Semi-daft Q's about booking AAdvantage reward flights

[CWM]

Hello, I tried to book an AU-US return trip via the aa.com website using points and soon figured out the only option is to phone them - at least that is what it tells me each time no matter what dates or routes I select. Reading through this forum I've gained a few tips (thanks folks) but also some of them go back a while so may not still be current.

What is the optimum way to book currently - call the US office or the AU office? Is one office more flexible than the other in terms of reward seat availability or same-same? Am I right believing that I have to pay $60 per person to the AU office for booking here (trip is for 5 including infant)? Are there instances where this fee if waived or do I have to live with it? The intended trip is quite soon so I'm not sure if there are available reward seats yet.

 

[dfcatch]

Hello, I tried to book an AU-US return trip via the aa.com website using points and soon figured out the only option is to phone them - at least that is what it tells me each time no matter what dates or routes I select. Reading through this forum I've gained a few tips (thanks folks) but also some of them go back a while so may not still be current.

What is the optimum way to book currently - call the US office or the AU office? Is one office more flexible than the other in terms of reward seat availability or same-same? Am I right believing that I have to pay $60 per person to the AU office for booking here (trip is for 5 including infant)? Are there instances where this fee if waived or do I have to live with it? The intended trip is quite soon so I'm not sure if there are available reward seats yet.

The fee is only waived if you are AA EXP booking from your own account. Be aware that there are additional fes for booking close to departure date (less than 21 days I believe).

Both the US and Aus offices can see the same inventory although IME the US office is MUCH better. There are some individuals in the Aus office who I always seem to get that keep making simple mistakes on booking.

The Aus office will charge $60 AUD as a booking fee. The US office will charge $25 US as the booking fee.

If you use Skype you can call the US 1800 number for free

 

[MelUser]

Hi - a good way to test availability of AA flights is to use your qantas account and make dummy bookings.

Otherwise I use expert flyer (which requires a paid subscription but which I think is worth its weight in gold) and look for T class (economy) or Z (first).

When you ring the BNE number is goes through to FIJI and whilst they are friendly I have not found them particularly knowledgeable - it is an outsourced call centre where they have to ring AA proper. Accordingly best time to ring is early as you can on Tues-Fri so that their help desk is open.

Infants don't need to be booked for USA domestic travel if they are travelling as lap infant - they add the infant at the airport.

As far as getting service fees waived you can try this but I suspect it is a KPI of the Fiji call centre to make as much money as possible and that sort of KPI doesn't work well with not charging you.

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

 

[drron]

Well I am just off the phone after booking Aawards for us to NZ at the end of the year.For 2 of us BNE-AKL-SYD the taxes +telephone fee was $A380.To book through QFF the taxes etc were $A378.Plus I rang at 0940 and transaction completed at 0958.this was the BNE number but through the Phillipines.
I booked through my AA account and cost 70,000 points.Tried on mrs.dr.ron's WP account on line and could not get J classic awards to AKL for 2 except using an 0615 flight out of SYD.The Jasa's would have cost 256000 points.

 

[Danger]

Well I am just off the phone after booking Aawards for us to NZ at the end of the year.For 2 of us BNE-AKL-SYD the taxes +telephone fee was $A380.To book through QFF the taxes etc were $A378.Plus I rang at 0940 and transaction completed at 0958.this was the BNE number but through the Phillipines.
I booked through my AA account and cost 70,000 points.Tried on mrs.dr.ron's WP account on line and could not get J classic awards to AKL for 2 except using an 0615 flight out of SYD.The Jasa's would have cost 256000 points.

drron, I have an AAdvantage account but I'm very sparse on knowledge of how to use the points. For your 70k AAdvantage points, how many of you were there travelling? What's the story behind you being able to find J award availability using AA points on QF, but not your wife's QF WP account?

 

[drron]

drron, I have an AAdvantage account but I'm very sparse on knowledge of how to use the points. For your 70k AAdvantage points, how many of you were there travelling? What's the story behind you being able to find J award availability using AA points on QF, but not your wife's QF WP account?

The points were for 2 of us BNE-AKL-SYD in J.It is not the first time AA have found J Aawards on QF for me when mrs.dr.ron cant get it as WP.Though we could do a JASA but not a classic award this time.Why?Dont really know.

 

[dfcatch]

The points were for 2 of us BNE-AKL-SYD in J.It is not the first time AA have found J Aawards on QF for me when mrs.dr.ron cant get it as WP.Though we could do a JASA but not a classic award this time.Why?Dont really know.

That's really interesting that AA could see them but QF not...

Did you check EF? or just through QF?

 

[drron]

That's really interesting that AA could see them but QF not...

Did you check EF? or just through QF?

Just the QF website.

 

[dfcatch]

Just the QF website.

hmm - i might call AA with regard to some bookings that i've been watching....I've just assumed that EF is accurate - but will call and find out

 

[NM]

I always call the USA number. The telephone booking fee is less when charged in US$ than in A$, especially since the A$ is worth more than a US$ and the Aussie fee has not changed to reflect the exchange rate change. I have generally found the USA Exec Plat and Plat service desks to be very helpful when making award bookings. The only "trick" is to remind them to enter my Post Code with a leading zero to make it 5 digits to fit their billing system field when they enter the credit card details and need to enter the credit card billing address for verification. Without the leading zero their system fails to accept the credit card billing details.

