A couple of questions from an AAdvantage newbie

[FromTheRail]

You should receive a partial refund for the difference in taxes. Obviously works the other way also, if the new fights have a higher amount of tax then you'll have to pay the difference

The 3 flight route is through LHR, the other misses out the UK so a lot less taxes

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The 3 flight route is through LHR, the other misses out the UK so a lot less taxes

If you are in transit through the UK you shouldn't have to pay the luxury departure tax anyway. If stopping there you would.

 

[FromTheRail]

If you are in transit through the UK you shouldn't have to pay the luxury departure tax anyway. If stopping there you would.

Must just be the extra flight LHR to DUB on BA takes the taxes from 62USD direct on Qatar (checked on another day) to 12something USD not a massive difference, but would rather have it in my pocket.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Must just be the extra flight LHR to DUB on BA takes the taxes from 62USD direct on Qatar (checked on another day) to 12something USD not a massive difference, but would rather have it in my pocket.

AA charge the BA fuel fine/YQ on redemptions, which would account for the difference.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Something else I did not realise was possible. I wanted to change my recently booked business award PVG-xHKG-xBNE-MEL flight to a PVG-xHKG-MEL as availability opened up. Normally I'd have just left it (gladly take an extra J flight for nothing ) but the new flights were a much more kind departure time from PVG.

I rang and unfortunately the agent couldn't see the flights I was seeing via aa.com. She advised me to reserve the new flights on hold online, provide the PNR and she could then go on to exchange my current ticket against the new PNR. I was a bit skeptical, but it all seems to have gone through fine. New reservation was ticketed within a couple of hours and I have received confirmation of a refund of about 10USD due to the lower taxes.

Again a relatively painless experience and a good pro-active solution to the agent not being able to see the availability. Hoping anyone in a similar scenario might be able to suggest this as a way around agents being unable to see what you can.

 

[potm]

Have had a similar experience. AA phone agents have trouble seeing a lot of QF domestic flights, despite them being on the AA website.

 

[burmans]

I'm looking to book a flight back from Europe using AA points on Etihad (either J or F). Many of the flights have an overnight layover in Abu Dhabi, will this be eligible for a free hotel from Etihad?

 

[diningdecadence]

Have QF restricted access to their awards for partners? or is there alot of phantom availability? not showing on BA or AA but supposedly wide open on QF

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Have QF restricted access to their awards for partners? or is there alot of phantom availability? not showing on BA or AA but supposedly wide open on QF

I think it's part of the promise to make more seats available to QFFFers.

 

[Danger]

Getting value with AA miles on AA metal seems to be increasingly difficult, now that dynamic pricing has been introduced. However, I was very pleased to nab Singapore to Doha to Beirut for 40K miles and about USD60. Particularly great is the fact the DOH-BEY sector books into F - but at no additional cost. Yes, it's a two-class sector. However, because it books into F there's Al Safwa lounge access included. Qantas charges that sector as though it is true F (which, to be fair, I probably can't fault them for). But AA doesn't so that made the redemption even better value.

 

[turtlemichael]

I'm wondering if there are any up to date experiences of using AA miles and an Australian credit card for QF domestic flights. Does the el segundo method still work? Alternatively, is the massaging the post code system to a US zip code still possible?

 

[burmans]

I'm wondering if there are any up to date experiences of using AA miles and an Australian credit card for QF domestic flights. Does the el segundo method still work? Alternatively, is the massaging the post code system to a US zip code still possible?

Do you have a reason to believe this doesn't work?

 

[turtlemichael]

No reason one way or another. I'm checking given its both years since I last used el segundo and there are sparse comments in recent times that I can locate.

 

[burmans]

In a down period I can’t see why AA would have been investing a lot in IT changes but only one way to find out!

 

[drron]

I'm wondering if there are any up to date experiences of using AA miles and an Australian credit card for QF domestic flights. Does the el segundo method still work? Alternatively, is the massaging the post code system to a US zip code still possible?

definitely.our flights to WA in May were AA awards.I have always put an 0 in front of my postcode which then is the zip code of a village in Maine.the rest of my address is my Australian billing address.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Try putting using any valid US address - it seems AmEx (at least) does not actually check this address on relatively low value transactions. (I did this on an AC award routing which would not accept my Australian address and it worked just fine).

 

[Guvner]

I've used the drron method for MEL>CNS AA awards using an Aus based VISA card on a few occasions and it works fine.

 

[turtlemichael]

I've used the drron method for MEL>CNS AA awards using an Aus based VISA card on a few occasions and it works fine.

I can confirm that the system continues to work.

 

[FromTheRail]

definitely.our flights to WA in May were AA awards.I have always put an 0 in front of my postcode which then is the zip code of a village in Maine.the rest of my address is my Australian billing address.

Done this many a time

I've currently got far too many points due to 2 x canceled Europe trips last year for 2 people, sitting with about 700,000 so I hope they don't change it soon

 

[k_sheep]

Paranoid question: Is "ticketed" or "confirmed" what you want to see on your AA award booking?

I had a MCY-xSYD-ZQN booking which got cancelled (funnily enough) and I managed to sweet talk both AA and QF into allowing me to change to the direct BNE-ZQN flight. I got a refund on the SYD airport taxes which I assume is a good sign, but now is showing as ticketed, and I can't choose seats ...