EDIT to reflect some errors picked up by early posters - my thanks to them.. Changed numbers/text in red.

A business colleague who is about to begin a regular trans-Pacific business class flight schedule asked about which FF program he should join, how easy it was to get status etc. I only know Qantas Frequent Flyer and Air Canada Aeroplan in detail, and I did a couple of comparative spread sheets. One using short haul, one long haul. Hope the maths is OK; happy to hear about any errors.

Of course there are other pros and cons to both programs; just looking at earn/burn and status here.

Assumptions (all flights are business class):

QANTAS
SYD-LAX is 7,488 miles, earning 180 SCs, and either 11,237 points if you have no status, or 18,728 points if you have Platinum status.

SYD-MEL is 439 miles, earing 40 SCs, and either 660 points if you have no status, or 1,250 points if you are Platinum.

AIR CANADA
SYD-YVR is 7,757 miles, earning 9,709 qualifying miles if you have status or no status or 17,476 miles in total if you are SE100K status.

YVR-YYC is 428 miles, earning 750 qualifying miles or 1,250 miles in total if you are SE100K.

Calculations of earnings with ‘no status’ ignores extra earnings that would be made as intermediate status levels are achieved.

MAKING OR RETAINING STATUS
Qantas
To earn Platinum from no status takes 1,400 SCs. You would have to fly 7.8 times TPAC to get this or 35 times SYD-MEL.

To retain Platinum takes 1,200 SCs. You have to fly TPAC 6.7 times or SYD-MEL 30 times to retain.

Air Canada
To earn SE100K from no status takes 100,000 ‘Qualifying’ miles or 95 ‘Qualifying’ sectors. With status or no status, you would have to fly TPAC 10.3 times to get this or 100 YVR-YYC sectors (the miles requirement is higher).

To retain SE100K takes 95,000 miles or 95 sectors if you choose that option. You have to fly TPAC 5.4 times to do this or YVR-YYC 76 times.

EARNING A REWARD FLIGHT
Qantas
A free flight SYD-LAX in business takes 96,000 points. To get that with no status takes 8.5 trips TPAC, or with Platinum status 5.1 trips. A free SYD-MEL flight costs 16,000 points and it takes 24 SYD-MEL flights with no status or 12.8 trips with Platinum status to earn the free flight.

Air Canada
A free flight SYD-YVR in business costs 90,000 miles. To get that with no status takes 9.3 trips TPAC or with SE100K status, 5.1 trips. A free YVR-YYC flight costs 17,000 miles and it takes 22.7 trips if you have no status or 13.6 trips with SE100K status.

CONCLUSION
It’s easier to first qualify for QF Platinum than AC SE100K, taking about 20% fewer long hauls and more than 50% fewer short hauls. Its also easier to retain top status# on Qantas. (Again this ignores the additional SCs/miles you earn as you go through lower status levels on the way up to Platinum/SE100K.)

One additional consideration is the Qantas “double status credit” promotions, where (obviously) you get double the status credits over a number of months during the promotion. AC/Aeroplan have double or triple mile promotions, but these don’t count for status qualifying.

To earn a free J class flight on either QF or AC is pretty much the same, short or long haul and whether you have top status or not.

The short haul requirement on AC to get or retain status seems very anomalous and I’m wondering if there’s an error there, but I can’t see it.

# Thereis a higher status on QF called 'Platinum 1' but this doesn't have an equivalent on AC.