@noobody wrote:
Newbe question
Do I have to setup account with JAL BA to look up seats?
Why not look up at CX directly?
You can't look up CX directly because you need to see partner award availability not CX award availability. Yes you need to setup accounts with JAL & BA its free to do so. To be clear, you do not book through JAL or BA. You use those websites to find an open award seat and then you call AA and book through them. Ignore the mile cost of JAL or BA and simply look at the AA oneworld partner redemption chart.
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@Anonymous wrote:
@red259 wrote:
@noobody wrote:
Newbe question
Do I have to setup account with JAL BA to look up seats?
Why not look up at CX directly?You can't look up CX directly because you need to see partner award availability not CX award availability. Yes you need to setup accounts with JAL & BA its free to do so. To be clear, you do not book through JAL or BA. You use those websites to find an open award seat and then you call AA and book through them. Ignore the mile cost of JAL or BA and simply look at the AA oneworld partner redemption chart.
Does it work the same for Qantas? So I'm clear I look at Qantas and I find an award seat at the class I want to fly and then to get the cost I look at the AA redemption chart and then call AA to book?
I think so but I didn't use the qantas website that much. No matter what the AA redemption mile cost will be the same because its based on zones for partner awards. I would usually use the JAL website (takes a bit of getting used to) and then if I found something I would cross check it with BA. If it showed on both I would call into AA and book it. AA does not make it easy to redeem awards though with long hold times and constant runarounds, so persistence is key. In the end it is worth it.
Keep in mind that sometimes there will be phantom awards, meaning award seats will show on one of the website but they will not actually be open. This is why it is best to cross check award seats you find with different airlines.
@Anonymous wrote:
@red259 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@red259 wrote:
@noobody wrote:
Newbe question
Do I have to setup account with JAL BA to look up seats?
Why not look up at CX directly?You can't look up CX directly because you need to see partner award availability not CX award availability. Yes you need to setup accounts with JAL & BA its free to do so. To be clear, you do not book through JAL or BA. You use those websites to find an open award seat and then you call AA and book through them. Ignore the mile cost of JAL or BA and simply look at the AA oneworld partner redemption chart.
Does it work the same for Qantas? So I'm clear I look at Qantas and I find an award seat at the class I want to fly and then to get the cost I look at the AA redemption chart and then call AA to book?
I think so but I didn't use the qantas website that much. No matter what the AA redemption mile cost will be the same because its based on zones for partner awards. I would usually use the JAL website (takes a bit of getting used to) and then if I found something I would cross check it with BA. If it showed on both I would call into AA and book it. AA does not make it easy to redeem awards though with long hold times and constant runarounds, so persistence is key. In the end it is worth it.
Ok thanks for the info. Just started playing around with the various sites and it seems impossible to find first class but I'm probably doing it wrong
For something like CX you probably wont see any way far out unless you grab them when they are first released. Chances are you won't see any coming available until around two weeks out before departure up until the day of departure. They hold them as long as possible in hopes of selling them. If you don't have the ability to be flexible on flight dates then it can be tough.