Buenos tardes Hiddy, and a Feliz Navidad to you too.

As for BA making out on the deal, I doubt that's true. After all, you know what I'm going to do as soon as my threshold EC miles have posted. So, Chase gets no more of my swipes - well, they do, but only through my CO PPMC and not the cancelled BA card. I doubt BA makes much from the threshold spend of 2.5k US.

As for billing, there will be intra-alliance internal accounting metrics. BA is the originator of Exec Club miles ("minter of the currency"), but CX will certainly "bill" BA for the F redemption in some medium, much like NUC. The internal accounting will be reconciled at time intervals. So there's a notional liability associated with an F redemption on CX using the BA miles. It's likely to be much larger than the liability BA would present on its statements for a BA F redemption where they're essentially dumping inventory to their EC members at marginal cost. Even if not anywhere near full F pricing, it won't be to their likings

If this weren't the case, why would airlines restrict front-cabin inventory from their own members (e.g. US and UA with Starnet blocking, DL and SQ F, BD and LH F etc.)

And, hopefully, my plan will cause the BA CSDs and Waterworld Nigels to boil. But the censorious toads can't stop me now. Wearing an MOL mask during transit might be even better.

I do my part for the cause - which as you know is changing the BA CEO to MOL.