Multi-city award bookings

[fourohfive]

Hi all.
I've been trying to book a multi-city frequent flyer itinerary on AA flights in the USA with no luck at all. Can book the segments individually (at a higher cost of FF points) and I even called Qantas to see if they had any options - of which there were none. Worst part is I can select all the seats (they show up as available), but then after all my personal details are entered i then get the error.

What i really want to know from people ... has anyone actually managed to book a multicity award in the USA successfully? If no one has had success, I will definitely throw the towel in and just give up my extra points.

I have tried many many combinations and the common factor of it not working is that it's multicity. FYI just trying to book LAX - JFK/LGA. Nothing too complex... yet it's proving to be way too hard for the QF system.

 

[kelvedon]

Am I reading it right, your just trying to book LAX to New York? If so, why would you be using the multi city page ?

 

[offshore171]

Isn’t that a simple point to point flight rather than multicity?

 

[Lynda2475]

Your not trying to book a seat on QF11 or QF12 (LAX/JFK segment) without also booking a flight from SYD/MEL/BNE to LAX are you? The domestic leg of those flight is supposed to be in conjunction with international leg.

I've booked SYD-JFK + JFK-SFO + SFO-SYD as multi-city reward before without issue, but that was 2 QF flights and only one AA (JFK-SFO). I've never tried to just book US domestic flights as an award on their own without a international leg.

Its quite annoying that a lot of AA flights cant be booked through Qantas as part of the same PNR, then i usually book direct with AA or look to see if delta or southwest can offer a better deal for the legs Ic ant get through Qantas.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all.
I've been trying to book a multi-city frequent flyer itinerary on AA flights in the USA with no luck at all. Can book the segments individually (at a higher cost of FF points) and I even called Qantas to see if they had any options - of which there were none. Worst part is I can select all the seats (they show up as available), but then after all my personal details are entered i then get the error.

What i really want to know from people ... has anyone actually managed to book a multicity award in the USA successfully? If no one has had success, I will definitely throw the towel in and just give up my extra points.

I have tried many many combinations and the common factor of it not working is that it's multicity. FYI just trying to book LAX - JFK/LGA. Nothing too complex... yet it's proving to be way too hard for the QF system.

There was a while earlier this year when the QF engine wasn't showing AA flights correctly... availability was confirmed through AA but nothing on QF for the multi-leg (they showed individually). I called QF and they booked it for me, waiving the assistance fee. There seems to have been some change that the call centre can't now book it?

 

[fourohfive]

No, not booking any international sectors. I have a separate booking already from Aus to LAX.
And yes - if there was availability doing a simple one way then I would get it, but there's no availability doing it that way for some weird reason. Instead, what I worked out is that I can put in a multicity , say LAX-DFW-LGA and it all comes up as available. Same with LAX-CLT-JFK and quite a few others.
All available. Just not LAX-NYC as its own booking. Really frustrating.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

No, not booking any international sectors. I have a separate booking already from Aus to LAX.
And yes - if there was availability doing a simple one way then I would get it, but there's no availability doing it that way for some weird reason. Instead, what I worked out is that I can put in a multicity , say LAX-DFW-LGA and it all comes up as available. Same with LAX-CLT-JFK and quite a few others.
All available. Just not LAX-NYC as its own booking. Really frustrating.

So the call centre can see the availability on both flights, but won't book it for you?

 

[fourohfive]

They claimed the availability is wrongly there, showing up as 6 seats available but can't confirm them for me.... - the cross-code availability is an issue I've come across previously when trying to book codeshares on EK.
At that point I hadn't looked at booking them as individual one ways yet. Haven't called them back yet... Will do later tonight I think.
Going through ORD is 18000+12000 two one ways vs 22500 for multicity.
Would obviously rather only spend the 22500... Do you think the call centre will let me have the lower amount of points?

 

[jetpack]

Married segments? I googled AA married segments and it seems to be a thing.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They claimed the availability is wrongly there, showing up as 6 seats available but can't confirm them for me.... - the cross-code availability is an issue I've come across previously when trying to book codeshares on EK.
At that point I hadn't looked at booking them as individual one ways yet. Haven't called them back yet... Will do later tonight I think.
Going through ORD is 18000+12000 two one ways vs 22500 for multicity.
Would obviously rather only spend the 22500... Do you think the call centre will let me have the lower amount of points?

yes - the call centre will construct the ticket as per the FF rules - that is, total distance of the two sectors added together. Check with the AA booking site (you don't need a membership or anything - just select 'redeem miles' or whatever it is as part of the booking process. If they show up there you should be good to book them.)

With some rare exceptions you can't book code-shares for award seats. You'll always have to book under the flight number of the operating airline (not that it should make any difference to your itinerary through).

 

[fourohfive]

yes - the call centre will construct the ticket as per the FF rules - that is, total distance of the two sectors added together. Check with the AA booking site (you don't need a membership or anything - just select 'redeem miles' or whatever it is as part of the booking process. If they show up there you should be good to book them.)

With some rare exceptions you can't book code-shares for award seats. You'll always have to book under the flight number of the operating airline (not that it should make any difference to your itinerary through).

Thanks for your help with this. I got in touch with the call centre late last night and they were able to do it AND at the lower rate of points. Very happy with the outcome.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for your help with this. I got in touch with the call centre late last night and they were able to do it AND at the lower rate of points. Very happy with the outcome.

Well... happy in a way... but that doesn't excuse the underlying problem on the QF saite and the previous replies by call centre agents that there was no availability