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Trying to book a flight from Orlando to Bermuda with a connection at Miami on AA. AA doesn’t fly to Bermuda direct from Orlando, but does so from Miami. And on that particular day, we will be in Orlando.
The flights I want has award availability on AA website, but doesn’t show up on BA website for online redemption. Per Rob’s article on using Avios for US domestic flight bookings, in this case if the flights show up on AA website, calling BA is the solution. So I called BA and did HUACA 3 times, but none of the agents I spoke to can see the flights I want.
One solution is booking 2 separate tickets, but that would involve the usual complications of being on 2 different PNRs.
The other solution is taking the Brightline train from Orlando and make it all the way to Florida but that train is not cheap with the tickets at $99 a pop. I would rather pay with Avios than part with my cash, since I am points rich and cash poor at the moment after a major home renovation.
Any suggestions here to get the flights I want or any other innovative solution are also welcome.
Thanks.
If the flights aren’t showing on BA website / app then agents cant see them either.
AA only releases its lowest level of rewards to partners and these are the only ones BA can see and sell. Once those have sold out then that’s it.
If you are seeing on AA but not BA then they aren’t the lowest level of rewards so nit available to buy with avios.
Can you link to the article you refer to as I don’t think it’s a recent one.
Thanks @BA Flyer IHG Stayer
Yes, it’s not a recent article, but I thought not much would have changed since Rob didn’t update it in 3.5 years!
The link is here:
https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/04/18/how-to-redeem-avios-points-for-low-tax-us-american-airlines-domestic-flights/AA changed their website terminology and pricing and and Rob’s article doesnt reflect that.
You cannot book connecting flights on AA with Avios, so you need to find and price each leg seperately and you’ll have no protection if you miss your connection as they’ll be seperate tickets.
You have to find the lowest reward band for a route on the AA site, then look for those times and dates on BA. There are very few or no flights in those bands on some routes.
I looked for someone a while back for a route and in the forthcoming 9 months there was just one ticket on a monday…
As above, needs to be separate bookings. Will you have a car in Orlando? It might be easier just to drive to MIA and drop it off there. It’s about 3-4 hours. AA are notorious for changes and cancellations so a single leg is much safer than 2 in a row. Or fly to MIA the night before and stay in a hotel, though of course that’s more messing about as well.
I’ve done a few AA award flights and they seem to appear at certain times, like 3 months out. I think a lot of Americans book them speculatively due to the low taxes then cancel nearer the time.
If you see each leg separately on ba.com then calling in should get them on one ticket
I’ve done a few AA award flights and they seem to appear at certain times, like 3 months out.
I’m not sure if there is anything official, but I’ve found the same, flights appear around 3 months before the flight.
My perception is that there is also an imbalance between redemption availablity on the inbound and outbound. In some respects a nuisance, but I’ve probably had a night in off-plan cities and made a redemption triangle out of it.
I have just successfully booked reward flights with AA for travel in Sept 2024. Managed to work out roughly when they would appear but seriously didn’t think I would get the return leg as there was no availability whatsoever but yesterday, poof! There they were. The only thing I can suggest is keep checking and you might strike lucky
@davefl Hello again here on this thread. And thanks for letting me know of the AA changes. @Rob needs to update this article then considering it is part of the the Avios University series, and so many people specially new comers to points game rely on it.
@Anna We are finishing our cruise that morning and disembarking at Orlando is the only option available to us. Not sure if it would be wise to rent a car for few hours, but if it comes out cheaper than Brightline I will give it a try. Thanks for letting me know about AA’s unreliability with changes and cancellations. I have made a note of it alongside the appearance of award availability 3 months out as Andrew. also confirmed. Given I have enough time, I am okay to wait until Jan (flight I want is in April).
@SamG Tried doing that but all 3 BA agents I spoke to plainly refused to do it and told me clearly that I would be on 2 separate PNRs.
@GillC Please share the secret. I will keep on checking until Jan, after which I might bite the bullet and book one leg with Avios or maybe both on cash, depending on the situation then.
@SamG Tried doing that but all 3 BA agents I spoke to plainly refused to do it and told me clearly that I would be on 2 separate PNRs..
It’s not they they refused but that they simply can’t book it likely due to married segments. BA can only book flights that AA have released to them and if AA have only released rewards as individual segments and not as an entire trip BA agents can’t do anything to get around that.
@SamG Tried doing that but all 3 BA agents I spoke to plainly refused to do it and told me clearly that I would be on 2 separate PNRs..
It’s not they they refused but that they simply can’t book it likely due to married segments. BA can only book flights that AA have released to them and if AA have only released rewards as individual segments and not as an entire trip BA agents can’t do anything to get around that.
I can understand the complications that come with a partner award ticket, so nothing against BA in this case. I will keep on checking until Jan to see if AA releases the segments I want. Fingers crossed that I will get them.
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