Are fares usually cheaper on AA.com ??

[Doug_Mi16]

So - if you plan to travel outside Oz at least once a year pick the cheapest way to get there and get the round trip exSIN. I suspect that QF is happy most Aussies don't travel that often. Especially since there are quite good deals to Europe on BA in WTP.

Cheers Fred, interesting that, thanks for sharing the knowledge!

My mate in SIN can pick up tickets for me there, so it looks like it could be a good option to fly ex-SIN - we have a big trip to Europe planned in May 2007. I like the idea of using an award flight to SIN then flying WT+ to Europe! Now I just need to work on getting enough points for myself and the fiancee to get to SIN...

-Doug

 

[littletee]

Don't know what you guys are talking about.

I went to the site and simply put in Syd to Per departing in November and nothing came up.

Have they closed it down?

 

[rwatts]

Don't know what you guys are talking about.

I went to the site and simply put in Syd to Per departing in November and nothing came up.

Have they closed it down?

You *did* remember to select "All Carriers" didn't you ?

 

[littletee]

Ah yes, thanks for that.

So what's the trick again, someone who you know from the US must pay for it for you on their credit card and then you just rock up to the airport as per normal???

TIA

 

[JohnK]

So what's the trick again, someone who you know from the US must pay for it for you on their credit card and then you just rock up to the airport as per normal???

The trick is to click on UK when prompted for country of residence and then you can enter details of your Australian credit card to pay for booking.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

The trick is to click on UK when prompted for country of residence and then you can enter details of your Australian credit card to pay for booking.

You don't even need to do that. You have a choice of booking online normally and getting it ticketed through any AA office (there is a form to fax if you can't do it in person), or if the fare is low enough the US country option still works (check on cc billing address doesnt seem to include country!).

 

[dajop]

Has this AA.com loophole been closed now?

Went to the AA.com site this morning to check flights MEL-AKL-MEL, and it was quoting a fare about $90AUD less than via QF website (ie around $370AUD). Went back this evening to book, and suddenly fare has gone up by nearly $200 USD, yet fare on QF site has not changed (so now $170 AUD dearer). Also last week checking MEL-BKK for a variety of dates and checked again this evening and that has also increased by around $150USD (no change on QF site either).

 

[Dave Noble]

One benefit of booking on aa.com seems to have just been lost. AA is now including a YQ charge in its base fares for QF and BA bookings. It has spoiled some nice domestic fares

Dave

 

[JohnK]

A few of weeks ago I priced a one-way flight from QF website SYD-CHC for Australia Day 26th Jan 2007 at ~A$410 (no red e-deal available) and routing SYD-AKL-CHC on the same day for ~A$440. I also looked on the AA website as most people were recommending it. The direct flight SYD-CHC was US$379.40 (~A$500) and routing SYD-AKL-CHC was only US$268.50 (~A$360).

Looking on AA website now, the direct flight SYD-CHC is US$454.90 (~A$610) and routing SYD-AKL-CHC is US$366.60 (~A$490). The price on QF website is roughly the same as it was a few weeks ago. AA is now much more expensive than QF!

Should have booked from AA website when I had the chance. Interested to see comparison again on 1st September when QF increases fuel surcharges.

 

[simongr]

I wonder if part of this is the strength of teh aussie dollar against the US$ - given that AA will buy their flights from QF they might have recently adjusted for exchange movements...

 

[serfty]

I wonder if part of this is the strength of teh aussie dollar against the US$ - given that AA will buy their flights from QF they might have recently adjusted for exchange movements...

Unlikely, AFAIK, airlines use something called the "Rate Of Exchange"; often shown as ROE on paper tickets.

The current figure was set on July 1 and is 1.339688.

This can be found here: Fares from Australia under "Rate of Exchange".

