Another AAdvantage versus QFF thread

[Kazda]

Interested in the AA program but can't work out how to book a QF award flight through AA program. Could somebody tell me:
If you have points in AA program, how do you make an award booking or check the availibity of award seats for Syd - HKG return.

Is it via the AA website or do you have to ring American Airlines awards reservations.?

Also, is the fuel fees/levies calculated in US dollars or $Aud. ?

Thanks
Karen

 

[simongr]

Just call them to book an aaward as you can't book partner aawards on line.

 

[Dave Noble]

Interested in the AA program but can't work out how to book a QF award flight through AA program. Could somebody tell me:
If you have points in AA program, how do you make an award booking or check the availibity of award seats for Syd - HKG return.

Is it via the AA website or do you have to ring American Airlines awards reservations.?

Also, is the fuel fees/levies calculated in US dollars or $Aud. ?

Thanks
Karen

You can check availability on the QF website if you have a QF FF account

You make the booking by phoning AA. You can pay the Australian AA office in AUD


There are ZERO fuel fines applied to awards using AA miles. You do have to pay the genuine taxes.

Dave

 

[NM]

You can check availability on the QF website if you have a QF FF account

You make the booking by phoning AA. You can pay the Australian AA office in AUD

I paid the taxes by providing my Australian credit card details to the AA EXP agent ove the phone at the time of making my award booking. Not sure if this is an EXP benefit, but no need for me to pay separately to the Australian AA office.

The whole process of booking 7-sector OneWorld award for two people took less than 10 mins. All very quick and simple. I did my homework first by searching availability via QFF and CX Asia Mile web sites first.

 

[anat0l]

I just signed up for AA recently after seeing my flying diary is going to take me quite some way with QF, but I'm looking a bit into the future as to if I keep up my flying habits, where should I consider most of my OW crediting....

Lots of my flights are domestic and usually Red e-Deal (mostly O), so it seems I could qualify for AA Plat on qualifying sectors (as long as I can maintain booking in O - not easy ), possibly even Exec Plat (especially if you throw in a few Jetconnect runs). Notwithstanding I have to think about my credit cards and any hotel programs (currently PC nothing and HHG with double dips on QF - switch or no switch.....)

So confusing where to swing towards! I was contemplating that I would credit to QF for status until I requal at a level I feel comfortable with, then start crediting everything to AA. That now seems like a very folly thing to do, so it's probably better to stick to one program and "go for it" on that program.

*sigh* Unfortunately like some here, there's little to no opportunity for me to fly in cash long haul (work certainly won't send me that far), much far less that'll happen in J or F. There's *ONE*s but oh the planning ahead.....

 

[Kazda]

You can check availability on the QF website if you have a QF FF account

You make the booking by phoning AA. You can pay the Australian AA office in AUD


There are ZERO fuel fines applied to awards using AA miles. You do have to pay the genuine taxes.

Dave

Ok, so have I got this straight...

AA do not have an additional 'allocation' of QFF award seats - The seats that are showing when I login to my QFF account are ALL that are available and these are shared by those using QFF points direct with Qantas and those booking through AA and other award programs.

To get points into AA, I transfer my points from Amex to the Starwood Program and from there onto AAdvantage program....correct ???

also, Is 1 Amex point = to 1 Starwood point ???
And
1 Starwood point = to 1 AA point

 

[simongr]

1000 Amex -> 330 SPG

20,000 SPG -> 25000 AA

 

[serfty]

...
also, Is 1 Amex point = to 1 Starwood point ???
And
1 Starwood point = to 1 AA point

No,

100 Amex MR-> 33 SPG -> 33 AAdvantage miles.

However, if you transfer 20K SPG to AAdvantage, you earn 5K bonus.

so, 60,700 Amex MR-> 20018 SPG -> 25000 AAdvantage miles (+18 SPG)

 

[NM]

AA do not have an additional 'allocation' of QFF award seats - The seats that are showing when I login to my QFF account are ALL that are available and these are shared by those using QFF points direct with Qantas and those booking through AA and other award programs.

