BA, Qatar, AA or someone else entirely?
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Good award earning and redemption rates
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Two business class returns between Europe and Australia each year. Other flights (not many) mainly on LCC intra-Europe and intra-Oz, in economy.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Business - been busily redeeming award flights for the last few years but now looking at business class sale fares
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes, purely pleasure
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Europe (pref LHR/LGW) to Australia
(6) What is your home airport?
LHR/LGW
(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?
No status. c650k Avios (mostly from credit cards) and 300k AA (mostly from US Airways days)
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
No preferred but rather avoid BA.
First paid long haul flight for quite a few years is coming up next month, returning May, on Qatar from ARN to Oz, booked in business (R). It'll be back to Oz in July, returning December; not yet sure with whom or whether paid or award flights. I've been thinking about where to credit and also whether it's actually worth chasing status.
BA: I dislike what BA has become but not so much that I would cut off my nose to spite my face! I'd get enough tier points for BA Silver/OW Sapphire but would need four BA metal flights. I've booked the Lon - ARN positioning flight with Norwegian as that was less than half what BA wanted so even if I came back with BA, I'd still need three more BA flights and I'm reluctance to waste time and money on that unless there is a real benefit to doing so. Crediting to BA is also rather unattractive given they charge 125k Avios min + £alot for a UK/Oz award in Club.
Qatar: These flights would get me Silver/Ruby plus about 25% of the way to a reward flight Europe/Oz (90k, not sure about fees) and a possible second flight later in 2018 would get me to Gold/Sapphire - but the points have a hard expiry date (3 years?)
AA: I think these flights would get me to Gold/Ruby (I think 3,730 EQD + 27,975 EQM but I'm new to AA status calcs, can anyone confirm? Also I don't need any AA metal flights do I?). I'd get fewer miles but then only need 85K + £muchlessthanBA for an award flight. And if we go Qatar again in the latter part of 2018 that would get me to Plat/Sapphire.
But do I really need status other than for extra miles if I fly LH in business? Also I have a Priority Pass through Amex for lounge access (though that's poor in Oz).
Have I missed any other good FF schemes or considerations? I think I'm tending to go with AA.....