AA vs QF DONE4 fees/taxes/surcharges

[simongr]

Hi all

I am just proposing to the business that we ticket a DONE4 through the AA ATW desk rather than through QF. We have corporate quotas with QF so I need a good selling message and just wanted to check whether there was still a major difference between AA and QF fees/surcharges.

My routing is likely to be:

syd-hkg(stop)-dxb-amm-lca(stop)-lhr(stop)-USA(undecided where yet)-atl-ASIA-home

I am thinking of doing a connecting flight to MEL to take advantage of the 4 free domestic flights as well (possibly - though as I mainly fly SYD-MEL-SYD then I might not be getting so much value...).

Unfortunately I can't minimise the ex-LHR fat cat tax flying LHR-USA.

Cheers

S

 

[serfty]

Be aware that the rules have change slightly and aside from being only permitted two stopovers in "You Country of Origin", you are now further restricted:

Maximum two stopovers permitted in the continent of origin of which a maximum of one stopover is permitted in each direction in the country of origin.

So ADL-x<Asia>-<Europe>-<N/A>-SYD-xMEL-SYD-ADL is now invalid.

 

[simongr]

OK so a return to SYD followed by a stop could then be followed by a day trip to BNE?

 

[Hawkeye]

Relative to the actual outlay for the ticket, the savings on fuel fines is, in my opinion, relatively small for DONEx's and AONEx's.

As a single example, I would have saved ~$340AU by ticketing the following AONE4 thru AA rather than QF:

BNE-xSYD-xLHR-BCN-xLHR-xJFK-LAX-xDFW-MCO-xDFW-xJFK-xHKG-xSIN-xMEL-BNE.

Given base fare of ~$13500AUD, savings weren't worth the "inconvenience".

 

[simongr]

The main benefit is the differential in base cost now that the A$ has recovered somewhat:

Oz based DONE4 - A$11,199

US ticketed: US$9,100 - A$10,199 (at prevailing rates)

Also an AA issued ticket as upgrade options using "spare" AA miles or eVIPs

 

[djfuzz]

It's optimistic to think that xONEx prices are repriced in countries to reflect currency fluctuations, isn't it?

Such a shame those ex-ICN prices were inflated so heavily.

simongr - does AA price the tickets in USD even though they're ex-Australia?

 

[NM]

The main benefit is the differential in base cost now that the A$ has recovered somewhat:

Oz based DONE4 - A$11,199

US ticketed: US$9,100 - A$10,199 (at prevailing rates)

Not sure how you worked that out. If purchasing in USA and starting in Aus, then you pay the higher of the Aus or USA fare price.

Also an AA issued ticket as upgrade options using "spare" AA miles or eVIPs

I have upgraded many people with 081 Qantas issued tickets using AAdvantage eVIP upgrades. It really does not make much difference is the ticket is issued by QF or AA for AA eVIP upgrade purposes.

 

[simongr]

Not sure how you worked that out. If purchasing in USA and starting in Aus, then you pay the higher of the Aus or USA fare price.

I thought it was the country of ticketing that you paid for... I am sure that is what I had paid in the past.

 

[MelUser]

I concur with 081 tickets - AA brisbane are fully versed and capable of upgrading whether EVIPS, mileage Qantas issued tickets.

 

[NM]

I concur with 081 tickets - AA brisbane are fully versed and capable of upgrading whether EVIPS, mileage Qantas issued tickets.

I ALWAYS call AA EXP desk in the USA (the advantage of having a US-based IP phone on my desk). They have had some problems re-issuing the ticket at times, but not because its a 081 vs 001 ticket. The problem was explained to me that their systems cannot handle A$ amounts, and are not smart enough to know that the re-issue fee of A$0.00 is the same as US$0.00 . Once took them about 4 attempts to re-issue until I reminded the agent that A$0 = US$0 and they were able to override the system and re-issue .

 

[NM]

I thought it was the country of ticketing that you paid for... I am sure that is what I had paid in the past.

If that was the case, why would people both going to places like Sri Lanka, South Africa or Japan to buy the xONEx and commence their journey from the same location.

The only exception to the "higher of purchasing country and country of origin" is if purchasing in Canada as Canadian law overrides. I have not looked into all the implications of ex-CA purchases.

 

[MelUser]

I have had problems getting AA in the US to touch a Qantas issued ticket. Sometimes they will partly process the upgrade and then when it comes time to take points or whatever it gets all too hard and they say Qantas issued ticket and too hard etc etc.

Brisbane on the other hand has been fine.

 

[NM]

I have had problems getting AA in the US to touch a Qantas issued ticket. Sometimes they will partly process the upgrade and then when it comes time to take points or whatever it gets all too hard and they say Qantas issued ticket and too hard etc etc.

I have never had a failure using the EXP desk in USA. But if AA Aus can do it too, then that is a good option for people without EXP desk access.

 

[simongr]

If that was the case, why would people both going to places like Sri Lanka, South Africa or Japan to buy the xONEx and commence their journey from the same location.

Hmm - I am not sure. I do know though that I ticketed an AA issued DONE4 for less than A$11,000 - might have been before the price hikes...

 

[serfty]

You pay the higher price between the country of ticketing and the country of origin.

Start and book in NZ; pay the NZ price.

I believe most of your DONEx travel has been ex Oz and booked in OZ so you paid the ex Oz price. 2-3 years ago this was ~10,500 for a DONE4. By booking with AA (in Oz) you only get charged fuel fines on AA marketed intercontinental segments. If booked with Qantas in OZ, they charge fuel fines on every segment they have a rate for (whether they market it or not).

 

[MelUser]

Does anyone know the cost of a DONE5 ex WAW which someone mentioned earlier today?

ALso, how is best way to book/ticket this?

 

[serfty]

Look here: oneworld - oneworld Explorer

Select Poland ...

 

[MelUser]

26000 Zlotys for a DONE 4 - about AUD10300. Not really worth the hassle.

I think the currencies have been equalised around the world to stop the AFFs from going to Indonesia, PHillipines etc etc

 

[drron]

I have had problems getting AA in the US to touch a Qantas issued ticket. Sometimes they will partly process the upgrade and then when it comes time to take points or whatever it gets all too hard and they say Qantas issued ticket and too hard etc etc.

Brisbane on the other hand has been fine.

Plus one for BNE especially if you get the male agent who is very good.Even when EXP it would take a while for the upgrade to be put through and I have ended up having problems when flying-though all sorted.However using BNE on the last 2 occasions everything has been fine.As well the agent takes the details and for me at least has said i will ring you back when all confirmed and he has-much less wasted time.

 

[Dave Noble]

As a single example, I would have saved ~$340AU by ticketing the following AONE4 thru AA rather than QF:

BNE-xSYD-xLHR-BCN-xLHR-xJFK-LAX-xDFW-MCO-xDFW-xJFK-xHKG-xSIN-xMEL-BNE.

Given base fare of ~$13500AUD, savings weren't worth the "inconvenience".

$340 is a decent amount of cash to save imo for something that I don't even find inconveniant. I find that the ATW desk is normally v good at sorting out ATW tickets

Dave