usafltg

Hi folks,

I'm currently Executive Platinum with American Airlines, and I just found out I have to take a business trip to New Zealand (from Chicago). The problem is, the only partners traveling out there are Quantas Airlines and as I understand it, that airline doesn't except the system wide upgrades to go from Business to First.

Are there any airline partners out there that might match my tier status, where I could purchase a business class ticket but use an upgrade to get me to first class? $24,000 for a first class flight is not something my company is going to pay for I'm sure, but at the same time, I need my rest and a bed on a 29 hr flight.... Any ideas?

jerry a. laska

See the Airline Status Match Thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...er-thread.html
Even if you get the status match on another carrier you will still need to come up with the miles, cash, upgrade instruments, if any, that are acceptable to the other carrier to upgrade.

tt7

The only two airlines that fly direct from the US to AKL are Qantas (no "u") and Air New Zealand. Neither of them fly planes on that route that have first class. I don't know where in NZ you are going but there is no flight on earth that takes 29 hours. LAX-AKL is 6,504 miles and about 13 hours.

Blackcloud

Use NZ Business Premier for full flat beds.
Seasonally CX flies a 747 with first into AKL.
EK also has First into NZ (AKL and CHC).
SQ has First into AKL on a daily.
TN to AKL via PPT has First, their Business is angled.
Otherwise AC, UA, DL, VA, QF fly into SYD with flat beds in Business. To cross the Tasman to New Zealand you would need to make sure the aircraft has a Business Class cabin as not all flights do.
I do doubt you will get a oneworld airline willing to status match you and with some status match airlines you may not get the upgrade instruments as part of the match.

Mwenenzi

usafltg Welcome to FT ^

The only way you will get to NZ in Bus / First is with real $$. A round the world ticket may be cheaper than a return
What date are you looking to travel ?

Award - upgrades are hard to get even for the highest level of freq flyers into NZ/Australia on locally based airlines. Generally you can only get upgrades on the airline you are flying with their freq flyer miles (there are exceptions). Your (sudden?) realization of how AA SWU work is unusual

Have you traveled out of the USA on international airlines in business class before ?
International airlines operate very different to USA airlines [and do not go bankrupt yet still keep flying ]

usafltg

Well right now, all i know is "soon" (I'm suppossed to know more tomorrow) and that usually means less than a week notice. So if I was going to go, it would probably be departing 12/3 or 12/4 and returning 12/22. Also what do you mean by a "round the world ticket?" I'm not sure I follow what you're saying.

I just literally made Exec Plat. for the first time, and it sounds like System Wide Upgrades can only be used on flights owned and operated by American Airlines (not partners like Qantas). It sucks when you travel all the time and have to make status' by segments instead of miles because the total mileage earned is so small when you're traveling only between US states and sometimes Canada. But yes, I made Exec Platinum recently by reaching the 100 segment rule.

No this is actually a rarity for me. My company's global, but we have our own people located around the people, so typically US folks stay state side, SYD / NZ folks stay over there, etc. This will be the first time ever I've had to travel internationally for a really long flight. I've gone to like, St. Thomas and some other small islands for vacation before in business class, but I've never really done what I would consider "international airlines" before. I just know the idea of a bed would be really nice, but my company will most likely pay business class fares (just not a full 1st class fare). I just wasn't quite sure what my options were.

I looked up the ORD-LAX-SYD-AKL-SYD-LAX-ORD option, which in that case the leg from LAX-SYD and SYD-LAX both operate the bigger boy which does has 1st class, but it sounds like there's no way for me buy upgrades or use upgrades to get to 1st class without a buying a straight up 1st class ticket, and the dollar amount on those is something fierce. It also sounds like the oneworld emerald status really doesn't mean 2 cents on Qantas. I'll be honest, I thought making exec plat status on american would be great for when I wanted to take some vacations to the UK, but it kind of sounds like I'm treated as a nobody on the oneworld partners. I mean, other than having "lounge access" at the airport, what else is different?

Gardyloo

A round the world "RTW" ticket is one with which you circumnavigate the earth, for example, ORD-LAX-AKL-SYD-HKG-LHR-ORD. These can often be cheaper than simple round-trip tickets (especially in business and first class) but are rule-heavy, one of which is that RTW tickets bought in the Americas require an advance purchase timetable you likely wouldn't be able to meet. Look around this forum, especially the sticky threads, where there's a ton of information about Oneworld RTW products (and similar products like "Circle Pacific.")

It sounds to me like you're expecting something akin to AA "business" class on domestic or Caribbean/Mexico etc. service. Not so - if you fly to NZ on Qantas' 747 or A330 you'll have their "Skybed" business class seat, which, while not a flat (as in parallel to the floor) bed, is a flat bed with a slight slope to it, which many travelers (including me) find to be very comfortable indeed.

