Originally Posted by
DownUnderFlyer
London must be the best place on the planet for a oneworld flyer. So why would you want to switch to *A? What can *A offer you that oneworld can't?
+1
And why *A rather than SkyTeam?
Anyways, having "a bunch of miles on Oneworld" won't help you to "get started at a higher level" with *A, to answer your other question. But if you have status, then you'll probably be able to get bmi (British Midland) to match. See their forum for more details. bmi's Diamond Club is a great little FFP with great earn/burn rates and very handy cash&miles redemption options. However, it appears its days are numbered as it is widely expected to be rolled into the far-less attractive Miles & More program next year.
But unless you have a particular reason to suddenly favour *A carriers, I think you'd be crazy to ditch OneWorld when moving to LONDON (!!!!!!!)