Qantas Frequent Flyer - QFFF vs BAEC

Could someone who know both systems well advise me of the comparison of the two schemes in terms of earn/burn ratio?

I'm currently a QF WP and I spend a lot of time in Europe mainly flying on BA (in CE), so I'm wondering if I should switch the CE flights to credit to BAEC and only credit the non-BA qualifying fares to QF?

Based on my next year's travel plan, I qualify for the following combination:
BA EuroGold + QF Gold
QF Plat + BA EuroSilver

If someone well-informed could advise me of a better combination to qualify for, taking into consideration the earn/burn ratio, I would be grateful. Thank you.

In broad terms the plans are equivalent, but for both earn and burn they have a lot of niches; so where you fall into the niche really affects the choice, making generalization worthless. I chose QFF over BAEC; most people find BAEC better, esp. with Eurogold. The banding (distance for points) is quite different on the 2 plans and some airport pairs fall into dramatically different bands on each plan. Which matters only if you happen to fly that route. I have found customer service at QF better than at BAEC (was Gold for a couple of years but gave it up). The big incentive are the 2 for 1 coupons on BA (but QF had a 2 for 1 sale recently for everyone and might be doing more in 2009). Ps. the equivalence of the BA/QF plans are not accidental; I suppose the differences are accidental.

gave it up). The big incentive are the 2 for 1 but QF had a 2 for 1 sale recently for everyone and might be doing more in 2009

I dont know about any 2 for 1 award sale can you enlighten me?

I do know BA had a buy a return for the price of a one way.

Last month QF has 2-for-1 on selected longhaul fares out of most markets for travel Feb through May 2009. It wasn't a true 2-for-1 though as 2nd pax still had fuel fines & taxes. Still some very nice savings to be had.

I dont know about any 2 for 1 award sale can you enlighten me?

I do know BA had a buy a return for the price of a one way.BAEC had a 50% off redemption levels on award booking wholly on BA flights and metal.


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/891047-ba-miles-global-50-off-sale-ended-28-nov.html

BAEC had a 50% off redemption levels on award booking wholly on BA flights and metal.


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/891047-ba-miles-global-50-off-sale-ended-28-nov.html
And even now (weeks after the sale) there are F/J awards available on almost every flight on BA TATL, every day for month after month. An astonishing contrast to last year, or to QF trans-pacific.

I dont know about any 2 for 1 award sale can you enlighten me?

I do know BA had a buy a return for the price of a one way.


I suspect they are referring to the AMEX 2 for 1 voucher you get for reaching a spending goal entitelling you for a 2 for 1 voucher which can be used on BA metal only.

FWIW, the core reason to stick with QF is lifetime status.

Could someone who know both systems well advise me of the comparison of the two schemes in terms of earn/burn ratio?

Before you get to that, do you have a non-Australian address you can use?

Executive Club information - Australia (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/echome/public/en_au?link=TOP_echome)

"For customers who would like to enrol in a frequent flyer programme in the South West Pacific region, our oneworld alliance partner Qantas has an outstanding frequent flyer programme. Members of their programme can earn and redeem Points when travelling on British Airways flights."

I'm currently a QF WP and I spend a lot of time in Europe mainly flying on BA (in CE), so I'm wondering if I should switch the CE flights to credit to BAEC and only credit the non-BA qualifying fares to QF?

Based on my next year's travel plan, I qualify for the following combination:
BA EuroGold + QF Gold
QF Plat + BA EuroSilverIn purely service terms, I would have thought that you'd do better with BA Gold and QF Gold, simply because more of your flying is on BA and so you'd be likely to do a bit better with top tier on the operating carrier. Little extras for BA Gold include, for example, Arrivals Lounge access at LHR if you're off a longhaul, even if you're not travelling in Club or First.

However, before you embark on this strategy, make sure that you will score four QF-coded flights a year, as QF is now enforcing the four-sector rule. Otherwise, you'd earn no QF status at all even if you earn enough QF SCs for that status.

In terms of value for points, if you are going to be largely European-based my view is that BA miles tend to get you further than QF miles.

But if you are a BA Euro member, you will not qualify for the Amex 2-for-1 voucher, which as I understand it is only available to BA UK members.Before you get to that, do you have a non-Australian address you can use?I'm assuming that as the OP specifically said EuroGold and EuroSilver, there is a European address that works!

BAEC had a 50% off redemption levels on award booking wholly on BA flights and metal.


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/891047-ba-miles-global-50-off-sale-ended-28-nov.html


No

it wasnt 50% off
it was 50% off return fares only
one ways did not attract the 50% off
so it was actually a buy a one way
get the return but pay taxes on the 2 sectors:(

I suspect they are referring to the AMEX 2 for 1 voucher you get for reaching a spending goal entitelling you for a 2 for 1 voucher which can be used on BA metal only.

