Reward flights found through AA - book through Qantas??
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: QFF WP
Posts: 85
Reward flights found through AA - book through Qantas??
Need to get sister from Stuttgart to NYC on certain dates in April, looking to use points to book reward flights.
WP, but coming up with nothing on extensive (all cabins, nearby cities, flex dates etc.) Qantas searches.
Found award flights on AA website, question is, can I somehow book these through Qantas with Qantas points? By calling maybe? Unfortunately all eggs in one basket with plenty of Qantas points but nothing else.
Relying on some expert advice here as this has been a frustrating process to date!
As an aside, I find it a bit annoying that Qantas gives no indication (as apparently others do) of how many reward seats are left - at some stages found a couple of possible flights, and hours later they were gone!
WP, but coming up with nothing on extensive (all cabins, nearby cities, flex dates etc.) Qantas searches.
Found award flights on AA website, question is, can I somehow book these through Qantas with Qantas points? By calling maybe? Unfortunately all eggs in one basket with plenty of Qantas points but nothing else.
Relying on some expert advice here as this has been a frustrating process to date!
As an aside, I find it a bit annoying that Qantas gives no indication (as apparently others do) of how many reward seats are left - at some stages found a couple of possible flights, and hours later they were gone!
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,921
If you have QF ff points you need to book with QF via web or phone
If you have AA ff miles you need to book with AA via web or phone
AA are know to have phantom availability (that is rewards flights are not really available)
AA also have saver and anytime rewards. For QF points you need saver.
People are booking reward flights all the time. Eu USA can be hard to get
If you have AA ff miles you need to book with AA via web or phone
AA are know to have phantom availability (that is rewards flights are not really available)
AA also have saver and anytime rewards. For QF points you need saver.
People are booking reward flights all the time. Eu USA can be hard to get
#3
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
Need to get sister from Stuttgart to NYC on certain dates in April, looking to use points to book reward flights.
WP, but coming up with nothing on extensive (all cabins, nearby cities, flex dates etc.) Qantas searches.
Found award flights on AA website, question is, can I somehow book these through Qantas with Qantas points? By calling maybe? Unfortunately all eggs in one basket with plenty of Qantas points but nothing else.
Relying on some expert advice here as this has been a frustrating process to date!
As an aside, I find it a bit annoying that Qantas gives no indication (as apparently others do) of how many reward seats are left - at some stages found a couple of possible flights, and hours later they were gone!
WP, but coming up with nothing on extensive (all cabins, nearby cities, flex dates etc.) Qantas searches.
Found award flights on AA website, question is, can I somehow book these through Qantas with Qantas points? By calling maybe? Unfortunately all eggs in one basket with plenty of Qantas points but nothing else.
Relying on some expert advice here as this has been a frustrating process to date!
As an aside, I find it a bit annoying that Qantas gives no indication (as apparently others do) of how many reward seats are left - at some stages found a couple of possible flights, and hours later they were gone!
JAL is supposed to be most reliable. BA comes up with phanton availability too at times. I have found Qantas is quite good at finding available seats, so am surprised your experience is otherwise
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: QFF WP
Posts: 85
Will do, thanks. Think I searched BA at one point but will do again. Definitely haven't tried JAL so will do that also.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,399
I've done a lot of searching over the last week or so, the AA site's availability has been spot on (QF could see everything). However... results can vary depending on which page you start your search. If you search from the homepage results can often be limited. Going to the 'plan travel' tab at the top of the page, then the 'flights' tab. This opens up a lot more availability as it defaults to 'all airlines' rather than just AA.
Connecting AA flights in the USA can be difficult for QF to see. In those cases you might need to feed them airport by airport.
#7
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
Sometimes the seats are reserved while you are booking and then not returned to inventory (based on a sophisticated yield management algorithm). Rather ironically your activity can cause seats to disappear (I am guilty of having done this myself, checking too many different routings that have a common leg, which then dries up for that one sector).
#8
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
In the past AA often had more availability for train connections (which book as AA codeshares), not sure if that is still true but worth a try if you are stuck. Also the trains used to be "offline" so a missed train doesn't cancel your AA flight booking as a missed flight would. I don't know the current situation but this was true a few years ago. Finally connecting through LHR would get you tons more award availability though EXP may see more than OWE (not sure, I've been both for too long). So many seats LHR-JFK that it is rare to not find availability if you have time flexibilty.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: QFF WP
Posts: 85
Thanks all for help, ended up ringing Qantas and organising booking manually, in other words going through the award itinerary I could see on the AA website flight by flight and getting the agent to build it up as a booking.
Taxes were signif. more expensive than appeared on the AA website for the same flights, but it had got to the stage where I didn't even care anymore and just wanted to make the booking so didn't question it! Any idea why the tax difference for the same flights though?
Flights are a mix of AA/BA/AB.
I see now on other threads that others are also having issues with seeing AA award availability through QF!
Taxes were signif. more expensive than appeared on the AA website for the same flights, but it had got to the stage where I didn't even care anymore and just wanted to make the booking so didn't question it! Any idea why the tax difference for the same flights though?
Flights are a mix of AA/BA/AB.
I see now on other threads that others are also having issues with seeing AA award availability through QF!
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,921
A "carrier imposed surcharge", as QF & BA apply on awards, goes direct to the airline (=profit). A "carrier imposed surcharge" is not a tax. Those who mix taxes and surcharges and consider surcharges as taxes are being take as fools by the airline (they like it that way)
.
#11
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,548
Real taxes on award flights are the same for all airlines for the same route and class. A surcharge can trigger additional real taxes if the flight changes from a non revenue flight to a revenue flight.
A "carrier imposed surcharge", as QF & BA apply on awards, goes direct to the airline (=profit). A "carrier imposed surcharge" is not a tax. Those who mix taxes and surcharges and consider surcharges as taxes are being take as fools by the airline (they like it that way)
.
A "carrier imposed surcharge", as QF & BA apply on awards, goes direct to the airline (=profit). A "carrier imposed surcharge" is not a tax. Those who mix taxes and surcharges and consider surcharges as taxes are being take as fools by the airline (they like it that way)
.
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,921
AA also have a $75? close in award fee if the award is made xx days before the flight.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: QFF WP
Posts: 85
I queried Qantas about this (via Facebook message) and received this somewhat less than satisfactory reply:
"Hello xxx, thanks for taking the time to get in touch with us. While we do understand your frustrations, the prices offered by American Airlines will be different as we operate as different airlines. Yes, we do charge booking fees but this was waived for you as a one-off. Sorry we can't make any comments on the fares you were quoted on by another airline. Zen"
Still no clearer why this has happened!
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,399
Go figure... the amount I ended up paying QF for a BA/AA itinerary was USD33 (AUD44) less than the amount quoted on the AA website!