Gold_Member

Hi folks

I am looking to redeem QF points for a QF oneworld award which means that my flights within North America will be downgraded from business to coach if I'm not on a 3 class aircraft. I am therefore prepared to forgoe my preferred destinations so that I don't have to put up with AA coach.

My challenge is knowing which routes offer the 3-class aircraft and therefore 'real' business class. So far, I have come up with this list consolidated from a few other posts however they don't appear to have been updated for a while:

AA (some flights) - SFO-JFK
AA (some flights) - LAX-JFK
AA (some flights) - MIA-JFK
AA (some flights) - DFW-ORD
AA (some flights/seasonal) - MIA-BOS
AA (some flights/seasonal) - DFW-MIA
AA (some flights/seasonal) - LAX-MIA
CX - YVR-JFK
LA - YYZ-JFK

Does anyone know of any other 3-class routes?

anabolism

Wirelessly posted (iPod: Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Teleca Q7; Brew 3.1.5; U; en) 240X400 LGE VX9700)

"Points" implies an award ticket but a DONE4 is a purchased fare. DONEx books into A class on two-class North American domestic flights.

Bitterroot

As he says, any international "D" ticket goes into booking class "A" within North America, and "A" is a domestic first class seat on two-class aircraft. On AA, that means international business class on any 763 used on a domestic route.

Lots of choices there -- and it's the same seat as biz on the three-class aircraft; perhaps better than the one on the old 762s.

Gold_Member

Sorry guys, I've used the wrong terminology and confused you. What I meant to refer to was a QF OneWorld Award Booking. The one with 5 stopovers/35K mileage max and 282,500 points. See here ->

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...zone-10-a.html

I've edited the title but it doesn't seem to change the main title.. anyone know how I fix this up?

Kiwi Flyer

Ask the friendly moderator. Retitling has been Done 4 you.

Kiwi Flyer
OW moderator

danger

So, for example, AA1561 ORD-YVR? With NGBC?

Bitterroot

Well, yeah, since it's a 763 -- but AA1561 operates from ORD to SFO, not YVR.....at least, right now. There's currently no nonstop AA service from ORD to YVR.

Dave Noble

Any 2 class flight which is not wholly within the USA will be, iirc, operated with Business and Economy so they will be fine ( e.g. USA-Canada ) and so be fine for the use of the award


Dave

danger

Yes, sorry. ORD-SFO it is.

ijgordon

No, this list is wrong. It looks like it's a list of routes where AA flies any of its widebody aircraft -- all of which have much better premium class seating compared to the narrowbody fleet.

The only domestic routes (i.e., within the U.S.) with actual 3-class service such that you can book "Business" class would be:

SFO-JFK (some flights -- 762s, not 763s)
LAX-JFK (all flights)
LAX-MIA (I think just one flight - the 777)

Note: the only 3-class aircraft AA currently operates are the 767-200s and 777s.
Note: the 777 operated 1x daily on DFW-ORD and v.v. is sold as two-class: First and Coach. Elites and full fares in economy can book seats in the business class cabin with coach service. Not sure if that applies to non-AA oneworld elites.

But as mentioned, flights to Canada, Mexico and Caribbean sell the front cabin (2-class) as Business class, so those should be OK.

hdm

I'm am also looking at an Qantas issued Oneworld Award in business class and have the same concerns re being downgraded to economy.

I was looking on Expertflyer and they are showing QF codeshares of AA JFK-SFO flights on 2-class 763s as having 3-classes.

Eg. on 30mar10 QF3074 is showing F-C-Y available, but AA59 only F-Y - I am assuming this is the same aircraft/flight

What gives? Is this correct? If so, what will AA do when we check-in and get our boarding passes - upgrade to first or down-grade to economy?

Also, it looks like on the 762s which have 3-classes the business seats are not Skybeds (as they appear to be in first on the 2-class 763s).

christep

To the last point - yes, business on a 763 is better than business on a 762, but well short of F on a 762.

And yes, QF seems to have got the loading of business class stuffed up on the 2-class transcon flights.

malcolmkettering

I think I read AA is now flying 3-class LAX-EWR as well, with 762 equip. Might not be around forever, but I think for now it is in the system.

FWIW: AA has announced that next year a new route will indeed be ORD-YVR; no idea what equipment though, probably 738.

Dave Noble

Not stuffed. For the QF codeshares on 2 class AA flights , they do offer business class inventories which may sell out before the 1st inventories. Same seating on board of course, but it isn't just the 2 class transcontinentals that have this

The main impact is that earning of FF miles will be based on business class if booked as business class

Dave

hdm

So if I have a Qantas issue Oneworld AWARD business class ticket and I book the QF codeshare, what happens when I check-in at the AA desk - will they issue a first or economy BP?