American Airlines has added a new rule that is being enforced effective immediately on new award flight bookings (current bookings will not be affected). The new rules are as follows:
- Within the U.S. & Canada you’re limited to no more than 3 segments
- International awards are limited to no more than 4 segments
This is based on a one way flight, so round trip journeys can have a total of 6/8 segments. I’m never a fan of no notice changes. The problem with American Airlines is that their inventory of direct saver award flights is awful. I imagine this will affect people that aren’t near American Airline hub’s the most and need multiple positioning flights for international awards the most.
Hat tip to OMaaT
Yawn. I just using extra points to not use Saver fares, to save a stop in London. IND>PHL>MUC was 47.5k, versus IND>PHL>LRH>MUC for 30k. Plus we get to chose our seats, take a bag, and make changes.
Well, that’s bad english. ‘used’
Yikes. I’m in the continuous 48 but fly out of a smaller city and always need the 3 segments to get where I want with Saaver space. (The limited amount of 2 segment flights even available never seem to have Saaver space.)
Yep, me too. At least I have the option of driving to ORD, That’s a long drive that’s a bit unpleasant after a long flight. The last time I did that it was returning from IST, a twelve-hour segment. Ouch.
I guess my favorite and most epic booking during my award travel history is forever unrepeatable.
I once ticketed a trip from Chicago to Shanghai that routes ORD-BOS-JFK-NRT-TPE-HKG-PVG.
Boy I really miss those US Airways days when all rules were virtually unenforceable…
I only use use AA if there is no SW flight going there.
I guess all the more reason not to sign up for any AA miles card e.g. current Citi 75,000 Miles offer
This would be good if they made the availability of award flights on more direct routes.
This. When I look sometimes for Awards flights on aa.com, I see routing within the U.S. that I would never have dreamed of booking, at any price. My “favorites” involve cross-airport transfers within NYC and 18-hour overnight layovers at ORD. Saves them the trouble (honesty? embarrassment?) of admitting that there is no direct space (ever) available.
When I search flights on AA they never even produce results for that many segments so I don’t understand what has actually changed? I’ve never seen a flight with more than 3 segments domestic or 4 international. Example?
You can piece together your own segments with AA, even when it is not shown as a predetermined itinerary.
Non-hub cities to smaller Alaska airports require 4 segments: PWM-PHL-SEA-ANC-ADQ.
Non-hubs and Caribbean/Latin American destinations to South East Asia can easily be 5 at best, 6 or 7 due to multiple domestic flights to get started. ROA-CLT-LAX-HKG-KUL-LGK before you add the stops in DFW or PHX that you need to actually get award seats.
Honestly, unless Im digging up info on meals, service, etc as a blogger, I would hate to fly more than 3 stops to get somewhere..
Now Limiting the Amount of Segments –> Now Limiting the Number of Segments
this will effect people –> this will affect people
Awesome name! One day I will learn to use effect vs affect, but not today apparently.