Jul 4, 2014, 8:35 pm
Last edit by: Mwenenzi
oneworld nonstop flights between USA and Australia are operated by American Airlines / AA and Qantas / QF. US gateways include DFW, JFK, LAX, SFO. Australia gateways include BNE, MEL, SYD.
Alternatives include using Hawaiian / HA from HNL, Fiji Airways / FJ from Los Angeles / LAX or SFO via NAN or Air Tahiti Nui / TN via PPT. (QF codeshares on Jetstar are no longer bookable as AA awards). You must route direct or South Pacific; awards via Asia, or transatlantic require two awards. Premium Economy services may not be booked with AAdvantage miles yet.
Awards using HA / Hawaiian Airlines require two awards, and one may not use HA between the mainland and Hawaii.
Only MileSAAver Awards are available on AA partners.
The usual award rules regarding Maximum Permitted Miles (MPM) and unconstructed origin-destination routings sold by the prevailing carrier apply.
Qantas releases awards ~355 days out; AA can not book anything beyond 331 days out. Qantas awards are challenging to secure. AA MileSAAver flights seem to be scarce on the LAX-SYD routing, even when aircraft go out with empty seats. AAnytime awards can be used on AA, but dynamic pricing may see those for as much as 225,000 miles one way in First.
Note: there are fees involved in award changes from oneworld airlines to non-oneworld partners or vice versa.
See here for current AA redemption charts.
Threads that can help include:
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Assistance & Discussion (consolidated) (you must use MileSAAver awards on partners; AAnytime wards may only be used on AA.)
AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF) (consolidated)
AAdvantage Miles Awards: TN / Air Tahiti Nui award redemptions
FJ / Fiji Airways (ex-Air Pacific) and AA, awards, etc. (consolidated)
Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AAdvantage miles awards to / from Australia (consolidated)
Edit (post pandemic list at 06 Aug 2022 by Mwenenzi)
Member Mwenenzi posted
Alternatives include using Hawaiian / HA from HNL, Fiji Airways / FJ from Los Angeles / LAX or SFO via NAN or Air Tahiti Nui / TN via PPT. (QF codeshares on Jetstar are no longer bookable as AA awards). You must route direct or South Pacific; awards via Asia, or transatlantic require two awards. Premium Economy services may not be booked with AAdvantage miles yet.
Awards using HA / Hawaiian Airlines require two awards, and one may not use HA between the mainland and Hawaii.
Only MileSAAver Awards are available on AA partners.
The usual award rules regarding Maximum Permitted Miles (MPM) and unconstructed origin-destination routings sold by the prevailing carrier apply.
Qantas releases awards ~355 days out; AA can not book anything beyond 331 days out. Qantas awards are challenging to secure. AA MileSAAver flights seem to be scarce on the LAX-SYD routing, even when aircraft go out with empty seats. AAnytime awards can be used on AA, but dynamic pricing may see those for as much as 225,000 miles one way in First.
Note: there are fees involved in award changes from oneworld airlines to non-oneworld partners or vice versa.
See here for current AA redemption charts.
Threads that can help include:
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Assistance & Discussion (consolidated) (you must use MileSAAver awards on partners; AAnytime wards may only be used on AA.)
AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF) (consolidated)
AAdvantage Miles Awards: TN / Air Tahiti Nui award redemptions
FJ / Fiji Airways (ex-Air Pacific) and AA, awards, etc. (consolidated)
Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AAdvantage miles awards to / from Australia (consolidated)
Edit (post pandemic list at 06 Aug 2022 by Mwenenzi)
Airlines that fly USA/Canada to/from Australia. Following the pandemic, routes are being restabilised and some new routes. Schedules can change. Route restart dates subject to change.
Following the pandemic routes are being restabilised and with some new routes. Schedules can change. Route restart dates subject to change
- Air Canada AC YVR – SYD BNE. [Star Alliance] .
- Air New Zealand NZ LAX SFO IAH YVR via AKL. [Star Alliance]
- Air Tahiti Nui TN LAX – via Tahiti & AKL. Last segments on QF codeshares. (AA & DL partner)
- American Airlines AA LAX-SYD due to restart 29 Oct 2022 [OneWorld Alliance]
- Delta DL LAX – SYD. [Skyteam Alliance]
- Fiji Airways FJ LAX SFO HNL – BNE SYD MEL via NAN Fiji. (OneWorld Alliance connect. QF AA & AS partner)
- Hawaiian HA HNL – SYD. Pre CV19 also used to fly to BNE (AA & VA partner)
- Jetstar JQ HNL – SYD. Pre CV19 also used to fly to/from BNE & MEL.
