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American Airlines award space was not displaying on ba.com for the last three weeks. Now American Airlines award space is back on ba.com. Here is a search result from a few minutes ago for Miami to Manaus, Brazil:
The award prices out at 12,500 Avios + $6 or 4,000 Avios + $83. (Read more on Cash & Avios awards. Read why my British Airways account prices in euros and maybe yours should too.)
The best use of Avios is short, direct, economy award flights without fuel surcharges, which includes every American Airlines and US Airways flight within the Americas. Last minute awards can be especially great redemptions. (Read the Basics of Avios.)
These US Airways flights today from Charlotte to Tampa are 4,500 Avios + $6.
If you bought with cash, you’d pay $443.
What to Do When Award Space Isn’t Displaying Online
American Airlines space is back on ba.com, but what should you do next time any airline’s award space isn’t displaying online.
There are two possible reasons award space wouldn’t display online, and each reason has a different course of action.
1. The Space Doesn’t Exist
A lot of people complain to me that they can’t find LAN Airlines award space on ba.com, but I am aware of no glitch in displaying space. The problem is that LAN Airlines releases very little award space, and the people contacting me are searching routes and dates with no award space.
If there really is no space, there is no solution. You must move on to another trip idea or keep checking for award space and hope that some opens up later.
You can check whether space exists by checking other websites. For instance BA, Qantas, and AA all show some oneworld partners’ award space. Similarly United, LifeMiles, and ANA all show some Star Alliance partners’ award space. If the space is on one site at the Saver level, it should be available with other types of miles. If the space isn’t on any of the sites, the space doesn’t exist.
2. The Space Exists, and There is a Website Glitch
The problem for the last few weeks was that American Airlines award space existed, but it wasn’t on ba.com. We knew the space existed because it was available at the MileSAAver level on aa.com (and on qantas.com.)
When space exists but is not on a website, call the airline whose miles you want to redeem. Calls to British Airways in the last few weeks successfully ticketed American Airlines award seats.
When you have to call in because of a website glitch, always ask for the phone fee to be waived. In this case, phone fees were waived.
Bottom Line
American Airlines flights are again bookable on ba.com. Next time, there’s a glitch like this, if award space really exists, call the airlines whose miles you want to redeem and ask for the phone fee to be waived.
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I have never booked a flight on BA before but I have a good bit of AA miles and I wanted to give it a try. I looked up a flight on AA that shows saver availability. When I jump over to BA, I get an error message stating that there are no flights that match my search. I am trying to fly from CAE-LGA. Is this just a glitch on BA’s site? Any help would be appreciated.
First, I am very confused because you say you have a lot of AA miles, but this post is about using BA miles to book.
Second, to check, we’d need the date and flight number. Thanks!