Phoenixtinct

I wanted to get some advice on switching my AA EXP status to BA Gold. When I first signed up for AA and ultimately, got Platinum and subsequently, EXP status, I was living in the US. In the last few years, I've been based in Europe, so all those trips to the US to maintain AA status have caused a lot of grief with US CBP making it very hard to go in and out for a short period of time. Thus, I thought of switching to BA since I'm based in Europe. I haven't used any of the SWUs this year, so not sure it is worth pursuing, especially since any future trips on AA will have to touch the US either on departure or arrival. I know that BA Gold doesn't offer any similar perks but it's still OW Emerald and I'll have access to First Class lounges, which I find very nice. My BA membership year starts on November 8th and I have travel booked for late November and December that will easily get me to 1,500 TPs, however, I won't have the minimum 4 BA segments. I am already qualified for AA Platinum for next year, so OW Sapphire is secured and will allow me to use the accumulated miles without incurring any fees.

If I were to hold off and not credit the flights when flown until I complete the 4 BA flight requirement, when I reach 300, 600 and ultimately, 1,500 TPs, will I be granted the bonuses respective for Bronze, Silver and Gold levels? Ultimately, if I were to credit the flights without the minimum BA flights met, will I get those bonus after being elevated to Bronze, Silver and Gold? Being based in Europe, it will be quite easy to fly 4 BA flights but I don't want to miss out on the bonuses by crediting the other flights too early. It would be a pity to get to 1,500 TPs but not get any status without the BA flights and miss out on AA EXP and ultimately OW Emerald status. Also, if I were to requalify for AA EXP, that status will be valid until February 2017, whereas with BA, it should be good until November 2017, so I don't see any downside to switching to BA Gold.

I would really appreciate your input and experiences, especially from people familiar with status in both programs. Thanks.

VSLover

so i guess i am a bit confused as to why you do not want to go ahead and credit your upcoming flights directly to BA at the time of travel? if you already have your AAPlat then you will get access to the relevant lounges when traveling. it would be easiest then to follow up with your necessary 4 BA metal segments. additionally when i have had flts credited to AA by mistake i have run in to some issues on occasion. they were all resolved but annoying to deal with especially on co marketed flts like BA metal, AA flt num (just FYI).

my situation is i have been AAExp for 12 years now and one year ago i made the switch to BA as my partner moved to london so my travel naturally shifted from US domestic to transatlantic and i wanted to obtain BA gold to be OWE without having to fly 100k miles to achieve the same on AA. the BA system based on fare class and mileage bands made it really easy to achieve gold as most of my flying is in premium cabins and my first year i was 450TP shy of 5000.

my membership year is oct-oct and i will already be Gold again by end of year. during my transfer process though i still have my Exp status that expires in march next year--and that was the best situation to be in since i was starting with nothing with BA so the benefits of being OW anything made the travel more palatable when necessary.

Schultzois

From what I know, you will not have any status (or bonuses) with BA until the four flights requirement is met. These are BA metal, BA marketed (e.g. a BA flight number but could be operated by someone else) or IB metal (with IB flight number). Holding off on crediting other flights won't make any difference, as they'll all be credited according to the date flown, even if you make the request retroactively.

It's not entirely clear which carrier(s) you're flying that you will be getting 1500 tier points, but you're not getting on either AA or BA/IB planes... perhaps that is the carrier whose programme you should be converting to?

Alternatively, if it's an AA partner, maybe you'll find it best to keep crediting to AA as long as you've got EXP or PLT for the short/medium term. Once your BA/IB segments come up, start crediting to BA and then building status with them...

Passmethesickbag

I'm confused about what it is about your immigration status that makes visiting the US such a hassle. If you do a substantial amount of flying with BA in discount economy, AA is still your best bet (although that may change). If that is the case, you will earn more miles by crediting them to AA, and be able to redeem them on other OW airlines without paying fuel surcharges. As for your SWUs, feel free to donate them to me if you don't need them

windowontheAside

If I understand your question correctly, you won't get tier bonuses for flights that were flown as blue, but only credited after you are gold. It's status at time of flight that counts.

