In terms of FFP I'm a total newbie. I'm hoping someone here can offer some suggestions and share some wisdom to my questions.
I joined QFF in August 2012 and have just made Silver status. All these trips have been to China and Hong Kong. I have just taken up a new position which will require me to relocate to Hong Kong and be based there for minimum 5 years.
So as it stands I will be traveling back to Australia, Adelaide and then Melbourne a minimum 2 times per year. For the rest of the time I will basically be traveling throughout Asia for the remaining part.
Countries I will travel to at least one time per year are as follows. Japan, Korea, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and possibly Russia.
Due the to the heavy amount of travel my employer will only be paying for economy airfares.
I would be interested in lounge access, not really interested in using points to upgrade at this stage (may do later on in the piece), I would rather put the points toward free holidays and whatever else FFP's have to offer.
My questions are, do I continue on with QFF and join an additional FFP, if so which one would cover me for the above regions? How would I manage the two? Would I just use QFF for my trips back home? Or should I just start a completely new FFP?etc
Programs: BA Gold(OWE), AFKL Plat, QF LTG, BD-G, PC Amb/Plat, SW-G, Hertz 5*
Posts: 7,883
Not to mention the huge number of points you can accrue in HKG on CX on things like credit cards, dining, etc.
CX is definitely your best bet. Harder programme for status but the miles go further than QF. CX also looks after its own elites first which maybe important to you if they and Dragonair are your main carriers.
Programs: Hyatt Diamond+, Alaska Airlines MVP, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 2,646
Some of the nicest lounges are CX at HKG not to mention their premium cabins are wonderful too but the question is can you use their miles to fly on airlines outside Asia when your little adventure finally comes to an end? Also, do you want to fly CX to Aus. or would you rather stick with QF? Personally I was frustrated by lack of FF space on CX during the many random holidays by the students who frequently fly to and from HKG to Aus. and to many of them money is no object.
Think about CX MPC if you mainly fly CX / KA and the Y class fares that you book into allow you to accrue miles.
CX Silver (30K miles or 20 sectors) will allow you lounge access (CX only)...
Wish I signed up for CXFF knowing this. I already have over 30k With QFF and no lounge acccess. Oh well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Traveloguy
Not to mention the huge number of points you can accrue in HKG on CX on things like credit cards, dining, etc.
CX is definitely your best bet. Harder programme for status but the miles go further than QF. CX also looks after its own elites first which maybe important to you if they and Dragonair are your main carriers.
Won't be linking any credit cards to my accounts. If I don't have the cash I don't buy it. Many years ago got into trouble with CC's
Quote:
Originally Posted by westcoastman
Some of the nicest lounges are CX at HKG not to mention their premium cabins are wonderful too but the question is can you use their miles to fly on airlines outside Asia when your little adventure finally comes to an end? Also, do you want to fly CX to Aus. or would you rather stick with QF? Personally I was frustrated by lack of FF space on CX during the many random holidays by the students who frequently fly to and from HKG to Aus. and to many of them money is no object.
The holidays I'm thinking of are not back home to Australia. Company pays for two trips to Aus per year for business. I'll coincide some holidays with those two business/holiday trips home. I was thinking to use points for holidays to EU.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DH188
If you can get an Australian-issued Amex platinum charge card you can then apply for complimentary MPC gold status. $900 annual fee though.
Not looking at using CC's to pay for anything, rather just earn.
Thanks for the advise.
I just saw that CX has what's called Asia Miles are they co branded with MPC? Do you use one card or do you have 2 separate cards and have to choose which FFP to use every time you fly?
What's the recommendation with my current QFF status keep it going? or just forget about it completely?
If moving to Asia and going to fly CX, then I would definitely suggest that Marco Polo Club may better meet your desires than QFF ( as well as ( I believe) giving better value in redemptions )
Silver status (OW Ruby) ( c.f. QF Silver ) requires 30,000 club miles to attain or 20 sectors
Flying MEL-HKG is approximately 4590 miles , so 2 of those trips could net 18,360 club miles in themselves leaving 11,640 to achieve. Compare this with QF where MEL-HGK will earn 30 SCs each way for a total of 60 with 300/250 needed to attain/retain status
Although both are ruby status, one big difference in benefits is that MPC provides for lounge access to those with silver status when travelling on CX whereas QF just provides 1 lounge access pass a year
If you reach gold status then, of course, you will have access to all OW lounges. GIven that CX is a mileage based earning and QF is a status credit based system where discount economy earns little towards status, CX seems a good bet.
The only gotcha that may exist is eligable classes. On CX the following are eligable for earning Y,B,H,K,M,L,V,W,R,E ; I am not sure if CX has more classes than that which may be ineligable and may need to be considered
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrDenim
I just saw that CX has what's called Asia Miles are they co branded with MPC? Do you use one card or do you have 2 separate cards and have to choose which FFP to use every time you fly?
