Using QF Complimentary Lounge Pass on QF flight redeemed with AA miles?

[bneslsc]

Hi all,

I've tried for many hours to get through to someone at QF but their call centers are just not answering and don't give any indications of how long the wait is so I thought I'd ask here.

I'm flying BNE-SYD-DFW-ORD all on QF except the ORD leg, I booked this ticket through AA using AAdvantage miles. But I'm also QF Silver and have one complimentary lounge pass. I have two questions:

1) I am wanting to access the Sydney International First lounge before my QF7 flight to DFW - are they even accepting the complimentary passes at this lounge?
2) If I can, can I somehow apply the complimentary pass to the AA ticketed flight?

Appreciate your help in advance.

 

[RichardMEL]

1. complementary passes are not currently being accepted per the lounge page

2. if your flight is during a time when they are I suggest you would need to add your QFF to your booking using the QF PNR (you may need to get this from AA, as Sabre and Amadeus will have separate PNRs iirc) for the seectors, it then, in theory, should show up to be available to link a lounge invite to. The reason to use the QF PNR is I believe that is the way it is managed as an entry within the QF Amadeus PNR. (happy to be corrected on this though)

 

[bneslsc]

1. complementary passes are not currently being accepted per the lounge page

2. if your flight is during a time when they are I suggest you would need to add your QFF to your booking using the QF PNR for the seectors, it then, in theory, should show up to be available to link a lounge invite to.

Because it was redeemed via AAdvantage, my AA loyalty number is on the FF section of the PNR.

Is it possible to change that for an AA redemption flight?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Because it was redeemed via AAdvantage, my AA loyalty number is on the FF section of the PNR.

Is it possible to change that for an AA redemption flight?

Ring AA and get them to remove the AA number and add your QF number.

As per @RichardMEL though you will not be able to redeem a complementary pass to access the QF F lounge. They aren’t accepted.
Once the J lounge opens, passes will be accepted for there.

 

[bneslsc]

Ring AA and get them to remove the AA number and add your QF number.

As per @RichardMEL though you will not be able to redeem a complementary pass to access the QF F lounge. They aren’t accepted.
Once the J lounge opens, passes will be accepted for there.

Thank you Princess Fiona - do you have any inside knowledge as to when the J lounge will open?

Many thanks!

 

[Isolar]

Ring AA and get them to remove the AA number and add your QF number.

Unfortunately, IIRC, AA put a stop to this a while ago. The argument being that if a booking is made with AA miles using an AAdvantage number then you can only be given benefits relevant to your AAdvantage status. I think it was a particular issue between AA & BA that caused it.

You could try the manage booking facility on another Oneworld partner. Finnair comes to mind as one that might let you change the FF number.

 

[RichardMEL]

Unfortunately, IIRC, AA put a stop to this a while ago. The argument being that if a booking is made with AA miles using an AAdvantage number then you can only be given benefits relevant to your AAdvantage status. I think it was a particular issue between AA & BA that caused it.

You could try the manage booking facility on another Oneworld partner. Finnair comes to mind as one that might let you change the FF number.

I still wonder if QF will have a separate PNR for the same booking in Amadeus? If so, potentially that could be accessed via QF MNB and the number changed potentially?

bneslsc have you been able to access your booking via QF's Manage My Booking?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Unfortunately, IIRC, AA put a stop to this a while ago. The argument being that if a booking is made with AA miles using an AAdvantage number then you can only be given benefits relevant to your AAdvantage status. I think it was a particular issue between AA & BA that caused it.

You could try the manage booking facility on another Oneworld partner. Finnair comes to mind as one that might let you change the FF number.

I got AA to remove my AA number and replace with QFF in December. I booked a trip to LHR on Q-suites.
Didn’t have any issues, have done it multiple times on other Awards.

 

[Isolar]

I still wonder if QF will have a separate PNR for the same booking in Amadeus? If so, potentially that could be accessed via QF MNB and the number changed potentially?

In my experience they do. Whenever I have booked a QF flight via AA I have called AA to get the QF PNR. I can't be a 100% sure but I don't think I could change the FF number via the QF MMB screen - I've always called QF to change it (which may not be the best used of one's time these days!).

 

[Princess Fiona]

In my experience they do. Whenever I have booked a QF flight via AA I have called AA to get the QF PNR. I can't be a 100% sure but I don't think I could change the FF number via the QF MMB screen - I've always called QF to change it (which may not be the best used of one's time these days!).

