A couple of questions from an AAdvantage newbie

[Kangol]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Hi,

I currently have an AA award for HBA-MEL-KUL-HKT and want to change to HBA-SYD-BKK and then purchase a flight to HKT separately.

Doing this because my wife and I don't want to fly with MH anymore - please don't turn this thread into a discussion of their safety.

I am wondering if I will have to pay a change fee or because still terminating in the same country that will be allowed to change carriers without a fee?

My preference would be CX via HKG and then Dragon Air to HKT but nothing available at the moment.

Thanks,
Dale.

AFAIK, finishing a trip in a different city but in the same original country is still a change in destination. So if you do as you propose, ie. change your award to end in BKK not HKT then you should be up for the $150 change fee for non-EXPs.
One option I could recommend is see if you can still keep HKT as your destination but go HBA-SYD-BKK-xx_-HKT keeping within MPM+25%. Then you can remove the last 2 segments making your destination BKK and therefore not incurring the change fee. There is some discussion upthread about removing segments that end up with the same regions (and hence mileage cost) for no charge.

As for the xx_ city - that is the hard part. SIN, HKG, MNL, somewhere in Vietnam perhaps? Or even bypass BKK and connect in any other city to still end up in HKT?
I am not that familiar with SE Asian routes so maybe someone else can offer something I can't.

 

[dalereardon]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Oh well, will just have to pay it then.

Are there any other routes with OW carriers that can use AA miles for? CX is the only other one I know of and no seats at the moment.

Dale.

 

[dalereardon]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

MH also does BKK-KUL-HKT so could add that on at the end and then remove it.

Will check out the discussion you refer to.

Dale.

 

[jayday13]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Hi, I have an AA J award flight on QF10 LHR-DXB-MEL then QF604 to BNE. Is it possible to change to QF8434 (emirates codeshare) direct DXB-BNE? Not sure if its possible to book QF codeshares via AA.
thanks for any info!

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Hi, I have an AA J award flight on QF10 LHR-DXB-MEL then QF604 to BNE. Is it possible to change to QF8434 (emirates codeshare) direct DXB-BNE? Not sure if its possible to book QF codeshares via AA.
thanks for any info!

I am fairly sure you won't be able to book any EK metal flights through AA.

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I am fairly sure you won't be able to book any EK metal flights through AA.

That's my understanding, too.

 

[shifty]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Sorry if this has been asked... in QFF awards I can see different (more) availability than when looking at AA awards for the same days etc. on QF flights. Is this normal? I am an AA virgin.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Hi, I have an AA J award flight on QF10 LHR-DXB-MEL then QF604 to BNE. Is it possible to change to QF8434 (emirates codeshare) direct DXB-BNE? Not sure if its possible to book QF codeshares via AA.
thanks for any info!

No, the QF codeshare is actually not available as a redemption, only the EK flight number - hence you are unable to redeem at all (aside from the fact EK is not a OW partner anyway). You are stuck with the extra flight time! (which, personally, I think, is great )

Sorry if this has been asked... in QFF awards I can see different (more) availability than when looking at AA awards for the same days etc. on QF flights. Is this normal? I am an AA virgin.

For which airline? Some airlines don't show on AA but do on QFF. And QFF apparently does show ghost availability occasionally (aka availability that does not actually exist). In any case if you need a flight that isn't showing on the AA website you can ring them to see if it actually is (and just stump up for the booking fee - as much as it is ridiculed here, even if you pay that you are still way ahead)

 

[dalereardon]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Is it a domestic flight you are checking availability for? The Qantas search engine shows Jetstar awards and you don't know it is Jetstar until you inspect the flights.

 

[serfty]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Sorry if this has been asked... in QFF awards I can see different (more) availability than when looking at AA awards for the same days etc. on QF flights. Is this normal? I am an AA virgin.

As a QF WP you may be seeing elite additional availability.

 

[Paddy55]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Sorry if this has been asked... in QFF awards I can see different (more) availability than when looking at AA awards for the same days etc. on QF flights. Is this normal? I am an AA virgin.

I've had the reverse too! Availability (in F :shock via AA that wasn't there on QFs web site. Can't figure that one out but very happy that it happens

 

[shifty]

Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

As a QF WP you may be seeing elite additional availability.

Ahhh status may be it.

I should have been specific, I meant on QFI flights eg. MEL/SYD to DXB.

 

[Nizar]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

Does anybody know if there are any ridiculous AA offers at this time perhaps not direct buying of points but other purchases than earn points such as that magazines.com offer that was available some time ago ?

 

[Nizar]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

If I book EY F AUH-SYD then onto MEL with QF as a single 60k AA award will I be eligible for chauffeur drive in Melbourne ?
I'm thinking unlikely ?

Any comments/advice appreciated, cheers.

