ETIHAD - AA Partner

[knasty]

Is it correct to say you can search the EY availability via Velocity account as well? I assume it is the same award fare class?

 

[scwappy]

I think so, you can't search 1st class though

 

[tkmg]

Thanks Scwappy. Had done this but was more referring to the AA agent finding the specific fare/s for Shannan. (Sorry my question wasn't clear enough). It's just that through my reading on here (and I've done a lot!!) so many ppl have issues with the agent/operator booking the tickets that are requested. Various reasons for that which I am trying to understand and have myself prepared for so that when I book there are no (or little) issues as possible! Any helpful tips from your experience would be appreciated

 

[tkmg]

Hi, tkmg, and welcome to AFF. Remember with AAdvantage you can place an award on hold and then buy the miles, which should post before you need to complete the booking.

Thank you Grussellt- that's a great idea! Love this forum- am learning so much!

 

[tkmg]

If two Etihad F or J seats are showing availability- Is it possible to book 1 x person using AA miles and the other persons fare using Velocity points (but have them seated together?) Sounds obvious and silly but once booked would I then just ring Etihad and request the two seats together?! Any risks with using points this way?

 

[scwappy]

Sounds doable, seating would be either online with ethihad or via phone,

try and book the tickets simultaneously on different devices to ensure one seat does not disappear to someone else when you are booking the other

 

[baggyred]

If two Etihad F or J seats are showing availability- Is it possible to book 1 x person using AA miles and the other persons fare using Velocity points (but have them seated together?) Sounds obvious and silly but once booked would I then just ring Etihad and request the two seats together?! Any risks with using points this way?

Just a thought - organise the AA miles ticket first and ask for the itinerary to be put on hold. (At least you can do that for online bookings)

Then do the second ticket through Velocity - if it fails, cancel your AA booking. If it works, call AA back up and lock in the second ticket!

 

[quokka77]

So... just made a back-up booking for a family member's travel in April next year.

She is booked to fly Australia-Europe with Malaysian Airlines, on an Enrich booking -- at 50k Enrich points for a booking, it was too good to pass up. This was pre-MH17. Since MH17 she has taken out insurance, in case Malaysian folds or cuts her route(s).

So she needed a back-up flight with reasonable cancellation policy, and J award availability Australia-Europe for April next year. AAdvantage to the rescue! (I hope).

I have placed her flights on hold (mixture of QF domestic and Etihad international) tonight, and bought the required miles to complete the flight.

I was kind of hoping for immediate fulfillment of my points order, but that hasn't happened. Now I'm getting a little concerned. For anyone else out there who has bought miles, should I be worried if the miles didn't post immediately? I did receive a credit card receipt emailed from AAdvantage stating the number of miles ordered, and the amount billed, and I haven't had a call from my credit card's fraud detection scheme...

THanks for any warning / help / reassurance you can offer.

 

[Nizar]

So... just made a back-up booking for a family member's travel in April next year.

She is booked to fly Australia-Europe with Malaysian Airlines, on an Enrich booking -- at 50k Enrich points for a booking, it was too good to pass up. This was pre-MH17. Since MH17 she has taken out insurance, in case Malaysian folds or cuts her route(s).

So she needed a back-up flight with reasonable cancellation policy, and J award availability Australia-Europe for April next year. AAdvantage to the rescue! (I hope).

I have placed her flights on hold (mixture of QF domestic and Etihad international) tonight, and bought the required miles to complete the flight.

I was kind of hoping for immediate fulfillment of my points order, but that hasn't happened. Now I'm getting a little concerned. For anyone else out there who has bought miles, should I be worried if the miles didn't post immediately? I did receive a credit card receipt emailed from AAdvantage stating the number of miles ordered, and the amount billed, and I haven't had a call from my credit card's fraud detection scheme...

THanks for any warning / help / reassurance you can offer.

AA miles can take a few days to post, but is usually quicker than transferring between accounts. So yeh just give it a few days

 

[bismarck]

So... just made a back-up booking for a family member's travel in April next year.

