Nov 19, 2013, 3:20 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Covid-19 Update:
For further information on AA awards see:
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Help, Assistance & Discussion
and
AA oneworld and Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (2015 on)
N.B. Upgrades on QR book into fares not granted EQD/EQM by AA. If you're upgraded on QR, be prepared for pushback from some AA agents. You may have to submit a formal request with accompanying documentation reflecting you purchased an eligible fare class.
NOTE:AA has removed most EY and QR award access from aa.com due to a glitch booking these:
If you experience difficulties with the AA reservations system, you may be able to book by calling AA Australia (+61 2-9101-1948 ) then press 4 - or the New Zealand number (+64 09-308-4014) as an alternative - although the call center is actually in Suva, Fiji (South African agency Mindpearl) - as they can often see the inventory more reliably, and you can book.
NOTE: USA Canada travel on QR will earn EQ miles etc. in accordance with the fare class purchased.
Links:
Link to AA.com Qatar miles earning etc.
AA miles earning on QR changed 1 May 2016 (Link):
Minimum miles guarantee applies.
Checking QR award availability:
You can check QR availability on AA's site, BA's site, QF's site, www.awardnexus.com (which pulls from BA and/or QF), or the KVS tool. (A certain number of searches are free to FlyerTalk members at AwardNexus; click the "more signup options" link under the green Purchase button to sign up as a FlyerTalk member.)
When checking QR award availability, you have to check each segment individually. Both BA and QF can generate very misleading information if you try to check QR award availability all the way through [xxx-(DOH)-yyy] in one step. Be aware AA can only book 330 days out, even if you see availability farther out.
Awards on QR may not be visible to AA agents if a multi-segment itinerary is requested; broken into individual segments will generally reveal availability, however.
As well, AA Australia or New Zealand (actually MindPearl in Fiji) can often see and book AA awards on QR US-based ones might not be able to.
From danger: For AA awards, Economy is X, Business is U, First is Z. NOTE: Those with Z (First) awards may see "Z (Business Class)" shown on the QR website; this is a known glitch.
As well, QR sells intra gulf two class service as First and Economy, as AA does domestically. This can cause some issues with a Business flight including a Gulf "First" flight potentially incurring an F award redemption.
From hotelmotel: "Got my QR PNR from AA. Popped over to QR and selected seats." (AAdvantage award.)
Days of the week: To/from the USA, especially in business class, Qatar often only offers awards seats for Mon..Thu departures, not Fri..Sun departures. So makes sure you check different parts of the week, and not just always weekends (if you're not finding anything on weekends).
NOTE: At DOH / Hamad International Airport, lounges as follows:
Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge (not a oneworld lounge): only accessible to those flying First Class on Qatar or oneworld airlines and QRPC Platniums flying in ticketed Business (not oneworld Emeralds flying other lower classes of service)
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge (not a oneworld lounge): only accessible to those flying Business Class on Qatar or oneworld (not oneworld Sapphire flying lower classes of service)
Oryx Lounge: Third party lounge.
Qatar Airways HIA First Class Lounge (oneworld lounge): First Class ticketed customers, Emerald members, as well as their accompanying guests, travelling on Qatar Airways and other oneworld member flights.
Qatar Airways HIA Business Class Lounge (oneworld lounge): First and Business Class ticketed customers, Emerald and Sapphire members, as well as their accompanying guests, travelling on Qatar Airways and other oneworld member flights.
Arrivals Lounges (not oneworld lounges): only accessible to those arriving in First or Business Class on Qatar Airways (not oneworld Sapphire flying other oneworld airlines or other classes of service)
See FT: QR Lounges at HIA
Selecting Qatar Airways Seats
If you want to assign a seat after booking an award, you should first try the Qatar website or app. If you experience issues, please try a partner site like Royal Jordanian, Malaysia Airlines, or Sri-Lankan. You can also reach out to the QR Twitter team to fix your record in order to be able to select seats on their own site.
- Sapphire+ status pax are temporarily allowed to use the Al Mourjan Business Lounge
- Only tickets issued on QR 157 stock are eligible for the Extending Our Commitment (EOC) rebooking policy
For further information on AA awards see:
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Help, Assistance & Discussion
and
AA oneworld and Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (2015 on)
N.B. Upgrades on QR book into fares not granted EQD/EQM by AA. If you're upgraded on QR, be prepared for pushback from some AA agents. You may have to submit a formal request with accompanying documentation reflecting you purchased an eligible fare class.
NOTE:AA has removed most EY and QR award access from aa.com due to a glitch booking these:
From One Mile at a Time (link)
Bottom Line
For the time being you’ll have to call American if you want to ticket AAdvantage awards on Etihad & Qatar that aren’t for travel to & from the US or Canada. It makes sense that American took these awards “offline,” and now it also makes sense why so many passengers have been having issues with checked bags on awards.