Phoenixtinct

Few clarifications - I need a visa to enter the US, which I do have, however, the MRs I've taken for a day or 2 abroad when I have to re-enter the US, raise quite a few eyebrows and I've been asked questions whether I'm engaged in prostitution, transport drugs, etc., which I want to avoid in the future.

The flights I have booked are in First class including JFK-LAX segments, so each flight will get me 210 TPs and I have sufficient of those to get me to 1,500 TPs. If it's not clear, those flights are operated by AA (and marketed).

I thought that if I hold off on crediting the flights right away until I satisfy the 4 BA segments requirement, once I cross off the 300/600 and 1,500 thresholds, those flights will earn the respective 25%,50% and 100% Avios bonuses. As I'm currently Blue, crediting those right away will earn no bonuses. As I understand it, even if I have more than 1,500 TPs credited, without the 4 BA segments credited, I will still be Blue and the conversion to BA pointless.

seaskybound

Pls update on what change might happen re BA discount Y?

craigthemif

I would stick with AA. A mile there is worth much more than an Avios. Discounted Y fares earn 100% instead of 25%. The award chart is (for the moment) much more generous. Etihad First Class to Abu Dhabi (or India, Maldives, etc.) for example costs 40K AA miles one way with no surcharges. BA charge 80K (peak dates) and surcharges that make you wonder why you bothered earning Avios since you're paying ridiculous ŁŁŁ for an award flight...

BA have been slowly removing Gold benefits. Lounge access is the only important one left, although some people like the slightly better award availability Golds get in Y...

IF AA devalues like United and Delta then one can consider a switch. Until then, stick with AA...

kauppias

If you fly alot of F fares you would earn more RDMs on AA with their promotions as well as having to fly less then 100000 miles since AA F earns nice eqp bonus as well... I moved all my ba business to AA and with all the new "enhancements" I have not regretted that decision YET

rapidex

You do not need any sectors on BA to achieve gold.Flying on Iberia counts,as do BA codeshares.If you are based in Europe and fly BA on short European sectors,then the RFS on BA makes sense.Otherwise stick with AA for longhaul and avoid BA's high YQ.

Mwenenzi

What are the objectives from a ffp?
What benefits of status do expect or hope to use?
There are several AA vs BA threads. Look the links in post 3 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html

USA based airline ffp's tend to more generous (status benefits/earn/burn/upgrades/award cost/award cash surcharges/expiry) compared to non USA based airline ffp’s.

The grass in not always greener on the other side.

Passmethesickbag

To quote the Wiki's answers to all FAQs in the AAdvantage forum - nobody knows! Most people seem to think that they're likely to do something in the same direction as the other two surviving main US carriers have done and devalue earnings for discount fares. Some think they may be holding off whilst they're analysing whether being the airline of choice for very frequent fliers is paying off. An added argument for that is that UA under its new CEO has made some gestures suggesting that they are listening.

scubadu

Unless you really will not be flying to the US much anymore, I'm really not sure why you would switch. One of the key values of EXP is upgrades, both domestic, as well as SWUs for long haul. Certainly AA could change the field going forward, but right now that is a huge, huge differentiator from BA.

Some people seem to pursue this path so they can use AA Admiral's Clubs when on domestic itineraries, which honestly is ludicrous to me because 1) Admiral's clubs ain't that great and 2) the value of complimentary domestic upgrades and SWUs far outweigh the cost/value of just purchasing an AC membership at the EXP price if you really want to use them.

Every once in awhile, I look at BA Silver, since BA now has a non-stop out of AUS (my home airport), but then I review the Silver benefits and just can't, for the life of me, figure out why I would pursue that for basically lounge access...

Regards

seaskybound

As AA earning year is calendar year and it's almost year I and I -hope- there are no changes this coming year .

cornishsimon

If your considering crediting to BA just simple to xxx-LHR-LBA-LHR-xxx in Y when you have a spare day, fairly cheap, 4 flights, bobs your uncle.

cs