Originally Posted by
NeoZ
I think choosing which FFP to join is somehow a long term investment, particularly, those who offers lifetime memberships. This brings out a question whether it is worth to pursuit one, as this will take a long time.
triplefives
I don't think this is worth worrying about if you're a student who's only starting university. Once you hit the working world a lot of this is going to depend on where in the world you end up living, how much travel your job requires, your corporate travel policy/carriers, etc. Plus, you shouldn't assume programs will stay as they are for the long term, given how frequently devaluations come across at all carriers. Focus on what makes sense for the next couple years and don't overthink what might happen beyond then.
As for your question: If you're worried about BA's customer service, remember that any oneworld status if you're living in the UK will require you to fly BA around Europe. But also, don't be certain you'll fly BA for a lot of shorthaul. They are sometimes cheaper than the LCCs, but not always especially during periods like school holidays. If you're traveling with friends from school, they'll just as often prefer EasyJet or Ryanair if they're on any kind of budget and then you'd need to decide if you want to be "that guy" who flies separately from the rest of the group.
The main difference between BAEC and MPO looks like it's that BAEC heavily rewards premium-cabin flying while MPO rewards high-frequency flying. In BAEC you need to fly premium economy or above to easily gain status since the TP earning chart skews disproportionately in favor of premium cabins. For LHR-HKG flying on CX, mid-range economy fares earn 90 club points round trip in MPO but only 40 in BAEC. But the same trip in discounted premium economy (E) would earn 180 TPs in BAEC but only 110 club points.