AA Award I Need Shows for AS miles, but NOT AA

[knick1959]

Couldn't find a better-fitting place for this question ...

I am looking for a flight back from Italy next year, and I'm looking right on the cusp of these becoming available. AA's site does NOT show the date I want yet (it's on the calendar but no award flights ... these seem to pop in 2 weeks after the date lists).

I have plenty of miles for these whether it's AA, BA or AS miles. The negative with AS miles is that I'd have to buy 2 separate tickets, one on my wife's account and one on mine.

Alaska shows 2 perfect tickets ... my best option/choice, available today on the AA flights I want.

AA doesn't show these yet. Is it safe to pull the trigger using AS miles? Any downside to doing this rather than waiting a short while to see if they become available directly from AA? Might they be ghost listings on AS?

Thanks in advance. I'm tempted to just go for it still today, but I wanted to get some advice if there is any out there.

 

[sriki]

It's weird that AS is showing availability on AA but AA.com itself is not. What is the flight number and date you are looking at?

On a related note, does you or your wife hold status with AA or AS or OW?

 

[knick1959]

It's weird that AS is showing availability on AA but AA.com itself is not. What is the flight number and date you are looking at?

On a related note, does you or your wife hold status with AA or AS or OW?

We have no known status anywhere ... unless the CCs give us something, but I'm sure it's only free bags and 10% rewards rebated on AA. Which I guess is certainly something to consider. Shouldn't Business class on AA using AS miles get us bags anyway? We'd lose the 10% rebate. But it's more important to get the flights. Otherwise we may be in Italy the rest of our lives (how terrible!).

I can look up the exact flights numbers again, but they are easy to find. Searching 4/21/2016 for FCO->CLE on AS using miles yields a nice list. The top one is leaving 11-something AM to ORD, the ORD->CLE. I think this flight starts to show up on the AA site for 4/7 (I've always been looking at Thursday's trying to find the pattern. Let me look 2 adults - oooh this is even listed as FC): See Alaska image.



There are 2 other flights after this that are increasingly less ideal ... well, one would work as a sub, the other just isn't attractive. All for the same price. An AA search for ONE traveler, business, shows the day calendar but NO FLIGHTS. If you go back a couple of days, BA flights start to show. A little further back and the above flight (different day!) shows up.

Actually, at this time the AA calendar is showing me NOTHING for any days in April. I didn't do an exhaustive search, but previously 4/14 and 4/7 gave me various results but show nothing now. So, I have no AA screen shot worth sharing at this time.

Is this just an AA web page issue? BA will not shows these flights either (or wasn't ... I'm off to check again).

 

[sriki]

I just looked up on AA.com and the flights show up on Anytime but not on Saver. The ORD-CLE is a two class flight(econ/Biz). That flight is available at Biz saver but not econ saver. The FCO-ORD is available in econ saver but not in biz/first saver but available in anytime. Based on this I'm not sure if AS is showing you ghost space or AA.com is having an issue.

I would be very tempted to buy the tickets on AS since AA is not showing up the FCO-ORD in first at saver level. If it turns out to be phantom space, at least you might have enough time to look at alternatives.

 

[knick1959]

I'm going to research the rules and cost of canceling AS awards, in case they stick but get screwed up ... but they I think I'll pull the trigger. I'd be canceling 2 different award tickets, tho, so this might be a factor once I read up.

I've used AAntytime "awards" before, but they aren't cheap. And in this case, I think we're still short on miles for that. I'm not giving up on Saver awards for awhile ... I'll find something. I'm watching United flights, too, but would have to materialize a few more miles for those (We're getting there on United miles, which used a big chunk of my bank). The calendar is still behind there, too.

 

[Matt]

I'm going to research the rules and cost of canceling AS awards, in case they stick but get screwed up ... but they I think I'll pull the trigger

Personally, I'd pull the trigger. Take screenshots of the AS booking. If they later screw up you have a strong case for getting them to open the space, or waive any fees. You being on the hook for anything would seem very unlikely and unfair to me. Just my 2 cents, and <insert disclaimer of liability here>

 

[smittytabb]

I'm going to research the rules and cost of canceling AS awards, in case they stick but get screwed up ... but they I think I'll pull the trigger. I'd be canceling 2 different award tickets, tho, so this might be a factor once I read up.

