Originally Posted by
Full Score
Thank you all for your helpful responses.
It appears that AA cease PHX-ANC direct on Aug 21, 2016.
AS start PHX-ANC direct on Nov 7, 2016, three times a week. Do you know if this is a new service, or a repeat of a seasonal one?
The latter doesn't help me as, even if I could persuade BA to reissue my AONE4 using AS between PHX and ANC, the flights would accrue zero BA tier pts as there is no AA code share.
Does anyone know roughly on what date AA began PHX-ANC in 2016? Is there a possibility that AA might resume the service from, say, Mar 2017? Or have they ceded this route to AS?
Gardyloo: are there any other north-south routes which are longer than 2,000 miles direct; as you know, east-west is only allowed once on a RTW.
As far as I know PHX-ANC has been around for a long time, certainly since before the AA/US merger. (I think it was an HP run before US took it over.) It's anybody's guess if they'll resume, but mine is that AA will exit these long, thin routes for good, especially with AS able to carry AA codes.
You can't use AS metal with an xONEx ticket, AA codeshare or no.
I'm not aware of any N/S 2K mile sectors aside from LAX/PHX/DFW-ANC. Remember that any flights to/from Canada, Central America or the Caribbean don't have first class, so no FC tier points.
However, it's not simply E/W, it has to do with specific city pairs named in the OWE rules. Sometimes AA will put on a direct flight (one flight number even with a stop) from/to some city not on the list that will net the higher tier points. These are unpredictable, often one-way and/or seasonal, but worth looking for. For example, Sacramento (SMF) isn't on the "transcon" list, but AA is currently running CLT-SMF-CLT as nonstops, 2244 miles each way. SLC (Salt Lake City) to MIA is also available, 2088 miles.