Originally Posted by
wellow
Questions
For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
upgrades on travel, lounge access, good award redemption rates
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(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: Qatar, but flying Cathay more since they join OW. Sometimes AA US domestic.
I am deciding between Qatar and Cathay. One biggest factor of the move is that I cannot upgrade using mileage in OneWorld airlines with Qatar's mileage. Plus Qatar is getting more and more expensive in their business class. Is the move worth it? How hard is it to earn CX Diamond membership?
Reading the QF forum it seems upgrades on QR are hard to get & and the method used is difficult
For
upgrades the general rule is you can only upgrade a flight marketed (flight number) and operated (metal) by the airline of your frequent flyer programme (no codeshares) with your airlines upgrade instrument (e.g. miles, SWU). All subject to the t&c's of your FFP and your paid ticket. Low cost tickets are often not eligible for upgrades.
However as is the way with FFP's there are some upgrade exceptions
- on AA/BA/IB with higher priced economy fares using AA/BA/IB upgrade instruments
- on some BA tickets with Asia Miles
Reports on FT is that CX treats its own top status passengers very good. If flying business class top status may be achievable: put the numbers into a spreadsheet. And look in the CX forum
Be careful about the expiry of your QR points.