AA Business Reward seats not available to QF?

[vmile]

We have QF classic reward seats on AA, economy booked for November (Europe to USA).
AA Business reward seats (various trans Atlantic routes) do not seem to appear on the QF rewards site.
I had set up an Expert Flyer alert for AA Business reward availability (obviously it uses the AA site),
and Business seats have become available today (Booking class 'J' showing on the AA web site).
But not on Qantas classic rewards. Just plenty of Economy rewards.
So the question is , is AA releasing international Business reward seats to QF, at all, at the moment?
Or, is it possible to access the seats using QF points if they show as available on the AA system but not the QF system?

 

[DAC1]

Booking class J is not a business award on AA. You need booking class U.

 

[vmile]

Booking class J is not a business award on AA. You need booking class U.

Interesting.
When you do a dummy rewards booking on the AA site, then drill down through 'Details', it shows as 'Booking Code 'J'.
I understand that on AA (From a 2019 website)
J: Business class AAnytime award (two-cabin aircraft)
U: Business/domestic first class MileSAAver award (two-cabin aircraft)
Happy to be corrected.
U class does not show as an option on Expert Flyer for this flight.
'J' class does show.

 

[Mwenenzi]

AAdvantage awards have changed for their ff members
For partner awards need "MileSAAver" which now may never appear.
USA<--->EU/UK business class awards can be very hard to get. Look at all airports AA fly to/from.

 

[DAC1]

On ExpertFlyer, you need to click “Awards & Upgrades” to search.

When you select AA as the airline, one of the options will be “Business - Partner Award (Including 2-cabin Domestic First) (U)”

 

[Danger]

Also note that FF seats on one carrier are not always uniformly available to all partners.

 

[Lynda2475]

Ive never managed to get transatlantic on AA in Business, but there is usually plenty of BA award availability DFW/JFK to LHR or vice versa in Business if booked at least 6 months out.

 

[vmile]

On ExpertFlyer, you need to click “Awards & Upgrades” to search.

When you select AA as the airline, one of the options will be “Business - Partner Award (Including 2-cabin Domestic First) (U)”

Thanks DAC1, I did have that set. But it seems ExpertFlyer sent me an alert as I had also ticked 'Business - Upgrade (Including 2-Cabin Domestic First) (C)' which I now understand is a paid upgrade for AA tickets with cash or miles, not Partner airlines reward tickets, and 'C' availability has opened up.
I will remove 'C' class from the search alert.
Seems that 'U' availability is not likely to happen.

 

[Lynda2475]

If willling to go via HEL there is usually pretty good AY award availability LAX/JFK/ORD to HEL in J too

 

[vmile]

Ive never managed to get transatlantic on AA in Business, but there is usually plenty of BA award availability DFW/JFK to LHR or vice versa in Business if booked at least 6 months out.

Thanks Lynda2475, BA is/was available, but we are flying to Charlotte in Thanksgiving week and trying to avoid a US airport transit. Direct flights are limited to AA or LH, and we are not keen to burn precious SQ points on the LH biz option.

 

[vmile]

Also note that FF seats on one carrier are not always uniformly available to all partners.

True, but if AA policy is not to offer J/F seats to QF rewards, only Y, then hopefully QF does not offer J/F seats to AA rewards.
Fair is fair........

 

[levelnine]

True, but if AA policy is not to offer J/F seats to QF rewards, only Y, then hopefully QF does not offer J/F seats to AA rewards.
Fair is fair........

QF do restrict many, but not all, awards on QF flights to only QFF points holders.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I know it's not transatlantic, but I saw a business reward seat bookable via QFF on AA metal for SYD-LAX only just recently for travel next month. They are there, but there aren't a huge number that pop up.

 

[SYD]

I know it's not transatlantic, but I saw a business reward seat bookable via QFF on AA metal for SYD-LAX only just recently for travel next month. They are there, but there aren't a huge number that pop up.

AA release seats closer to departure. The ultra flexible can do well.


For getting across the Atlantic, I would have thought BA was probably the most likely for reward seats. They have a lot of flights to secondary ports. Where as AA tend to fly from the main hubs and those seats get snapped up quick (if released at all).