While it makes sense to use a One World Alliance hub, no frequent flyer miles are awarded on this flight in economy. Many of the flights I have seen with Air New Zealand do not offer frequent flyer miles with the Star Alliance program. Continental will start flying from Houston to Auckland soon, but flying on Continental just isn't the same as Air New Zealand, IMO.

The flight from Dallas to Brisbane is 16 hours on a 747. The return flight is from Sydney but the wind helps.

Yup. Easily the longest routes on any 747 to date. QF finally finds a route "worthy" of their 747-400ERs, which only they have in passenger version. 6 aircraft, I believe.

I am a little confused by the comment that on the Dallas to Brisbane route no FF points are awarded.
I have just put in dates for May - when I understand this service will have started - and it indicates that point are awarded for the very low fare - this is as a Qantas frequent flyer.
This was for the 'Sale' price.

You can get Qantas FF points but not miles with American Airlines, another One World Carrier. Perhaps if you fly Economy Plus, Business or First you can. I didn't check.

Ok - thanks for that - I guess as I am a Qantas member I didn't think about American Airlines.
Does this happen on other code share services?
Qantas plans to use American for a lot of different routes within the USA.

Air New Zealand has been running a lot of great specials but the economy price does not include miles with Star Alliance carriers. Continental (A Star Alliance airline) plans to start flying to Auckland soon, but Air New Zealand has been considered the best airline to fly from LAX to London in coach.

It all depends on fare class.

Airlines post which partner fare class earn on their FF program, and how much. For example, for QF tickets/flights earning AAdvantage miles:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/pa...tasAirways.jsp

For NZ tickets/flights earning Onepass miles:
http://www.continental.com/CMS/en-US...spx?ItemId=405

If the fare class is not listed, it earns nothing. Applies to many "lowest fares". If miileage earning is important to you, you need to check those, and often have to buy the higher fares - on most airlines' website, that is possible when you search for "flexible fares" or enter the specific fare class. Some sites are easier than others, of course; and sometimes you may book via phone or other means.

It's Qantas' "Q" fare that doesn't earn AA miles. However, for $40 more you can upfare to "O" which does earn AA miles, albeit at a discounted rate (as with many Qantas economy fares.)

You didn't mention it, but simultaneously while launching SYD-DFW-BNE-SYD, Qantas is discontinuing SYD-SFO, much to the consternation of many people who work in the software business. Now they'll have to get to LAX (which many transpacific commuters hate with a passion) in order to use Oneworld metal to Oz.

Thanks to all - good to hear an explanation.

Have never had a problem so far , and we fly a lot with One World partners, but now that I think about it we usually check when booking that the points will be OK.

And yep gardyloo - I know quite a few people who are not looking forward to SFO no longer being an arrival port - a number of them being family who are living in USA at the moment.

I'm planning a flight from SYD to SFO late this year, and it's much to my consternation that the route is no longer non-stop on QF. Hate the thought of schlepping through LAX.

We can use AA FF miles to book this flight--correct?

Jane - yes.

Don't you think that Qantas would be better off to have Boeing 777 service to Vancouver, San Francisco and Dallas instead of the 747's, which have been discontinued to Vancouver and now San Francisco. Just my opinion. When they flew up to Vancouver, they had to stop in San Francisco and the Canadians didn't like going through U.S. Customs, so I was told by several.

My understanding that there wasn't nearly enough O/D traffic in Vancouver to justify the route, and the same for SFO. As for connecting traffic ex-YVR, there aren't any Oneworld carriers that offer intra-Canada service (and AA can't do it via the US owing to cabotage restrictions) so YVR was a dead-end.

IMO AA and Oneworld have totally surrendered on SFO/SJC which explains not only Qantas bailing but also the big de-emphasis on other AA routes from SFO.

Also in my view pax wanting to go to/through SFO will be well advised to use V Australia/Virgin America (which now interline) as Virgin America's schedules and products ex-SFO are far superior to those offered by AA.

(Doh. V Australia doesn't fly to SFO yet, so it would still be via LAX and TBIT. Sorry.)

QF is a fairly conservative company, and with a big ETOP hole in the Pacific, they decided early on to stick with 4-engined aircraft for their longest routes. Which is why they were the only airline to have ordered the passenger 747-400ER. But that was when oil was cheap.

They later realized the benefits of the twins, and have significantly number of 330, along with 787 orders. Probably too late to add 77Ws now, which does put them in an operation disadvantage with other airlines with 777.

Long thin routes like SYD-DFW are ideal for the 787-900s ordered by QF.

<I>Long thin routes like SYD-DFW are ideal for the 787-900s ordered by QF.<I>

I remain skeptical. You will have to drive some pretty big premiums to offset the poor utilization and high fuel costs. I have my doubts that this is achievable, particularly on routes to and from Oz.