Originally Posted by
Dr. HFH
You sure about that, Guy? When I use AAdvantage miles for CX flights (which I do fairly regularly), I ask for both the AA and CX PNR codes at the end of the call and always get them. Are we talking about the same thing?
No this is quite different - AA books you in their system (SABRE based if I am not wrong) and generates a PNR on that, there is a corresponding 1A (AMADEUS, WHAT CX USES) PNR for CX. CX/QF/BA/IB are all on amadeus from OW so they will have the same PNR. However a redemption booked using AA miles is still booked on the CX flight number - for example LAX-HKG would be CX 885, not AA 6075 which is AA codeshare for the same flight.
Codesharing is different as it allows for AA to share revenue on certain segments, all CX transpacs from USA-HKG are codeshared with an AA flight number. Strangely CX has not put its flight number on the new AA flight from DFW - This very different from one airline booking on another's flight.
As Guy Betsy has confirmed, a codeshare is not upgradable on AM. Similarily I couldn't use one of my SWU on an AA operated flight if it was book using a BA flight number.