Aadvantage award search engine more flexible than qff?

[grussellt]

I never thought I would see the day but during recent searches for a future trip SYD-IST I discovered that QFF often shows considerably fewer choices than AAdvantage. For example on June 29, 2015 QFF shows BA16/BA678 (which is the most direct route that day) as the only choice in Y. However a search on AA provides the same choice but other options including legs on QF5,QF127, QF81 and QF97. Now all of these include longer transits (and can be found using the multi-city tool on QFF) but for once using AA might be quicker! Sadly the taxes/charges are the same for BA on both although booking the trip on AA with some QF legs saves a few dollars. On July 20 a trip via MEL on QF9 (which doesn't show up on a simple SYD-IST search on QFF) has charges of only $180 on AA. Perhaps AA could enhance the QF award search engine!

 

[LittleFokker]

I never thought I would see the day but during recent searches for a future trip SYD-IST I discovered that QFF often shows considerably fewer choices than AAdvantage. For example on June 29, 2015 QFF shows BA16/BA678 (which is the most direct route that day) as the only choice in Y. However a search on AA provides the same choice but other options including legs on QF5,QF127, QF81 and QF97. Now all of these include longer transits (and can be found using the multi-city tool on QFF) but for once using AA might be quicker! Sadly the taxes/charges are the same for BA on both although booking the trip on AA with some QF legs saves a few dollars. On July 20 a trip via MEL on QF9 (which doesn't show up on a simple SYD-IST search on QFF) has charges of only $180 on AA. Perhaps AA could enhance the QF award search engine!

I noticed something like this as well for my dates in December - nothing for SYD-GLA on QF while AA had F on QF9 (SYD-xMEL-xDUB-xLHR-GLA). Taxes of $US152 compared to the usual $AUD600 is nice as well. (and of course I'm obviously feeling smug about paying AA $AUD2200 o/w for F on QF9.)