Bottom Line
For the time being you’ll have to call American if you want to ticket AAdvantage awards on Etihad & Qatar that aren’t for travel to & from the US or Canada. It makes sense that American took these awards “offline,” and now it also makes sense why so many passengers have been having issues with checked bags on awards.
NOTE: USA Canada travel on QR will earn EQ miles etc. in accordance with the fare class purchased.
Links:
Link to AA.com Qatar miles earning etc.
AA miles earning on QR changed 1 May 2016 (Link):
Minimum miles guarantee applies.
Checking QR award availability:
You can check QR availability on AA's site, BA's site, QF's site, www.awardnexus.com (which pulls from BA and/or QF), or the KVS tool. (A certain number of searches are free to FlyerTalk members at AwardNexus; click the "more signup options" link under the green Purchase button to sign up as a FlyerTalk member.)
When checking QR award availability, you have to check each segment individually. Both BA and QF can generate very misleading information if you try to check QR award availability all the way through [xxx-(DOH)-yyy] in one step. Be aware AA can only book 330 days out, even if you see availability farther out.
Awards on QR may not be visible to AA agents if a multi-segment itinerary is requested; broken into individual segments will generally reveal availability, however.
As well, AA Australia or New Zealand (actually MindPearl in Fiji) can often see and book AA awards on QR US-based ones might not be able to.
From danger: For AA awards, Economy is X, Business is U, First is Z. NOTE: Those with Z (First) awards may see "Z (Business Class)" shown on the QR website; this is a known glitch.
As well, QR sells intra gulf two class service as First and Economy, as AA does domestically. This can cause some issues with a Business flight including a Gulf "First" flight potentially incurring an F award redemption.
From hotelmotel: "Got my QR PNR from AA. Popped over to QR and selected seats." (AAdvantage award.)
Days of the week: To/from the USA, especially in business class, Qatar often only offers awards seats for Mon..Thu departures, not Fri..Sun departures. So makes sure you check different parts of the week, and not just always weekends (if you're not finding anything on weekends).
NOTE: At DOH / Hamad International Airport, lounges as follows:
Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge (not a oneworld lounge): only accessible to those flying First Class on Qatar or oneworld airlines and QRPC Platniums flying in ticketed Business (not oneworld Emeralds flying other lower classes of service)
Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge (not a oneworld lounge): only accessible to those flying Business Class on Qatar or oneworld (not oneworld Sapphire flying lower classes of service)
Oryx Lounge: Third party lounge.
Qatar Airways HIA First Class Lounge (oneworld lounge): First Class ticketed customers, Emerald members, as well as their accompanying guests, travelling on Qatar Airways and other oneworld member flights.
Qatar Airways HIA Business Class Lounge (oneworld lounge): First and Business Class ticketed customers, Emerald and Sapphire members, as well as their accompanying guests, travelling on Qatar Airways and other oneworld member flights.
Arrivals Lounges (not oneworld lounges): only accessible to those arriving in First or Business Class on Qatar Airways (not oneworld Sapphire flying other oneworld airlines or other classes of service)
See FT: QR Lounges at HIA
Selecting Qatar Airways Seats
If you want to assign a seat after booking an award, you should first try the Qatar website or app. If you experience issues, please try a partner site like Royal Jordanian, Malaysia Airlines, or Sri-Lankan. You can also reach out to the QR Twitter team to fix your record in order to be able to select seats on their own site.
Qatar Airways / QR: Redeem AA Miles for Award (master thd)
Feb 14, 2020, 8:41 pm
#1141
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1
Possible AA award rule change for Indian subcontinent to middle east
I tried to book a qr award from Karachi Pakistan (KHI) to mle on qatar via middle east. I was not able to do so online as one award. I called 2 phone agents could not either. The second phone agent told me that Pakistan is region asia and mle is Pacific region (whatever the name of.the one with Philippines in it) so can't route via third region (middle east). I tired with ktm Nepal as well, same thing. Either Pakistan and Nepal are now an Asia 1 or 2 tendon
region or that splitting of middle east and Indian subcontinent has had a negative change.
region or that splitting of middle east and Indian subcontinent has had a negative change.
Feb 14, 2020, 11:38 pm
#1142
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
I tried to book a qr award from Karachi Pakistan (KHI) to mle on qatar via middle east. I was not able to do so online as one award. I called 2 phone agents could not either. The second phone agent told me that Pakistan is region asia and mle is Pacific region (whatever the name of.the one with Philippines in it) so can't route via third region (middle east). I tired with ktm Nepal as well, same thing. Either Pakistan and Nepal are now an Asia 1 or 2 tendon
region or that splitting of middle east and Indian subcontinent has had a negative change.
region or that splitting of middle east and Indian subcontinent has had a negative change.
