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Older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: AAdvantage miles awards to / from Australia (consolidated)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)
Jan 14, 2019, 11:35 am
#676
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,010
Book what you can when you see an award. Awards are easy to cancel but hard to get. Cancellation may have fees in $$ or ff miles. Awards can be changed to a different date, if available, but may have a cost, depending on your ffp rules.
Feb 7, 2019, 12:53 pm
#677
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 12
I don't see any award availability on the AA routes from NZ (Auckland) or Australia (Sydney) direct to Los Angeles from Jan 1 2020. Even at the AAnytime level.
I'd been monitoring availability on these flights for the past month or so and it was previously posting fairly reliably at the 331 day mark - up until flights for Dec 31.
Does AAnytime award availability on these routes sometimes get delayed behind the regular schedule - or is something else going on? Does AA sometimes have patches where there is even zero AAnytime availability?
I'd been monitoring availability on these flights for the past month or so and it was previously posting fairly reliably at the 331 day mark - up until flights for Dec 31.
Does AAnytime award availability on these routes sometimes get delayed behind the regular schedule - or is something else going on? Does AA sometimes have patches where there is even zero AAnytime availability?
Feb 7, 2019, 1:49 pm
#678
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,010
LAX AKL is not a good performing route. USA airlines have cancelled these routes, reinstated routes and had no service in the NZ winter:- for ever changing. QF also used to fly AKL-LAX years ago. AKL-LAX seem to be a route with over capacity.
Feb 11, 2019, 6:32 am
#680
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,551
AAnytime availability should mirror the revenue fare availability. Doing an availability search on EF for Jan 7, it's J0 from AKL or SYD direct to LAX. Though, as has become typically of the clowns at AA, it is J7 if you connect through the other city.
Feb 12, 2019, 8:40 am
#681
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 12
Thanks for the thoughtful answer, Deeruck. And for the EF search!
I'm actually able to answer my own question now (on the off-chance its helpful to anyone else).
Beginning Jan 1 2020, American wasn't posting any award availability (SAAver or AAnytime) for flights from AKL or SYD to LAX.
I wasnt surprised about the lack of SAAver - but not seeing AAnytime was unusual as American was selling revenue tickets for that first week of the new year and AAnytime inventory had been loading regularly at the 331 mark up until Dec 31 2019.
The drought lasted for six days and then sometime over the weekend, American resolved the issue - the missing AAnytime awards from early Jan were backloaded and new AAnytimes started posting again normally on the usual schedule.
Thanks again for the help.
I'm actually able to answer my own question now (on the off-chance its helpful to anyone else).
Beginning Jan 1 2020, American wasn't posting any award availability (SAAver or AAnytime) for flights from AKL or SYD to LAX.
I wasnt surprised about the lack of SAAver - but not seeing AAnytime was unusual as American was selling revenue tickets for that first week of the new year and AAnytime inventory had been loading regularly at the 331 mark up until Dec 31 2019.
The drought lasted for six days and then sometime over the weekend, American resolved the issue - the missing AAnytime awards from early Jan were backloaded and new AAnytimes started posting again normally on the usual schedule.
Thanks again for the help.
Mar 21, 2019, 1:26 pm
#682
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 15
AA's "Fake" Awards Availability
I am attempting to book a business class ticket, one way, from LAX to SYD using AA miles. On AA's website, there are several awards listed for 80k, and have been for a while. There has also been 175k tickets, which are clearly MUCH higher. But also direct on AA, versus layover ticket on Quantas.
But when I go to book any of the 80k tickets, the website bounces me back to the search, saying the ticket isn't available. I called AA to book over the phone, but they say only the 175k ticket shows on their system. And they can't book the other ticket for me, since it isn't shown on their computers.
So what is happening here??? Are these tickets genuinely not available? Why would they remain continuously listed on AA's on search engine? This is really frustratig, as I had nailed down travel plans based on this, and now I am finding it is all for naught.
But when I go to book any of the 80k tickets, the website bounces me back to the search, saying the ticket isn't available. I called AA to book over the phone, but they say only the 175k ticket shows on their system. And they can't book the other ticket for me, since it isn't shown on their computers.
