FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Deciding on a Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program? Help is here.
Old Jul 24, 2024 | 9:59 pm
  #1911  
dvs7310
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2M
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold, Former UA 1K
Posts: 6,366
Originally Posted by beggingforemerald
Thanks for the input! I considered MH first as well because I flown with them once this year on return NRT - CGK route O class and gained 12 EP for ~$350, which is pretty unbeatable. But, I wouldn't mind spending extra hundred dollars or so to gain lifetime status faster, considering MH require 4M points for lifetime plat.

I'm looking at Qantas/BA as well because they have easier lifetime status, but I'm unsure regarding crediting towards different FFP and eligible flights since I wouldn't be flying with them for work at all. Could you give your insight?
MH's bar for lifetime status is indeed quite high, but you won't get credit for MH O fares anywhere else. That's a massive catch 22 for your flying patterns. MH O and Q fares will only credit to Enrich. N fares can credit to Enrich as well as AS, BA, IB, and AT. Anything above that (V and above) will get partial credit in all OW programs but is a fair bit more expensive per ticket.

BA's lifetime status isn't an easy bar to reach on economy tickets either to be honest, nor is AA's (you need 2 million base miles which you'd generally be earning at 25% on MH economy and very few CX economy fares credit anything to AA), I don't know QF's well enough to gauge it but suspect it's similar to the others. But just as an example for AA's assuming all 25% earning tickets then you'd need 8 million flown miles to achieve it. BA's is based on tier points per segment but the tier point rate on non-premium tickets is low. For example there, one way KUL-NRT on an MH V fare is 20 tier points, you need 35,000 for Lifetime Gold. That's 875 round trips from KUL-NRT plus for each year you need 4x BA flights to hold annual status. Just to add on that BA bit, since it requires 4x BA or IB flights per year, I recall you mentioned having a weak passport. I'd guess from your flying patterns it could be Indonesia? If that's the case then those could be more difficult flights to take as you'd need a UK and / or Schengen visa to get the required BA segments. I believe the only 5th freedom route they still have in this region is SIN-SYD

Last edited by dvs7310; Jul 24, 2024 at 10:08 pm
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