How to change your seat on an AA flight bought on Qantas.com (Advice)

[MissJRB]

Just to second that, I had a internal AA flight booked through the QF website and the AA Twitter team were very prompt in giving me my AA book reference, and did the seat selection on the spot for me.
Edit: see if AA can provide your QANTAS booking record locator.

I've got both the QF and AA record locators and I'm using the relevant locator reference depending on who I am talking to (QF or AA call centre).

I've tweeted both Qantas and AA and both have given me the same response - the seat map is restricted and we'll have to wait til we get to the airport. Which is not ideal because we want to sit together since we're travelling alone with our kids.

The best Qantas Twitter could do was put a note on our booking saying we want these specific seats.

Our flight into LA arrives 4 hours before the LAX-SYD flight so I guess we can only hope that it's enough time to get our preferred seats.

*sigh* it's incredibly annoying and frustrating.

 

[bussyboy]

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/book-direct.html?int_cam=au%3Awhy-qantas%3Aarticle%3Awhy-book-on-qantas%3Aen%3Aflights

I'd suggest this may now be by design - book direct with Qantas to get seat selection

 

[djkelly69]

I've got both the QF and AA record locators

Just checking you have tried both PNRs/record locators on the RJ or other OW carrier websites?

 

[carlzp83]

QF does not have a say in seat selection on any AA flights, because these are not QF operated flights

On the QF A380 return flight originating in the US, complimentary seat selection is available if:
1)You are a Silver or higher frequent flyer
OR
2)You are travelling on a fare that is Economy saver or higher, premium Econ, Business, First.
AND
3) You needed to purchase the fare from Qantas directly

If Bronze FF you are only able to get comp seat selection if the QF operated flights originates in Australia.
See here for QF seat selection rules

These flights are booked with AA on a Qantas plane, not the other way round. And many people have had luck going through AA to get seat selection on Qantas, which is what myself and MissJRB are trying to do. Chatting with the AA team on twitter now.

 

[carlzp83]

Just checking you have tried both PNRs/record locators on the RJ or other OW carrier websites?

Just on BA now. AA booking ref didn't even show up booking but Qantas ref does however it just sends me back to the AA website to select the seats

 

[Quickstatus]

SYD-LAX-MCO-LAX-SYD with the first three legs being AA and the 4th leg LAX-SYD on the A380 with Qantas.

These flights are booked with AA on a Qantas plane, not the other way round.

I was referring to the above itinerary posted today. Was not referring to yours

 

[carlzp83]

I was referring to the above itinerary posted today. Was not referring to yours

I know, it's the same situation though. AA booking Qantas plane.

Going to give Qantas twitter a whirl! If I have any luck anywhere I will let you know @MissJRB

 

[Quickstatus]

AA booking Qantas plane

Not when "the first 3 legs are AA"

 

[carlzp83]

Not when "the first 3 legs are AA"

There are no issues with the AA legs, it's the final leg that she's having the problem. Which is an AA booking but a Qantas plane.

 

[djkelly69]

There are no issues with the AA legs, it's the final leg that she's having the problem. Which is an AA booking but a Qantas plane.

I don't believe that is actually stated in the relevant post, although it can be perhaps be inferred.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think everyone should just answer questions about their booking and not someone else's
Otherwise it gets very confusion

 

[justinbrett]

QF does not have a say in seat selection on any AA flights, because these are not QF operated flights

On the QF A380 return flight originating in the US, complimentary seat selection is available if:
1)You are a Silver or higher frequent flyer
OR
2)You are travelling on a fare that is Economy saver or higher, premium Econ, Business, First.
AND
3) You needed to purchase the fare from Qantas directly

If Bronze FF you are only able to get comp seat selection if the QF operated flights originates in Australia.
See here for QF seat selection rules

I'm also assuming the A380 is on an AA code which makes this an AA problem (and arguably should be an issue on the AA forum, not QF).

Codeshares often make seat assignment tricky.

 

[Quickstatus]

A380 is on an AA code

Im seeing 3 issues
AA ticketing
AA codeshare potentially more problematic than QF code
Frequent flyer Tier
Type of fare

I thought that maybe an aircraft change might be on the cards - eg A380 to B787 but I don't think so.

I think the common denominator is an AA ticket flight +/- one or more of the above.

 

[madrooster]

i had to do this the other day.

Interestingly I have one sector on a US domestic flight in coach (business class OWA) and it allowed me to select MCE for free. I have no status.

Dunno if it will stick, but there seems to be a benefit going though AA to do seating.

