Qantas status on AA flights

[jpp42]

Apparently one difference with instant upgrade fares is that since it's an underlying economy fare, they can't be as easily endorsed onto another airline for carriage in a J seat. So if your flight is cancelled you may not be carried in first/business on a competitor, but this is always the case in irrops anyway, and it seems you will get a partial refund/compensation if this happens.

 

[RichardMEL]

There's some wild fare conditions on some of these eg $55 more for flights on 787's or 777's, some limitations on other flights (eg: no 777-300ER - ie the good stuff - between LAX and MIA) and surcharges on certain days (like near US thanksgiving etc. it makes for some fun reading.

of course all of this is figured out by the system when booking, so transparent to all but nosy parkers and agents I guess reading the text to explain differing prices for some flights vs others and so on.

yeah, I need a life

 

[SYD]

Apparently one difference with instant upgrade fares is that since it's an underlying economy fare, they can't be as easily endorsed onto another airline for carriage in a J seat. So if your flight is cancelled you may not be carried in first/business on a competitor, but this is always the case in irrops anyway, and it seems you will get a partial refund/compensation if this happens.

Correct and I’ve had it happen

 

[sqrt()]

Related note on economy AA operated travel with QF status (Gold or above) that I've figured after being in the US a little bit.

All oneworld sapphire and emeralds used to get free main cabin extra seats (economy w/ extra leg room/exit row and (sometimes) complementary alcohol/spirits). This was the case regardless of booking class (includes basic economy I think, but definitely for award bookings).

A couple of years ago this was changed to just be for QR/JL/AS/BA/IB/AY elites so with a QF number you can't select them for free online. However, I've found that most agents at check-in and AC/Flagship lounges will change your seats to MCE for free if you say you're Sapphire/Emerald, especially if you're nice - probably poor company comms.

It's definitely worth doing for longer intra-US flights, I haven't tried on int'l AA flights.

If they try with Sabre I think it tries to upcharge, but they have access to another res system where they can do it for free (maybe the other way around - can't remember).

 

[SYD]

Related note on economy AA operated travel with QF status (Gold or above) that I've figured after being in the US a little bit.

All oneworld sapphire and emeralds used to get free main cabin extra seats (economy w/ extra leg room/exit row and (sometimes) complementary alcohol/spirits). This was the case regardless of booking class (includes basic economy I think, but definitely for award bookings).

A couple of years ago this was changed to just be for QR/JL/AS/BA/IB/AY elites so with a QF number you can't select them for free online. However, I've found that most agents at check-in and AC/Flagship lounges will change your seats to MCE for free if you say you're Sapphire/Emerald, especially if you're nice - probably poor company comms.

It's definitely worth doing for longer intra-US flights, I haven't tried on int'l AA flights.

If they try with Sabre I think it tries to upcharge, but they have access to another res system where they can do it for free (maybe the other way around - can't remember).

There’s another thread a couple of months ago where this was discussed also. It’s quite odd that QF wasn’t included given the AA/QF partnership.

I don’t recall OWS getting MCE benefits but I guess it can’t hurt to ask. Precovid, we miss connected in LAX and could only get whY seats on the new flights - I got MCE as WP but SYD+1 (SG) didn’t.

 

[serfty]

Sapphire did get MCE at no charge, Ruby had to wait until the days before the flight.

This changed soon after the introduction of AAdvantage Platinum Pro - meaning AAdvantage now had the ability to discern two levels of Emerald.

ISTR that Qantas P1 / CL still get free MCE access being an upper Emerald Level.

 

[sqrt()]

There’s another thread a couple of months ago where this was discussed also. It’s quite odd that QF wasn’t included given the AA/QF partnership.

I don’t recall OWS getting MCE benefits but I guess it can’t hurt to ask. Precovid, we miss connected in LAX and could only get whY seats on the new flights - I got MCE as WP but SYD+1 (SG) didn’t.

I've had a pretty good hit rate with QF Gold, even to the extent of lounge agents not being sure about it and then 10 minutes later finding me in the lounge and giving me a new BP with MCE!

 

[jpp42]

Precovid, we miss connected in LAX and could only get whY seats on the new flights - I got MCE as WP but SYD+1 (SG) didn’t.

Curious - were you on the same PNR?

We, 2 pax, QF WP and NB, are travelling on a Y fare (fare class "S" so fairly low on the totem pole), I'm curious to know if we might be able to select MCE for free at T-72 or similar. Should I expect that the WP member would be able to select for free but if my partner wanted to be next to me in MCE, she would have to pay the normal uplift?

 

[SYD]

Curious - were you on the same PNR?

We, 2 pax, QF WP and NB, are travelling on a Y fare (fare class "S" so fairly low on the totem pole), I'm curious to know if we might be able to select MCE for free at T-72 or similar. Should I expect that the WP member would be able to select for free but if my partner wanted to be next to me in MCE, she would have to pay the normal uplift?

I think it was the same PNR but we got the best available seats (seated a couple of rows apart) but only I got the comp food/drink.

But you’d expect 2x PAX on same PNR would benefit from highest status.

 

[justinbrett]

There’s another thread a couple of months ago where this was discussed also. It’s quite odd that QF wasn’t included given the AA/QF partnership.

I don’t recall OWS getting MCE benefits but I guess it can’t hurt to ask. Precovid, we miss connected in LAX and could only get whY seats on the new flights - I got MCE as WP but SYD+1 (SG) didn’t.

Good excuse to fly F IMO

OWS definitely could book MCE. The only thing OWE got that OWS didn't was free booze in non MCE seats.

