LHSEN

I'm an EXP currently at the 35k mark for this years qualifying points. I also has just reached 1 million miler.

I've 7 upcoming round trip transatlantic F tickets (JFK to FRA via LHR) on AA codeshare with BA (AA number BA metal), they will be flown by end of this year.

Should I stay with AA or BA program is more attractive?

I do at least 10 transatlantic a year between Europe and JFK on either F or C; a couple of Asia trips from Europe, and normally a RTW on oneworld - these are in F. All are revenue tickets.

My redemption pattern is usually within Europe, between Europe and Asia/Australia/North America. Redemption to Asia normally on CX or JL, Australia on QF and North America on AA/BA. I redeem in F only except within Europe in this case always in C.

Appreciate your thoughts.

pauleeepaul

While there is some marginal benefit to being an elite in the carrier's own FFP vs an alliance partner, and having earned miles diversified is also arguably better, I'd say the key question is how you value the SWUs that you get as an EXP. I would normally also suggest the domestic free upgrades are an advantage to EXP but they don't seem relevant to your travel pattern.

BA does have some goodies at high levels of annual tier points (>3,500 iirc) that you might get to if all your flights were credited to them, and a lifetime Gold program for 35,000 tier points. Check the BA forum for more info.

Non-NonRev

The BA program is two-phased: you earn redeemable Avion but also Tier
Points for Elite qualification. The tier points scheme does reward those who do a lot of longhaul in F and C (no tier points earned in Y).

It sounds like you'd easily make BA Gold, which is like EXP.

The one downside is that BA imposes cash surcharges on redemptions. However, availability is usually easier to find.

Note: I am not sure if BA imposes the surcharges when using Avios on other one world carriers like CX or JL.

LHSEN

Thanks.

Re my 7 transatlantic tickets, Even though the operating carrier is BA but since the tickets are on AA and also AA flight numbers, I guess the earning in BA program in this case is based on AA chart nor BA, correct ?

ryan182

correct

abk

I am not an expert on this but if you have Avios and want to redeem for AA flights you are limited to saver awards. So if want to take advantage of AA Anytime awards I would park the miles at AA

Dave Noble

I would suggest that with that profile of travel, you will be better off staying with AA, espeicially when the earnings change later this year

Earning redeemable miles at 11 points per dollar for paid 1st class travel would sound like it will rack up lots of points to the account

For redemptions between Europe and Asia/Australia , I believe that BA redemption costs are higher plus there will be siugnificant cash surcharges to pay

For London-Sydney, for example,

AA oneway rate in business class is 85k. Unless travelling on BA, there are no surcharges to pay, just taxes
BA oneway rate in business class on BA is 125k offpeak plus Ł212 surcharges and taxes
For travel on other carriers and for travel on BA on peak days, the rate is 150k plus surcharges and taxes.

for 1st class AA charges 115K whilst BA charges 170k/200k plus surcharges

For somewhere like HKG, BA redemption rates are 102k/120k plus charges in 1st class vs 90k with AA. business class rates are similar in miles cost with 75k/90k using BA miles and 75k using AA miles

I think that you will likely be earning higher mileage whilst crediting to AA plus will have lower redemption costs

hiima

For Avios redemption, there are minimal/no surcharges for AA (non TATL) redemptions, CX redemptions, JL redemptions, and finnair redemptions. The same as AA. The difference is AA TATL redemptions have high surcharges with avios, AA doesn't. BA redemption is distance based, they have a chart of how many miles each segment costs, AA is region based.

hiima

After dollar based RDM goes in effect, mileage earning can vary wildly.

Dave Noble

There are multiple fares offered by AA. Regardless, with even the cheapest 1st class fares for new York to Frankfurt, I cannot see the earnings being better on a mileage based earning vs dollar based. The lowest fare according to EF is $5400 return, which would earn 59,400 miles for a journey of 7,719 miles

With the cheapest fare earning 59k miles , I cannot see it being great to switch. Even as a BA Gold member, the earning for the journey would be only 19,280 avios

The OP's description of his travels suggests to me that he is one of the customer types that will greatly value from the switch to dollar based earning and would not be a good move to switch schemes

Based on lowest published fare

4 x r/t journeys JFK-FRA credited to AA after the change will give 1x 1st class return UK-Australia
10.3 r/t journeys JFK-FRA credited to BA ( assuming BA gold status ) is required for 1 x 1st class return UK-Australia

Mwenenzi

Several AA vs BA vs ??? threads in post 2 from potential AA refugees
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html

What are your objectives from a ffp? Only long haul premium awards? (EY is a AA partner)
The grass in not always greener on the other side

nk15

The BA ffp is trash, there is nothing good about it, except an occasional random complimentary upgrade. You should keep the EXP.

The only thing I would recommend is if you don't come close to 150k/200k/etc eqms to get the next pair of SWUs to consider crediting some miles above the previously crossed threshold to BA so you have some avios, which could be useful at times.

Oformula

It depends on how you fly, and where you fly from. Your location lists you as Zurich/NYC. An NYC-based AA flyer wouldn't have Admirals Club access (aside from a credit card or paid membership) while a BA-based OWS/E member would. Even if you were NY based, there could be a fair bit of lounge access from getting your OW membership outside of AA.

pauleeepaul

OPs travel appears to provide access bared on class of service.

izzik

While it's a nice perk, lounge access is only really worth a few hundred bucks at most.