Inventory changes but all the more reason I too would pull the trigger. Availability varies by carrier. A seat isn't a seat on all allied carrier's programs. It is the seat available through that program. I say grab them while you can. If I find something and it is what I need, I get nervous if I don't book it pretty darn soon after I see it. And not to be ignored is the possibility that it could cost more in miles and/or surcharges later too.

 

[knick1959]

Thanks guys. Now I see what @sriki was saying about the apparent mixed cabin. Quite a bit deceiving! However, I was very careful during booking.

I was able to acquire ONE ticket via AS miles in Business from FCO to ORD and then, oddly, in First from ORD to CLE. That one went in MY name. Trying to book for my wife using her account and the same flight would only yield a coach for the international flight (although it listed in the FIRST column). She's NOT going to be ok with that .

I'll hold my one ticket and see what develops in the next couple of days. If I have to, I can blow AAnytime miles on her flight. IF I have to, but we're a long way from that right now.

 

[sriki]

Thanks guys. Now I see what @sriki was saying about the apparent mixed cabin. Quite a bit deceiving! However, I was very careful during booking.

I was able to acquire ONE ticket via AS miles in Business from FCO to ORD and then, oddly, in First from ORD to CLE. That one went in MY name. Trying to book for my wife using her account and the same flight would only yield a coach for the international flight (although it listed in the FIRST column). She's NOT going to be ok with that .

I'll hold my one ticket and see what develops in the next couple of days. If I have to, I can blow AAnytime miles on her flight. IF I have to, but we're a long way from that right now.

I was able to once successfully request to complete a party with AA when trying to book two tickets but only one was available at saver level (did not check anytime but checked to see if revenue tickets were available and they were). This is a hit or miss and I am not sure if we are at that point with your trip yet.

 

[TheBOSman]

Thanks guys. Now I see what @sriki was saying about the apparent mixed cabin. Quite a bit deceiving! However, I was very careful during booking.

I hate to sound like a typical arrogant FTer here, so please be assured it isn't my intent.

But, in your picture, Alaska is clearly showing that the availability is in a Mixed cabin, it is definitely not deceiving IMO. Move your mouse over the two different colored seat icon immediately below the $77, and it will say "Mixed cabin itinerary". Then, if you click on the award as if you were selecting it to begin booking, the following shows as a pop up:

Continue with Mixed Cabin?
This itinerary is not entirely in First Class.

• 
  
  111
  FCO
  to
  ORD
  Coach
  
  
• 
  
  4323
  ORD
  to
  CLE
  First

It warns you that one leg is in Coach and one is in First. Alaska charges the First price if any leg is in First class (this is common across programs). The reason AA doesn't show this is that it is programmed to display a Business or First award only if one leg between continents is available in that class. Effectively, the person who was told to program the AA award search was told to set it up this way, so as not to charge someone a Business or First class price if the premium class is not available on the longest leg, as 95-99% of people would not want to pay First or Business class prices when only a lesser portion of the overall itinerary is in the premium class. BA is similar to AA (has a few other vagaries somewhat related to booking class, but not related to this particular discussion). Whoever told the AS programmers how to program the Mileage Plan award search decided to show the award at the higher price to allow you to book the shorter leg in First class, but force you to acknowledge that the booking classes change along the way for whatever reason, so you wouldn't get mad at them for paying a First class price for a mostly Coach itinerary.

In short, no ghost space, no inventory issues, everything working as intended. Simply two different intents between the AA booking engine and the AS booking engine . OP, good move to hold the one ticket that existed in the premium class the entire way, but you're pretty much waiting on AA now and hoping Revenue Management releases another business award seat on the FCO-ORD.

Also @sriki completing trip won't work for bookings on AA flights, unless booking fully through AA and using AA miles (and of course isn't guaranteed to work even in that situation). AS could always ask AA, but the folks in Fort Worth will probably tell the folks in Seattle "thanks, but no thanks."

