Originally Posted by
guv1976
pianoperson , since your travel all seems to be in First or Business, how much benefit do you actually derive from your elite status?
If you want to continue to earn Avios, I would look at Iberia's program. But since AA's miles are generally more valuable, I'd also take a look at the AAdvantage program: some of AA's partners still earn miles and Loyalty Points (which are used to determine elite status) based on distance and fare booking code, rather than on pre-tax spend.
I don't know how valuable AA miles are for someone who is based in NZ. AA miles cannot be used as far in advance as BA and other partners, which puts one at a disadvantage when it comes to premium cabin long haul redemption.