American Blocking Close-In Saver Awards From Partners
American Airlines appears to have made a change that prevents partner airlines from accessing certain nonstop domestic saver award space within a few days of departure.
The issue was first reported by Dan’s Deals, with many American-operated domestic nonstop flights no longer appearing when searching through partner programs such as Alaska Mileage Plan, British Airways Executive Club, Finnair Plus, Qantas Frequent Flyer and others. However, the same flights often remain available for booking through American AAdvantage.
Reports suggest the restriction kicks in six days before departure, or more exactly 144 hours, and primarily affects nonstop domestic flights. Connecting itineraries and international routes do not appear to be impacted.
This change could have a significant impact on travelers who rely on partner programs to book American flights. In many cases, programs like Alaska Mileage Plan and British Airways Executive Club charge fewer miles than American AAdvantage for the same flights, making them popular options for last-minute bookings.
American has not publicly commented on the change, so it’s unclear whether this is a temporary issue, a test, or a permanent shift. It has been a few days now since this change went into effect, so it’s looking more and more like the latter.