- Qantas QF SYD - LAX DFW HNL YVR*; BNE - LAX ; MEL- LAX. {* seasonal}. MEL-DFW due to start 02 Dec 2022 (new route). SYD – SFO due to restart 30 Oct 2022. Pre CV19 also had SYD-SFO & SYD-JFK(via LAX). [OneWorld Alliance]
- United UA MEL-SFO, SYD-LAX SFO. BNE-SFO from 31 Oct 2022 (new route). MEL-LAX and SYD-IAH due to restart 30 Oct 2022. [Star Alliance]. (VA partner)
- and others via Asia & Middle East
Following the pandemic routes are being restabilised and with some new routes. Schedules can change. Route restart dates subject to change
- American Airlines AA . DFW-AKL due to start 29 Oct 2022 to 25 Mar 2023(new route) LAX-AKL due to restart unknow. AA was to fly LAX-CHC 3 days a week from Oct 2020. [Oneworld Alliance]
- Air Canada AC YVR – AKL Due to restart 12 Nov 2022 [Star Alliance]
- Air New Zealand NZ LAX SFO IAH YVR – AKL. Pre CV19 also had ORD. [Star Alliance]
- Air Tahiti Nui TN LAX - AKL via Tahiti (AA & DL partner)
- Fiji Airways FJ LAX SFO HNL - AKL via NAN Fiji Pre CV19 used to fly to WLG CHC. (QF AA & AS partner).
- Hawaiian HA HNL – AKL (AA & VA partner)
- Qantas QF LAX SFO DFW JFK HNL YVR* via SYD BNE & MEL. {* seasonal} [Oneworld Alliance])
- United UA SFO – AKL [Star Alliance]
- And others via Australia, Asia & Middle East
Member Mwenenzi posted
Mxflyer Welcome to FT
Many threads on this topic.
USA <---->Australia business class awards are one of the hardest to get. An award in ~6 to 8 weeks time (short notice) even harder. 2 people on the same flight harder again.
Hard but may not be impossible. At times availability can increase close in.
What ffp's are you currently a signed up member of?
If you look only at LAX SYD you are restricting your options a lot, and then some. Look at SFO, IAH & DFW and BNE MEL. BNE can have better availability than other airports. Domestic USA & Australia flights as needed
Via Asia is the other option, but would be 2 awards. BKK, HKG, TPE, SIN, NRT, HND and others. Due to political unrest some HKG flights have low loads
They do not need to fly the same airline/ffp/routes/airports out & back. Look for one ways.
AA ff miles cannot be used to upgrade QF flights. Anyway upgrades, with any airline on the USA Aust routes are hard.
Airlines that fly USA/Canada to/from Australia
Edit
List deleted due to out of date post Covid-19 pandemic (see above)
AA & UA also fly LAX-AKL. Then a 3:30hr flight across to Aust.
Via Fiji or on TN can work
AA forum
Consider these Award booking services - a list and some reviews
Credit card transfer links
Many threads on this topic.
USA <---->Australia business class awards are one of the hardest to get. An award in ~6 to 8 weeks time (short notice) even harder. 2 people on the same flight harder again.
Hard but may not be impossible. At times availability can increase close in.
What ffp's are you currently a signed up member of?
If you look only at LAX SYD you are restricting your options a lot, and then some. Look at SFO, IAH & DFW and BNE MEL. BNE can have better availability than other airports. Domestic USA & Australia flights as needed
Via Asia is the other option, but would be 2 awards. BKK, HKG, TPE, SIN, NRT, HND and others. Due to political unrest some HKG flights have low loads
They do not need to fly the same airline/ffp/routes/airports out & back. Look for one ways.
AA ff miles cannot be used to upgrade QF flights. Anyway upgrades, with any airline on the USA Aust routes are hard.
Airlines that fly USA/Canada to/from Australia
Edit
List deleted due to out of date post Covid-19 pandemic (see above)
AA & UA also fly LAX-AKL. Then a 3:30hr flight across to Aust.
Via Fiji or on TN can work
AA forum
- Australia New Zealand---->AAdvantage award to / from Australia, New Zealand (master thread)
- FJ---->FJ / Fiji Airways (ex-Air Pacific) and AA, miles, awards, etc. (consolidated)
- HA---> Earning and Redeeming AA Miles on HA / Hawaiian Airlines (master thread)
- JL---> AAdvantage Award using JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)
- QF---> AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF) & related (consolidated)
- TN ----> AA Miles Award: TN / Air Tahiti Nui award redemptions (master thread)
Consider these Award booking services - a list and some reviews
Credit card transfer links
- Credit, Debit and Prepaid Card Programs forum
- Amex MR Transfer Membership Rewards points to which airline or hotel program?
