guv1976

I think the point is that partner carriers are not required to collect the operating carrier's surcharges on partner-issued award tickets. AA does not do so on award flights operated by JL or any AA partner, except BA and IB. So if BA is not required to collect the JL carrier surcharges on award flights operated by JL, why does BA do so? And in whose pocket do you suppose those carrier surcharges end up?

1Aturnleft

Refer to post #4 and post #5 for the perpetual evidence over the significant delta in charges being passed on to the passenger depending on booking method. This is what I was referring to.

KARFA

Indeed. Some FFPs do charge them, some don't. In some ways AA's FFP is worse value, but perhaps in this specific way it is better. It still doesn't make them "BA's surcharges" though.

JAL quite clearly.

No one said they are "required" to collect them. It is just a term of BAEC that BA do pass them on, other FFP's do not for reward bookings. Each FFP differs from each other one about how they operate. I am not sure why there would be an expectation they should all operate in the same way.

It is an interesting question though, are AA somehow "paying" JAL less at the end of the day for that F seat than BA, or are the prices the same but AA is recovering the cost in a different way across their scheme? Also take in to account, we are looking at two different currencies here with AA miles vs BA avios, are they worth the same?

guv1976

Do you have any evidence that BA in fact remits to JL the "carrier surcharges" it collects on award flights operated by JL?

KARFA

Oh dear. BA must be evil unless proved otherwise?

guv1976

No, but I'm not willing to assume that when an airline collects, on an award ticket, a surcharge that an operating carrier includes on a cash ticket, the ticketing character remits that surcharge to the operating carrier.

Edited to add: I grant you that it's conceivable that BA does remit those carrier surcharges to JL, but perhaps thereby reduces what it must otherwise "pay" JL for the reward seat. If that's the case, though, then BA is still benefitting by collecting the carrier surcharges on award tickets operated by JL, when BA has the option not to do so.

KARFA

Well on that basis I suppose we cannot assume BA keep them either, and may indeed be passing them on.

Perhaps we should just describe the surcharges as "Airline surcharges which exactly match the operating carrier's surcharge on that flight, but the destination of the levied charge we cannot be sure of". Still doesn't quite get us to describing them as "BA's surcharges" I guess, but I am willing to compromise on that in future,

mikewei

avios charge high taxes on long haul flights, you should check Aeroplan to book Ana from lax sfo to Nrt hnd

etiene

The griping about a business making a business decision does get tiresome - especially as it primarily originates from residents of the world�s foremost hyper-capitalist utopia.

To the OP�s question: JAL are pretty good at releasing two seats in each cabin for redemption I think. I�ve flown LAX-NRT in F booked as soon as it opened, and have HND-SYD in J next month - again booked early. However, I think they open at 360 days out - giving their own fliers a few days before even BAEC fliers can get in on the action - and I also think they yank unused availability after a certain period before - as others have said - opening up available seats late on. Given that you�re looking for March, you�re going to have to hope for the latter.

Markus 9643

I booked a reward flight in J in JAL departure the end of nov.2023,Return dec 10 2023