So if my flight numbers are JAL then my calcs are good (they are JAL).

Thanks all!!

There really isn't a link or anything.
I did a lot of playing around on ITA matrix and forced different routings to see if things would come up the same price.

Once I found a routing I liked, I tried different multi-city searches and was able to get Expedia to display the flights and prices I wanted.

A few of these are still available for Jan travel. I just picked up the following on the JAL website for $2091 USD.

• 1/24 JFK-NRT-TPE
• 1/26 TPE-NRT-SEA-EWR

Crediting to AA, all JL-coded flights (including last leg which is a JL codeshare operated by Alaska). Expect to earn 33256 EQM and 4157 EQDs for my first mileage run of the year. There were other options that had returns on JL-operated TYO-JFK, but would need an overnight in Tokyo, which didn't quite fit my schedule for a weekend MR with only one day off work :)

Im sitting in JAL TPE lounge on my way back to JFK via NRT with a 1:40 layover. I paid a few hundred more.

noob question since I don't have status, but what makes this worth it for $2091? Are the miles you're getting worth more, or is it primarily to reach status and that makes it worthwhile?

For approximately $2k, you get close to $6k EQDs, enough for platinum status with one trip.

This was addressed a few messages up. For the purpose of accruing EQM's and EQD's (for AA status) - AA flights accrue EQM and EQD based on the actual miles flown and dollars spent. But when flying on a OneWorld partner and crediting the miles to your AAdvantage account, the EQM's and EQD's are based on the miles flown *times a fare class multiplier*. AA has different multipliers for each partner's various classes, but generally EQM's are 1.5x to 3x airmiles and EQD's are 20-30% airmiles.

Not sure where $6k comes from...

...but, I wouldn't expect to earn EQDs for the AS flight (AS isn't oneworld or an affiliate) so you're most likely looking at ~$3500 EQD.

It came from my miscalculation. My EQDs will be around 3700 plus positioning flights.

Per this thread I think the AS SEA-EWR leg with a JL flight number should earn according to published JL accrual rates.

I think the key language is the following from AA's JL partner page: "earn AAdvantage® miles when you fly on Japan Airlines marketed and operated flights as well as Japan Airlines codeshare flights operated by other carriers including oneworld® carriers and affiliates". For other partner airlines, the "other carriers including" language is not present. This leads me to believe that JL is an exception to the rule that the operating carrier must be oneworld. So I'm expecting (hoping) to earn 25% of distance on this AS flight = $600 EQD. The flight is in just over two weeks so I'll find out soon enough...

Yea the wording on the JL page is a bit ambiguous, fingers crossed and do report back on how the SEA-EWR flight credits ^

Better check rules for crediting carefully. The list of JL affiliate airlines on the Oneworld webpage only lists J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air. AFAIK, that means no AS flight credit. Happy for you, if I'm proven wrong, though.

Would be interested to know how this credits as well. Please post an update when you get the points.

The oneworld page for AA lists American Eagle as their only affiliate airline; I think that term means something else.

I believe that JL and QF are the two exceptions on which the operating carrier does not have to be a oneworld carrier. However, given AA's lack of a statement on which operating carriers are acceptable, it's kind of a "whatever AA decides goes" situation.

I did notice when booking this fare that you could also buy the JL codeshare from JFK to SAN on B6. I would have hopped on that except it would only book in Y even though the flight had Mint. It would be a crazy world, earning AA miles while flying JetBlue Mint...

My original flight itin had a short B6 leg in Y from BOS to EWR or JFK (I don’t remember). JAL stated that I would earn as if I’m flying JL. The routing ended up changing so I will never know but curious to see how this plays out also.