She is booked to fly Australia-Europe with Malaysian Airlines, on an Enrich booking -- at 50k Enrich points for a booking, it was too good to pass up. This was pre-MH17. Since MH17 she has taken out insurance, in case Malaysian folds or cuts her route(s).

So she needed a back-up flight with reasonable cancellation policy, and J award availability Australia-Europe for April next year. AAdvantage to the rescue! (I hope).

I have placed her flights on hold (mixture of QF domestic and Etihad international) tonight, and bought the required miles to complete the flight.

I was kind of hoping for immediate fulfillment of my points order, but that hasn't happened. Now I'm getting a little concerned. For anyone else out there who has bought miles, should I be worried if the miles didn't post immediately? I did receive a credit card receipt emailed from AAdvantage stating the number of miles ordered, and the amount billed, and I haven't had a call from my credit card's fraud detection scheme...

THanks for any warning / help / reassurance you can offer.

I've done exactly this before with no problems. Took a day or 2.

 

[quokka77]

Thanks for that Nizar and bismarck, v reassuring. I will wait a few days before checking again.

 

[bismarck]

There's usually plentiful F award availability on EY to/from MEL/SYD on any given date, so don't get too worried about booking 330 days out.

Alas, it looks like with the rotation onto the route of the A380, EY are blocking award access to the F cabin.

Mind you, even J in the A380 looks pretty darn special.

 

[quokka77]

Currently on hold to AAdvantage (via skype), waiting to confirm my reservation. Points credited after about 36 hours after purchase. Booked her on the 777 rather than A340 out of Sydney. Didn't bother checking which had the better fit-out, hopefully it's not a big deal either way.

Update: first agent (in the US call centre via skype) wouldn't attempt to process my payment on an Australian credit card.

Update: hung up and called again (US call centre), this time with success. Second agent processed my card payment patiently. First attempt (citibank select, quoting MyUs address) was unsuccessful. Second attempt (Amex Plat Edge, quoting MyUs address) was successful. Lost a couple of hundred citibank points on the taxes payment, but not a big deal if it tickets correctly. So, will wait for confirmatory email...

 

[Gold Member]

Alas, it looks like with the rotation onto the route of the A380, EY are blocking award access to the F cabin.

Mind you, even J in the A380 looks pretty darn special.

Yup, but limited only to SYD from commencement of A380 service. Both routes still offering lots of F award otherwise.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Wonder who will be the first to snare an F Award on the A380?
Sadly I have the miles but not the time and energy

 

[Nizar]

Wonder who will be the first to snare an F Award on the A380?
Sadly I have the miles but not the time and energy

I think that, at least for now, EY is actively blocking A380 F space. I'm hoping that over time that may change.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I think that, at least for now, EY is actively blocking A380 F space. I'm hoping that over time that may change.

Fingers crossed

 

[shannan94]

Thanks Scwappy. Had done this but was more referring to the AA agent finding the specific fare/s for Shannan. (Sorry my question wasn't clear enough). It's just that through my reading on here (and I've done a lot!!) so many ppl have issues with the agent/operator booking the tickets that are requested. Various reasons for that which I am trying to understand and have myself prepared for so that when I book there are no (or little) issues as possible! Any helpful tips from your experience would be appreciated

Hi tkmg,

Apologies for the late reply. I searched availability prior to calling up via the search engine which I've taken a screen shot of and posted below (because my low post count prohibits me from posting the url on the forum here), no etihad guest account is required to use the search. When I called, I told them I knew there was 2 available seats on Ey455 and I would like to book those two seats.

The operator took about 5 minutes to search for the seats and immediately confirmed with me that they were indeed available and could either be put on hold for a few days or booked now, in which I elected to book immediately. The reservation was listed as 'on request' for about 3 days, at which point I was sent a confirmed reservation and the points/booking fee debited from my account.



edit: the end part of the url added to the regular etihad url for anyone who can't make it out is - en/plan-and-book/book-redemption-flights/

 

[tkmg]

Thanks Shannan- that's exactly what I wanted to know. Purchased AA miles last night so here's hoping we can get J flights for the dates we want?!

 

[scwappy]

Does anyone know if you can mix and match first and business to Europe via AUH and pay only for what you use? ie business SYD to AUH and first points AUH to Europe