Originally Posted by
weegie88
Hi guys, appreciate the help. Hope I've given enough info.
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Reply: Upgrades on travel, free lounge access, service.
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Reply: Not sure about miles, certainly <25 flights, mainly domestic but at least 1 return flight to Europe (UK) each year, usually premium or economy, occasionally business. At least 1 trans tasman flight to Oz each year.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
Reply: Economy, premium economy.
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Yes, can choose. Mostly fly Air New Zealand or Star Alliance but can choose any really. Travel for work with pleasure attached.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
Reply: Domestic, transpacific, transatlantic
(6) What is your home airport?
Reply: IVC, CHC
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in an airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
Reply: AirNZ Gold Elite (don't think I'll retain this year), Star Alliance Gold, Qatar Privilege Club Burgundy, BA Exec Club Blue, Qantas Bronze, Virgin Australia Velocity Red
(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: Trying to figure this out. AirNZ not thrilling.
Upgrades (free?) are an unrealistic hope for most frequent flyers. And less for infrequent flyers. Upgrades policies on USA and non USA airlines are vastly different. With non USA airlines expect to travel in the seat you purchase. Cross airline upgrades a magnitude harder. Star has cross airline upgrade scheme that requires a high priced base fare. So useless for most people. Oneworld have a trial going AA upgrade with AA ff miles on QF flights.
You have a multitude of ffp's. Looks like when you flew a new airline you joined the ffp. Airlines have frequent flyer partners. Be careful about expiry
Oneworld
QR & BA both use avios and are very close commercially. Can move avios between QR BA IB EI AY.
From a QR ff account can see/use BA avios (and the other way)
Better to concentrate on one Oneworld ffp and let the others die. However QF< --- > QR ff earning can low or even nil. So may be QF and QR. If could get status a little harder to pick a ffp, depending on airlines flown.
VA is partner of Qatar QR, UA and others. Are VA codeshares on some trans Tasman AirNZ flights (none from ZQN)
Lounge access come with mid-top level status or business class. But nowadays some low cost business fares do not get lounge access. Qatar QR are a leader in this depreciation of benefits.