Jan 14, 2015, 5:58 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF)
The basics:
QF releases their awards from 353 days out to QF FF's and some ffp's (Amadeus CRS). So at the 331 days (~Sabre CRS) AA for award release there are scant seats left. They tend to add more much closer to the day of flight, if there are seats available.
2017.07.08 edit by FlyerTalkUserName: For US flights it has been my recent, but limited experience that QF releases award availability around 10-11 months from departure. Consider searching for one seat in F and one in J as well.
Consider alternate cities. E.g. Flights to BNE might be easier to book with AA miles than SYD or MEL, so adding a segment from BNE might give you a trip denied by connecting in SYD. You might have to remind AA reservationists, because they might not consider BNE.
Consider alternate airlines, such as HA from HNL, TN via PPT, FJ via NAN, etc.
N.B. Travel via Honolulu, or Asia (e.g. HKG or NRT), will require two awards.
aa.com occasionally may report "phantom availability" of premium awards on Qantas.
2017.07.08 edit by FlyerTalkUserName: Conversely, aa.com occasionally may not show available Qantas awards. Use BA's search tool, QF's search tool, or service like ExpertFlyer to see availability. Call in to ticket.
The aa.com oneworld and Other Airline Award Chart may be seen here, for required miles and restrictions on connections.
Note: Reservation speculating, or tying up award space to "flip" in (or out of) Coupon Connection will not be tolerated. If you have an "extra" reservation, simply cancel or refund it. This will not be allowed in this forum either.
Qantas Routes
To be updated
SYD to LAX, DFW, HNL and YVR. SYD SFO restart delayed
BNE to LAX
MEL to LAX and DFW
SYD AKL JFK from 14 June 2023
Notes
Routes can change, so please check the schedule.
During low seasons some routes may not have flights every day.
Not all flights/routes have first class. Only the QF A380 aircraft have has first class.
QF have retired all B747's and sent them to the Mojave desert (July 2020)
+++++++++++++++++
/Moderator
Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF)
Note: Older posts have been archived off to this thread
Updates & edits
20 May 2016 - JDiver
23 Sept 2019 - Mwenenzi QF routes added
11 Mar 2020 - Mwenenzi QF route changes
31 Jul 2020 - Mwenenzi QF B747 retired. More Covid-19 announcements from QF
07 Aug 2020 - Mwenenzi QF B787 to storage
12 Nov 2021 - Mwenenzi QF announcements 3 off
05 Mar 2022 - Mwenenzi QF announcements
12 Jun 2022 - Mwenenzi QF announcements removed (except 2) as AU fully open & QF flying AU<--->USA
24 Dec 2022 - Mwenenzi QF post CV19 announcements removed. MELDFW route added
THIS WIKI IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD VALUE.
The basics:
QF releases their awards from 353 days out to QF FF's and some ffp's (Amadeus CRS). So at the 331 days (~Sabre CRS) AA for award release there are scant seats left. They tend to add more much closer to the day of flight, if there are seats available.
2017.07.08 edit by FlyerTalkUserName: For US flights it has been my recent, but limited experience that QF releases award availability around 10-11 months from departure. Consider searching for one seat in F and one in J as well.
Consider alternate cities. E.g. Flights to BNE might be easier to book with AA miles than SYD or MEL, so adding a segment from BNE might give you a trip denied by connecting in SYD. You might have to remind AA reservationists, because they might not consider BNE.
Consider alternate airlines, such as HA from HNL, TN via PPT, FJ via NAN, etc.
N.B. Travel via Honolulu, or Asia (e.g. HKG or NRT), will require two awards.
aa.com occasionally may report "phantom availability" of premium awards on Qantas.
2017.07.08 edit by FlyerTalkUserName: Conversely, aa.com occasionally may not show available Qantas awards. Use BA's search tool, QF's search tool, or service like ExpertFlyer to see availability. Call in to ticket.
BA only shows 3 cabins in output. When searching for award seats, make sure to select 1st class as cabin and it will show premium economy, business and 1st rather than economy, premium economy and business
It only displays flights where there is a seat in at least one cabin. If there is no availability on the flight in any cabin, then the flight will not be displayed.
It only displays flights where there is a seat in at least one cabin. If there is no availability on the flight in any cabin, then the flight will not be displayed.
Note: Reservation speculating, or tying up award space to "flip" in (or out of) Coupon Connection will not be tolerated. If you have an "extra" reservation, simply cancel or refund it. This will not be allowed in this forum either.
Qantas Routes
To be updated
SYD to LAX, DFW, HNL and YVR. SYD SFO restart delayed
BNE to LAX
MEL to LAX and DFW
SYD AKL JFK from 14 June 2023
Notes
Routes can change, so please check the schedule.