 

[Danger]

Re: Couple of AAdvantage questions from a newbie to it

I made an AAdvantage reservation for PER-xSYD-xHKG-MNL yesterday with AA miles, the first two flights on QF and the last on CX. That came to 35k miles and a pittance in taxes. I really wanted the overnight CX flight so I called back to change it. The agent then said it would be 52.5k. I asked how it could be different when it was exactly the same routing but with a different carrier and he said that CX's maximum permitted mileage is less than QF's for PER-MNL. (Incidentally, ExpertFlyer shows both routes as being beyond MPM+25% but apparently the QF one is valid.)

Also, AA's Australian number has changed. It is now (02) 91011948.

If I book EY F AUH-SYD then onto MEL with QF as a single 60k AA award will I be eligible for chauffeur drive in Melbourne ?
I'm thinking unlikely ?

Any comments/advice appreciated, cheers.

I had the same query after making a reservation JED (or, as the AA agent called it, repeatedly, Jeddai) to AUH to PEK. Reports on FlyerTalk strongly indicate chauffeur drive is available on AAdvantage award tickets. It may, however, require a couple of attempts with a phone agent or apparently the mobile chauffeur app (no idea what that is) works fine.

 

[Jezza8888]

Hi everyone

I have decided to make the switch from Qantas to AA because of the new rules.

I have a couple of questions if anyone would be so kind in answering them.

1) how many frequent flyer points do i get from cbr-syd return in Y?

2) what are the award availability? Say if i Buy the points with the April bonus, are these flights easy to redeem? Primarily travel to Asia, Europe and Americas in J is what I am after.

3) If i use my AAdvantage membership when I pay for qantas flights, will I be able to get into the qantas lounge when I fly with Qantas domestically?

Many thanks, and if there are any other tips that you may wish to provide me, I would appreicate it.

 

[Danger]

Hi everyone

I have decided to make the switch from Qantas to AA because of the new rules.

I have a couple of questions if anyone would be so kind in answering them.

1) how many frequent flyer points do i get from cbr-syd return in Y?

Until you reach at least AA Gold (oneworld Ruby) your base miles will be 147 and your elite qualifying points will be 1.47 x 1.5. Once you reach AA Platinum (oneworld Sapphire) your elite qualifying miles becomes 500 and your elite qualifying points becomes 750. Total redeemable mileage (your points/miles to burn) would be 1000.

2) what are the award availability? Say if i Buy the points with the April bonus, are these flights easy to redeem? Primarily travel to Asia, Europe and Americas in J is what I am after.

In my experience award availability is much the same as any other oneworld carrier, possibly more. I've been able to secure award flights on CX using AA miles that I wasn't able to secure with QF points. The downside is that AA only has access to awards 11 months out, about three or so weeks later than QF awards are released.

3) If i use my AAdvantage membership when I pay for qantas flights, will I be able to get into the qantas lounge when I fly with Qantas domestically?

This became a contentious issue a few months ago. I personally had a run-in with a lounge agent in Canberra who insisted that I wasn't able to access the QF J lounge when I was travelling on my AA (then Platinum/oneworld Sapphire) membership. When I landed in Perth I went to the Qantas Club and explained what had happened where the duty manager said the information I got was wrong and "we're happy to have you". I believe what had happened was a memo had been issued that same week to staff along the lines of 'the FF number in the reservation determines benefits' but it turns out that was a memo relating only to the QF/EK partnership. It seems there were a growing number of QF passengers who were using their QF status to access the EK lounges (mainly in DXB) but were attributing their miles to EK's Skywards program. (It was a case of, as one member put it, show them the city and they'll never go back to the farm.) Some may consider this 'double dipping' but there are no oneworld rules that prevent this. Since those couple of incidences in CBR several months ago, I've never had a problem accessing benfits of one FF program and attributing miles to another.

Of course, to access the Qantas Club you'll first need appropriate membership or status.

 

[Jezza8888]

Thanks for that Danger, looks like it may not be worth me switching over for points unless I can put a few flights together and then do the status challenge and be executive platinum.

 

[Mwenenzi]

.I have decided to make the switch from Qantas to AA because of the new rules.
I have a couple of questions if anyone would be so kind in answering them.
1) how many frequent flyer points do i get from cbr-syd return in Y?
2) what are the award availability? Say if i Buy the points with the April bonus, are these flights easy to redeem? Primarily travel to Asia, Europe and Americas in J is what I am after.
3) If i use my AAdvantage membership when I pay for Qantas flights, will I be able to get into the Qantas lounge when I fly with Qantas domestically?

Did you do any basic research before you decided to switch?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Thanks for that Danger, looks like it may not be worth me switching over for points unless I can put a few flights together and then do the status challenge and be executive platinum.

there is no status challenge to be EXECUTIVE PLATINUM