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Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF)
Note: Older posts have been archived off to this thread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)
Jan 20, 2016, 9:47 am
#421
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Thanks to this message board I was able to book a rt flight to Australia last night for only 67,500 miles (it was 75,000 but I got 10% with the credit card)! Plus about $102 in taxes of course. DCA-DFW-SYD, then MEL-LAX-DCA in September. All in economy (I'm short so I don't mind). It's AA from DCA-DFW, then Quantas from DFW to SYD, and also from MEL to LAX. Weirdly I was put on Alaska from LAX to DCA.
My question is about seat assignments on Quantas. Do I really have to pay $30 per seat? It looks like I have "requested" seats but they are not guaranteed. Weird.
Unlike some others above, my booking was confirmed within about 30 mins. I even logged onto the Quantas site using my AA confirmation number and everything shows up.
I have never left North America before so I am excited for this trip.
My question is about seat assignments on Quantas. Do I really have to pay $30 per seat? It looks like I have "requested" seats but they are not guaranteed. Weird.
Unlike some others above, my booking was confirmed within about 30 mins. I even logged onto the Quantas site using my AA confirmation number and everything shows up.
I have never left North America before so I am excited for this trip.
And for Australia, you need an ETA.
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/visa-...lia-21082.html
Jan 20, 2016, 12:20 pm
#423
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP (LT Plat 2MM), Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat75, UA1K
Posts: 1,248
Starting to get a little worried. Reserved two F Awards DXB-SYD on Saturday, 1/16. Called in for ticketing on Monday, 1/18 - credit card accepted and told we are all set. Flights still show "On Request" - just worried that this may have been phantom availability in AA's system (but I did see them in EF as well). My last QF redemption ticketed almost immediately. Any idea when I should expect this to actually ticket (we are traveling in May 2016)?
Jan 20, 2016, 12:22 pm
#424
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: AA Ex Plt
Posts: 474
If you have them in the record and they didn't fall off shortly after, they're not phantom inventory and they're not being affected by the IT issue. I've had Qantas tickets take upwards of 5 days to book. I wouldn't be worried about it taking a few days.
Jan 20, 2016, 12:23 pm
#425
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
Starting to get a little worried. Reserved two F Awards DXB-SYD on Saturday, 1/16. Called in for ticketing on Monday, 1/18 - credit card accepted and told we are all set. Flights still show "On Request" - just worried that this may have been phantom availability in AA's system (but I did see them in EF as well). My last QF redemption ticketed almost immediately. Any idea when I should expect this to actually ticket (we are traveling in May 2016)?
Jan 20, 2016, 1:24 pm
#426
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AAdvantage, SPG, MileagePlus
Posts: 58
Qantas only flies to SYD from SFO, so any other destination in Australia would require a connection from SYD onward. Yes, you can add the extra segments from SYD onward (or inbound to SYD before going to SFO) at no extra cost. But your main problem is still no space on the SYD - SFO segment.
Jan 20, 2016, 4:08 pm
#428
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,966
I did SFO-AKL-SYD. Ask them to search segment by segment and also if you are willing to fly econ for the short hops it helps a lot. You can always get into business if/when that opens up (same miles).
Jan 21, 2016, 1:20 am
#429
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
I don't have status with AA so changes to awards will probably cost like $150?
Jan 21, 2016, 1:51 am
#430
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,966
No. You are paying business class miles so no change fee for just changing the Econ leg to business if and when it opens up. You can also change dates without a fee as long as you don't change the routing.
Jan 21, 2016, 3:26 am
#431
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Free agent
Posts: 315
Jan 21, 2016, 3:13 pm
#432
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Certain changes in carriers on a ticketed award can trigger fees-- only carrier changes within/among AA/OneWorld are "published" (or as close as we get) sure fee-free.
Jan 22, 2016, 10:54 am
#433
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP (LT Plat 2MM), Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat75, UA1K
Posts: 1,248
Called yesterday evening as my DXB-SYD-BNE award hadn't ticketed and the hold was expiring yesterday (1/21). Felt bad calling when I knew all heck was breaking loose do to the storm. Got an AAGent who said there was an issue with the credit card number and they had to reenter it. Once we did that, she said it was in the queue to be ticketed and to give it a couple of days (Of course, that's what the agent said on Monday). I see that the reservation shows as "Held" and will now cross my fingers and hope this goes through.
Jan 22, 2016, 9:48 pm
#434
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,228
I was looking at changing a booking on QF to another day. Availability is showing on qantas.com.
When I phoned, the agent said the system is acting very strangely and not even showing her QF flights at all, let alone whether there is availability. She said she was trying another system. Then when that didn't work, she contacted another department and after a while came back and said there is a problem with communication from QF and that she had been advised to tell me to call back in a few days! (But she suggesting not waiting that long.)
When I phoned, the agent said the system is acting very strangely and not even showing her QF flights at all, let alone whether there is availability. She said she was trying another system. Then when that didn't work, she contacted another department and after a while came back and said there is a problem with communication from QF and that she had been advised to tell me to call back in a few days! (But she suggesting not waiting that long.)
Jan 23, 2016, 9:19 am
#435
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP (LT Plat 2MM), Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat75, UA1K
Posts: 1,248
Finally Ticketed!
Well, after calling in Thursday and getting CC information updated, tickets processed yesterday, confirmations with ticket #'s arrived and miles pulled from account. Now just need "U" class to open up on our SYD-BNE flight. Odd that the entire bank of flights from 7:05am-12:05pm are unavailable in J but anything earlier or later are available. I think we can slum it in Y on the hop up to BNE (we are on the A332 flight versus the 73H flights).