You shouldn’t need to call any longer. My last few AA redemptions have had the Amadeus locator on the booking, as well as the AA one.

I have not been able to get the old tricks to work to change my FF number, the usual one was just the RJ website but I can’t get that to work anymore.
Ringing AA was far easier and worked.

 

[RichardMEL]

In my experience they do. Whenever I have booked a QF flight via AA I have called AA to get the QF PNR. I can't be a 100% sure but I don't think I could change the FF number via the QF MMB screen - I've always called QF to change it (which may not be the best used of one's time these days!).

Thanks for that

so yes my thoughts are:

1. obtain the QF PNR for the booking
2. change FF# in the QF PNR to QFF#
3. booking SHOULD show in both "my bookings" and be able to be linked for any eligible flight sectors, in the lounge invitations area.

Simples!

 

[Isolar]

You shouldn’t need to call any longer. My last few AA redemptions have had the Amadeus locator on the booking, as well as the AA one.

I have not been able to get the old tricks to work to change my FF number, the usual one was just the RJ website but I can’t get that to work anymore.
Ringing AA was far easier and worked.

Good to know. My last AA redemption was about 3 years ago.

I got AA to remove my AA number and replace with QFF in December. I booked a trip to LHR on Q-suites.
Didn’t have any issues, have done it multiple times on other Awards.

Thanks for clarifying - my recollection was a bit foggy. On further checking it was more to do with changing to an AA number when booking AA flights via other airline programs that they were putting a stop to. So much so they updated the AAdvantage T&C's:

Additionally, you cannot redeem partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number and obtain AAdvantage® program benefits such as priority boarding and access to preferred seats.​

Let's hope QF don't follow the same path.

 

[RichardMEL]

QF has done this in certain ways. For example when Chauffeur Drive was a thing it was disallowed for partner rewards bookings (eg AA). There have been other examples of some lounges (specifically in FNQ) refusing to change FF# after entry with a partner # (eg QR Platinum then changing to QFF Bronze to accrue on a flight) on this basis (despite QF HQ saying this is wrong). So, it does happen though it is not as firm a policy as AA has done.

 

[Danger]

Here is the relevant section of AA's T&Cs:

You cannot accrue partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number if you have already used your AAdvantage® number to obtain AAdvantage® program benefits such as First or Business Class upgrades, baggage fee waivers or complimentary access to Preferred/Main Cabin Extra seats. Additionally, you cannot redeem partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number and obtain AAdvantage® program benefits such as priority boarding and access to preferred seats.

AAdvantage terms and conditions − AAdvantage program − American Airlines

www.aa.com

 

[serfty]

You can book an AAward for someone else, entering their FF number at the time of booking. That passenger can have a very similar name to that of the AAdvantage account member from which the AAward is being booked.

If their FF number is of oneworld status then any such status benefits generally apply.

Thus is somewhat harder after booking.

 

[RichardMEL]

Here is the relevant section of AA's T&Cs:

That's fine, but not too sure how any of that applies in this situation.

The way I see it AA miles have booked a ticket on QF/AA. I don't know about DFW-ORD on AA, but it's an award ticket so I do not think upgrades are an issue. Further if OP has status on AA it would only apply to that AA operated flight (exception of course for OWR/S/E seat preferences etc on partners).

However, as far as QF is concerned, it's a reward ticket paid for by a partner airline. In terms of linking lounge passes, they are only valid on QF operated sectors of course. AA has nothing to do with it imo.

Now, AA may or may not let one change the FF# in the reward booking, but they would not have control over the QF PNR in Amadeus for the QF sectors*

(* caveat, a QF agent could pull the old "this isn't ticketed by us, you need to deal with AA who ticketed" which is why I am thinking to use QF MNB - or other amadeus hosted MNB site eg AY to edit the FF# and change to QFF. Even then, as Princess Fiona has indicated AA have recently been happy enough to change FF# but seems YMMV

would AA notice that the FF# was changed on a partner GDS' PNR? possibly, as in theory it should, I believe, generate a SSR (I think that's the right term) back to Sabre to reflect the change, but AA probably won't care. Any application of the QF lounge pass would purely be within Amadeus and Sabre/AA won't know about it.

so I don't think any of the AA T&C would affect the desire to use a QF comp lounge pass.

of course this is airlineville so nothing is guaranteed in a situation like this.