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Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AAdvantage miles awards to / from Australia (consolidated)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 1, 2019, 9:16 am
#751
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: MSP/BUF/BNA/LFT
Programs: AA Plat, Priority Club Gold, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 1,225
I just looked at Jetstar. The base fare gives you 7kg of carry on baggage, no checked baggage, and no seat selection in advance. Checked baggage can be purched for extra cost separately. They also sell bundles with seat selection and baggage included but an international traveler probably will not get by on 7kg of baggage allowance so be prepared. Given OP is looking at flying economy anyway this still looks like a decent option.
May 1, 2019, 11:37 am
#752
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8
Our first choice is to use these AA miles because they have been sitting around for a few years and seem to devalue with time. But here are my thoughts.....
~ look for flights through Fiji (we had considered that initially but thought we would find more to do in HNL)
~ look to book directly from PHL to SYD or LAX to SYD and forget about a nice relaxing few days on an island :-). I think I would have to pay the AA $150 +$25 redeposit mile fee though.
~ add expert flyer alerts for all of these options.
~ buy flights from HNL to SYD either with Jetstar or NZ which do have surprisingly great fares.
Thanks again and I will keep checking for any other ideas anyone has.
May 1, 2019, 5:05 pm
#753
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
I don't think that you are likely to find award flight availability at that time if you skip Hawaii and just try to get an award from PHL or LAX
The fare from Hawaii to Sydney on Jetstar is cheap and is a non stop daytime service and extra legroom seats are cheap too
I would really suggest saving the 37,500 miles for another trip where it will have a better value
The fare from Hawaii to Sydney on Jetstar is cheap and is a non stop daytime service and extra legroom seats are cheap too
I would really suggest saving the 37,500 miles for another trip where it will have a better value
May 2, 2019, 12:14 pm
#754
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8
I don't think that you are likely to find award flight availability at that time if you skip Hawaii and just try to get an award from PHL or LAX
The fare from Hawaii to Sydney on Jetstar is cheap and is a non stop daytime service and extra legroom seats are cheap too
I would really suggest saving the 37,500 miles for another trip where it will have a better value
The fare from Hawaii to Sydney on Jetstar is cheap and is a non stop daytime service and extra legroom seats are cheap too
I would really suggest saving the 37,500 miles for another trip where it will have a better value
May 2, 2019, 1:35 pm
#755
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,029
With JQ just select what you want is the booking process, be it a bundle (luggage & food) and/or the extra leg room seat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel...tional_Airport
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=HNL-SYD...D&MS=wls&DU=mi
May 2, 2019, 4:05 pm
#756
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
I so appreciate all of the ideas. I called AA and have an economy award flight from PHL to SYD via Fiji on hold for 5 days that had good routing that worked well with our schedule. Seems like the reviews for Fiji Air are a bit mixed so I want to research more. But Fiji might be a relaxing place to stop for a few days. Dave Noble, I do think your idea of just paying for the flight from HNL to SYD is a good one and that may be the route we go. I would probably choose Air New Zealand just because it seems less complicated than Jetstar. Any other thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
There is nothing complicatd about booking on Jetstar ; just select flight and then select seats if desired , baggage if desired and pay for it
Booking Air New Zealand would be no easier but would add a lot of extra travel time ( with the extra distance plus the connection time )
May 2, 2019, 5:44 pm
#757
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8
I may have not said it clearly. It is a 40,000 saver economy award from PHL to NAN ( Fiji). Then it is a 15,000 award from Fiji to Sydney. I have 85,000 miles in my account and when ( if I decide to) I cancel the PHL to HNL award already booked, that will redeposit 40,000 miles to cover the 110,000 miles that I need for two people. It is currently just on a hold.
And sorry for attributing the suggestion to fly NZ to the wrong person. It was someone else who suggested that.
And sorry for attributing the suggestion to fly NZ to the wrong person. It was someone else who suggested that.
May 2, 2019, 8:38 pm
#758
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
If you are using an award for PHL-SYD , you cannot stop over in Fiji for a few days ; you would need to use 2 awards
There is nothing complicatd about booking on Jetstar ; just select flight and then select seats if desired , baggage if desired and pay for it
Booking Air New Zealand would be no easier but would add a lot of extra travel time ( with the extra distance plus the connection time )
There is nothing complicatd about booking on Jetstar ; just select flight and then select seats if desired , baggage if desired and pay for it
Booking Air New Zealand would be no easier but would add a lot of extra travel time ( with the extra distance plus the connection time )
May 2, 2019, 11:47 pm
#759
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,228
If you're happy with economy, do you have any UA miles? There's availability HNL-SYD for 35k UA miles per person, mostly on circuitous routes starting with NH's A380 to NRT, or on AC via YVR or UA via SFO.
May 16, 2019, 2:48 pm
#760
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 305
For those who have done this before - is it even possible to get 2 saver business class awards to mel or syd from the us mainland? I was checking for next year - see anytime awards on dates that work in January, but am actually flexible in time of year if I can do saver awards (and willing to do May if it's something where I need to book as soon as tickets become available). However, I am not seeing anything when I broaden the search - is it something where I need to call in for partner airlines? Not looking to do separate awards thru asia, etc. because of the age of the travelers and the fact that they will be coming from the east coast in the first place.
May 16, 2019, 2:57 pm
#761
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
For those who have done this before - is it even possible to get 2 saver business class awards to mel or syd from the us mainland? I was checking for next year - see anytime awards on dates that work in January, but am actually flexible in time of year if I can do saver awards (and willing to do May if it's something where I need to book as soon as tickets become available). However, I am not seeing anything when I broaden the search - is it something where I need to call in for partner airlines? Not looking to do separate awards thru asia, etc. because of the age of the travelers and the fact that they will be coming from the east coast in the first place.
May 17, 2019, 2:22 pm
#762
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 115
For those who have done this before - is it even possible to get 2 saver business class awards to mel or syd from the us mainland? I was checking for next year - see anytime awards on dates that work in January, but am actually flexible in time of year if I can do saver awards (and willing to do May if it's something where I need to book as soon as tickets become available). However, I am not seeing anything when I broaden the search - is it something where I need to call in for partner airlines? Not looking to do separate awards thru asia, etc. because of the age of the travelers and the fact that they will be coming from the east coast in the first place.
May 29, 2019, 3:01 pm
#765
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Supposedly F saver award space available in November on Qantas.
https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...ll-and-winter/
https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...ll-and-winter/