This is the case if you look for the QFF awards using a Bronze of Silver QFF account. If your QFF membership is Gold or Platinum, then you will see additional economy class awards that may not be available to lower status QFF members or partner airline FF members. Some people also believe Gold and Platinum QFF members see additional business and first class award availability through their on-line accounts. I have not seen this personally, but several people have reported this to be the case.

I certainly have had no problems booking AA awards for premium cabins that show as available on-line using my QFF Gold account. This includes QF business class domestic and international award seats as well as BA first class award seats.

 

[anat0l]

No,

100 Amex MR-> 33 SPG -> 33 AAdvantage miles.

However, if you transfer 20K SPG to AAdvantage, you earn 5K bonus.

so, 60,700 Amex MR-> 20018 SPG -> 25000 AAdvantage miles (+18 SPG)

Can someone put this into perspective, please? (AA/SPG n00b here)

Is this is a good rate compared to, say, direct transfer to AA or transferring the same Amex MR points to QF?

Also, is the 20% bonus a promotion or is it a regular thing (at least for now)?

I'm not sure if MR subscribes to AA sweeping anyway, so for AA holders SPG might be the only way to go. But balancing SPG/AA vs. QF..... (although when QF goes direct only that may change the balance a lot)...

 

[NM]

Is this is a good rate compared to, say, direct transfer to AA or transferring the same Amex MR points to QF?

There is no option for direct transfer from Amex to AA, so nothing to compare.

As for comparison with QF transfers, that is a personal issue and depends entirely on what you plan to use the points/miles for. If redeeming for economy travel, then AA may not be the best choice. For business class travel, then its marginal with the AA awards possibly requiring more Amex points but less dollars. For first class awards, then AA is likely to be on top.

Also, is the 20% bonus a promotion or is it a regular thing (at least for now)?

It is an on-going bonus.

Also note that SPG points can also provide good value hotel room redemptions.

 

[anat0l]

As for comparison with QF transfers, that is a personal issue and depends entirely on what you plan to use the points/miles for. If redeeming for economy travel, then AA may not be the best choice. For business class travel, then its marginal with the AA awards possibly requiring more Amex points but less dollars. For first class awards, then AA is likely to be on top.

Thanks for that.

For me I'd be trying to aim for high-class redemptions, e.g. J or F. I'm not the kind of person that churns out points like crazy (not much that any PhD student could possibly do), so it may take me much longer than some people to get an F award, but on that note I'd rather try for an F award (even if it is ******* difficult) - or J award - rather than a Y award, because I can't see the value of Y unless (a) its RTW (maybe) or (b) I was "backed into a corner", so to speak, or similar situation.

Hence I started with AA and I'm trying to strategise now how I can start redeeming to AA but also keeping status retaining in mind. As someone who is completely new to one of the largest FF programs in the world, it is slightly mentally overwhelming at the moment... (but that and also I've got other things to worry about right now...)

 

[Kazda]

I've logged into my AA rewards program and I can't locate anywhere which shows how many points are required for award bookings.

Do AA have this info avail somewhere as I'm wanting to compare with Qantas award bookings the number of points required for SYD-HKG in business and HKG - SYD in 1st class for QFF and AA award program

Thanks

 

[anat0l]

I've logged into my AA rewards program and I can't locate anywhere which shows how many points are required for award bookings.

Do AA have this info avail somewhere as I'm wanting to compare with Qantas award bookings the number of points required for SYD-HKG in business and HKG - SYD in 1st class for QFF and AA award program

Thanks

I think these may be what you are looking for:

• AA only award chart
• All airline partners award chart
• oneworld awards chart (based on total mileage)

Note that all awards are for return flights; QF award charts are in terms of one-way redemptions.