- Chase UR Ultimate Rewards - Airline and Hotel Transfer Partners, Rules, Timeline, etc (2017)
- Chase UR Ultimate Rewards - Which airline/hotel should I transfer points to?
- Citi TYP Citi ThankYou Points (TYPs): airline transfer partners
AA MileSAAver award to / from Australia, New Zealand (master thread)
May 28, 2018, 8:28 pm
#601
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 1,452
You're right, it seems they have expanded it. Details: https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlin...rade/global/en
May 28, 2018, 11:37 pm
#602
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: PDX
Programs: AS DL
Posts: 9,038
Was I lucky or what?
About 10 years ago, I got a J award on QF LAX-SYD. Close to the return, I wanted to come back a day early (should have stayed) and was able to change it. Is that a rarity (QF J seats) nowadays?
About 10 years ago, I got a J award on QF LAX-SYD. Close to the return, I wanted to come back a day early (should have stayed) and was able to change it. Is that a rarity (QF J seats) nowadays?
May 28, 2018, 11:57 pm
#603
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 1,452
During the recession it was easier. Around that time I was about 80% on Qantas trans-Pacific op-ups over a year including one flight with a Y->J->F op-up. I'm not sure that seat availability is much worse now than it was before say 2006, but a lot of factors have changed (route map, domestic booking class, stopover rules, number of J seats since premium economy was introduced, elimination of F on most sectors, etc.)
May 29, 2018, 3:57 am
#604
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Here today, gone tomorrow
Programs: Nothing shiny :-(
Posts: 2,493
May 29, 2018, 5:56 am
#605
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Jun 10, 2018, 10:38 pm
#607
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
TPAC and New Zealand redemptions
Surprisingly, I see QF J saver award availability for LAX-SYD in January outbound and one SYD-LAX in mid February.
But routing through SYD with a real long layover both ways result in 32 and 40 hour trips at a minimum, outbound and return from SFO/SJC.
Just brutal trip duration both ways. I suppose you can have layover in SYD both ways to make it more tolerable? I think the longest one-way trip I've endured is around 25 hours for going to SYD and back on an AA award.
Are there any other options to New Zealand using AA miles on OW or other AA partners?
I also tried SFO-BKK in January as well. No J or F savers at all but the Y savers had similarly long trip, 35 hours outbound with a long layover in HKG. I know CX is an option but I guess aa.com doesn't show CX availability at all? So would CX's site show availability that AA miles holders can access and redeem?
There are attractive miles offers from Citi but it seems pretty hard to redeem unless one can really endure long layovers in both directions after a TPAC segment.
I wouldn't mind stopovers in either SYD or HKG (though I've been to both several times and these are not the cheapest places for hotels, even for a few nights) but I thought they eliminated that benefit.
But routing through SYD with a real long layover both ways result in 32 and 40 hour trips at a minimum, outbound and return from SFO/SJC.
Just brutal trip duration both ways. I suppose you can have layover in SYD both ways to make it more tolerable? I think the longest one-way trip I've endured is around 25 hours for going to SYD and back on an AA award.
Are there any other options to New Zealand using AA miles on OW or other AA partners?
I also tried SFO-BKK in January as well. No J or F savers at all but the Y savers had similarly long trip, 35 hours outbound with a long layover in HKG. I know CX is an option but I guess aa.com doesn't show CX availability at all? So would CX's site show availability that AA miles holders can access and redeem?
There are attractive miles offers from Citi but it seems pretty hard to redeem unless one can really endure long layovers in both directions after a TPAC segment.
I wouldn't mind stopovers in either SYD or HKG (though I've been to both several times and these are not the cheapest places for hotels, even for a few nights) but I thought they eliminated that benefit.
Jun 11, 2018, 2:06 am
#608
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 1,452
Are there any other options to New Zealand using AA miles on OW or other AA partners?
AA LAX-AKL, TN LAX-PPT-AKL, FJ LAX/SFO-NAN-AKL, ...
I know CX is an option but I guess aa.com doesn't show CX availability at all?
I wouldn't mind stopovers in either SYD or HKG (though I've been to both several times and these are not the cheapest places for hotels, even for a few nights) but I thought they eliminated that benefit.
Jun 11, 2018, 2:11 am
#609
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,030
Surprisingly, I see QF J saver award availability for LAX-SYD in January outbound and one SYD-LAX in mid February.
But routing through SYD with a real long layover both ways result in 32 and 40 hour trips at a minimum, outbound and return from SFO/SJC.
Just brutal trip duration both ways. I suppose you can have layover in SYD both ways to make it more tolerable? I think the longest one-way trip I've endured is around 25 hours for going to SYD and back on an AA award.
