Originally Posted by
bobsagetti
Does anyone have insight into how often AS updates their award charts and decides which partners to include in specific regions? One would think that with the new AA LAX-SYD flight there is potential to use AS miles if they add an AA chart for the Australia/NZ/SP region. However, given that there isn't an option for an EK award to the region, I suppose there's no guarantees.
I'd be shocked if AS doesn't update their award chart to include an AA award to Australia. But I also expect that it will be a moot point most of the time, as AA will probably release relatively few SAAver award seats (the ones available to partners including AS). And that's especially true for the first month of the service (late December/January), which is the peakiest of peak seasons to Australia.
Routing via DXB from the west coast to Australia is very, very inefficient, so no surprise that EK isn't eager to have award redemptions going that way at a competitive price. Not the case with an AA award to Australia.