I'm assuming that the oneworld awards chart gives a list of possible mileage awards that may be more competitive than redeeming under an all airline award scheme if (a) there is multiple travel/stopovers and (b) oneworld carriers only are being used.

The AA award chart seems to list peak and offpeak MileSAAver awards - which I assume to be similar to standard QF Classic Awards - as well as AAnytime awards which I assume is similar to QF Any Seat awards (except that the AAnytime award prices are fixed compared to the more erratically priced Any Seat awards).

 

[serfty]

• go to AA.com
• Select AAdvantage® from the Left Hand Menu
• Select Program Details
• Select American Airlines award chart (under Awards)
• Select View AAdvantage Partner Airline Travel Award Charts

 

[Kazda]

Thanks Anat01 and Serfty, the info you provided to the points required for AA have been bookmarked for future reference.

It seems that the points for AA award booking syd - hkg is the same as QFF being 90k for 1st class, however as I have read in a previous post the difference will be the lower $$$ I will have to outlay for levies/fuel by booking through AA.

 

[futaris]

Comparing First class rewards:

BNE-HKG = 4306 mi = Zone 5 Redemption on QF partner (CX) = 95k EACH WAY = 190k return + taxes/fuel surcharges
BNE-HKG = South Pacific - Asia 2 Redemption on AA = 85k return + taxes

Of course with AA, you can start anywhere in South Pacific and finish anywhere in Asia, as long as you keep to one airline. And of course you can open-jaw (start/finish at different airports).

 

[NM]

Comparing First class rewards:

BNE-HKG = 4306 mi = Zone 5 Redemption on QF partner (CX) = 95k EACH WAY = 190k return + taxes/fuel surcharges
BNE-HKG = South Pacific - Asia 2 Redemption on AA = 85k return + taxes

Of course with AA, you can start anywhere in South Pacific and finish anywhere in Asia, as long as you keep to one airline. And of course you can open-jaw (start/finish at different airports).

Umm, just a few problems with that theory. Nobody flies with a first class product directly between BNE and HKG. With CX, you have to fly QF in business class to MEL and connect there, making it 5447 miles and hence a Zone 6 QF redemption each way. And QFF will charge the additional 2500 points for an assisted booking since CX flights cannot be booked on-line. So a return QF First Class award flying with CX to HKG will cost 218,500 QFF points plus taxes plus fuel fines for two domestic sectors (@$25.63 each) and 2 HKG sectors (@US$106.70 each) for a total fuel surcharge of around $400. Other taxes should be the same with some variation for exchange rates used.

 

[futaris]

Of course... I probably should have checked the OW first class routes thread.

NB, I think that you can't mix QF and CX on a QF partner award, according to the T&Cs:

'Trip' means a series of one or more consecutive Flight Segments within an Itinerary:
(a) that does not include:
(i) a Stopover; or
(ii) (ii) a Flight Segment whose arrival city is the same as the departure city of any other Flight Segment in that series (in this instance the Trip will be broken at the farthest point from the departure city for that series);
(b) not exceeding the maximum permitted miles in the Qantas or Partner Classic Award tables (also see the Benefits Guidebook for the tables); or
(c) not broken by a change to or from any airline included in the Partner Classic Award table (also see the Benefits Guidebook for the table).

 

[NM]

Of course... I probably should have checked the OW first class routes thread.

NB, I think that you can't mix QF and CX on a QF partner award, according to the T&Cs:

I think you can include QF connecting sectors when using a Partner Award. but the Partner Awards require more points, so a Zone 6 is 114,000 each way plus assisted booking fee for a total of 230,500 points.

Or you can take a OneWorld award, using QF (J) BNE-MEL, CX (F) for MEK-HKG-BKK and BA (F)for BKK-SYD and finally returning to BNE on QF (J). That just pips you over to a Zone 7 OneWorld award for 232,500 points but could also include some more sectors and stopovers if you wish.