FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Deciding on a Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program? Help is here.
Old Dec 28, 2016 | 2:19 pm
  #1254  
bhomburg
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Join Date: Feb 2012
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Originally Posted by bxio
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
(upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, extra baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, free - discounted lounge access, etc.)
Reply: Lounge access, extra baggage allowance
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(<25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles - <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)
Reply: 25K-50K, 25-50 flights
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: cheapest, usually Economy or premium economy
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: I travel for both work and leisure, when I get to choose I usually go for the cheapest option.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: transatlantic, a few Canada-Asia flights a year
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: YVR, CAN sometimes when in Asia
(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?
(AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: none yet...
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: I fly westjet a lot, but I don't think that helps
To my knowledge, the only oneworld program offering a FF relationship with WestJet is AAdvantage, and although you'll earn miles (very few of them after a huge devaluation effective Aug1, I might add) those are redeemable miles only and not status-qualifying.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...es/westjet.jsp.

Chasing status with your flying pattern is hopeless. 25-50k miles in cheapest economy - a lot of it on an airline that's not even a partner for most OW programs - will not get you anywhere meaningful, no matter which program.
Go the credit card route instead. Get a travel benefits card that comes with a priority pass membership for lounge access.
The co-branded AA cards will get you a free bag on AA.
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