Booking AA Awards Across 2 AA Accounts

[yohy?!]

Hi, have been researching this for awhile and wanted to get thoughts from you AAgurus out there:

Situation is that I want to book HKG-SYD-HKG in J for me and SYD-HKG-SYD in J for mum using the Buy Miles promo (I will be going to SYD seperately first then flying back together on the SYD-HKG sector and she will fly home alone on the HKG-SYD sector).

I have found CX availability and going to place bookings on hold today, just wondering what the chances are of the things going awry when I go to ticket the bookings after purchasing the miles, so my questions are:

• Would I be able to place a booking on hold for my mum's AA account firstly?
• Would I then be able to ticket the booking and pay with my own CC?

I have a feeling it may fall over if they bring any kind of privacy concerns into it but appreciate your input

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hi, have been researching this for awhile and wanted to get thoughts from you AAgurus out there:

Situation is that I want to book HKG-SYD-HKG in J for me and SYD-HKG-SYD in J for mum using the Buy Miles promo (I will be going to SYD seperately first then flying back together on the SYD-HKG sector and she will fly home alone on the HKG-SYD sector).

I have found CX availability and going to place bookings on hold today, just wondering what the chances are of the things going awry when I go to ticket the bookings after purchasing the miles, so my questions are:

• Would I be able to place a booking on hold for my mum's AA account firstly?
• Would I then be able to ticket the booking and pay with my own CC?

I have a feeling it may fall over if they bring any kind of privacy concerns into it but appreciate your input

Enthusiatic amateur but my 2 cents:
As these will all be one way awards,
if you have enough miles in each account you should be able to book 2 x SYD-HKG for you both from one account ( mums would be best). Pay the taxes on your CC as you are a traveller. Then separate bookings HKG-SYD on the dates you each want to travel. Both of these awards can come from the other account and again you should be able to pay the taxes on your card. It would be better if the miles for the separate award for your mother HKG-SYD came from your account.

 

[yohy?!]

Enthusiatic amateur but my 2 cents:
As these will all be one way awards,
if you have enough miles in each account you should be able to book 2 x SYD-HKG for you both from one account ( mums would be best). Pay the taxes on your CC as you are a traveller. Then separate bookings HKG-SYD on the dates you each want to travel. Both of these awards can come from the other account and again you should be able to pay the taxes on your card. It would be better if the miles for the separate award for your mother HKG-SYD came from your account.

Thanks, so far so good

-I have 3 PNRs for bookings on hold till 1 March: 1 x HKG-SYD for Me, 2 X SYD-HKG for both of us and 1 x HKG-SYD for mum
-Have purchased the miles (apparently they take 3 days to appear? hopefully quicker)
-Once credited will call back to ticket (fingers crossed no additional fees through the HK office - no mention so far...)

 

[blueflamenco]

• Would I then be able to ticket the booking and pay with my own CC?

In my experience booking with AA (online from US) you do need to be using a credit card in the account holders name, regardless of the name on the ticket etc. If the account is in your Mum's name, she would need to use her card.

 

[Princess Fiona]

In my experience booking with AA (online from US) you do need to be using a credit card in the account holders name, regardless of the name on the ticket etc. If the account is in your Mum's name, she would need to use her card.

I have booked awards online and by phone with my CC where I am not a traveller on the itinerary ( as recently as this week). The passengers have the same surname.

EDITED: The miles were not redeemed from my AA account

 

[blueflamenco]

^^

Oh, sorry for the confusion.. I just meant in my experience the credit card name must match account holders name. I have no problems booking awards from my boyfriends account, but he has to pay the taxes too!

 

[yohy?!]

update - the miles and the bonus have credited to both accounts in 24 hours going to try and ticket all 3 bookings tomorrow

 

[yohy?!]

called back and was able to ticket all 3 bookings with my HK Amex (no admin fees). HKG-SYD return for $184AUD in taxes

a bit of a nail biting moment when the agent looked at my account and said "oh your miles have expired in december!" - which in fact was only related to 100miles that had previously expired but she could only see the expiry date!

 

[scheps]

did you tell her that cant be coz you just bought a shed load?

just wondering how did you check availability to ensure it is available as an award booking vs just an empty seat?

Did you call the us booking office for this one? or ... ?? HK office?

 

[yohy?!]

did you tell her that cant be coz you just bought a shed load?

just wondering how did you check availability to ensure it is available as an award booking vs just an empty seat?

Did you call the us booking office for this one? or ... ?? HK office?

nah I let her call the US to find out that I'd just bought them all 2 days before - was afraid to say too much in case I jinxed it

used qantas.com to search for classic award availability as a starting point - booked a mixture of QF and CX flights

using expertflyer to set alerts for better flights to open up (1 of the sectors ex-SYD had to connect through BNE on a 330 so hoping to get that moved to the 380 direct service if it opens up).

 

[yohy?!]

so my bookings are "ticketed" 8 days ago but still no charge on the amex for the taxes - does it normally take this long?

 

[Princess Fiona]

so my bookings are "ticketed" 8 days ago but still no charge on the amex for the taxes - does it normally take this long?

No call up ASAP, unless you have received an email itinerary with e-ticket numbers it is not booked.

 

[yohy?!]

No call up ASAP, unless you have received an email itinerary with e-ticket numbers it is not booked.

Did get email receipt but no e tickets yet well call then tomorrow

 

[yohy?!]

Did get email receipt but no e tickets yet well call then tomorrow

seems like i got it already but didn't realise - they send a very simplified form of an eticket and you have to go download a receipt yourself from aa.com

all good - managed to rebook the syd-bne-hkg leg to syd-hkg direct on CX so very happy