There's a Sabre bug where T class can select MCE for free. It has been there for a few months now.

I wonder if that’s because you’re on a “Business” ticket and that’s bestowed some additional benefits?

What baggage allowance?

The cabin that the flight in question is in, is what matters. What else is on the same ticket let alone PNR is irrelevant.

I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, but I've just tried this and cannot get the Sabre reference to show for the AA flights. (QF booking, trans pac flights on QF, internal US flights on AA)

Perhaps because my booking is through my corporate TA?

I don't deal directly with the TA, otherwise I would have already asked them for AA/Sabre PNR.

This tactic only works if Amadeus is the GDS that has control of the PNR so this works for QF-made bookings or bookings made by agents that use Amadeus.

Your corporate TA probably uses Sabre (the majority of the corporate TAs do) so the Sabre reference will not show up on the BA site. That means it's not visible to BA nor QF. You will need to ask your corporate TA for it or ask AA to find you in their system.

Im seeing 3 issues
AA ticketing
AA codeshare potentially more problematic than QF code
Frequent flyer Tier
Type of fare

I thought that maybe an aircraft change might be on the cards - eg A380 to B787 but I don't think so.

I think the common denominator is an AA ticket flight +/- one or more of the above.

I regularly put pax on AA codeshares operated by QF and I never experience any issues assigning seating on such flights. I'd notice very quickly if there was an issue - I assign seats for all pax, by default, including those who don't have status.

It is 95% functionally equivalent to the QF code. That 5% being you can't put in a points upgrade. Everything else works - wheelchair requests, seating, special meals, etc. I even have full visibility of passengers doing OLCI, airport check in, bag drop, boarding etc.

Status benefits for seating are correctly honoured on AA codeshares operated by QF. That is, you can access the same rows (eg. row 4/6/9 etc. on domestic) as if you were booked on QF code and seating is also free of charge in Y even in sale classes which don't give free seat selection to a non status pax.

The issue here is AA and QF staff who don't know how to do codeshare seating. You need to find someone who knows what they're doing with codeshare seating. They need to put in the seating as a NN aka need need request which will send the request to QF. QF will then confirm the seat and reply back seat confirmed.

 

[carlzp83]

There's a Sabre bug where T class can select MCE for free. It has been there for a few months now.



The cabin that the flight in question is in, is what matters. What else is on the same ticket let alone PNR is irrelevant.



This tactic only works if Amadeus is the GDS that has control of the PNR so this works for QF-made bookings or bookings made by agents that use Amadeus.

Your corporate TA probably uses Sabre (the majority of the corporate TAs do) so the Sabre reference will not show up on the BA site. That means it's not visible to BA nor QF. You will need to ask your corporate TA for it or ask AA to find you in their system.



I regularly put pax on AA codeshares operated by QF and I never experience any issues assigning seating on such flights. I'd notice very quickly if there was an issue - I assign seats for all pax, by default, including those who don't have status.

It is 95% functionally equivalent to the QF code. That 5% being you can't put in a points upgrade. Everything else works - wheelchair requests, seating, special meals, etc. I even have full visibility of passengers doing OLCI, airport check in, bag drop, boarding etc.

Status benefits for seating are correctly honoured on AA codeshares operated by QF. That is, you can access the same rows (eg. row 4/6/9 etc. on domestic) as if you were booked on QF code and seating is also free of charge in Y even in sale classes which don't give free seat selection to a non status pax.

The issue here is AA and QF staff who don't know how to do codeshare seating. You need to find someone who knows what they're doing with codeshare seating. They need to put in the seating as a NN aka need need request which will send the request to QF. QF will then confirm the seat and reply back seat confirmed.

Immensely helpful!! Thank you!!! I’ll try that wording on the AA twitter.

 

[carlzp83]

Immensely helpful!! Thank you!!! I’ll try that wording on the AA twitter.

No luck on AA twitter unfortunately

 

[carlzp83]

No luck with Qantas either

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There's a Sabre bug where T class can select MCE for free. It has been there for a few months now.

Thanks madrooster!

Am i going to get kicked out? or did i score a freebie Travel is four months away.

 

[madrooster]

Thanks madrooster!

Am i going to get kicked out? or did i score a freebie Travel is four months away.

Just don't touch it and it should be fine.

No luck with Qantas either

What is the date and flight number?

 

[carlzp83]

Just don't touch it and it should be fine.



What is the date and flight number?

7th August 2023 QF11 (AA7374) departing SYD at 10:20am. Thank you