 

[Altair]

Well I just tried to book some flights on aa.com and was surprised at the costs. After looking on this site I do not know if the reason is the incorporation of the fuel fines as all three attempts have resulted in fares much higher than that posted on Qantas. Generally the fares have been WLG-SYD rtn over $100 more than Qantas and a vast amount more than previously on aa.com.
Well this is really bad for me, AA will be the big loser as I will no longer book through them and QF will lose some flights and revenue loads as I will not be able to fly as much, I will likely lose my QF status as well.... .
(OT: do you think there should be an "enhanced" smilely?)

 

[dajop]

OK - consensus is that loophole No 1. has been plugged. How long before QF & AA team up to stop candy theft as well?

 

[JohnK]

How will the changes affect fuel surcharges on RTW's ticketed from AA and mainly flying QF and BA metal?

 

[Dave Noble]

It should make no difference. AA has been charging YQ on BA/QF tickets issued where country was set to UK for a while. They have done this by adding the cost to the base fare. When issueing an ATW, they quote the base fare including their 2 surcharges

Dave

 

[serfty]

Some Fuel fines are actually defined in the AA Star Files nowadays ...

69N COLLECT FUEL SURCHARGES AS FOLLOWS:                                        
 70N .                                                                          
 71N ------------------------------------------------------                     
 72N I AA TRANSATLANTIC         I 65.00USD                I                     
 73N I FLIGHTS EXCEPT ORD-DEL   I                         I    ¥    
 74N ------------------------------------------------------    ¥                
 75N I AA NON-STOP ORD-DEL      I 135.00USD               I                     
 76N ------------------------------------------------------                     
 77N I AA TRANSPACIFIC FLIGHTS  I 75.00USD                I                     
 78N I EXCEPT:                  I 9000JPY                 I                     
 79N I TICKETS ORIGINATING IN   I                         I                     
 80N I JAPAN, FOR FLIGHTS       I                         I                     
 81N I BETWEEN JAPAN - US       I                         I                     
 82N ------------------------------------------------------                     
 83N I AA NON-STOP/DIRECT       I 75.00USD                I                     
 84N I FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE US - I                         I                     
 85N I AR/BR/CL/UY              I                         I                     
 86N ------------------------------------------------------

 

[Altair]

It should make no difference. AA has been charging YQ on BA/QF tickets issued where country was set to UK for a while. They have done this by adding the cost to the base fare. When issueing an ATW, they quote the base fare including their 2 surcharges

Dave

Well then I wonder why in the past couple of days the fares went from cheaper than QF to more expensive, if not for the fuel fine?
Has it been due to changing the fare classes from the deep discount bucket to one of the higher fares? I will keep looking at aa.com but unless the situation returns to what it previously was AA will be losing my revenue.

 

[Dave Noble]

Well then I wonder why in the past couple of days the fares went from cheaper than QF to more expensive, if not for the fuel fine?
Has it been due to changing the fare classes from the deep discount bucket to one of the higher fares? I will keep looking at aa.com but unless the situation returns to what it previously was AA will be losing my revenue.

For domestic flights they are still lower ( from my checks) than the equivalent QF site price due to the lack of GST being charged. I havent done any checks on international flights yet

Dave

 

[thadocta]

Well then I wonder why in the past couple of days the fares went from cheaper than QF to more expensive, if not for the fuel fine?
Has it been due to changing the fare classes from the deep discount bucket to one of the higher fares? I will keep looking at aa.com but unless the situation returns to what it previously was AA will be losing my revenue.

They haven't actually lost your revenue, QF was always going to get it, since QF operated the flight, all that AA have lost is their commissoion on the sale.

Dave

 

[NM]

They haven't actually lost your revenue, QF was always going to get it, since QF operated the flight, all that AA have lost is their commission on the sale.

Dave

Also note that if purchased through QF, then QF gets to keep the YQ fuel fines. If purchased through AA, then AA gets to keep any fuel fines they chose to charge. It is my understanding that airlines do not pass the fuel fines between each other, but the airline issuing the ticket gets to keep them, not the operating airline.