AAdvantage award Devaluation - Bookings from Mar 22nd 2016

[diningdecadence]

Burn baby burn. 150k AA miles to go over the next few days.

is everyone booking via phone? website has apparently been buggy for some days, and i haven't had any luck the past 2.

 

[Kangol]

South Pacific to Asia 1 in J is the only good change, everything else is
Guam in SWP may also help

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Guam in SWP may also help

I can't think of a OW carrier except for JL that flies there? And routing via Asia 1 is unlikely to be allowed as a single award.

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

subscribed..going to need some help here soon

 

[Croupier]

I can't think of a OW carrier except for JL that flies there? And routing via Asia 1 is unlikely to be allowed as a single award.

You can go via Asia zone 2 to 1 on a single award, the pricing seems messed up as generally Asia zone 2 is closer to Australia?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You can go via Asia zone 2 to 1 on a single award, the pricing seems messed up as generally Asia zone 2 is closer to Australia?

Asia zone 1 is Japan (etc) and more expensive than Asia 2 - so going from Australia to Asia 1 via Asia 2 makes sense.

But I can't see how routing to GUM will be possible.

 

[Croupier]

Asia zone 1 is Japan (etc) and more expensive than Asia 2 - so going from Australia to Asia 1 via Asia 2 makes sense.

But I can't see how routing to GUM will be possible.

Yeah so going by their rationale by lowering Asia 1 by 5000 you would think they would have kept Asia Zone 2 at 35000

Hopefully we see CX offer F class to HKG at 45K miles it would be a steal, for now I'll use United miles to Asia for F redemption on Thai.

 

[Sheenaec7]

Hopefully they won't follow suit next year.

I'm considering to cancel a couple of award booking EU-AU with AS and book with AA!

What's AS please ?

 

[Croupier]

Alaska Airlines

 

[get me outta here]

Do I need to open a 'guest' account because it will not accept Australia in the country field?

Check on Etihad for guest availability then ring AA.

 

[sergeyvzn]

What's AS please ?

Alaska Airlines

It's a very good, flexible program that allows 2 stopovers on a return journey (one in each direction) and has a number of great partner airlines. But it's centred around North America (some trips you can't do out of Australia) and they are much more expensive to buy, the maximum discount is I think 40% or about that

 

[sergeyvzn]

Do I need to open a 'guest' account because it will not accept Australia in the country field?

you don't need a guest account and there is no need to choose the country - the search box prompts you into a list of airports.

You should use this link to search for Etihad seats (remember only Guest seats are available to AA)

Book flights with Etihad Guest Miles - Etihad Airways

 

[Sheenaec7]

Alaska Airlines

It's a very good, flexible program that allows 2 stopovers on a return journey (one in each direction) and has a number of great partner airlines. But it's centred around North America (some trips you can't do out of Australia) and they are much more expensive to buy, the maximum discount is I think 40% or about that

Thanks

Was just wondering if I need to be looking at adding another FF program now that the advantages of AAdvantage are less advantageous. Currently QFF, AA and Velocity and that might be enough for the flights I require (usually an annual J flight to Europe. Annual J to Bali. Bi annual J to Hawaii and the odd Asia flight).

 

[sergeyvzn]

Thanks

Was just wondering if I need to be looking at adding another FF program now that the advantages of AAdvantage are less advantageous. Currently QFF, AA and Velocity and that might be enough for the flights I require (usually an annual J flight to Europe. Annual J to Bali. Bi annual J to Hawaii and the odd Asia flight).

Lifemiles for J to Europe and Asia

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yeah so going by their rationale by lowering Asia 1 by 5000 you would think they would have kept Asia Zone 2 at 35000

I think from Australia Asia 1 was overpriced. East Coast to Tokyo is about the same flying time as Hong Kong, shanghai, and bangkok, but attracted a premium.

With the exception of perhaps Jakarta and Singapore, Asia 2 was probably underpriced. so bringing them to parity seems fair, and thankfully they met in the middle rather than the higher Asia 1 zone.

 

[get me outta here]

Thanks sergeyvzn.

you don't need a guest account and there is no need to choose the country - the search box prompts you into a list of airports.

You should use this link to search for Etihad seats (remember only Guest seats are available to AA)

Book flights with Etihad Guest Miles - Etihad Airways

 

[neon_crossing]

This is so dissapointing.
The days of USDM with Star Alliance now seem like a dream.

It wouldn't be that bad if these cough actually released some of their own bloody seats SYD<>LAX but I haven't see any availability yet.

The fact that since merging with AA and being unable to connect through asia AUS<>USA, and you cant book a QF until 331 days in advance (even if they are released 360 days out) and now that they have increased the return J trip to by 35k is the final straw. I will be actively be avoiding this airline at all costs.

Surely this is going to hurt their brand overall.

 

[drron]

This is so dissapointing.
The days of USDM with Star Alliance now seem like a dream.

It wouldn't be that bad if these cough actually released some of their own bloody seats SYD<>LAX but I haven't see any availability yet.

The fact that since merging with AA and being unable to connect through asia AUS<>USA, and you cant book a QF until 331 days in advance (even if they are released 360 days out) and now that they have increased the return J trip to by 30k is the final straw. I will be actively be avoiding this airline at all costs and dissuading everyone I know to do the same.

Surely this is going to hurt their brand overall.

Really.Their redemption rates to USA are still less than QFF with dramatically less taxes.
It has always been that you can only book awards at 330 days-no change to this.
You can book awards Aust-Asia-US but you just have to get 2 awards-still less miles and taxes than if you do the same award using QFF-they just call it one award but charge for each leg.Again this has not changed.

USDM was good as was Aadvantage.Aadvantage was actually enhanced 2 years ago when premium cabin awards on longhaul routes disappeared.Never thought that any premium cabin awards would appear on the SYD-LAX route.
But they had become much more generous than their competitors.Not surprising that this has happened.Sites such as AFF and FT by increasing awareness therefore demand do end up adding to this process.

My hope is that with this revision of award costs premium cabin awards may make a return.I doubt at previous levels but at least regularly appear.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Surely this is going to hurt their brand overall.

Not sure it would? If you are an AA member all this is really doing is bringing parity between AA and other U.S. based airlines. So not really brand damage there... except they might lose some folk back to other programs.

If if you are an Australian, buying miles, what's AA lost? Many are still tied to them because of Qantas and points/SC earn.

 

[bcs0228]

Anyone else noticed the phantom flights appearing on the AA advantage website? With the coming devaluation I thought I would jump in and book some first class flights from Brisbane to Dubai. The site is showing lots of availability for Sep/Oct 2016 for AASaver First.

Attempt to book any of those flights and you get a message saying the flights are no longer available and to try again.