biggestbopper

How do you call AAdvantage from Spain or Portugal? Is there a cost effective way to do this?

I am on my way to Lisbon, having booked, on very short notice, a one way from the US in biz at AAdvantage saver level. There were no biz saver return flights available, but, the theory is that biz will open up as the return date, in a couple of weeks, will open up, or, I can always book an anytime award to get home (even if in coach ).

This means I have to contact AAdvantage while in Iberia. Of course, I can get on the website, but, it is apparently not possible to book, say a flight out of Lisbon on AA.com for miles since the site only allows booking for AA coded flights which limits me to MAD and BCN for the rtn.

When I had to contact AAvantage a few years ago from MAD I had to call AA in London (at my rather high cost, from a pay phone in front of the Prado) where I spoke to a not too knowing rep with a British accent.

Is there a better way to try and book my return from Lisbon or elsewhere in Portugal or Spain? How about a toll-free number from there to AAdvantage?

Thanks for any help.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8703e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

The AA website should list local-access phone numbers for AA reservations. IIRC, the calls from various European countries have a small, per-minute charge. There will certainly be a number for Spain; not sure about Portugal.

BlassSJU

I have been on the same boat, I just use Skype and call the EXP (or whatever desk).

Also, if you need to go back to the US check Iberia from MAD-SJU which is showing adequate availability in both J and Y during the next few weeks and then connect to AA up to your final destination.

Orlando Vic

Why not Skype?

It is an 1-800 call and, in my only attempt calling a similar, toll-free number from Norway (using my netbook), there was absolutely no charge to me. Otherwise, with a little Skype credit, it would be pennies per minute.

jcelio

I live in BCN and do all my calls to the EXP desk -particularly when trying to book award tkts via skype no charge at all...

mdcclv

Skype. If you don't already have an account you'll have to put $10 in, but that money will be there indefinitely (as long as you use it at least every 179 days) for future things like this.

AAExpDFW

Call the AT&T local access number and then dial the 1-800 numbers to American. I do this all over the world and there is never a "charge" (they don't ask for the PIN).

gemac

It should not be a long, time-consuming call if you have checked availability and call at a time when you won't have a long hold time. Two minutes, three at the outside.

brp

But don't do this from a US-based mobile phone as there will still be roaming charges, even for a local toll-free number.

Cheers.

flyermatthew

Speak for yourself. I have a T-Mobile phone with UMA. Any time I'm using Wi-Fi, the phone is "in" the US, at least from a billing perspective. I find UMA handier than Skype because you can also receive calls back much easier than with Skype.

Generally speaking, though, brp's advice is right. Don't use your phone overseas or you'll be soaked anywhere from $1-$5/minute. (Or get a T-Mobile phone with Wi-Fi calling.)

brp

Actually, i'm speaking for anyone using a US-based phone as a phone. And what I said still applies. Using wifi and a voip app (I don't know UMA, but I assume that that's what it is) is another dimension that wasn't being addressed in the post I responded to- only about calling local numbers. Using wifi and voip is a great idea...just not relevant to what I was saying. When one is on wifi, they're not using a 'US-based mobile phone."


Cheers.

biggestbopper

Thanks to all for the input. ^

Guess I have sign up for Skype or try calling the ATT international access number in Portugal. Haven't found it online, but, as I recall, ATT was distributing access # cards in hotel lobbies in Europe last Summer.

Departing on our very short term advance F trip soon and thanks to FTers for all the info provided on this site which enabled the trip.

JDiver

www.pingo.com is another way - I have called local toll free for Pingo in places, even in hotels with dollars-per -minute (but free or cheap local tollfree) and on to the US number for pennies or two a minute. (Yes, you have to set up the account online in advance.)

flyermatthew

Nope, UMA isn't an app. It's more deeply integrated into the phone software. The phone can attach to either the cell tower or Wi-Fi, and it makes calls over the "best" network. Whether it's connected over Wi-Fi or not, there is no change to how you make calls. Although it is VoIP, it is done from your phone and you dial your phone just like you would in the US. I dialed both the EXP desk and a conference call earlier today by picking up my T-Mobile USA phone and dialing a number. Both went over Wi-Fi because my hotel has Wi-Fi.

All that said, your UMA phone has to come from T-Mobile because they're the only US carrier that supports it, and you have to get within range of a Wi-Fi signal you can use.

biggestbopper

To report back after my trip, we took a one way award to Lisbon (change in Madrid) and I then tried to book a return after checking the website for standard award availability.

Wasn't as easy as I had hoped, but, we did get home.

Anyhow, germane to this thread, called AT&T toll free access number for Portugal from Oporto after looking it up on the AT&T website and was easily able to dial the AAdvantage US toll free number and got connected. Did not get the 20 Euro cents back I had to put in the phone to get the call through, but, I can live with that.

By the way, we ended up coming back in F via LHR with a standard award because that was where there was availability. Had to pay around $400 in UK extra taxes over say, MAD, and, I wonder if those taxes aren't why LHR was available in F at standard 62.5K miles one way--I didn't want to pay, but, had to get home. @:-)

Thanks FTers for the AT&T tip.