During low seasons some routes may not have flights every day.
Not all flights/routes have first class. Only the QF A380 aircraft have has first class.
QF have retired all B747's and sent them to the Mojave desert (July 2020)
+++++++++++++++++
/Moderator
Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF)
Note: Older posts have been archived off to this thread
Updates & edits
20 May 2016 - JDiver
23 Sept 2019 - Mwenenzi QF routes added
11 Mar 2020 - Mwenenzi QF route changes
31 Jul 2020 - Mwenenzi QF B747 retired. More Covid-19 announcements from QF
07 Aug 2020 - Mwenenzi QF B787 to storage
12 Nov 2021 - Mwenenzi QF announcements 3 off
05 Mar 2022 - Mwenenzi QF announcements
12 Jun 2022 - Mwenenzi QF announcements removed (except 2) as AU fully open & QF flying AU<--->USA
24 Dec 2022 - Mwenenzi QF post CV19 announcements removed. MELDFW route added
THIS WIKI IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD VALUE.
AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF) & related (consolidated)
Oct 19, 2015, 4:08 pm
#154
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: UA, QF, VS, AA, US, HH, SPG
Posts: 974
Oct 19, 2015, 4:19 pm
#155
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Plat
Posts: 295
Just snagged an F seat DFW-SYD-DFW in June. This is amazing. Thank you to the OP who mentioned this.
I went to Australia in February and for 330 days monitored F availability on QF 7/8 and never saw any. That I got a ticket on hold in 10 minutes is amazing. Probably going to check out New Zealand this time around. Fall there should be lovely!
I went to Australia in February and for 330 days monitored F availability on QF 7/8 and never saw any. That I got a ticket on hold in 10 minutes is amazing. Probably going to check out New Zealand this time around. Fall there should be lovely!
.
Oct 19, 2015, 5:39 pm
#158
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
, a bit quieter than SYD for NYE the year before 
. Hopefully you're spending a good while in NZ, it is worth every second.
Oct 19, 2015, 6:39 pm
#159
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Looking for/ getting proper credit for things in the FF information world is a tough one-- no one knows that much better than I.
That said, have to agree, saaveraward posted it here pretty early in the day and the blog canadiankilometers had it earlier than most, but I -think- saaveraward beat them to it here, so, a damn good find!
That said, have to agree, saaveraward posted it here pretty early in the day and the blog canadiankilometers had it earlier than most, but I -think- saaveraward beat them to it here, so, a damn good find!
Oct 19, 2015, 6:52 pm
#160
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,652
<redacted>
Guess I forgot to hit the sarcasm font earlier. I was joking.
Anyway, I responded to a gracious PM from a fellow member by saying, I had a EF alert go off in the middle of the night and made a quick reservation. It was the only seat open in the calendar.
I checked back a couple hours later purely to look around and BOOM, the whole calendar was purple!
Enough of us here check AA for availability on a daily basis so I figured before it went "viral" I'd post and at least try to give FTers some sort or notice before it dried up.
I have no idea who posts what and when on endless travel forums and blogs. I only interact in the communities I'm a part of. I'm sure I wasn't first to the Internet with this. No way I have that good dumb luck.
Guess I forgot to hit the sarcasm font earlier. I was joking.
Anyway, I responded to a gracious PM from a fellow member by saying, I had a EF alert go off in the middle of the night and made a quick reservation. It was the only seat open in the calendar.
I checked back a couple hours later purely to look around and BOOM, the whole calendar was purple!
Enough of us here check AA for availability on a daily basis so I figured before it went "viral" I'd post and at least try to give FTers some sort or notice before it dried up.
I have no idea who posts what and when on endless travel forums and blogs. I only interact in the communities I'm a part of. I'm sure I wasn't first to the Internet with this. No way I have that good dumb luck.
Last edited by JDiver; Oct 28, 2015 at 8:35 am Reason: Redacted previously deleted post content
Oct 19, 2015, 9:22 pm
#162
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM, SPG Plat
Posts: 885
Everyone wins when SFO777 books a First Class flight somewhere. Looking forward to the trip report already!
Oct 19, 2015, 10:17 pm
#163
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 877
I am happy others were able to take advantage of this.
Oct 20, 2015, 6:14 am
#165
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 120
After being frustrated that AA never opened any premium inventory on their new SYDLAX flight I just got 2 first class award tickets on the Qantas SYDDFW nonstop so now I don't feel too bad about not getting on the new AA flight. Thanks to all the advice in this forum!!