 4 different AAgents and none of them could get me award seats that were in abundance on the EY Guest site.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If that's the case, and if KVS does accurately show AA award seats on EY, then I'm annoyed. In the course of finalising my recent F booking, I spoke to 4 different AAgents and none of them could get me award seats that were in abundance on the EY Guest site.

Lucky (OMAAT)has written an article about searching for EY space via AA. Not sure if this has already been posted. There is a further link in this primary article to an earlier 2014 run down on finding space, and the issue of AA not always seeing what EY says is available. AMAZING DEAL: Redeem American Miles For Etihad A380 First Class - One Mile at a Time

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks for that link.

Well, at least I wasn't doing anything wrong. On my ideal dates, there was EY F award space all over the place on the EY Guest site. AAgent couldn't see most of them, and I had to adjust my dates. Called back several more times over several days on the 'HUACA' theory (with EY Award seats still appearing to be available) , but same results every time.

Never mind. I got an Apartment on the A380 ex SYD, and 'only' J on the return. Talk about first world problem!

 

[legroom]

My understanding is that AUS - AUH - EUR would be regarded as two separate AA bookings unlike the special case of QF1/2 etc ...

Is that correct ?

Thanks from an EY NB !

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My understanding is that AUS - AUH - EUR would be regarded as two separate AA bookings unlike the special case of QF1/2 etc ...

Is that correct ?

Thanks from an EY NB !

correct. there are only limited connections allowed between AU-Europe, via selected ports in asia.

the Middle East is not a permitted connecting point.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I booked SYD - AUH - JFK yesterday morning.

Scored First apartment on the A380 (EY guest showed 2 seats avail) and decided I didn't want to fly Jetihad and would have a 2 day stopover in AUH and get the 2am EY flight in F (EY guest showed 1 seat avail)

The agent did ask me half way through the booking process for how many seats. Luckily just travelling by myself.

Checking on EY Guest it now shows just 1 seat left from SYD and no avail seats from AUH to JFK

So there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to what AA can see when compared to EY if people are seeing availability on EY guest and AA can't.

I will say the experience of booking was pleasant. Maybe 1 minute on hold and 3 mins to get the booking on hold so I can confirm a minor change to my leave tomorrow.

That said, after reading some reviews about the hit and miss nature of EY cabin service, with them running out of food in F on some flights, am starting to think I might keep to my original SQ Suites booking, even though I get the old F from Syd and have a long transit at Changi. The idea of having an apartment to sleep in though is very appealing. First world decisions decisions.

 

[slodki]

I know this one is a difficult one to answer - but is AA having issues with seeing Etihad guest availability (source - etihad website)?

I have a trip to Europe planned for May 2016. I would love to make use of the current promotion - however in the past I was 'lucky' enough on US airways to be able to hold a ticket before purchasing points. Given that my dates are 330+ days out I can't do the same with this promotion. Looks like the current promotion is one of the best yet from AA - so I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and hope that Etihad availability can be seen by AA.

My dates to Europe is a little flexible on the way up - but set in stone on the way back.

I guess having the ability to book immediately when awards are released will help (not with QF flights though, as AA gets second dibs).

Etihad currently show 2x J/F guest awards all of next year, but I wonder how much of this AA can actually see. On the way up it will be one pax, on the way back 2 pax

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I know this one is a difficult one to answer - but is AA having issues with seeing Etihad guest availability (source - etihad website)?

I have a trip to Europe planned for May 2016. I would love to make use of the current promotion - however in the past I was 'lucky' enough on US airways to be able to hold a ticket before purchasing points. Given that my dates are 330+ days out I can't do the same with this promotion. Looks like the current promotion is one of the best yet from AA - so I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and hope that Etihad availability can be seen by AA.

My dates to Europe is a little flexible on the way up - but set in stone on the way back.

I guess having the ability to book immediately when awards are released will help (not with QF flights though, as AA gets second dibs).

Etihad currently show 2x J/F guest awards all of next year, but I wonder how much of this AA can actually see. On the way up it will be one pax, on the way back 2 pax

It's a calculated risk... availability may or may not be there... but I'd suspect you'll get something, even if not EY.

 

[slodki]

yep - that's what I'm thinking. I might just buy enough points for 2x one way Europe - Australia tickets this time round. Perhaps another mile promotion will crop up in a few months for another buy.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

yep - that's what I'm thinking. I might just buy enough points for 2x one way Europe - Australia tickets this time round. Perhaps another mile promotion will crop up in a few months for another buy.

bear in mind the total allowed mileage purchase (before bonuses) is 100k per account per year. And it's probably a good idea to work out how to max any bonus allowed within a promotion (ie lower mileage purchases may not attract the max bonus miles, and any miles you have left within your limit for next time may also then not attract the max bonus).

If you have one account for each passenger, max out just on one account, and buy both tickets from that (which is what I think you might have had in mind anyway).