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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 591946 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #480 on: October 02, 2014, 11:41:51 PM »
KVS is a wonderful tool.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline AJK

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #481 on: October 02, 2014, 11:53:30 PM »
KVS is a wonderful tool.

Are you somehow answering my question?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Drago

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #482 on: October 03, 2014, 04:31:00 AM »
So I've put the tix on hold. For now, HKG-HAN is in Y, while HAN-HKG is 2 seats in J, 3 in Y.

Anyway to set alerts for these flights to chk if J opens?

How about setting alerts for AA flights?

Offline Drago

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #483 on: October 05, 2014, 01:12:48 AM »
Anyone willing to let me use their KVS for a few days so I can continue searching HKG-HAN availability?

Offline HolyNyc

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #484 on: October 05, 2014, 02:35:38 AM »
Anyone willing to let me use their KVS for a few days so I can continue searching HKG-HAN availability?
I don't have kvs (yet) but as far as I know you need to download it on your pc also there is a two month trial for $20

Offline Drago

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #485 on: October 05, 2014, 10:43:41 AM »
I don't have kvs (yet) but as far as I know you need to download it on your pc also there is a two month trial for $20
Thx
It's only for the next few days, but I guess I can just call it in to AA.

Offline bubble347

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #486 on: October 05, 2014, 11:48:38 PM »
What route from Europe to the U.S. does AA have the best availability in F on the new 777?
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Offline AJK

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #487 on: October 05, 2014, 11:56:47 PM »
What route from Europe to the U.S. does AA have the best availability in F on the new 777?

Unfortunately, AA's J/F availability USA<>EU is terrible.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline jaywhy

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #488 on: October 05, 2014, 11:57:30 PM »
What route from Europe to the U.S. does AA have the best availability in F on the new 777?
They only fly it to London and availability is almost non-existent.

Offline bubble347

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #489 on: October 06, 2014, 12:01:30 AM »
They only fly it to London and availability is almost non-existent.
I believe Zurich too, does anyone know for certain?
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Offline jaywhy

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #490 on: October 06, 2014, 12:02:40 AM »
I believe Zurich too, does anyone know for certain?
ZRH is the retrofitted 767.

Offline bubble347

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #491 on: October 06, 2014, 12:03:19 AM »
Thanks
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Offline nobiggy

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #492 on: October 07, 2014, 01:24:25 AM »
trying to search a CX flight from Europe to Australia. BA ans QF websites give me different flights and when i call aa i get new flights that I never saw.
Are their any other places to search CX flights?

Offline AJK

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #493 on: October 07, 2014, 01:41:34 AM »
trying to search a CX flight from Europe to Australia. BA ans QF websites give me different flights and when i call aa i get new flights that I never saw.
Are their any other places to search CX flights?

CX does not fly non-stop EU to AUS.

What are you looking for specifically?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline nobiggy

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #494 on: October 07, 2014, 02:03:13 AM »
CX does not fly non-stop EU to AUS.

What are you looking for specifically?
I know but they go through HKG.
MAN-MEL march 22 OW business or First
when i break it up so I do MAN-HKG i have certain results. Than I choose LHR-HKG i get different results and so on. (when i leave from MAN they route me through LHR)
Then i search again and different things come.

Offline AJK

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #495 on: October 07, 2014, 02:36:49 AM »
I know but they go through HKG.
MAN-MEL march 22 OW business or First
when i break it up so I do MAN-HKG i have certain results. Than I choose LHR-HKG i get different results and so on. (when i leave from MAN they route me through LHR)
Then i search again and different things come.

What miles are you using?

How are you searching?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline AJK

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #496 on: October 07, 2014, 02:42:48 AM »
Nothing doing.



[KVS Availability Tool 7.4.4/Diamond - Awards/JL-OneWorld/US]
Code: [Select]
LHR  London Heathrow UK [EGLL]
MEL  Melbourne Metro / Tullamarine VI AU = MEL AVV [YMML]
SUN  22 Feb 2015

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  -------------
CX         252     LHR   11:25     HKG   07:00 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
 -> CX     163     HKG   10:20 +1  MEL   22:35 +1  333  0   FS/  CS0  YS0
CX         238     LHR   17:15     HKG   12:50 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
 -> CX     135     HKG   19:10 +1  MEL   07:30 +2  333  0   FS/  CS0  YS0
CX         250     LHR   18:05     HKG   13:50 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
 -> CX     135     HKG   19:10 +1  MEL   07:30 +2  333  0   FS/  CS0  YS0
CX         256     LHR   20:40     HKG   16:15 +1  77W  0   CS0  YS0
 -> CX     135     HKG   19:10 +1  MEL   07:30 +2  333  0   CS0  YS0
CX         254     LHR   22:00     HKG   17:45 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
 -> CX     135     HKG   19:10 +1  MEL   07:30 +2  333  0   FS/  CS0  YS0
CX         254     LHR   22:00     HKG   17:45 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
 -> CX     105     HKG   00:05 +2  MEL   12:20 +2  333  0   FS/  CS0  YS0

[KVS Availability Tool 7.4.4/Diamond - Awards/JL-OneWorld/US]
Code: [Select]
LHR  London Heathrow UK [EGLL]
HKG  Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Intl HK [VHHH]
SUN  22 Feb 2015

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  -------------
CX         252     LHR   11:25     HKG   07:00 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
CX         238     LHR   17:15     HKG   12:50 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
CX         250     LHR   18:05     HKG   13:50 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0
CX         256     LHR   20:40     HKG   16:15 +1  77W  0   CS0  YS0
CX         254     LHR   22:00     HKG   17:45 +1  77W  0   FS0  CS0  YS0

[KVS Availability Tool 7.4.4/Diamond - Awards/JL-OneWorld/US]
Code: [Select]
HKG  Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Intl HK [VHHH]
MEL  Melbourne Metro / Tullamarine VI AU = MEL AVV [YMML]
SUN  22 Feb 2015

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ------------
CX         105     HKG   00:05     MEL   12:20     333  0   CS0  YS0
CX         163     HKG   10:20     MEL   22:35     333  0   CS0  YS0
CX         135     HKG   19:10     MEL   07:30 +1  333  0   CS0  YS0
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Dan

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #497 on: October 07, 2014, 02:45:33 AM »
CX from LHR is tough.
Try MXP, CDG, FRA, AMS, or FCO.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Drago

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #498 on: October 07, 2014, 05:40:01 AM »
What's my best bet to get 5 ppl to SYD from TLV or Asia in J?
Would CX typically open up space close to departure, or is this route pretty full? (December/January time)

I can still get TLV-HKG pretty easily on LY w/ AA miles, but am struggling with the second part.

I can split up the trip and use *A miles for the Asia-SYD leg since it's a good value, but I'll go ask that part in the other thread.

Offline Joe4007

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Re: One World Award Search Tips
« Reply #499 on: October 07, 2014, 08:12:37 AM »


Are their any other places to search CX flights?
JAL.