Originally Posted by
kawaii
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree that I was a bit concerned about hitting the miles/segment part for CX Gold (I figure it'd be easier to get AAEXP, actually, with the 100% bonus miles from being AA PLT, because I think I can nail the PLT challenge with a single J class flight out to HKG from the east coast). I was hoping that if I could get a status match to MPC SL, then try to hit 60k miles in a year (in theory, doable, I think, even with just intra-Asia flights).
I'm not quite sure whether or not bothering to try to hit CX Gold is worthwhile, but perhaps the service difference is worth it.
Finally, can you explain what you mean regarding PEY fares? What do you mean when you say they are valid for a year?
Caveat: Each program has different terms for crediting OneWorld partner flights.
AA PLT (except for the challenge which is a once off activity) requires 50K miles (EQM) or 50K points (EQP) each annual year. There is no EXP challenge ( I think the UA // DL activites have now completed), thus requiring 100K EQM or EQP each calendar year. Your travel description indicated segments are not really of interest. For AA travel in B Y (economy) and all W J and F classes earn 1.5 EQP per EQM credited. (with exceptions for mainly JL). Someone flying only these premium classes needs to fly 33.33K miles to earn AA PLT or 66.67K for EXP.
CX qualification is based on credited miles. In economy on CX, if it is V class or higher, one mile is credited. In premium Y (PEY) 110% is credited. J credits 125% and F 150%. So a CX Silver would need to earn 60K credited miles before the next anniversary date (ie one year from attaining Silver).
A CX someone flying only business classes would need to fly 48K miles to move from Silver to Gold (and retain it).
The trick in earning status is to purchase your flights where they are priced most competitively. Which is why many Flyer Talk people have spent the time to start their CX business flights from TPE rather than HKG. Or in my case, my flights are purchased in SEAsia rather than Australia. But that ordinarily means there is a long(er) gap between flights, which requires better planning and scheduling. Consider a trip every 3 months for a week's time. A->B (B->A->B repeated) rather than A->B->A repeated. In the case of flying economy Asia to/from the USA, it will be quickly noticed that CX fare classes starting from the USA are oriented to attract AA flyers in that H class (and PEY fares) are much more competitive (ie for the same $$). AA would be attractive to you mainly based on your business class flying in Asia. The normal CX economy fares will NOT credit to AA. Which is why I kept my original QF account. To earn at least some mileage on those CX Asia fares and QF domestic fares.
Read through the threads in the Cathay section to get a flavor of how CX elite FF members are treated better than their OW partner equivalents.
To repeat, if in Asia for more than a couple of years, CX may provide you a better deal. Before AA changed the million miler program and "soft landings" I might have offered different advice.
Happy wandering
Fred