 

[dk4]

...I have an AAdvantage account but I'm very sparse on knowledge of how to use the points.

Not just being pedantic, but it may help you when you are using AA.com or talking with an operator…

They are called "miles": the meaning of "point" at AAdvantage is more analogous to that of "status credits" at QFF.

 

[Danger]

Not just being pedantic, but it may help you when you are using AA.com or talking with an operator…

They are called "miles": the meaning of "point" at AAdvantage is more analogous to that of "status credits" at QFF.

No worries. Thanks. That's a good point (haha).

 

[CWM]

Thanks for the advice folks, I'll call the US office tonight & see what they say. I looked on the Qantas website to see what was on offer for QFF and there were plenty of outgoing award flights to the USA but very few incoming later in July for a return, could be a problem.


PS: I've not logged in & posted here much for years although I have visited every few months, nice to see many familiar names (and some new ones) that freely offer help. My QFF status has slipped way down and is hovering between Bronze and Silver now as I don't fly Qantas much any more, I got quite tired of the increasing restrictions and in fact I'm moving away from commercial domestically except for simple runs between capital cities where you can't beat the price. My QC membership expires end of July and I doubt I'll renew it.

 

[CWM]

This process has just been awful. I've been talking to the US office on my phone over the past couple of days (can't use Skype as my internet connection is too dodgy) and after five calls and five different operators I'm still on hold... total time on the phone over 3 HOURS so far.

I can't do this again, ever.

Oh, and I couldn't get a connection to Anchorage so had to pay for that - both ways.

 

[CWM]

OK, just off the phone now. AA Lady said they can't sort it out for a few more hours & I must ring back again but no later than 12 hours time or the whole booking will cancel out. First they said an infant would be $185, now it is $1080.

This is too much.... the booking system is utterly hopeless.

 

[mick]

OK, just off the phone now. AA Lady said they can't sort it out for a few more hours & I must ring back again but no later than 12 hours time or the whole booking will cancel out.

That's really weird. I've had cause to call the U.S. AA office a couple of weeks ago (using Skype) to setup a RTW ticket for me using "miles" and they were extremely helpful. I have no status with AA and as I wasn't ready to ticket at the time, they held the booking for five days, which I thought was completely crazy, comparing them with the way QF handle award ticket bookings. My plans didn't solidify and so the booking auto-cancelled but I called the BNE AA number today to try again. This time, whilst the operator was polite, she had to go away to check flights and call me back a few hours later, only to tell me that she could only book half my sectors. QF is showing availability, however. Again, however, they have generously offered to hold the booking half-baked for five days to see if the other flights become available.

I think I'll be calling the U.S. number from now on.

 

[drron]

Then again the local number has always worked for me.Often they will have to ring back after talking to a supervisor in the US as I am often asking for 2 upgrades or 2 F awards when only 1 is available.And on 2 occasions now have got premium Aawards on QF that mrsdrron could not access as WP on QF.So I will always try the local number first.
But the proviso is that I am a tech caveman so dont Skype,that might make a difference.

 

[CWM]

Since my above post I've had to call them again - this time I was on the phone for a total of 3 hours and 15 minutes (this included a 15 minute call to Qantas mid way through). The call was to the Australian AA office, despite the booking being made via the US office they still charge the local $60 per pax fee when you go to pay. So no financial advantage calling the US office, just much higher phone call cost in my case.

Anyway I was able to pay at the end of the call. Got the e-tickets.... except they appear to have left off my daughter so have to do this all over again it seems. Oh and for our baby.... A$970 AU > USA return with no seat. Amazing rip off.

I am NEVER going to try this again, I can't comprehend how AAdvantage can even operate when it is like this.

 

[NM]

Then again the local number has always worked for me.Often they will have to ring back after talking to a supervisor in the US as I am often asking for 2 upgrades or 2 F awards when only 1 is available.And on 2 occasions now have got premium Aawards on QF that mrsdrron could not access as WP on QF.So I will always try the local number first.
But the proviso is that I am a tech caveman so dont Skype,that might make a difference.

Note that if making award bookings via the USA number, you pay US$25 per ticket for the telephone booking fee. If calling the Australia number you will pay the higher Australia telephone booking fee, which I think is something like A$40 per ticket issued.

I don't Skype either, but I do have an IP phone on my desk with a Chicago phone number

 

[drron]

Note that if making award bookings via the USA number, you pay US$25 per ticket for the telephone booking fee. If calling the Australia number you will pay the higher Australia telephone booking fee, which I think is something like A$40 per ticket issued.

I don't Skype either, but I do have an IP phone on my desk with a Chicago phone number

The one time I called the US number with the time on hold i ended up paying about $30 for the call.So costs were not significantly different.
Now if I am organised I ring when in the US.