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Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AAdvantage miles awards to / from Australia (consolidated)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)
Feb 16, 2014, 1:45 am
#91
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 946
Feb 28, 2014, 11:47 am
#92
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: American
Posts: 3
Sydney, Australia First Time [using AA award]
My wife and I will be visiting Australia next February hopefully using American miles flying coach because business or first is currently unavailable. What are preferred coach seats that provide more legroom on Quantas from la to Sydney??which seats should we try to avoid?? How can we upgrade since we have enough miles but business or first isn't currently being offered??We will be leaving from Baltimore but could also do Dulles. Any other tips for two senior citizens???
Feb 28, 2014, 12:20 pm
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,030
Welcome to the forum
You cannot upgrade an award flight on QF using AA miles or cash.
As SYD is not the only international airport in Australia that QF flys into, also look at LAX/JFK to MEL or BNE and DFW to BNE/SYD. You need to be flexible with route & date
There is a thread in the AA forum about using AA miles to Australia, where this thread will be moved. You can also use Hawiian & TN
Note: There is no u in Qantas, but quantas.com has been set up for those in the USA who cannot spell
You cannot upgrade an award flight on QF using AA miles or cash.
As SYD is not the only international airport in Australia that QF flys into, also look at LAX/JFK to MEL or BNE and DFW to BNE/SYD. You need to be flexible with route & date
There is a thread in the AA forum about using AA miles to Australia, where this thread will be moved. You can also use Hawiian & TN
Note: There is no u in Qantas, but quantas.com has been set up for those in the USA who cannot spell
Feb 28, 2014, 12:25 pm
#94
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Spam; SPG Gold; other randoms
Posts: 198
You can keep checking for availability in biz on the route you've booked. If you find it, I think you can upgrade the ticket for no fee--as long as you don't change the origin/destination cities. You can also change the dates of travel without paying a fee (again keeping the origin/destination cities the same).
Feb 28, 2014, 12:31 pm
#96
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Spam; SPG Gold; other randoms
Posts: 198
I meant that if you booked the flight with AA miles, you can change the flight through AA if you later find availability in business (on Qantas). I recently did something similar--changing the dates of travel and booking a slightly different itinerary on Qantas.
Feb 28, 2014, 1:25 pm
#99
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
As this is an airlines miles question rather a destinations question, it will move to the appropriate airline forum for better exposure and assistance.
JDiver
Senior Moderator
JDiver
Senior Moderator
Last edited by JDiver; Feb 28, 2014 at 8:07 pm
Feb 28, 2014, 1:54 pm
#100
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP - Marriott LT Platinum - National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,112
If you're sitting on a veritable boat-load of miles, you could also transit via HKG/NRT at a higher mileage cost, but with equally great, if not better service either on AA metal (starting July), Cathay Pacific (one of the best F experiences) or via JAL.
Also HA routes can be useful with a free stop in Honolulu for no increased mileage.
Also HA routes can be useful with a free stop in Honolulu for no increased mileage.
Feb 28, 2014, 2:31 pm
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,030
Other threads on a similar topic
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post22051805
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post22327812
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
Edit: This was a new thread by normando9 that was merged
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post22051805
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post22327812
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
Edit: This was a new thread by normando9 that was merged
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Mar 1, 2014 at 1:24 am
Feb 28, 2014, 8:25 pm
#103
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
J is easier, of course, but still in the region of "quite challenging". Qantas allows its FFs to look at available award inventory, iirc, 350 days out, AA allows 330 days - so if / by the time they are visible to us, many of them are gone. More may be released much closer to flight time, but not in high demand season.
As well, QF is bleeding money - they've just announced $210 million USD lost in the second half of 2013 - and is undergoing some reorganisation. They just announced layoffs of 5,000 of 33,000 employees and a wage freeze, accelerated retirement for 6 of the 747 fleet, delay of further acceptance of A380s and all Boeing 787s, slashing underperfoming routes, cutting catering and maintenance, etc.
Alternatives include using JetStar (iirc) from HNL, FJ from Los Angeles / LAX via NAN or TN via PPT.
AA miles awards: using / redeeming AA miles on Qantas (QF) (consolidated)
TN / Air Tahiti Nui award redemptions with AAdvantage Miles (as of 2012)
FJ / Fiji Airways (ex-Air Pacific) and AA, awards, etc. (consolidated)
Last edited by JDiver; Mar 1, 2014 at 11:51 am Reason: how could I mess the days out numbers??? Thanks, Austinrunner.
Feb 28, 2014, 10:15 pm
#104
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
As well, QF is bleeding money - they've just announced $210 million USD lost in the second half of 2013 - and is undergoing some reorganisation. They just announced layoffs of 5,000 of 33,000 employees and a wage freeze, accelerated retirement for 6 of the 747 fleet, delay of further acceptance of A380s and all Boeing 787s, slashing underperfoming routes, cutting catering and maintenance, etc.
HA from HNL.
May 8, 2014, 6:07 pm
#105
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 58
Please excuse the newb questions here, guys.
I live in New York. I would like to visit Australia with my wife some time in 2015, using AA miles to end up in J or F. We also have at least one BA/Chase companion ticket and don't mind paying the taxes involved with getting to LHR.
Questions:
THANKS!
I live in New York. I would like to visit Australia with my wife some time in 2015, using AA miles to end up in J or F. We also have at least one BA/Chase companion ticket and don't mind paying the taxes involved with getting to LHR.
Questions:
- Instead of going west, is it possible to go from the east coast of the USA (EWR, JFK, PHL, IAD, BOS, etc.) to somewhere in Europe (LHR on BA, maybe?) and then down to Sydney on Qantas?
- Does this violate some AAdvantage award routing rules?
- Would it require two awards?
- Is it possible in practicality to book this in J or F? (Is this kind of thing ever actually available?)
THANKS!