Originally Posted by number_6
There is zero benefit for MM (or even 2MM) for someone who has lifetime QF Gold (which is worth more than 2MM, the high point of AA status). Of course the 2 million miles spent on AA awards are a different story.
In fairness to QF, the example of NM's award redemption is the high point of differentiation with AA (close to the best use of AA miles and worst use of QF miles). For most other awards it is more like a 2:1 Aadvantage. Still pretty significant. However QF status does come in useful at times.
Indeed. But in my case, the place Mrs NM wanted to travel to was AKL at that time of the year. So the AA candy was a very good deal for me - winning the brownie points for sending them in business class, and saving lots of real money at the same time.
My last spend of QF points on award seats was for 2 x U seats BNE-ADL-PER and 3 x X seats PER-SYD-BNE at the same time last year. That cost me 147,500 QF points plus well over $300 in fuel fines. That trip for Mrs NM and the Mini NMs would have also been cheaper (points/miles and dollars) on AA. So for my redemptions patterns, AA works out very good indeed. You are right that my example is extreme, but it is real and not just hyperthetical.
My next target on AA is to reach EXP so I can retain the OneWorld Emerald status. I intend to use my QF Lifetime Gold status to ensure I am sufficiently up the food chain for waitlisted QF upgrades to spend the credit card points that transfer at best rate to QF.