 

[SYD]

Good excuse to fly F IMO

I do. Except when involuntarily relegated….

 

[sqrt()]

Curious - were you on the same PNR?

We, 2 pax, QF WP and NB, are travelling on a Y fare (fare class "S" so fairly low on the totem pole), I'm curious to know if we might be able to select MCE for free at T-72 or similar. Should I expect that the WP member would be able to select for free but if my partner wanted to be next to me in MCE, she would have to pay the normal uplift?

For applicable OW program members it's supposed to be MCE for member + up to eight companions Main Cabin Extra − Travel information − American Airlines

Not sure if this applies to QF plats+?

 

[wandering_fred]

It has been a while since I have flown AA (reason should be obvious) but I seem to recall that when online check in opens at T-24, passengers are able to select (new) seats within the ticketed cabin. This applies to all passengers. Note that sometimes when elites are upgraded, nicer seats have become available. Much like QF at T-80.
As fare as online ticketing and fare classes are concerned, AA is far from the worst. QF seems to not want you to know thus seriously disadvantaging members of partner frequent flyer programs. And MH simply has everything in economy offered as a Q class fare, which only credits to the MH program.
It can be a real challenge when trying to find creditable wandering
Fred

 

[SYD]

It has been a while since I have flown AA (reason should be obvious) but I seem to recall that when online check in opens at T-24, passengers are able to select (new) seats within the ticketed cabin. This applies to all passengers. Note that sometimes when elites are upgraded, nicer seats have become available. Much like QF at T-80.
As fare as online ticketing and fare classes are concerned, AA is far from the worst. QF seems to not want you to know thus seriously disadvantaging members of partner frequent flyer programs. And MH simply has everything in economy offered as a Q class fare, which only credits to the MH program.
It can be a real challenge when trying to find creditable wandering
Fred

My one and only future AA whY booking (besides some F), we have access to the “Preferred” seating up to but not including the first 2 rows and Exit rows (which are paid MCE or free otherwise to the select elites mentioned a earlier).

I’ll keep an eye on what frees up when online checkin opens and/or we physically rock up.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What I don’t understand is if these seats are instant upgrade (and the only available tickets on the site) why do they not just sell them as business class in the first case? Is there a risk if I purchase such tickets and on the day there are “no seats in business available?” And I get downgraded to economy? There are no other ways to purchase business (ones that are actual business and not instant upgrade) on the actual website I can purchase???

There is no risk on these instant upgrades if your flight operates.

Where you can have a problem is during flight delays, or cancellations or on connecting flights if one your incoming flight is delayed or cancelled.

Let’s say you’re flying DFW-LAX-NHL. if your DFW-LAX is delayed and you miss your LAX-NHL, the next available service might not have N class available, which means no instant upgrade even if the F cabin still had seats.

Your options then are to take a seat in your original economy cabin (not considered a downgrade), or to wait for the next flight where N is available, and F seats are available, so you can ‘instant upgrade’.

I’ve had this happen on complex multi-city itineraries during bad weather. I missed flying to HNL on my planned day as while they could get me in the LAX-HNL, it would only be economy (no thanks for a 5.5 hour flight!)

Other times it hasn’t been much of an issue… flying say DFW-LGA, if your inbound was delayed, usually plenty of other options leaving within a reasonable time where N and F were available, so the delay wasn’t too long.

 

[serfty]

There is no risk on these instant upgrades if your flight operates.

Where you can have a problem is during flight delays, or cancellations or on connecting flights if one your incoming flight is delayed or cancelled.

Let’s say you’re flying DFW-LAX-NHL. if your DFW-LAX is delayed and you miss your LAX-NHL, the next available service might not have N class available, which means no instant upgrade even if the F cabin still had seats.

Your options then are to take a seat in your original economy cabin (not considered a downgrade), or to wait for the next flight where N is available, and F seats are available, so you can ‘instant upgrade’.

I’ve had this happen on complex multi-city itineraries during bad weather. I missed flying to HNL on my planned day as while they could get me in the LAX-HNL, it would only be economy (no thanks for a 5.5 hour flight!)

Other times it hasn’t been much of an issue… flying say DFW-LGA, if your inbound was delayed, usually plenty of other options leaving within a reasonable time where N and F were available, so the delay wasn’t too long.

That may have been the case in the past but not these days. Once ticketed into such a fare the underlying fare buckets become irrelevant.

Last November I had a flight in I class ticketed with an underlying N fare bucket.

My flight was cancelled the night before and they offered a rebook to a later flight that cut my DFW connection to 50 minutes.

Online I could choose from just about any flight that day with options both in Business and Main Cabin.

The main cabin options were where the front cabin was sold out and all would have booked into the Y fare bucket.

In the end I chose a flight two hours earlier than the auto offering. I travelled in the J fare bucket.

 

[Blackadder]

As a OWR , my internal AA flight booked me to mce when all booked through QF.

 

[jpp42]

Does anyone know what happens with the fare bucket if you accept the offer in the AA app/manage booking to upgrade? On my internal flights I am getting an offer of US$205 pp (we are booked into "S" discount economy as mentioned above). If this bumps up the number of QFF SC's, I might be a bit more convinced, especially if it goes all the way to 40 SC's as domestic first typically is (currently at 10 for "S" class).

 

[wandering_fred]

@jpp42
You answered your own question on the flyertalk AAupgrade thread......
IF you upgrade before the day of departure, you get a proper fare class upgrade as well.
Enjoy your wandering
Fred