AA Advantage miles......do they ever go DOWN??

[cypressgirl]

Since the trip I have booked with hubby isn't until June, I thought I had plenty of time to get air worked out. Just for grins, I went on AA's Advantage site and checked my dates to see how many miles I'd need. They have a new little trick.....they charge miles for each way, instead of the entire trip. At the time I checked, a few weeks ago, it was 17,500 per person each way. I didn't make my reservations at that time because I didn't have my advantage # and thought I'd do it later. Well later is today, and it's now 17,500 one way and 35,000 the other. I put them on hold, but my question is, once they go up, are those cheaper seats gone for good, or is it possible they will offer more at the lower milage rate some time in the future??? My guess is no, but I thought some of you would have experience with this.

Thanks, as always, for your help! I could kick myself for not booking when they were 35,000 instead of 52,500. Live and learn.

[jimg20]

Start kicking away. I have never seen the lower milage tix come back on any airline after they are gone. Even if someone who had a 17,500 mile ticket canceled, don't think they put it back in the inventory. We grabbed our May 2010 tickets on the 330th day before the return (second day they are avaialble) for just that reason. We should have gon in on the 331st day but got busy and forgot. It was the July 4th weekend.

I know that it is little consolation, but be grateful that you got one at 17.5 instead of NONE.

You can look at other dates and other routing to see if something is there.

JIM

[cypressgirl]

Nothing is even close to those dates, so I guess I'll take then off "hold" and do the deal. If my daughter decides to go, we might have to buy a ticket with real money ( ) because by the time she knows her schedule, they'll probably be 80,000 miles.

[Jumbiegirl]

Hmmmm. It's been 35,000 round trip for quite a long time. I think it used to be 30,000 a few years ago.

[cypressgirl]

I got it last year for 25,000, but it was off, off season. I've never heard of paying each way. That's a new one for me.

[jimg20]

They started that to help people who are in your situation. There are times when the lower award ticket is available one way but not the other. In that case in the past, you paid the higher price both ways. You are getting the benefit of that new policy by getting half the trip at a lower rate instead of none of it.

JIM

[crasherino]

Being that one way is a super saver (17.5k), why not buy the one way now and get the return flight later if it doesn't go down? It won't go beyond 35k so you really aren't risking anything.

Also, often times, a super saver business ticket is cheaper than an anytime coach ticket, so if the flight doesn't go down in miles, you can buy a one way business tix for only 30k. That way, you can make yourself feel better on the way home by drowning your sorrows in free booze.

[CindyM]

My experience is with Delta. My guess is that lower mileage could become available sometime in the future depending on bookings but you will have to be really diligent at checking and then there's no guarantee that it will happen~