AA oneworld & Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (master thd)
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#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, IHG Platinum
Posts: 210

I'm looking for PPT-NRT-HKG in J... can't transit from Asia 1 to Asia 2 right?
Just double checking as AA call center wait time is through the roof right now... thanks!
Just double checking as AA call center wait time is through the roof right now... thanks!
#2
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 9,047
#3
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 36
AA Award Routing Rules on Partner Award
Hi Everyone, please pardon if this question has been asked. I would like to book an award ticket from TYO or HKG back to the US and I live on the west coast but I'm only seeing availability on CX/JL to ORD or JFK or BOS. Is there any scenario where AA would allow me to book an award to LAX/SFO via ORD/JFK if there are no other options to get me to LAX/SFO directly from my international gateway in Asia? Thanks
#4
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: PWM/KBXM/BGR; Work: DCA/DFW/Everywhere; Play: LAS/AUA/MIA/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, mlife Noir, LEYE Gold
Posts: 5,837
Hi Everyone, please pardon if this question has been asked. I would like to book an award ticket from TYO or HKG back to the US and I live on the west coast but I'm only seeing availability on CX/JL to ORD or JFK or BOS. Is there any scenario where AA would allow me to book an award to LAX/SFO via ORD/JFK if there are no other options to get me to LAX/SFO directly from my international gateway in Asia? Thanks
#5
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 13
I had issues with booking a flight with "backtracking" within the US. The agent was super snarky and commented on how I was flying "back halfway across the country" and said that I couldn't book it on one award. She said the final destination was ORD (from NRT) and that any west coast flights would require a new award, even if there were no available flights direct to the west coast city.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 9,047
I had issues with booking a flight with "backtracking" within the US. The agent was super snarky and commented on how I was flying "back halfway across the country" and said that I couldn't book it on one award. She said the final destination was ORD (from NRT) and that any west coast flights would require a new award, even if there were no available flights direct to the west coast city.
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 42,313
It isn't garbage and is in line with AA's rules on awards
For awards with partners, it tends to just use the rules of the governing carrier whilst for itself it seems that it can be more flexible
For LAX-HKG , as an example, CX's most flexible fare is MPM based and permits 8698 miles - LAX-JFK-HKG is 10,547 miles which is < 25% over the MPM , so would suspect that it would be permitted
AA does have award rules including it being a "most direct routing" which LAX-JFK-HKG is definitely not - given the non stop distance is 7260 miles
The only way to know how it will price for certain is to actually call , hold a booking and see what is quoted
For awards with partners, it tends to just use the rules of the governing carrier whilst for itself it seems that it can be more flexible
For LAX-HKG , as an example, CX's most flexible fare is MPM based and permits 8698 miles - LAX-JFK-HKG is 10,547 miles which is < 25% over the MPM , so would suspect that it would be permitted
AA does have award rules including it being a "most direct routing" which LAX-JFK-HKG is definitely not - given the non stop distance is 7260 miles
The only way to know how it will price for certain is to actually call , hold a booking and see what is quoted
#8
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 36
It isn't garbage and is in line with AA's rules on awards
For awards with partners, it tends to just use the rules of the governing carrier whilst for itself it seems that it can be more flexible
For LAX-HKG , as an example, CX's most flexible fare is MPM based and permits 8698 miles - LAX-JFK-HKG is 10,547 miles which is < 25% over the MPM , so would suspect that it would be permitted
AA does have award rules including it being a "most direct routing" which LAX-JFK-HKG is definitely not - given the non stop distance is 7260 miles
The only way to know how it will price for certain is to actually call , hold a booking and see what is quoted
For awards with partners, it tends to just use the rules of the governing carrier whilst for itself it seems that it can be more flexible
For LAX-HKG , as an example, CX's most flexible fare is MPM based and permits 8698 miles - LAX-JFK-HKG is 10,547 miles which is < 25% over the MPM , so would suspect that it would be permitted
AA does have award rules including it being a "most direct routing" which LAX-JFK-HKG is definitely not - given the non stop distance is 7260 miles
The only way to know how it will price for certain is to actually call , hold a booking and see what is quoted
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 42,313
When you phone and make the booking, you will get a price - at that point you will know whether it has been allowed
At this stage it is speculation as to what the system will price it as
It is a routeing which I could see falling eaither side of being 2 awards or 1 award
At this stage it is speculation as to what the system will price it as
It is a routeing which I could see falling eaither side of being 2 awards or 1 award
#10
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 13
HUCA didn't work and the second agent was surprised that the award got broken up into two. SEA->ORD->NRT prices as one award but NRT->ORD->SEA prices as two. She again mentioned "backtracking" as the reason the award was broken up. The supervisor wasn't able to manually price it either. Perhaps it's MPM.
#11
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 9,047
HUCA didn't work and the second agent was surprised that the award got broken up into two. SEA->ORD->NRT prices as one award but NRT->ORD->SEA prices as two. She again mentioned "backtracking" as the reason the award was broken up. The supervisor wasn't able to manually price it either. Perhaps it's MPM.
And If AA were to truly enforce any kind of "most direct routing rule" then 90% of any type of award on AA would suddenly become invalid. It's not a realistic rule at all, which is why pretty much anything goes with AA metal, and with partners it's the published fares/MPM that govern the possible routings.
For the flights in question above, was the ORD-NRT on AA metal or JL? Partners typically have much stricter routing requirements based on their published fares, so SEA-ORD-NRT would be no problem on AA metal, but if using JL metal for the longhaul segment, JL's published fares might require you to connect at LAX/SFO/YVR and thus require 2 awards.
Just a theory, but again nothing to do with "backtracking"

#13
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,514
I was surprised to be offered the following routing for SYD-TUN : routes Australia-Africa-Middle East-Africa as single award
63 Qantas Airways
Depart Sydney, Australia to Tunis, Tunisia
FlightDepartArriveTravel timeAircraftClassSeats
10:55 AMSYD5:00 PMJNB
14h 5m744Business- — —
Stop: Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB)
1364 Qatar Airways1:50 PMJNB11:40 PMDOH
8h 50m77WBusiness- — —
Stop: Doha, Qatar (DOH)
1399 Qatar Airways7:40 AMDOH12:15 PMTUN
6h 35m333Business- — —
Cost summary
Your total
80,000 miles + $119.70
#14
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 2
Hello all,
I am trying to book a trip on Cathay Pacific through AAdvantage. It would route SFO-CAN-SIN-SFO. Appears to have layovers in HKG on all trips. After calling it I was told it would be 92,500 with $130.03 for taxes and fees. I wanted to see if anyone has any insights on getting the trip for cheaper. Thanks!
I am trying to book a trip on Cathay Pacific through AAdvantage. It would route SFO-CAN-SIN-SFO. Appears to have layovers in HKG on all trips. After calling it I was told it would be 92,500 with $130.03 for taxes and fees. I wanted to see if anyone has any insights on getting the trip for cheaper. Thanks!
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 24,611
Hello all,
I am trying to book a trip on Cathay Pacific through AAdvantage. It would route SFO-CAN-SIN-SFO. Appears to have layovers in HKG on all trips. After calling it I was told it would be 92,500 with $130.03 for taxes and fees. I wanted to see if anyone has any insights on getting the trip for cheaper. Thanks!
I am trying to book a trip on Cathay Pacific through AAdvantage. It would route SFO-CAN-SIN-SFO. Appears to have layovers in HKG on all trips. After calling it I was told it would be 92,500 with $130.03 for taxes and fees. I wanted to see if anyone has any insights on getting the trip for cheaper. Thanks!