Asia Miles and MPC are 2 programmes and you can join one without the other; MPC relates to status and associated benefits whilst Asia Miles is a mileage earning and redeeming scheme
I am not sure how many programmes now use Asia Miles but used to be that you could pick a scheme for status plus use Asia Miles for earning; e.g. for BA members in Asia BA used to have executive club for status benefits , CX had MPC but both used Asia Miles for redemptions/earnings
Asia Miles will give you the ability to redeem miles for upgrades on CX, KA, BA and AA
Last edited by Dave Noble; Nov 25, 12 at 3:42 pm..
If moving to Asia and going to fly CX, then I would definitely suggest that Marco Polo Club may better meet your desires than QFF ( as well as ( I believe) giving better value in redemptions )
Silver status (OW Ruby) ( c.f. QF Silver ) requires 30,000 club miles to attain or 20 sectors
Flying MEL-HKG is approximately 4590 miles , so 2 of those trips could net 18,360 club miles in themselves leaving 11,640 to achieve. Compare this with QF where MEL-HGK will earn 30 SCs each way for a total of 60 with 300/250 needed to attain/retain status
Although both are ruby status, one big difference in benefits is that MPC provides for lounge access to those with silver status when travelling on CX whereas QF just provides 1 lounge access pass a year
If you reach gold status then, of course, you will have access to all OW lounges. GIven that CX is a mileage based earning and QF is a status credit based system where discount economy earns little towards status, CX seems a good bet.
The only gotcha that may exist is eligable classes. On CX the following are eligable for earning Y,B,H,K,M,L,V,W,R,E ; I am not sure if CX has more classes than that which may be ineligable and may need to be considered
Asia Miles and MPC are 2 programmes and you can join one without the other; MPC relates to status and associated benefits whilst Asia Miles is a mileage earning and redeeming scheme
I am not sure how many programmes now use Asia Miles but used to be that you could pick a scheme for status plus use Asia Miles for earning; e.g. for BA members in Asia BA used to have executive club for status benefits , CX had MPC but both used Asia Miles for redemptions/earnings
Asia Miles will give you the ability to redeem miles for upgrades on CX, KA, BA and AA
Thanks for the advise.
Looks like I will jbe oining MPC considering that they are part of OW and that between Dragon Air and some OW partners would almost cover me for the countries mentioned.
I will use my current QFF Status for priority check in with CX and start building up the miles with them.
I'm still a little confused about how the AMP and MPC program work in unison if they do. Will need to call and find out.
I guess I will just use my QFF for my trips when I'm back home although I won't have enough to retain my Silver status after 12 months
The cheapest sale/red e-deal classes do not earn any mileage in AM, eg. O, Q, N. You'd need to be booked on a flexi saver to earn anything to AM.
Also, something for the OP to consider is that only full fare Economy on QF earns Asia Miles. Other fare classes earn 50%. If you are flying Economy on CX/KA often, then Asia Miles / Marco Polo is the best bet. But if you are mostly flying QF, then you need to reconsider.
By the way, if you join Marco Polo, then you are automatically a member of Asia Miles, but not the other way around.
The cheapest sale/red e-deal classes do not earn any mileage in AM, eg. O, Q, N. You'd need to be booked on a flexi saver to earn anything to AM.
The same problem exists for AA FF members. And I suspect you left off QF E class.
OTOH, the OP has a QF account, which is sometimes useful. In particular the aforementioned economy fare classes. Or in my case at the moment, CX V class which does not credit to AA. My current question is whether I want to keep crediting to AA once I reach AA LTG, or do I start putting flights into my Asia Miles account.
So - go for MPC/Asia Miles, but don't let the QF account miles expire.
The same problem exists for AA FF members. And I suspect you left off QF E class.
OTOH, the OP has a QF account, which is sometimes useful. In particular the aforementioned economy fare classes. Or in my case at the moment, CX V class which does not credit to AA. My current question is whether I want to keep crediting to AA once I reach AA LTG, or do I start putting flights into my Asia Miles account.
So - go for MPC/Asia Miles, but don't let the QF account miles expire.
Happy wandering
Fred
I'll have to work out a way to keep up with the SC for QF as well as racking up the miles for MPC/AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sxc
Also, something for the OP to consider is that only full fare Economy on QF earns Asia Miles. Other fare classes earn 50%. If you are flying Economy on CX/KA often, then Asia Miles / Marco Polo is the best bet. But if you are mostly flying QF, then you need to reconsider.
By the way, if you join Marco Polo, then you are automatically a member of Asia Miles, but not the other way around.
Problem is that QF dosent fly to many of the destinations listed in the first post from HKG. So looks like best bet is to join MPC.
