pooker

Hi All,

Fly international business class once a month and all is booked through Qantas.

I am in the US now and am looking at booking a flight in the US with AA. Is it possible for me to earn Qantas points on a domestic AA flight in the US, and if so, how do I do it? I can't for the life of me figure it out.

nux

Yes, just add your QFF number to your AA booking.

You do know you can credit QF flights to AA or any other oneworld program? You don't need to credit them to QFF just because you're booked on Qantas.

pooker

Sorry, I was a little new to the whole program. My travel agent does all of the booking, and I initially started out with AA, but I noticed I wasn't getting the premium points for flying business. Turns out the agent was booking with Qantas directly, so it worked out better for me to have a Kangaroo account.

What was confusing me is that I do have an AA account with some okay miles, but I am curious if it is better to use my Qantas number due to my platinum status and accumulating points with this account.

nux

Not sure what you mean by 'premium points'. Crediting QF business class to AAdvantage you would currently earn 1.25x, and 1.5 EQP's, plus status bonus as you progress through Gold/Platinum/EXP. You would earn more if you booked the flights as an AA codeshare. However, the AAdvantage program is changing next year.

What is a Kangaroo account?

As to whether you should credit to QFF or AAdvantage, it really depends on your travel patterns and what you want from a FF program. You may earn more Qantas points, but they are less valuable.

I suggest you post here if you want further advice on this: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html

Dave Noble

I would look very carefully - you are almost certainly better off with AA than Qantas earning.

Your earnings to AA can be a lot better value than to Qantas.

One possibility that may have impacted is whether you have flown on any AA flights. If you have not flown on 4 AA flights during the year you will not have been granted status. Taking 4 AA sectors may be all you need to get to top tier status with AA

with the changes coming to the AA scheme, as a business class traveller, you may be significantly better off sticking to AA

Mwenenzi

What do you want from a ffp?
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit ff miles/points from those flights does not need to be the same. That is what ffp partners are about

Frequent Flyer Programs (FFP) are not equal.
1 (one) mile/km/point of FFP’s are not equal (just like currencies)
Each airline FFP has different benefits from status.
Each airline FFP has different rules for earning and retaining status.
Each airline FFP has different rules for earning miles/km/points/avios.
Each airline FFP has different rules to stop miles/km/points/avios from expiring.
Each airline FFP has different rules for using (burning) those miles/km/points/avios for awards and different copay $$ fees.
Each airline FFP has different rules for upgrades & different copay $$ fees.
Each airline FFP has different rules for lounge access (own & other airlines)

Earn to burn is what matters.

QF Plat status will give you AA lounge access for USA domestic AA flights, where as the equivalent AA status will not.

og

Earn to burn may be important but so is better availability of awards (11 v 12 months out as well as extra award availability for QF Platinums) if using QF FF. Likewise, access to F lounges (via QF status as opposed to putting miles into AA with their harder status levels to achieve) may be preferable.

Dave Noble

Other than redeeming on Qantas longhaul, I havent found the 330 days limit that bad.

Even with AA's upcoming increase in award costs, for long haul redemptions they seem significantly better value than QF's and without large cash co-payment requirements ( the so called carrier imposed surcharges )

I have had little issue this month booking several trips from Europe to Australia using AA miles , including booking apartments on Etihad

og

Same with UA (my other major program). Availability of premium cabin awards (*A) is a world away from the crumbs QF/OW offer. And carrier co-payments are, like AA's, refreshingly low.

pooker

Thanks for all the follow-up guys!

I guess what I meant was that booking directly through AA's website, gave you quite a bit more benefits to your account.

Honestly, what I want out of a program is something that I can get the best value for my points!

Only benefit to my Qantas Platinum/Future Platinum One account is access to the 1st class lounge.

Everyone here flys Qantas and has a QF account. Maybe I should transfer over to AA next year if I am just looking for best awards travel?

Dave Noble

You can access the 1st class lounge with an American Airlines Executive Platinum status

You will likely get a lot better redemptions out of AA than QF

og

AA Is better value in terms of points to get the seat and cheaper co-payment. Advantage AA.

AA awards start 11 months out whereas QF awards start at (close to) 12 months out. Advantage QF.

QF Platinums and above can have better access to international award seats with QF points on QF metal. Advantage QF. Cheap awards with AA points mean zero if you can't get the seats.

moa999

QF also has RTW awards which (if you can book them in premium classes) can be good value

Dave Noble

There are , in most cases, plenty of other carriers around. Booking QF for 384,000 points r/t to London in 1st may be easier at 12 months than using AA points at 11 months, but booking EY at 11 months for 200,000 points was easy

Cathay at 160,000 points was also available

og

Nobody is arguing about the relative cost of awards between QF and others. And yes, Oz-Europe awards are relatively easy due to the number of carriers operating and their respective alliances. But try that on the monopoly or near monopoly routes - such as SYD-SCL. Even Y awards are sometimes difficult let alone premium cabins. The (sometimes) extra availability for WP and beyond makes award travel possible with QF points whereas AA points are useless.