Topic Wiki

In general, search on AA.com for award availability.

BA
If you want to book a flight with Avios, it is known from Dan's Knowledgebase that BA.com doesn't show availability very well, but some flights definitely are searchable there. Nonetheless, it's easier to just search AA.com, and if you find a MileSAAver availability, check BA.com to see if it shows up there, too. If it does, book it there. If it doesn't, you can always call up BA and reference the flight you found. Note that there is usually a very long hold time before BA picks up, and they will charge a phone booking fee. If the flight was unsearchable on BA.com, try fighting that fee, but YMMV.

IB
IB availability will not show up on AA.com You can call AA to find IB availability, but it's hard without being able to browse dates and have to ask the rep to check flights over the phone. Searching on Qantas.com will show IB flights - supposedly if they appear there, they can then be booked by calling AA.

OneWorld Explorer [OWE] The OWE has officially been cancelled [4/8/14] as part of the latest AA no-warning changing to its award program. Here's what the OWE looked like:
This is an around-the-world [RTW] award that is calculated not by the mileage cost of specific flights, but rather by the actual distance travelled on your trip. It is especially valuable for flying business class, as the difference in miles needed between coach and business is not very great on longer trips. See this chart to see the different tiers of how many miles it costs to travel different distances. You can take up to 16 segments on a trip, but there are MANY rules to follow when booking such an award.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time when planning this trip. (Personally [@Yehuda], it took 2 months with a few weeks of break in the middle from frustration.) Availability changes everyday, so you need to constantly check back to see if flights you needed are now available. It will also likely require changing your itinerary/order of stops numerous times. An itinerary can be held for 5 days (and can be extended past that on Day 5, if they are willing to rebook each flight for you, getting you another 5 days), but itineraries with IB flights can usually only be held for 24 hours. You will find that you will have to use hub airports since you're limited to OW partners. You will not find a flight from CDG-FCO without either stopping off in LON or MAD - both of which are out of the way. It's unfortunate, as it adds unnecessary distance miles to your trip, but it can be done. Remember that BA flights have high YQ, IB/AB have semi-high YQ, US/AA have very little YQ. (Unsure about other airlines, as my trip was TLV-Europe-NYC, so those were the only airline I had to work with.) You should check flight availability, again, on AA.com but the ticket must be booked on the phone (and they will charge a $25 phone booking fee, but again, try to fight it since this ticket cannot be booked online - although, honestly, by the time you've ticketed, they will likely have helped you out with much more than $25 worth of time). Technically, you can book it with any OW partner, but the odds are you probably only have enough AA miles to book this trip. AA reps definitely know about this award, although most have never booked it before. You will find that after calling so many times, you'll know more about the rules than they do. Once you have your perfect itinerary, they will have to send it to their rate desk to price it out. This can take ~24 hours. Because it takes time, if you have IB flights on the itinerary, they will make sure IB allows the flights to be held for longer than 24 hours, but confirm this with the rep before you hang up. Once it's priced out, you can pay for it. You can use 2 or more AA accounts to pay for it, but they will require each account to have enough miles to pay for 1 ticket. (e.g. If it costs 80K pax and you have 2 pax, they won't ask you to have 1 account with 160K in it, but they will require 2 accounts with at least 80K in each.)

Feel free to contact @Yehuda with any questions regarding the OWE.

« Last edited by AJK on July 27, 2014, 04:45:43 PM »

Author Topic: One World Award Search Tips  (Read 591731 times)

Offline @Yehuda

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 9693
  • Total likes: 187
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 5
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #640 on: March 18, 2015, 04:37:42 PM »
AA RTW awards are dead. Your link is life on another planet
Meaning new rates?

