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Booking American Airlines Award Flights Through British Airways Just Got Even Harder

May 31, 2018
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3 min read
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Booking American Airlines Award Flights Through British Airways Just Got Even Harder
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It's been difficult to search American Airlines awards using British Airways's website for a while now. And, just as we figured out a work-around, the situation got worse.

On May 22, British Airways added a warning to the top of its award search page alerting travelers of "a technical problem with American Airlines' reward flight availability which American Airlines is currently working to identify and resolve."

Image courtesy of @T_Waits_4NoOne via Twitter.

That message has been softened since to take some of the blame off of American Airlines and generally reference "a technical problem displaying American Airlines reward flights."

We were hoping that this was a temporary issue, but it's stretching on into its second week. When I tried to book an American Airlines award with British Airways Avios on Wednesday, there were 10 nonstop flights — and 40 total itinerary options — available on AA.com:

But no options were showing on British Airways' website:

As the website directed, I called British Airways to book the flight. An agent picked up after less than a minute of wait time. The agent patiently went through the whole booking process before the AA-BA situation came up. Without me saying anything about the issues I had trying to book on BA's website, the agent said that he was waiving the phone booking fee as this was an American Airlines award flight.

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How Long Until We See a Fix?

Since he brought it up, I inquired about the status of the situation and how long it would take to fix. Noting that the problem was "completely dependent on American Airlines," the agent grimly noted that there was "no end in sight."

Next, I checked in with American Airlines about this issue and when it's going to be resolved. An spokesperson responded that AA is aware of the technical issue that's causing British Airways to not accurately display available award seats, and AA is working diligently with its partners to fix. After speaking with AA, I came away with the impression that this is a temporary, resolvable issue that's just the result of trying to get multiple systems to work together.

Unfortunately, we still don't have a timeline for when the issue will be resolved. Until it's fixed, you're going to need to call British Airways to book AA award flights. Hopefully you'll be as lucky as I was to have no phone wait time, and luckily it seems that the BA phone agents are fully briefed on the situation and will waive fees accordingly.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.