[Apologies for the missing A in AAdvantage in the thread title - an overeager spelling correction!]

Since Loyalty Points arrived there have been a number of people asking about converting from AA to BAEC and responses always include the warning that AA doesn't permit you to use status benefits when accruing points to a different program. But there are few reports of experiences trying to do this for real, so I thought I would start a thread to collect actual experiences of what AA does or doesn't permit.

Lets try to keep this thread for the experiences and questions only - rather than going into discussion of the policy itself.


Personally i started converting in January 2020 on AA tickets LHR-LAX-SJC run (in W and Y on AA and BA flights). I was able to use SWUs to upgrade my AA flights and I received a complimentary upgrade for SJC-LAX and earnt all of 220 tier points for the trip. I don't recall any issues getting OWE seat assignments on the BA flight, whilst still earning for BAEC (where I am Blue). Then COVID hit and I didn't fly again for nearly two years.

Recently I flew DUB-LHR-LAX-SFO-JFK-LHR-DUB in business class on an AA ticket, but mainly on BA-operated flights (all AA-marketed) and getting the miles credited to the right place has been complex. BA check-in attached my BAEC number to the reservation and the boarding card showed no statues. I used my Advantage EXP card to access the lounge at Heathrow. But those BA miles (DUB-LHR-LAX) ended up in my AA account – but when I called to fix that it was very straightforward and easy, with no issues at all. The return flights then acquired my BAEC (on both AA and BA websites) and showed no status at all. My previously booked seat on the BA flight remained allocated, but I couldn't change it without being willing to pay for the new one. I used a SWU to upgrade the SFO-JFK flight and that has caused no issues. I had no bags to check and most of my status benefits (such as lounge access) went with the Business ticket anyway. So, it has been a little stressful trying to keep tabs on it, but it looks like 540 TPs for under £1200.

My main learning from this second trip is that the ticketing carrier is the one to focus on (they seem to award the miles / points) and I would have made life simpler if I had called AA the day before the trip and had them switch out my AA number for my BAEC number, rather than asking BA check-in to do it.