 

[knick1959]

I hate to sound like a typical arrogant FTer here, so please be assured it isn't my intent.

Well, it all makes sense in hind-sight. What I always do it search for single seats and if I find a hit, then search for a pair. In this case, I KNEW the single seat was ok, but didn't look close enough when putting in for two. The switch of the column from Business to First should have been a clue, but I missed it. And, as you've said, I'm used to United and AA listing these "the right way".

What I have learned is to always examine the pair search as closely as I have the single search.

One down, one to go. I'll start scheming for alternatives, but won't be too hasty for the next week or 2.

 

[TheBOSman]

What I have learned is to always examine the pair search as closely as I have the single search.

Yeah, AS setup is good if you absolutely NEED to go and don't mind the price/cabin, whereas AA/UA/et al are better if you're more flexible and want the experience, or don't want to overpay. It's a management decision .

 

[Mountain Trader]

Au contraire-great detailed info, directly on point, with no topspin.

Like Flyer Talk? Sure, FT in 2005.

 

[MickiSue]

Book her ticket, anyway. Then, start calling the Partner Award line, at 7 AM CST, about a month before the flight, asking for upgrade openings on the international leg.

They will charge you, I think, $50, to change the seat, when one opens. And one almost certainly will. I booked a round trip on DL, using AS miles, 2 years ago. Had Biz all the way there, coach on the international leg, then Biz/first the rest. I got very friendly with the PA CSRs. They open at 5 AM PST, and I would call at 7:05, CST, as they were still on their first cup of coffee.

When a seat opened, one of them spent a chunk of the morning trying to get it to stick for me. Then called me back, once the seat was booked. DH wasn't on the outbound with me, but was on the return. He was booked both ways in coach on DL, with sky pesos. We got him upgraded, seats together, everybody happy. The cost of the upgrades was less than the refund for the premium coach seats we'd booked just in case the biz didn't work.

 

[R.R.]

Availability varies by carrier. A seat isn't a seat on all allied carrier's programs. It is the seat available through that program.

Thank you for this thread. I found it while searching for an answer to my question about the differences in awards showing up for flights on the AS and AA award systems.

Specifically, I'm exploring SEA-MCO, round-trip Feb 5-9, 2016, non-stop. I see options on AS's search page, but would rather use my more plentiful AA miles. However, AA's page only shows 1-stop award flights, no non-stops (though the non-stops *are* visible when non-award, fare flights are searched). At first, I thought I might just have to call AA to book the non-stop award, if it's not showing online -- but now it seems that this award may only be bookable via AS.

 

[smittytabb]

Thank you for this thread. I found it while searching for an answer to my question about the differences in awards showing up for flights on the AS and AA award systems.

Specifically, I'm exploring SEA-MCO, round-trip Feb 5-9, 2016, non-stop. I see options on AS's search page, but would rather use my more plentiful AA miles. However, AA's page only shows 1-stop award flights, no non-stops (though the non-stops *are* visible when non-award, fare flights are searched). At first, I thought I might just have to call AA to book the non-stop award, if it's not showing online -- but now it seems that this award may only be bookable via AS.

My experience is that there are things the agents can find that we cannot. I often have an itinerary I have found and held on AA. Then I call and have them tweak it. Sometimes they come up with something so much better for me that I am amazed. I am EXP and I know that can make a difference, but I am convinced it is always worth a call if you get a good agent. Some are more helpful and better at this than others. You might have to pay a telephone fee, but I would argue if they change it that you couldn't have done it online and see if they are willing to waive that.

 

[R.R.]

My experience is that there are things the agents can find that we cannot.

Great -- thanks. It sounds like a call will be worth it after all.

 

[smittytabb]

Great -- thanks. It sounds like a call will be worth it after all.

Sometimes the agents on the weekend are not as good, so if you don't get anything, call back during the week. Some of them are incredible!

 

[R.R.]

Sometimes the agents on the weekend are not as good, so if you don't get anything, call back during the week. Some of them are incredible!

More good advice! I may need all the help I can get, and this isn't something I'd considered. Thanks!