Travel within a single region doesn't permit travel via a 3rd region , so maybe AA is properly now treating them as separate regions or maybe it was married segment availability and that KHI-MLE via DOH was not available even though KHI-DOH and DOH-MLE were available individually
Feb 15, 2020, 12:04 am
#1143
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
If you want an award trip priced to be within one region (Indian Subcontinent), you may not transit through a different region. Based on your examples, it does not look like anything has changed. KHI, MLE, KTM should all be in the same region.
Feb 15, 2020, 4:27 pm
#1144
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
It's so irritating that QR keeps you on hold for hours and hours, repeatedly blaring a commercial in effect berating you for calling when you could just do whatever you want online -- "It couldn't be simpler!" They really think we'd spend hours listening to that if we could do it online? I wouldn't mind the wait nearly as much if it was silent or had soft music, because I could get work done while waiting.
Feb 25, 2020, 8:18 am
#1145
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 159
2 questions:
1) Is it like Etihad where you have to call a foreign ticket office for them to see QR space because the US agents cant see it?
2) Can you route North america-Europe-DOH-MAL? Based on my interpretation, you can do North America-Europe-DOH, or North America-Europe-MAL but not connect in both even if thats the only way award space could work right?
1) Is it like Etihad where you have to call a foreign ticket office for them to see QR space because the US agents cant see it?
2) Can you route North america-Europe-DOH-MAL? Based on my interpretation, you can do North America-Europe-DOH, or North America-Europe-MAL but not connect in both even if thats the only way award space could work right?
Feb 25, 2020, 10:04 am
#1146
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,495
2 questions:
1) Is it like Etihad where you have to call a foreign ticket office for them to see QR space because the US agents cant see it?
2) Can you route North america-Europe-DOH-MAL? Based on my interpretation, you can do North America-Europe-DOH, or North America-Europe-MAL but not connect in both even if thats the only way award space could work right?
1) Is it like Etihad where you have to call a foreign ticket office for them to see QR space because the US agents cant see it?
2) Can you route North america-Europe-DOH-MAL? Based on my interpretation, you can do North America-Europe-DOH, or North America-Europe-MAL but not connect in both even if thats the only way award space could work right?
So if you are searching USA to MAL on aa.com, you will never see QR awards as available (even if space is there) because it will cost multiple awards.
However, you can book these at aa.com using multi-city and get everything on the same ticket/PNR, it will just cost 2 awards. So at aa.com using multi city, search USA-DOH + DOH-MAL.
Since its multiple awards anyways, you can connect in both Europe and DOH if you want/need to.
Feb 25, 2020, 10:54 am
#1147
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 159
MAL is in Asia 2. You cannot fly North America to Asia via the Middle East (or Europe) on a single award.
So if you are searching USA to MAL on aa.com, you will never see QR awards as available (even if space is there) because it will cost multiple awards.
However, you can book these at aa.com using multi-city and get everything on the same ticket/PNR, it will just cost 2 awards. So at aa.com using multi city, search USA-DOH + DOH-MAL.
Since its multiple awards anyways, you can connect in both Europe and DOH if you want/need to.
So if you are searching USA to MAL on aa.com, you will never see QR awards as available (even if space is there) because it will cost multiple awards.
However, you can book these at aa.com using multi-city and get everything on the same ticket/PNR, it will just cost 2 awards. So at aa.com using multi city, search USA-DOH + DOH-MAL.
Since its multiple awards anyways, you can connect in both Europe and DOH if you want/need to.
Feb 25, 2020, 11:34 am
#1149
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,495
Feb 25, 2020, 1:01 pm
#1150
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 159
Feb 25, 2020, 4:38 pm
#1151
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
Feb 25, 2020, 5:51 pm
#1152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,495
So US-Europe-DOH-MLE is not possible as a single award, but US-DOH-MLE is fine, as is US-Europe-MLE.
Feb 25, 2020, 6:59 pm
#1153
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
Good to know about this new rule as I wasn't aware of it. When did it go into effect? I haven't searched such awards on AA in awhile but I recall seeing quite a few options that were US-LHR-DOH/AUH-MLE with both QR and EY back when I was looking. I did a test search for next January and can see that no such routings are being offered anymore.
Feb 25, 2020, 7:27 pm
#1154
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,268
Good to know about this new rule as I wasn't aware of it. When did it go into effect? I haven't searched such awards on AA in awhile but I recall seeing quite a few options that were US-LHR-DOH/AUH-MLE with both QR and EY back when I was looking. I did a test search for next January and can see that no such routings are being offered anymore.