So what is happening here??? Are these tickets genuinely not available? Why would they remain continuously listed on AA's on search engine? This is really frustratig, as I had nailed down travel plans based on this, and now I am finding it is all for naught.
Mar 21, 2019, 1:31 pm
#683
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,572
I am attempting to book a business class ticket, one way, from LAX to SYD using AA miles. On AA's website, there are several awards listed for 80k, and have been for a while. There has also been 175k tickets, which are clearly MUCH higher. But also direct on AA, versus layover ticket on Quantas.
But when I go to book any of the 80k tickets, the website bounces me back to the search, saying the ticket isn't available. I called AA to book over the phone, but they say only the 175k ticket shows on their system. And they can't book the other ticket for me, since it isn't shown on their computers.
So what is happening here??? Are these tickets genuinely not available? Why would they remain continuously listed on AA's on search engine? This is really frustratig, as I had nailed down travel plans based on this, and now I am finding it is all for naught.
But when I go to book any of the 80k tickets, the website bounces me back to the search, saying the ticket isn't available. I called AA to book over the phone, but they say only the 175k ticket shows on their system. And they can't book the other ticket for me, since it isn't shown on their computers.
So what is happening here??? Are these tickets genuinely not available? Why would they remain continuously listed on AA's on search engine? This is really frustratig, as I had nailed down travel plans based on this, and now I am finding it is all for naught.
You "nailed down" travel plans without putting award flights on a complimentary five-day hold?
What if those QF flights had actually been available when you first looked, and someone else scooped them up while you were nailing things down?
Mar 21, 2019, 1:34 pm
#685
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 15
This is crazy to me. There are several itineraries at the 80k mark listed over 3 days. And have been for a while. So AA continues to show phantom availability for multiple flights for weeks?? How is such a glitch happening??
Last edited by JY1024; Mar 22, 2019 at 1:18 am Reason: Merged consecutive posts
Mar 21, 2019, 1:44 pm
#686
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,572
If aa.com is showing phantom award availability, that's on AA, and no one should blame you for that. But if you see (apparent) award availability, and you nail things down -- with friends or otherwise -- without actually securing the award flights on a hold that costs you nothing, that, I'm afraid, is on you. If there had been real availability on QF when you first looked -- which, for all you know, might have been the case -- and someone else booked it (or QANTAS withdrew it) while you were consulting with friends, that surely would not have been AA's fault.
Mar 21, 2019, 1:45 pm
#687
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: TX
Programs: AA: EXP MR: Ti
Posts: 495
Are you simply searching LAX-SYD, or is there a different departure point? The LAX-SYD segment may be available from certain origins and not others. It sounds like you're trying to piece something together that the system won't allow.
Mar 21, 2019, 1:55 pm
#688
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: AA : EXP / AR : ORO
Posts: 55
IME, phantom availability happens quite often, specially with partner airlines. It's quite frustrating.
I remember one FY JFK/HEL flight that would always be available, but when trying to confirm it, you just couldn't.
It's a glitch in the system I guess.
Perhaps try some other ways of finding availability (there are a few sites you can check) and you may actually come accross an actual space.
What dates were you thinking? Some of us can give you a hand looking for some alternatives..
I remember one FY JFK/HEL flight that would always be available, but when trying to confirm it, you just couldn't.
It's a glitch in the system I guess.
Perhaps try some other ways of finding availability (there are a few sites you can check) and you may actually come accross an actual space.
What dates were you thinking? Some of us can give you a hand looking for some alternatives..
Mar 21, 2019, 1:56 pm
#689
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
I’ve booked a number of Business awards, in pairs, over the years. Never LAX-SYD, most of the time via BNE and a couple of times via MEL.
I’d never recommend seeing apparent award seats and going to others to check for dates, etc. without putting awards on hold first, because the likelihood they’ll be gone once consensus is gained is very high.
I’d never recommend seeing apparent award seats and going to others to check for dates, etc. without putting awards on hold first, because the likelihood they’ll be gone once consensus is gained is very high.