Oneworld award destination help

[rtyuiop]

Hi folks,

I'm looking at burning off some QFF points in May/June next year to meet some friends on the east coast of the US (they're doing south america then heading up to the USA where I'll meet them). Disregarding questions of availability (which I think is going to be a pain!), I'm thinking my best option is a oneworld zone 10 J award, but I need to find another OW airline besides QF and AA. So I'm canvassing for options for a few days stopover somewhere (can be damn near anywhere on the planet) that'll help that.

Basically, the musts are:

Start and finish in Brisbane (or anywhere east coast Oz if it makes sense).
Couple of weeks around New York
Couple of weeks around Orlando

So, any suggestions for somewhere nice to visit for a few days solo which will let me use another airline.

I was initially thinking London and thus BA, but availability coming back home from Europe looks really, really bad. Is there a Carribean option serviced by someone else from Oneworld except AA? Good places to stop for a few days in Africa (I was in Egypt last year but I'm still tempted to go back!)? Anywhere in South America which lends itself to just a quick visit?

My personal tastes for things to visit are mainly in the area of museums, landscapes (which are reasonably easy to get to, I'm too unfit to go hiking the Himalayas or something), and that sort of thing - not a club/bar sort of person, if that makes a difference.

I also have a more general question - if I take a J award and there's not J availability on a leg, can I take an econ or premium econ award seat?

Thanks!

Danny

 

[drron]

You dont have to go around the world-i have done a circle pacific type award and you then can use JL or CX.And it can be as simple as CX to HKG,JL to NRT and then the rest of the trip on AA and QF.AA premium awards across the pacific are plentiful though sometime the QFF agents cant see them or show up online on QF.EG for Feb 8 to march 8 next year I can see J saver awards on aa.com on all but 6 days NRT-LAX but 19 days are showing as unavailable on QF online.
The real problem is QFF across the pacific.

 

[serfty]

Just be aware that QFF Business awards book into economy on AA 2 class domestic flights.

3 class domestic flights do book into Business class.

 

[rtyuiop]

Yeah, that would do it I suppose - I guess my issue is I wander around Asia Pacific a fair bit for work, so was kind of hoping for somewhere different... At the moment I'm thinking something in central or south america might be my best bet. Wouldn't mind checking out some Aztec ruins, that's for sure!

 

[rtyuiop]

Just be aware that QFF Business awards book into economy on AA 2 class domestic flights.

3 class domestic flights do book into Business class.

Ouch - thanks for that, that's very good to know.

Danny

 

[JohnK]

I was initially thinking London and thus BA, but availability coming back home from Europe looks really, really bad. Is there a Carribean option serviced by someone else from Oneworld except AA? Good places to stop for a few days in Africa (I was in Egypt last year but I'm still tempted to go back!)? Anywhere in South America which lends itself to just a quick visit?

What about travelling to Europe first and then returning via the USA?

Can you try LAN across the Pacific to South America and then AA to the USA and QF back to Australia? Not sure what LAN availability is like or the routes they service in South America.

And as drron mentioned your other option is to travel with CX and/or JAL via Asia.

 

[rtyuiop]

Ahah! Dates have changed a little, and I can now get plenty of availability coming back from Europe - looks like Brisbane-LA-NY-Orlando-London-Singapore-Brisbane might be doable. Premium econ only on the transpacific leg at the moment, unfortunately... Will have to see if MEL or SYD flights have J.

Thanks folks - I'm going to investigate LAN to South America for a bit too and see if I can make that work...

Danny