AA Award booking on Etihad - agent can't see available seats?

[LuisT]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone else is having similar problems. Trying to book an award flight on Etihad AUH-FRA, but AA claim they can't see any availability?

I can see the seats on the EY guest search, as well as through VA so I'm pretty sure they are available. Tried to HUACA but both times they couldn't see anything.

Anyone have similar experience or any recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[RooFlyer]

When I was trying to book an EY Apartment, the AAgent couldn't see the seats on a particular day that my EY Guest account revealed. They told me (as did the next agent I spoke to) that EY doesn't make all its Guest seats available to AA (which I think is reasonable - some things must be reserved for your own FFers). I think someone reported here being told that AA could book any Guest seat but my and your experience suggests otherwise.

 

[levilib]

IME (at least a dozen instances in the last few months) The US desk rarely find EY seats that show up on EY's website (I use KVS to search) but the Fiji based desk (routed from the AU number and most other intl numbers for AA) usually does.

 

[LuisT]

Thanks. Will try another desk to see if that works.

Since the seats can be booked on VA, I'm pretty sure they're available, so just a matter of finding an agent who can find them!

 

[levilib]

Thanks. Will try another desk to see if that works.

Since the seats can be booked on VA, I'm pretty sure they're available, so just a matter of finding an agent who can find them!

Sometimes there's a married segment issue, (only available together with another flight or vice versa)

 

[LuisT]

Is that likely to occur when a single flight turns up on EY Guest site? Just trying to book AUH-FRA as a direct flight, so not seeing any connections on any of the sites...

 

[levilib]

Is that likely to occur when a single flight turns up on EY Guest site? Just trying to book AUH-FRA as a direct flight, so not seeing any connections on any of the sites...

no, unlikely

 

[Danger]

There are an abundance of reports on FlyerTalk of AA's US agents not being able to see EY availability (even when the EY website shows it) but AA's Australian agents both being able to see them and book them.

 

[levilib]

IME when an Australian agent issues a ticket with a US based aadavantage account, problems arise about form of payment in point of sale, therefore I recommend having Australian agent hold seats, then call us desk to issue ticket

 

[Mattg]

If you haven't already been doing so, try calling AA in the morning (Australian time) as I believe you'll have a higher chance of speaking to someone in Fiji that way.

 

[levilib]

The AU number (and HK and Israeli, plus many more) all connect to Fiji all the time, at least IME

 

[LuisT]

As levilib and others mentioned, calling the Au number worked.

Got my two seats reserved but still no confirmation email (though I do have the AA/EY confirmation numbers).

 

[levilib]

they dont usually email when you have seats on hold, only really once the ticket is issued, but if the PNRs pull up on AA & EY's website, (EY can be pulled up on virtuallythere.com) then you're good.
One thing to bare in mind is that when they told you the time limit, it is likely in Australian Eastern time, so that's earlier than most places in the world.

 

[LuisT]

Thanks. I had asked them to ticket them (they took CC details and everything) however still yet to receive a confirmation, and AA status says "On Request". If it doesn't by the end of the day I'll call back and see what's going on...

 

[levilib]

exactly as I expected, that's what happens quite often, they may eventually get it ticketed, but you may have to call back

 

[hummel]

FYI, I just cancelled 2 x J seats BNE-AUH for Christmas day so they should be back in the pool soon...

I replaced them with MEL-LHR QF F...

 

[knasty]

I got a callback today to confirm date of birth before ticketing. Paid the taxes Tuesday morning. Each of my EY redemptions has taken 3-4 days to ticket.

 

[maz1]

i had a similar thing today- trying to book an Emeriates seat which I can clearly see on the Qantas FF website- but American Advantage unable to book it.
what do i do?

 

[Danger]

FYI, I just cancelled 2 x J seats BNE-AUH for Christmas day so they should be back in the pool soon...

I replaced them with MEL-LHR QF F...

Out of curiosity, how did you come by the F seats? They didn't become available by themselves by any chance? I'm hoping for this later in the year.

 

[LuisT]

I just called and was told it was "in the queue" for ticketing and shouldn't be long. Will call again tomorrow if still haven't got a ticket...