Poor AA domestic award availability

[aus_flyer]

AA appears to be releasing very, very few domestic award seats when flights are loaded - for booking by FF partners.

For example - August/September next year - I can't find a single award seat in any class between LAX and SFO.

In the past, AA released heaps of seats on this route.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!

Edit: Have looked further and this is very widespread. Eek!

 

[Virgin Bart]

I had noticed too, but didn't post because I was unsure if I was just not match fit.

I had reason to book NYC-ORD, ORD-LAS and LAS-LAX for June next year and even Y availability was extremely limited!

 

[NM]

I am seeing plenty of AAdvantage award seats between LAX and SFO for August and up until 8th September (which would be the normal 330 days).

This image shows lowest miles cost available for each day of August.

 

[NM]

Or are you searching for QFF awards on AA flights? If so, then this should be a QF question rather than an AAdvantage question.

 

[aus_flyer]

I am seeing plenty of AAdvantage award seats between LAX and SFO for August and up until 8th September (which would be the normal 330 days).

This image shows lowest miles cost available for each day of August.

View attachment 303172

Not for booking by partners

Post automatically merged: Oct 13, 2022

Or are you searching for QFF awards on AA flights? If so, then this should be a QF question rather than an AAdvantage question.

It could have gone under QF/BA/JL/CX… or any AA partner. Original post mentioned partners

 

[NM]

Not for booking by partners

Post automatically merged: Oct 13, 2022

It could have gone under QF/BA/JL/CX… or any AA partner. Original post mentioned partners

So is this the case for all partners? My datapoint shows AA awards are available to AAdvantage members.

From my QFF account, I can see flights through until 9th September.

 

[NM]

I can't select the ones on 9th September, but all earlier than 9th show ok on the next step towards booking. Of course we know that sometimes there is "phantom" availability shown. And many/most of the flights shown are actually AS operated flights. Actually, looks like they are all AS operated flights.

 

[aus_flyer]

I can't select the ones on 9th September, but all earlier than 9th show ok on the next step towards booking. Of course we know that sometimes there is "phantom" availability shown. And many/most of the flights shown are actually AS operated flights. Actually, looks like they are all AS operated flights.

That’s the problem - it’s either phantom or AS. Can’t find AA. Expert flyer also shows no availability.

 

[NM]

That’s the problem - it’s either phantom or AS. Can’t find AA. Expert flyer also shows no availability.

I guess AS is fine for some situations, but not going to work for a OneWorld Award.

Like with the QF award availability issues, we don't know if this is AA not making their award seats available to partners, or partners choosing not to make them available to their FF members. Chicken or Egg.

 

[aus_flyer]

I guess AS is fine for some situations, but not going to work for a OneWorld Award.

Like with the QF award availability issues, we don't know if this is AA not making their award seats available to partners, or partners choosing not to make them available to their FF members. Chicken or Egg.

Wouldn’t the fact that Expert Flyer answer that? It’s AA not releasing availability.

Works for a Oneworld award, but not always suitable.

 

[levelnine]

My understanding is that AA has stopped releasing much availability that is at the rate bookable by partner airlines. They have switched to heavy usage of 'Internet special' awards (or something like that), which are bookable by their own members but not by partners.

I guess it is line with the general trend in oneworld of each airline favouring their own members (eg Qantas' apology release of seats were not available to other airlines, Qatar's restricted releases to non-avios airlines).

 

[aus_flyer]

My understanding is that AA has stopped releasing much availability that is at the rate bookable by partner airlines. They have switched to heavy usage of 'Internet special' awards (or something like that), which are bookable by their own members but not by partners.

I guess it is line with the general trend in oneworld of each airline favouring their own members (eg Qantas' apology release of seats were not available to other airlines, Qatar's restricted releases to non-avios airlines).

Yep. Not a good trend.

 

[NM]

My understanding is that AA has stopped releasing much availability that is at the rate bookable by partner airlines. They have switched to heavy usage of 'Internet special' awards (or something like that), which are bookable by their own members but not by partners.

I guess it is line with the general trend in oneworld of each airline favouring their own members (eg Qantas' apology release of seats were not available to other airlines, Qatar's restricted releases to non-avios airlines).

Could be related to AAdvantage moving to a miles cost model that is based on lowest paid fare, and hence the variation in miles cost for awards. So its like all seats being available for AAdvantage awards, just that the cost might be high when fares are high. So the actual number of classic award seats is now very low, but reasonable AAdvantage awards are available to AAdvantage members. In the image I posted earlier, award seate range from 6K to 11.5K miles (lowest offered on each of the days).

Unfortunately, I can see this becoming a more and more popular method for award seat availability.

 

[Ecco]

Recieved that email from Marriott today saying the 5k transfer bonus for transferring 60k points will no longer apply to AA transfers as of 31 Oct. That is an alarming piece of news. AA were quite good in the past with their 5 day hold option on award bookings. I have got some good use out of AA booking HNL flights on Hawaiian this year. I’ve also noticed lately that there is very little partner award availability for the likes of EY on AA when there used to be a lot of that award space pre covid.

This move indicates to me that there are two prices airlines pay Marriott for those points, a price with the transfer bonus and one now, without transfer bonus. Either AA have cash flow problems or too many airmiles on their balance sheet as a liability. This was waiting to happen with the amount of AA air miles sales they did in the past. I wonder if this is the first of many such ‘devaluations’ and other airlines will follow. I certainly won’t be transferring any marriott points over to AA.

 

[NM]

Recieved that email from Marriott today saying the 5k transfer bonus for transferring 60k points will no longer apply to AA transfers as of 31 Oct. That is an alarming piece of news. AA were quite good in the past with their 5 day hold option on award bookings. I have got some good use out of AA booking HNL flights on Hawaiian this year. I’ve also noticed lately that there is very little partner award availability for the likes of EY on AA when there used to be a lot of that award space pre covid.

This move indicates to me that there are two prices airlines pay Marriott for those points, a price with the transfer bonus and one now, without transfer bonus. Either AA have cash flow problems or too many airmiles on their balance sheet as a liability. This was waiting to happen with the amount of AA air miles sales they did in the past. I wonder if this is the first of many such ‘devaluations’ and other airlines will follow. I certainly won’t be transferring any marriott points over to AA.

In that case 300K points being temporarily held in my Bonvoy account will be moving over to AAdvantage before 31 October.