Originally Posted by
bigshooter
I guess I should clarify a bit. This is an award ticket on Cathay Pacific and not a codeshare, so I assume there will be an actual ticket number from Cathay.
You are mixing the confirmation number (aka PNR, aka record locator) with the ticket number. Partner airlines will usually have a different PNR for the same reservation, unless they happen to use the same booking platform. But the issuing carrier always issues the ticket using their own ticket numbers, which in the case of AA, start with 001.
I know this is how it works on United award tickets with ANA (they gave me all the information I needed when I called UAL).
No, it's not. It works as I described above. UA and NH will have different confirmation numbers, but there is only one ticket number, and it's a UA ticket number starting with 016, even if travel is entirely on NH.