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Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF)
Note: Older posts have been archived off to this thread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)
Mar 10, 2015, 6:20 pm
#61
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
AA flyers do get J class awards on the route and I'm happy for them. However, I still contend that they are so rare as to make the route effectively useless for J and F. The good news is that Y used to also be hard and now its fairly easy.
Mar 10, 2015, 6:24 pm
#62
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
QF seems to be very good about releasing previously booked space back into the inventory pool.
Cancelled my LAX-MEL flight in F this December and it returned to the award pool immediately. Surprisingly the MEL-AKL connector didn't!
Cancelled my LAX-MEL flight in F this December and it returned to the award pool immediately. Surprisingly the MEL-AKL connector didn't!
Mar 13, 2015, 10:32 am
#64
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Mar 13, 2015, 10:57 am
#65
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163
I wasn't being hopeful TBH, just wondered if I could push it a bit [to squeeze in a short meeting in Canberra]
Thank you for the prompt reply.
Mar 13, 2015, 9:06 pm
#67
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,913
If I get a ticket AUH-SYD-MEL on EY J and QF J respectively and then decided to upgrade the EY segment or change the date will that cost extra fee? Also if I decided to possibly drop or change the time to the SYD-MEL on QF too am I able to do that for free?
Mar 13, 2015, 9:37 pm
#68
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,590
dropping the SYD-MEL on a one way ticket should iirc not have a fee
Apr 4, 2015, 1:22 pm
#69
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ELP
Programs: AAdvantage, Amex MR
Posts: 2,314
Since combining AA and US mileage balances gave me enough for round trip to Australia in first class this morning I looked at the inventory on AA.com just for fun, wasn't expecting anything however sure enough February 2016 I find a first seat available on Qantas.
I am in first from LAX - SYD on an Airbus 380, how exciting! I just wanted to thank all my flyertalk friends, when I first started flying for leasure 4 years ago flying international first never crossed my mind, I actually found this site by a google search because I wanted free domestic flights, sure enough by spending enough time here I got into the miles game, a couple of credit card sign up bonuses and regular flying later and I had enough for this trip.
I am going to Australia in first on Qantas, but coming back home in Business on Hawaiian. Not bad at all, I'll take it just for one way in an airbus 380.
My only real question at this point is about phantom availability. My AA account says the itinerary is ticketed so does that mean I am good? If there was QF availability on AA.com, but no actual availability the itinerary wouldn't ticket right?
I'll give it a day or two then I'll try to select my seats for the QF segments, if I can then I can consider it good. Looks like I will have to call AA for my Qantas locator as I don't see it anywhere on my itinerary. Same for Hawaiian.
Can't wait, first class on a 15 hour flight on an A380 is going to be an incredible experience.
^
I am in first from LAX - SYD on an Airbus 380, how exciting! I just wanted to thank all my flyertalk friends, when I first started flying for leasure 4 years ago flying international first never crossed my mind, I actually found this site by a google search because I wanted free domestic flights, sure enough by spending enough time here I got into the miles game, a couple of credit card sign up bonuses and regular flying later and I had enough for this trip.
I am going to Australia in first on Qantas, but coming back home in Business on Hawaiian. Not bad at all, I'll take it just for one way in an airbus 380.
My only real question at this point is about phantom availability. My AA account says the itinerary is ticketed so does that mean I am good? If there was QF availability on AA.com, but no actual availability the itinerary wouldn't ticket right?
I'll give it a day or two then I'll try to select my seats for the QF segments, if I can then I can consider it good. Looks like I will have to call AA for my Qantas locator as I don't see it anywhere on my itinerary. Same for Hawaiian.
Can't wait, first class on a 15 hour flight on an A380 is going to be an incredible experience.
^
Apr 4, 2015, 1:27 pm
#70
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,590
Are you able to view a receipt ? if so , it should have a ticket number in it - if the itinerary is ticketed, then there is nothing to worry about ; just get the Qantas reference and will be able to select seats
Apr 5, 2015, 4:04 pm
#72
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP...couple hotels and cars too
Posts: 4,548
Looking at QF releasing F space DFW or LAX to SYD it seems they only release ONE seat on most flights...once a week a pair out of DFW. This is monitoring seats at day of release. It isnt like there are 2 seats, and someone takes one.
The prevailing wisdom is "seats will show up if someone releases theirs" but with 1/15 seats released as an award, that would mean 'never' if you need 2.
Sigh. 98% of you know where Im at on this little quest, eh?
The prevailing wisdom is "seats will show up if someone releases theirs" but with 1/15 seats released as an award, that would mean 'never' if you need 2.
Sigh. 98% of you know where Im at on this little quest, eh?
Last edited by Exec_Plat; Apr 15, 2015 at 4:14 pm Reason: Time sensitive request- past time now
Apr 5, 2015, 8:26 pm
#74
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
Award tickets in DXB do indeed. I booked DXB-SYD-CHC last month and was able to book limo service at both DXB and CHC immediately afterwards. Should be true for the reverse as well.
Apr 5, 2015, 9:21 pm
#75
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,887