Moving to Hong Kong - Stick with BA?
Mar 18, 2016, 3:58 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 141
Moving to Hong Kong - Stick with BA?
Hi all,
I will be moving to Hong Kong in a few months and wanted to canvas opinion on whether to continue to focus my efforts on BA and Avios or try a switch to CX and Asia Miles? I'm BA Gold, with around 200k Avios. I imagine I'll be travelling back to England only a couple of times a year with most of my leisure travel being around Asia.
I know there's a similar thread on the CX forum but I wanted to get your thoughts on the ease of collection and usefulness of Avios if based in Asia.
Thanks in advance.
I will be moving to Hong Kong in a few months and wanted to canvas opinion on whether to continue to focus my efforts on BA and Avios or try a switch to CX and Asia Miles? I'm BA Gold, with around 200k Avios. I imagine I'll be travelling back to England only a couple of times a year with most of my leisure travel being around Asia.
I know there's a similar thread on the CX forum but I wanted to get your thoughts on the ease of collection and usefulness of Avios if based in Asia.
Thanks in advance.
Mar 18, 2016, 4:09 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: Tunnocks Tea Cake Platinum
Posts: 211
Hi all,
I will be moving to Hong Kong in a few months and wanted to canvas opinion on whether to continue to focus my efforts on BA and Avios or try a switch to CX and Asia Miles? I'm BA Gold, with around 200k Avios. I imagine I'll be travelling back to England only a couple of times a year with most of my leisure travel being around Asia.
I know there's a similar thread on the CX forum but I wanted to get your thoughts on the ease of collection and usefulness of Avios if based in Asia.
Thanks in advance.
I will be moving to Hong Kong in a few months and wanted to canvas opinion on whether to continue to focus my efforts on BA and Avios or try a switch to CX and Asia Miles? I'm BA Gold, with around 200k Avios. I imagine I'll be travelling back to England only a couple of times a year with most of my leisure travel being around Asia.
I know there's a similar thread on the CX forum but I wanted to get your thoughts on the ease of collection and usefulness of Avios if based in Asia.
Thanks in advance.
Mar 18, 2016, 4:47 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 466
Mar 18, 2016, 5:19 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver/ows, CX AsiaMiles (not even GR anymore!) missing my GO days
Posts: 1,581
Moving to Hong Kong - Stick with BA?
It'll depend partly in what cabin you'll normally be in for flights around Asia, and also what you would use miles for. If in premium cabins and making outright redemptions, and you can get the 4 BA flights, BAEC may be the better bet. If in economy and trying to upgrade it could get a bit dicier.
Note the CX program is on the verge of changing dramatically next month and I haven't heard of many categories of flyer where status will become easier to earn. It'll be a tier-point based system but without the strong scale-tilting in favor of premium cabins that feature in the BAEC TP-earnings tables.
Note the CX program is on the verge of changing dramatically next month and I haven't heard of many categories of flyer where status will become easier to earn. It'll be a tier-point based system but without the strong scale-tilting in favor of premium cabins that feature in the BAEC TP-earnings tables.
Mar 18, 2016, 5:45 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
If you think you can still get status with BA based on your future flying pattern, stick with BA. This is coming from a CX status holder changing over to BA, residing in HK.
Having said that, flying economy around Asia on CX doesn't earn much avios or tier points in economy. On CX you'll earn more Asia miles but not many club points (equivalent of tier points). So let us know what your future pattern will be in a bit more detail and it might help.
Having said that, flying economy around Asia on CX doesn't earn much avios or tier points in economy. On CX you'll earn more Asia miles but not many club points (equivalent of tier points). So let us know what your future pattern will be in a bit more detail and it might help.
Mar 18, 2016, 6:07 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: Tunnocks Tea Cake Platinum
Posts: 211
On the subject of the "4 BA flights per year". Say I never fly BA again but still credited to BA and got myself 35000 TP's - Would I be entitled to Gold for life?
Mar 18, 2016, 6:30 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
I moved to HK a few years ago. I stuck with BA, my other half moved to CX.
As a general rule, if you fly mostly long haul J and above, you're better off with CX. If you fly long haul PE and below, move to BA. For short haul it doesn't really make much difference, but you will be treated better by CX as a DM than you will by BA as a Gold.
Also factor in whether you can make the minimum 4 BA flights. I make it up on short haul connections when I'm back in the UK, but if you plan to do a plain HKG-LHR-HKG you will find it tough to walk past the CX planes on the way to the BA bird.
As a general rule, if you fly mostly long haul J and above, you're better off with CX. If you fly long haul PE and below, move to BA. For short haul it doesn't really make much difference, but you will be treated better by CX as a DM than you will by BA as a Gold.
Also factor in whether you can make the minimum 4 BA flights. I make it up on short haul connections when I'm back in the UK, but if you plan to do a plain HKG-LHR-HKG you will find it tough to walk past the CX planes on the way to the BA bird.
Mar 18, 2016, 7:36 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 141
I think the most likely scenario is that I'll be flying PE or lower. I'm thinking of using my Avios for redemptions around Asia on CX, and paying for tickets to and from England.
I hadn't thought about the 4 BA sectors needed, although I think I can probably manage them.
I also have an Amex 2-4-1 in my account. I believe I can only use this for flights originating from the UK? Flying back to London to start my holidays from there, just to use the 2-4-1 is probably a false economy, isn't it......?
I hadn't thought about the 4 BA sectors needed, although I think I can probably manage them.
I also have an Amex 2-4-1 in my account. I believe I can only use this for flights originating from the UK? Flying back to London to start my holidays from there, just to use the 2-4-1 is probably a false economy, isn't it......?
Mar 18, 2016, 8:32 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
I think the most likely scenario is that I'll be flying PE or lower. I'm thinking of using my Avios for redemptions around Asia on CX, and paying for tickets to and from England.
I hadn't thought about the 4 BA sectors needed, although I think I can probably manage them.
I also have an Amex 2-4-1 in my account. I believe I can only use this for flights originating from the UK? Flying back to London to start my holidays from there, just to use the 2-4-1 is probably a false economy, isn't it......?
I hadn't thought about the 4 BA sectors needed, although I think I can probably manage them.
I also have an Amex 2-4-1 in my account. I believe I can only use this for flights originating from the UK? Flying back to London to start my holidays from there, just to use the 2-4-1 is probably a false economy, isn't it......?
If you can, keep on an open return from LHR. ex-LHR is a lot cheaper than ex-HKG, even with a change fee here and there.
Mar 18, 2016, 8:32 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
The most popular course of action from those in a similar position to you is to fly CX and credit the flights to BAEC. Only flying BA in order to get the 4 qualifying flights in and to use your 2-4-1 voucher.
Doing that will allow you to come on here and bore everyone by telling us how wonderful flying CX is compared to BA.
Doing that will allow you to come on here and bore everyone by telling us how wonderful flying CX is compared to BA.
Mar 18, 2016, 5:27 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 141
That is very true. I was astonished the first time I flew CX (I think I was only Silver at the time) when the cabin manager (not sure what the title is) came over to welcome me on board, thanked me, asked what my first choice of meal was etc. Never had anything like that recognition on BA and have had it everytime since on CX.