Originally Posted by
brosephine69
Have been a QFF Plat (OWE) in the past, but now starting from scratch, living in USA.
Considering Finnair/BA/Iberia? All I really want is Domestic Flight Lounge Access. (Lots of internal AA or AS Biz Flights for work).
Questions
For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Reply: Lounge Access on Domestic US Flights
(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: Not too sure, new job, just flew LAX-JFK-LAX, Have an upcoming LAX-PHX-ICT-DFW-SNA in a few days, likely in D Class
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply:Business or First, Class D/I
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Business/First for work (booked through Concur/Sable, Can choose airline usually, but have to look at price. Thinking UA crediting to TK for *A for 777/787 routes, and AA/AS crediting to AY/BA/IB?
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Reply: US Domestic All around, Always Biz/First.
(6) What is your home airport?
Reply: SNA/LAX/SAN/ONT
(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?
Reply: None anymore, used to have QFF Platinum (close to lifetime silver), but no longer live in Aus, so couldn't hit the 4 QF Segments.
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: I prefer widebody if possible, 787/777, Lie Flat seats when avail, AA A321T was pretty good too.
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
Unless you plan a trip to Europe, BA is a non-starter, as you won't be able to get the four required "qualifying" flights needed for mid- or high-tier status.
IB does not require any IB-operated or IB-operated flights to achieve status, so that's the program I'd probably shoot for. This Insider Flyer article, which analyzes crediting QR Business Class flights to IB, might be helpful:
https://insideflyer.co.uk/2019/03/qa...f-iberia-plus/
("WHY QATAR AIRWAYS BUSINESS CLASS REGULARS MIGHT BE BETTER OFF WITH IBERIA PLUS")
Note, however, that since you'd be flying a bunch of relatively short AA/AS flights in Business Class (domestic First on two-class aircraft), you'd have to fly a fair number of trips to attain status with IB, but you should be able to attain at least mid-tier status (oneworld Sapphire) which would get you lounge access. (If you made a trip to Europe on BA, attaining status through BA would be faster.)