Are there any other options to New Zealand using AA miles on OW or other AA partners?
<snip>
I wouldn't mind stopovers in either SYD or HKG (though I've been to both several times and these are not the cheapest places for hotels, even for a few nights) but I thought they eliminated that benefit.
But routing through SYD with a real long layover both ways result in 32 and 40 hour trips at a minimum, outbound and return from SFO/SJC.
Just brutal trip duration both ways. I suppose you can have layover in SYD both ways to make it more tolerable? I think the longest one-way trip I've endured is around 25 hours for going to SYD and back on an AA award.
Are there any other options to New Zealand using AA miles on OW or other AA partners?
<snip>
I wouldn't mind stopovers in either SYD or HKG (though I've been to both several times and these are not the cheapest places for hotels, even for a few nights) but I thought they eliminated that benefit.
AA does not allow stopovers (+24hrs) on awards.
Dedicated AA threads on AA awards to Au-NZ
AAdvantage award to / from Australia, New Zealand (master thread)
AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF) & related (consolidated)
FJ FJ / Fiji Airways (ex-Air Pacific) and AA, miles, awards, etc. (consolidated)
TN AA Miles Award: TN / Air Tahiti Nui award redemptions (master thread)
And FJ NAN-WLG/CHC (not many flights per week)
Can help when AKL is not available. (who would want to Auckland anyway!!!)
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jun 11, 2018 at 2:22 am
Jun 11, 2018, 6:26 am
#610
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Surprisingly, I see QF J saver award availability for LAX-SYD in January outbound and one SYD-LAX in mid February.
But routing through SYD with a real long layover both ways result in 32 and 40 hour trips at a minimum, outbound and return from SFO/SJC.
I also tried SFO-BKK in January as well. No J or F savers at all but the Y savers had similarly long trip, 35 hours outbound with a long layover in HKG. I know CX is an option but I guess aa.com doesn't show CX availability at all? So would CX's site show availability that AA miles holders can access and redeem?
There are attractive miles offers from Citi but it seems pretty hard to redeem unless one can really endure long layovers in both directions after a TPAC segment.
But routing through SYD with a real long layover both ways result in 32 and 40 hour trips at a minimum, outbound and return from SFO/SJC.
I also tried SFO-BKK in January as well. No J or F savers at all but the Y savers had similarly long trip, 35 hours outbound with a long layover in HKG. I know CX is an option but I guess aa.com doesn't show CX availability at all? So would CX's site show availability that AA miles holders can access and redeem?
There are attractive miles offers from Citi but it seems pretty hard to redeem unless one can really endure long layovers in both directions after a TPAC segment.
If you've successfully found a round trip award in QF business then I'd be thrilled, forget about a long connection. Many other members here would probably kill for that award space
.That said, you have verified that you have business on all segments, yes? AA.com has a nasty glitch that appears often when searching TPAC awards on QF, whereby it shows business sAAver as available however when clicking through you'll find the short connecting segment in business, with the longhaul flight in coach.
For CX awards, sign up for an account at BA then search there. Make sure you search segment by segment, then call AA to book anything you see.
Jun 11, 2018, 11:09 am
#613
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Honestly long connections are not the problem at all. For awards to Australia or New Zealand, the problem is finding any availability at all at the sAAver level in F or J on the QF or AA nonstops.
If you've successfully found a round trip award in QF business then I'd be thrilled, forget about a long connection. Many other members here would probably kill for that award space.
That said, you have verified that you have business on all segments, yes? AA.com has a nasty glitch that appears often when searching TPAC awards on QF, whereby it shows business sAAver as available however when clicking through you'll find the short connecting segment in business, with the longhaul flight in coach.
For CX awards, sign up for an account at BA then search there. Make sure you search segment by segment, then call AA to book anything you see.
If you've successfully found a round trip award in QF business then I'd be thrilled, forget about a long connection. Many other members here would probably kill for that award space
.That said, you have verified that you have business on all segments, yes? AA.com has a nasty glitch that appears often when searching TPAC awards on QF, whereby it shows business sAAver as available however when clicking through you'll find the short connecting segment in business, with the longhaul flight in coach.
For CX awards, sign up for an account at BA then search there. Make sure you search segment by segment, then call AA to book anything you see.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that sleazy practice by LA. Turns out from the SJC-LAX-SYD-WLG routing only the SJC-LAX is in First class on an Embraer. And they want 80k for that.
I'll have to dig into CX awards more. "Free miles" are nice but they may not be useful for people who want TPAC or TATL premium cabin saver awards with AA miles.
Jun 11, 2018, 4:03 pm
#614
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,030
CX flys HKG-AKL/CHC.
Just looking for SYD & AKL restricts your options