Hi,

Due to my new job I am flying more on American Airlines from Hong Kong, over Dallas to Santiago, Chile from time to time. That is around 25,000 miles return and I am confident I can get at least 50,000 per year.

I have flown this trip last year in November and haven't credit the ~25,000 miles anywhere.

I am flying this trip on Monday again and am trying to decide on a FFP.


My FFP:

1. Aegean Gold - Earned with 22,000 Miles
2. Air Berlin Top Miles - Status Match from Aegean with 250 Miles (Created yesterday)
3. AAdvantage - No Status with 250 Miles (Created yesterday)
4. Asia Miles - No Status with 13,000 Miles (Created in 2012)

I am trying to decide whether I should start using and crediting my miles to Air Berlin or whether I should try to get Platinum on AA.

Advantage Air Berlin:
- Already Gold (Oneworld Sapphire)

Advantages AA:
- Will get Bonus Miles
- Better Award Chart?
- Higher chance to be upgrade on AA flights?
- Anything else?

I have my Air Berlin status until March 2016 and if I earn 50k miles until then, I will have it until March 2017.

If I get AA Platinum this year, I will keep it until Feb 2017 and have until Dec 2016 to re-qualify. Is that correct?

Questions:
- Which program would be the most suitable for me?
- Are there any advantages/disadvantages of AA or AB that I don't see?
- Where can/should I credit the miles from last November to? Will AA or AB accept them even though the flights were before I joined their programs?
- Would it be possible to get the november miles credited to my AA account and start as Gold (Since I would have qualified back then)


(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?

Free lounge access, good award redemption, priority boarding


(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?

I will be flying around 50,000, maybe more miles this year. Most of them probably on AA flights.

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?

Economy, cheapest, usually V class.


(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?

I would be traveling mostly for work and I cannot choose the airline or class of service. It would usually be the cheapest class, but may get upgraded through miles. Most of the time it will end up being American though.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?

For work, I usually fly from Hong Kong to the US and/or Chile and back.

For pleasure (Award Flights) I would mostly fly Europe <-> HK or HK <-> Australia.

(6) What is your home airport?

Hong Kong

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?

I have Aegean Gold and yesterday received a Status Match to Air Berlin (Oneworld Sapphire). I also have an old Asiamiles account with around 13,000 miles.

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?

The most common airline will be American.