KARFA

If you only have aa miles to use I would stick to just checking the aa miles search page. you won't be able to use the aa miles through the BA or QF pages, they both have separate miles systems and you can't transfer AA miles to your BA or QF account.

between SIN-PEK the reasonable options are going via KUL on MH, HKG on CX/KA, or possibly Japan.on JL,

cagcag

Thanks. I had already tried AA.COM but can't seem to find OW partner flights; does this need to be done by telephone only? Are telephone booking charges incurred? Does travel with JL incur higher mileage redemption? Thanks again.

KARFA

aa.com should show partner flights as well as aa reward flights - it certainly has done for me in the past. if there is nothing showing on aa.com for that route perhaps there is no availability on the date you are looking at? Also it may be worth searching on the individual sectors, so search for SIN-KUL and then KUL-PEK rather than SIN-PEK.

i don;t know what the taxes/fees/charges are in this case - generally MH tends to charge more carrier surcharge but i don't know if it is the case here.

headinclouds

Several airlines that one can use AA miles are not viewable/bookable on AA.COM including CX & JL. If you see availablity via the BA site, you can call AA and book the flights. If it is not bookable on the web site, then no phone fee. Also, AA has lower fuel fines than other OW partners. To me it is only BA and IB awards that incur fuel fines. I saw lots of days with flights (Y/J) from SIN-PEK, but did not check the return.

KARFA

thanks. i must admit i thought i had a vague memory of seeing CX flights on aa.com before but i accept i may be confused on that.

Mwenenzi

Look at these
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance

AA oneworld & Other Airline Partner Award information, rules (master thd)

CX --> AA Award: Cathay Pacific / CX, KA availability, etc. (master thd)

JL---> AAdvantage Award using JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)

NewToCanada

I'm going to be burning some miles on a first-class ticket to Asia, Baltimore to Shanghai, in May. I'm trying to decide between itineraries on Cathay and JAL. I wonder if anyone has any thoughts.

Option 1: BWI-JFK (Y) -- 3 hr layover -- JFK-HKG (F) -- 2h20 layover -- HKG-PVG (Y). There is currently no J availability on the last leg although perhaps it tends to open as the departure gets closer. I do however get access to the F lounges for the layover in HKG as I understand it.

Option 2: BWI-ORD (F) -- 3 hr layover -- ORD-NRT (F) -- 4 hr layover -- NRT-PVG (J).

Total flight times are pretty much the same. The second is 30 minutes longer. I leave a bit earlier but arrive a bit earlier too. I wonder if the JL food out of ORD (as opposed to NRT) is as good. Most reviews dealt with flights ex-NRT and the Japanese meals look pretty amazing.

Any thoughts on which experience (flights and lounges) would be more fun?

Thanks!!

Mwenenzi

Option 1 has the longer flight if F: that's what you are burning miles for. HKG-PVG is not a long flight.
Routes:-->Great Circle Mapper

Dr. HFH

IMO,.... Food will be better on JL. Bed better on CX. HKG F lounges are better than Sakura F lounge at NRT.

IMH

I've only flown CX F once. I would happily repeat the experience, but would only choose it over JL if it was somehow more 'sensible' (times, duration, cost). We've experienced JL F a few times (including out of ORD) and been impressed on every single occasion. Given that in your case the JL routing also appears more 'sensible' (no Y), I'd find this an easy decision to make.

NewToCanada

OK last question. Turns out there's an option 3 although I think I know the answer.

Option 3: BWI-ORD (J) -- 4 hrs -- ORD-LHR (F in 380) -- 3 hrs -- LHR-PVG (F in 777)

I gather BA doesn't match up to CX or JL in F. But I'd be on the 380 and the F lounge in London sounds pretty fun. Thoughts on that?

Sorry to be a pest but it's kind of fun to consider all the options!

Dr. HFH

BINGO!! IMO while a lounge experience is a nice-to-have, the flight is what you're primarily there for. And on a strict where-are-you-spending-most-of-you're-time analysis, it's still the onboard experience which comes out on top.


No worries, -- we're all here because we like this stuff!!

IMH

Only if you've grown bored of CX and JL already. ;-)

If you catch the right crew on a good day, BA's F can be truly excellent. But as a rule it's a long way behind your two alternatives. The Concorde Room at LHR is nice enough, as long as you're happy without self-service options, but there's a high likelihood that you'd be departing from a B or C gate located a long way from that lounge.

Other factors to consider are the cash component of your redemption and availability. Depending on which programme's miles you're redeeming, the BA option could cost several hundred dollars more than the other options. BA is also likely to be available next time you're planning a trip -- JL might not be.

NewToCanada

Yes I'm sure you're right. Thanks for the advice.

I think it's because I once was in the F lounge on Lufthansa and I swear it remains up there among the most extravagant experiences of my life. I keep telling my wife that it tops the the birth of my children. For some reason she doesn't appreciate it when I say that.

anabolism

I've flown CX, JL, and BA F a fair bit. CX and JL are significantly nicer experiences than BA. The CX F lounges in HKG are far better, in my experience, than BA's CCR. On board, CX has larger and wider seats with more privacy than JL (and much more so than BA). Both have great bedding and pajamas. If flying alone, CX seat is more private and spacious. If flying with someone, JL has side-by-side seats where you can interact with each other, while on CX one person has to get up and go over to the other's seat. On JL you pick a firmer or softer mattress pad, which a nice touch. JL offers Royal Blue iced tea, called the Queen of Tea. It's iced oolong tea that is served like wine (and costs the same as wine). It's perhaps the best iced tea you've ever had. JL also has better quality Japanese tea (as one might expect). CX has canned iced green tea which is delicious. JL does keep their cabins noticeably warmer than CX, which can be uncomfortable.