If your firm will pop for the extra (don't know how much) required to send you to Auckland via Sidney (or if you're going someplace else in NZ where a connection in SYD is desirable or feasible) then you could ride on Qantas' A380, in which the business class seats are indeed flat beds.

Either way I think you're in for a surprise - Qantas business class is generally a very pleasant and comfortable experience.

You'll have access to the first class lounges at O'Hare (Flagship) and at LAX (Flagship at T4 if going to AKL, otherwise the F lounge in the Bradley International Terminal if going to SYD.) And if you do happen to go to SYD, you'd have access to Qantas' F lounge there, arguably the finest lounge in the Oneworld system.

Emerald/EXP status really counts most (in my experience) when things go sideways. The lounges are nice, but it's the people product that matters - the EXP desk, for example, is a thing of great beauty when you need them.

usafltg

Wow thanks for all the information Gardyloo. Yea I think the option to go via the Sydney route is proably the best path if they have the lie flat seats. I know I've heard accolades on the semi lay flat ones, but I'm a picky sleeper and I get restless leg syndrom very easily, even when it's just a 3 - 4 hour leg from ORD to LAX. I think I could much rather bare the long haul in the lie flat.

Just out of curiosity and for the future, do you happen to know if the system wide upgrade ONLY apply to AA tagged flights? Or are there oneworld partners you can use the system wide upgrades on like JAL or something? Or is it really that strict to the main program you're with (in my case American).

jerry a. laska

AA only.

If you really have to fly first class you could route on AA thru NRT (and use a VIP/SWU) upgrade to upgrade that segment then fly JL, QF, or CX from there. I wouldn't do it myself.

If you had at least 7 days before you leave you could reserve and purchase a circle pacific ticket and travel in first as touched on by Gardyloo. See:
http://www.oneworld.com/flights/mult...ircle-pacific/
http://www.oneworld.com/tasks/downlo...?objectID=1168

Mwenenzi

Thursday 22 Dec, a few days before Christmas, is peak travel time in this part of the world. Getting a seat may be hard & very expensive (remember you are not paying)

LAX-AKL-LAX on QF is usually the A330 with the same type of business seat as the B747 iirc. That route has less traffic for QF than SYD or MEL, especially in the pointy end. Also look at LAX-MEL-AKL. Aust to AKL (3:15hrs) on QF can be in B737 with Aust domestic type business seating. Personally I would go for LAX-AKL to avoid the SYD/MEL transfer.
Gardyloo:
SYD is Sydney At least our friendly MOD can spell Qantas.

Mwenenzi

As above, SWU only on AA flights on AA aircraft. Can not be used on codeshares or other airlines. JAL financial status is akin to AA. Look on the www.oneworld.com site to check what benefits you get. Unlike Star alliance there are few alliance wide benefits. No extra luggage allowance for example. But still way better than no status.

Gardyloo

Oy. I must have British Columbia (not Colombia) on my mind. One can get to Auckland via Sidney, but the ferry from Anacortes is slow and connections out of YYJ are lousy.

AnonymousCoward

This is how 99% of FF programs work - upgrades only on the airplanes and codes of your FF program. QANTAS FF can't use their points to upgrade on AA flights either.

Do you think OWE is treated any better on AA? Answer: No

OWE gets you lounge access, priority checkin, priority boarding, seat selection. And (usually) better handling when IROPS occur. You can see what you're entitled to here:
http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/my-oneworld-tier-status/

Ultimately, AA Exec Plat means you're pretty loyal to AA. It doesn't mean you've thrown much money at CX, or BA or JAL or QF. Don't expect them to start showering you with benefits.

tt7

Your status means a lot more than 2 cents - on Qantas or any other ow airline. Beyond access to first class lounges (and access to domestic QF lounges, including the separate domestic business class lounges), priority check-in and boarding, advance (and better) seat selection and generally better "handling", what benefits were you expecting? Unlike the equivalent status on QF, AA EXPs don't even get access to the Admirals Club when flying domestically - as an AA EXP, QF will give you access to any QF lounge, including the domestic business class lounges, and believe me, a QF lounge is streets ahead of any AA lounge. The QF international F lounges in MEL and SYD and the CX lounges in HKG are in a completely different league from any Admirals Club. I find my EXP status works just fine when I'm flying QF or CX....

og

AA ExpPlat ( ie OW E ) will also get a smile from the occasional LA ground agent ( eg in AQP). This is far more than a non status passenger gets with LA ground staff - almost anywhere.