It's awfully early, but a quick scan of AA's seatmaps and general availability for revenue passengers (paid tickets) shows many flights already quite full in economy. Often around holiday seasons you're asking not only for the Hawaii-mainland segments to be available for "MileSAAver" awards, but also the short-haul (e.g. ORD-BUF) otherwise the whole itinerary shows as unavailable.

On the other hand, there is some availability around the end of the year in first class, at 37,500 miles one way. That's cheaper than the 45K "AAnytime" award that you're seeing, and since AA is currently offering a 50% bonus on purchased miles, you could go buy any additional miles you need and apply them right away to the ticket, and put the matter to rest. First class returning to the east from Hawaii in winter would take some of the sting out of it, maybe.

I wouldn't count on "SAAver" seats opening any time soon, and the first class ones would probably go away in the meantime.

Gardyloo, wow, that is excellent info and news - much appreciated! Very limited experience redeeming miles so have much to learn on things to check.

I would take 37.5K miles one way first class in a heartbeat but unfortunately none of my searches show that when I search with MileSAAver or AAnytime, for any date near the end of Dec. I am using the aa.com site, AAdvantage > Book Now site - is there a trick I'm missing?

Understand what you are saying about not counting on anything opening soon. I will decide and book this weekend.

Enjoy-la!

(Red face)

I just checked again and now there's nothing in coach or first class except "AAnytime" space (double miles.) So maybe I goofed up earlier or it was some glitch.

However, I can see possible space (in coach) on Hawaiian Airlines from Kona to JFK (via Honolulu) on days close to yours. Don't know if that would work (BUF is not exactly a cab ride away) but if it is, then you could phone AA to see if it's available. Hawaiian is an AA partner, but you can't book mileage flights on HA online with AA, you need to phone. HA also appears to have space open to San Francisco, where you could change to AA for the other flights to BUF. Again, the domestic legs might be problematic at that time of year.

Sorry for any misdirection earlier.

No worries, Gardyloo. I've learnt so much from you posts over the years that I know you know what you're doing! I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something as I've little experience redeeming miles.

Very interesting about HA and needing to phone. This may work out as in one scenario the Hawaii leg is the holdup. Never knew to check HA for availability.

Enjoy-la!

you can't book mileage flights on HA online with AA

Not specific to the OP's request but I just put some HA award flights on hold through aa.com, so I'm not sure what you mean.

Not specific to the OP's request but I just put some HA award flights on hold through aa.com, so I'm not sure what you mean.

Yep, my bad (yikes - twice in one thread.) HA is bookable online with AA.

Patty, thx for that. I saw some flights were available but I thought Gardyloo meant other flights were bookable. Clears that up.

I spent a lot of time this weekend chasing different scenarios. And then realized that the 75K points I thought I had was just confusion in my mind.

So after costing out all the options the least expensive option btwn paying for some legs, booking DH's tix with points and mine with cash, is to buy more points and book all the tix on points. Even with the bonus, it'll cost us ~$965 but at least we'll have confirmed flights rather than hoping for a sale to a region where I'm unfamiliar with the fare fluctuations and sale trends.

I booked the outbound flight with points (only 17.5Kpp!), and put the inbound on hold and will buy the rest of the points today so I can secure those flights within the 5 day hold. I just have to figure out if it makes sense to buy extra points and use those points to fly inter-island, or whether it makes more sense to just pay cash for those.

Thx for the help, all - enjoy-la!