FWIW, the core reason to stick with QF is lifetime status.

and

No this amex 2 for 1 is an ongoing 2 for 1 deal

this was strictly buy a return for the points of a one way
but pay the huge taxes on the full ticket
and as we are all family I suspect any Ftalker can get a euro address to become a BA member
my taxes were $A2000 on my F longhaul:mad:

Before you get to that, do you have a non-Australian address you can use?



Indeed, I live in two countries (literally), although I spend more of my time in mainland Europe than in Australia.

In purely service terms, I would have thought that you'd do better with BA Gold and QF Gold, simply because more of your flying is on BA and so you'd be likely to do a bit better with top tier on the operating carrier. Little extras for BA Gold include, for example, Arrivals Lounge access at LHR if you're off a longhaul, even if you're not travelling in Club or First.

Thank you for bringing that up. I was thinking that Arrivals Lounge access would be of benefit because I often have meetings upon arrival etc.

However, before you embark on this strategy, make sure that you will score four QF-coded flights a year, as QF is now enforcing the four-sector rule. Otherwise, you'd earn no QF status at all even if you earn enough QF SCs for that status.

I will be - I do quite a lot of QF-qualifying but non-BA-qualifying QF flights (if that makes sense - those discounted economy flights that do qualify for QF SCs but not BA tier points) anyway, so I'll be crediting those to QF.

I'm assuming that as the OP specifically said EuroGold and EuroSilver, there is a European address that works!

Indeed - I live in mainland Europe (although I also live in Australia part-time).

I haven't been paying attention to Amex 2-for-1 deal (because I can't get a UK Amex as I don't live there) so I am not quite feeling like I've missed out on it, but thank you for the info as well.

I do quite a lot of QF-qualifying but non-BA-qualifying QF flights (if that makes sense - those discounted economy flights that do qualify for QF SCs but not BA tier points) anyway, so I'll be crediting those to QF.It may be that this is redundant information, but what I'm referring to is the requirement to fly four QF flights a year - not just four flights that you can credit to the QF scheme.

This can be difficult (and/or expensive) for those who are not based in Aus/NZ/SE Asia. My partner gave up her QF Gold when she could reliably get BA Silver, in part because she could easily fly the required number of QF SCs every year but not reliably fly four QF flights. Starting from the UK, it costs a minimum of a four-figure sum and usually four nights to fly four QF flights, whereas if you're out in Aus, you can do it in a morning for about AUD 300 (eg, two SYD-CBR-SYD returns). So if you're short of QF sectors, that sort of "sector count run" is something to bear in mind.

It may be that this is redundant information, but what I'm referring to is the requirement to fly four QF flights a year - not just four flights that you can credit to the QF scheme.

This can be difficult (and/or expensive) for those who are not based in Aus/NZ/SE Asia. My partner gave up her QF Gold when she could reliably get BA Silver, in part because she could easily fly the required number of QF SCs every year but not reliably fly four QF flights. Starting from the UK, it costs a minimum of a four-figure sum and usually four nights to fly four QF flights, whereas if you're out in Aus, you can do it in a morning for about AUD 300 (eg, two SYD-CBR-SYD returns). So if you're short of QF sectors, that sort of "sector count run" is something to bear in mind.

Ah, sorry, my silly non-clear writing. When I wrote "QF-qualifying but non-BA-qualifying QF flights", I meant the actual QF flights that could be credited to QF but not to BA for tier points (i.e. discount economy).

I do about 30-40 sectors a year on QF in discount economy (domestic and international) which I cannot credit to BA for tier points anyway (and therefore will be credited to QF FF) so I don't need to worry about not having flown on QF enough.

But thank you for the reminder though :)

Understood now - I thought that it was something you probably knew but just wanted to make sure!

Of course you need to consider lifetime gold / silver on QF as well. When living in Europe I decicded to stay with QF for this reason. Not many companies fly you J domestically in Aus - but in Europe CE is not uncommon. While you are there, you may as well build up the lifetime credits and after about 7 years of the sort of flying you are talking about, you will be gold, for life.

Of course you need to consider lifetime gold / silver on QF as well. When living in Europe I decicded to stay with QF for this reason. Not many companies fly you J deomestically in Aus - but in Europe CE is not uncommon. While you are there, you may as well build up the lifetime credits and after about 7 years of the sort of flying you are talking about, yopu will be gold, for life.

Thank you for bringing that up.

Reading your post and thinking about my plans, I have come to the conclusion that the BA euroGold would be better for me only if I didn't have a chance of making lifetime silver/gold with QF.

However, as it looks like I'll continue with my current flying patterns for quite some time, I'd probably be better off getting a sticking to QF for now, until I get the Lifetime Gold. BA euroGold can come after that ;) (unless QF starts doing a Lifetime Platinum, I guess!).