ETIHAD - AA Partner

[Spizz]

Can't wait to try the First Apartment on the A380-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUmZfifHzBI

 

[legroom]

Can't wait to try the First Apartment on the A380-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUmZfifHzBI

Is that available for AA redemption? I thought not but would stand corrected with some truth.

Apologies: I was thinking of The Residence

Apartment is available for redemption.

It looks like a real double bed unlike the 10cm gap on SQ.

 

[Spizz]

Is that available for AA redemption? I thought not but would stand corrected with some truth.

It looks like a real double bed unlike the 10cm gap on SQ.

The Apartment is available for redemption as has been mentioned in this thread. The Residence it not.

 

[Pushka]

So I'm checking each day making sure the window hasn't opened up for booking on Etihad. J class guest always seems available (phew) but have never seen First guest: AUH -Syd at least in December.

Still can't purchase miles until Thursday. New account and all that.

 

[Spizz]

So I'm checking each day making sure the window hasn't opened up for booking on Etihad. J class guest always seems available (phew) but have never seen First guest: AUH -Syd at least in December.

I have found 3 days with availability in F in December with Etihad for you, but not on the A380. The last day with space on the A380 from AUH-SYD is 19th November.

 

[boomy]

Looking to book my return LHR-SYD on EY in Dec, best I could find so far was LHR-AUH A380 J and AUH-SYD B777 F.
The other option is QF F all the way.
Decisions, decisions...

 

[Pushka]

So you can also book Emirates? Is that direct through EK website or via QF availability? Given later release of EK flights and thus lining up with the AA window there's more chance of snagging EK rather than QF I guess.
Decisions decisions.

(My flight isn't needed until January 2016 I don't think F will be available though. Happy with J for just over $2000 for two. Already sorted out July Europe trip using QF points and SQ redemption through Westpac points. It's such a game.

I've never purchased points in advance like I will be doing with this programme though.

 

[knasty]

Looking to book my return LHR-SYD on EY in Dec, best I could find so far was LHR-AUH A380 J and AUH-SYD B777 F.
The other option is QF F all the way.
Decisions, decisions...

You can always book the QF F and then swap for EY if/when availability comes up later.

 

[boomy]

You can always book the QF F and then swap for EY if/when availability comes up later.

That's what I am going to do. Will reserve a seat on QF F but probably using QFFP in case EK F availability opens up later on. Probably better chance to get F all the way on EK then on EY at this stage.
Another option is LHR-DOH QR F on A380 then DOH-AUH QR J on A320 then AUH-SYD EY F in B777 just to try one more airline in F

 

[Aussie_flyer]

So you can also book Emirates? Is that direct through EK website or via QF availability? Given later release of EK flights and thus lining up with the AA window there's more chance of snagging EK rather than QF I guess.
Decisions decisions.

(My flight isn't needed until January 2016 I don't think F will be available though. Happy with J for just over $2000 for two. Already sorted out July Europe trip using QF points and SQ redemption through Westpac points. It's such a game.

I've never purchased points in advance like I will be doing with this programme though.

No you cant book with Emirates, what gave you that idea?

 

[Pushka]

No you cant book with Emirates, what gave you that idea?

Not direct as an EK search, but I wondered as when searching through the Qantas website and EK flights are offered as code share, then these might also come up when searching for Qantas on the AA site.

 

[Kangol]

With USDM you can't mix non-OW partner awards with OW awards. So maybe you're thinking of that.

Ah yes, that was it. Thanks.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not direct as an EK search, but I wondered as when searching through the Qantas website and EK flights are offered as code share, then these might also come up when searching for Qantas on the AA site.

code share flights are almost always excluded from FF redemptions (booking under the code-share that is). There might be one or two exceptions here and there... I'm not 100% sure but the QF flight to ICN might be one?

 

[RooFlyer]

One. Happy. Camper. MEL-AUH-MEL in F in October for 120k AAmiles (which recently cost me a bit over A$3,000) and A$125 tax; phone fee waived. Actually, I have it on hold for 5 days and can also change dates and even make the return to SYD if that becomes available, at anytime later, for no charge.

I had to arrive on a Sunday and depart 10 days later, with a choice of two departure dates. A380 back to SYD was not available on the days I needed it and I have to take the MEL flight over. So its B777 both ways. I'll just grin and bear it, I suppose; like this: :mrgreen:

BTW the Etihad site DID show SYD availability on both my possible return dates, but AAgent said that they could only see Etihad Award availability allocated to OneWorld, not all availability. Anyone reckon that's not right? I guess she would have given it to me if it came up on her screen.

 

[ketsuzei]

AAgent said that they could only see Etihad Award availability allocated to OneWorld, not all availability. Anyone reckon that's not right?

Yep. They often have troubles with EY bookings. So it might very well be worth trying a few more times.

But whatever you end up with won't suck in the least.

 

[RooFlyer]

Yes, decided to try again. Oh, dear, a very slow call; although I was trying to amend an existing Award booking, she kept "finding" revenue seats for me ( :shock: horrors!). When I finally got her out of that, she re-checked and still couldn't find any A380 availability on the choice of 6 days in October I asked for (OK, so I relented on the dates). Plenty of MEL availability, and some SYD on the B777, but nothing on the A380.

Like you say, it'll be tolerable.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

... and can also change dates and even make the return to SYD if that becomes available, at anytime later, for no charge.

I believe changes to the origin or destination will incur a change fee. Change to routing (provided origin and destination stay the same), or dates, are free of charge.

 

[RooFlyer]

I believe changes to the origin or destination will incur a change fee. Change to routing (provided origin and destination stay the same), or dates, are free of charge.

She did say there wouldn't be any fee to exchange SYD for MEL (I asked specifically as I hoped to do that) - but it might be because they regard SYD and MEL as more-or-less the same. Or she may have been wrong

 

[boomy]

She did say there wouldn't be any fee to exchange SYD for MEL (I asked specifically as I hoped to do that) - but it might be because they regard SYD and MEL as more-or-less the same. Or she may have been wrong

Fee or not fee, who cares?! If you find availability in the apartments to SYD, take it!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

She did say there wouldn't be any fee to exchange SYD for MEL (I asked specifically as I hoped to do that) - but it might be because they regard SYD and MEL as more-or-less the same. Or she may have been wrong

Prior to the ticket being issued you can make changes free of charge... maybe the agent was referring to that?

The rules are well established and very generous... you can entirely change the flight routing between origin and destination (eg SYD-SIN-LHR to SYD-HKG-NRT-LHR), but origin and destination need to stay the same.

I suppose one way around that would be to 'complete' the circle... so if you find A380 seats to SYD, just tag on a flight to MEL... which you don't then need to take (provided of course that still fits within the EY published fare rules)