Offline Joe4007

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Feb 2013
  • Posts: 4077
  • Total likes: 154
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #641 on: March 18, 2015, 04:45:07 PM »

Offline @Yehuda

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 9693
  • Total likes: 187
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 5
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #642 on: March 18, 2015, 04:46:37 PM »

Offline JoeCha

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: May 2013
  • Posts: 512
  • Total likes: 2
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: NYC
  • Programs: Avis President's Club, Expedia+ Silver
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #643 on: March 18, 2015, 05:17:39 PM »
Revenue.
And it's not even (limited to) AA.
"There is no such thing as bad whiskey. Some whiskeys just happen to be better than others" ― William Faulkner

Offline maxie m

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 1365
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: ny
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #644 on: March 22, 2015, 07:38:58 PM »
Is there another way to search for Cathay availability besides ba if I'm planning to use avios
Dumb people learn from their own mistakes,smart people,from the mistakes of others

Offline maxie m

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 1365
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: ny
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #645 on: March 22, 2015, 07:56:18 PM »
Is there another way to search for Cathay availability besides ba if I'm planning to use avios
forget it found my answer up thread either Asia Miles  or Qantas, and I'm assuming that they are bookable on ba even if ba isn't showing availability, correct?
Dumb people learn from their own mistakes,smart people,from the mistakes of others

Offline ilherman

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jun 2013
  • Posts: 8935
  • Total likes: 227
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 35
    • View Profile
  • Location: Brooklyn
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #646 on: March 22, 2015, 08:18:33 PM »
Is there another way to search for Cathay availability besides ba if I'm planning to use avios
JL.
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline maxie m

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 1365
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: ny
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #647 on: March 23, 2015, 12:33:22 AM »
Dumb people learn from their own mistakes,smart people,from the mistakes of others

Offline smart brit

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2011
  • Posts: 2044
  • Total likes: 6
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: New york / London
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #648 on: March 23, 2015, 12:49:22 AM »

Offline maxie m

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Oct 2014
  • Posts: 1365
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: ny
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #649 on: March 23, 2015, 01:01:04 AM »
Dumb people learn from their own mistakes,smart people,from the mistakes of others

Offline BBPAPA

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jan 2014
  • Posts: 311
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 8
    • View Profile
  • Location: NEW YORK
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #650 on: March 31, 2015, 03:59:42 PM »
Can you book/search online for One World using JAL's website?

Offline Marco Polo

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 13121
  • Total likes: 49
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 104
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #651 on: March 31, 2015, 04:01:16 PM »
Can you book/search online for One World using JAL's website?
Having issues with BA?
Quaerite et Invenietis.

Offline SrulyP

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 665
  • Total likes: 7
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Programs: SPG Gold; Hyatt Platinum; National Emerald EE; Hertz five star; Avis Five Star
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #652 on: April 01, 2015, 02:13:54 PM »
I would like to fly from jfk to Vancouver on Cathay Pacific. Can anyone point me in the right direction to get the suites on CP? Thanks

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8791
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #653 on: April 01, 2015, 02:36:16 PM »
I would like to fly from jfk to Vancouver on Cathay Pacific. Can anyone point me in the right direction to get the suites on CP? Thanks
What's that?

Offline DMYD

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 2909
  • Total likes: 4
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Brooklyn
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #654 on: April 01, 2015, 02:38:56 PM »

Offline SrulyP

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 665
  • Total likes: 7
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Programs: SPG Gold; Hyatt Platinum; National Emerald EE; Hertz five star; Avis Five Star
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #655 on: April 01, 2015, 02:43:47 PM »

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8791
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #656 on: April 01, 2015, 03:11:29 PM »
Probably means CX
Yep I did!
Still confused, CX doesn't have suites.

Offline SrulyP

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 665
  • Total likes: 7
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Programs: SPG Gold; Hyatt Platinum; National Emerald EE; Hertz five star; Avis Five Star
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #657 on: April 01, 2015, 03:12:22 PM »

CX doesn't have suites.

I for some resin thought they did. What's the best way to book first class, and any tips for flying with an infant?

Offline D93

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 8791
  • Total likes: 21
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 14
    • View Profile
  • Location: PHL - TLV
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #658 on: April 01, 2015, 03:14:25 PM »
What's the best way to book first class
CX F - use BA.com to search for CX availability.

Offline SrulyP

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 665
  • Total likes: 7
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Programs: SPG Gold; Hyatt Platinum; National Emerald EE; Hertz five star; Avis Five Star
Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #659 on: April 01, 2015, 03:15:17 PM »

Best way is to book CX F, use BA.com to search for CX availability.

Using what points?