AlreadyThere

Is anyone else in my position? I figure I will be retiring in a dozen years or so. Over that time, I will be shoveling in the high 6 figures at an airline, and have to start thinking about where I will end up when I start traveling just for fun.

My main concern for when I'm older is status: access to good seats, upgrades, topping waitlists, award seats, lounges, etc. I was greatly heartened when BA began to offer a path to lifetime OWE status to its members, and I was hoping AA would take advantage of the FF program merger to add a status above Platinum but below EP that would carry OWE status and would be LT-obtainable at 3MM. I was greatly disappointed when they did not.

So now I have a big decision. I mostly fly AA to Europe and BA within it, but could go mostly BA. I use AA+CX to and around Asia but could use BA just as easily. I think I am being forced to switch to BA because otherwise, when I'm old and retire, I will be dumped out to OWS.

I know it's iffy to make decisions now about programs that will morph over the 12-yr period, but it's the only signal I have now, and once I start down this path I'm mostly stuck with it for years, since it's a LT trajectory.

Any others making this decision?

Dave Noble

If you have lifetime platinum status with AA , I would stick with AA due to the miles accrued to AA have a lot more value than accrued to BA

OWE status provides for 1st class lounge access but beyond that the benefits a not that major

It seems much better to me to have decent redemption options and OWS than to have OWE status

consider a redemption to Australia for example. BA redemption cost on new table would be 150k in business or 200k in 1st one way on Qantas plus would have hundreds in surcharges to pay

AA would charge 62.5k one way business or 72.5k in 1st

Get 1 1st class redemption for half the price of a 1 way business plus have no surcharges

OWE is better than OWS but would think very carefully whether it is worth halving your mileage value for 12 years

Also, if you switch to BA for the next 12 years, that will be 96 systemwide upgrades which you would not receive - so if wanting to travel in a higher than purchased cabin would require use of miles and additional surcharges to pay. that would be around 26,000 for premium economy to business upgrade ( no upgrade from economy to business )

When you start travelling just for fun, would it not be better to have more fun trips covered by miles than use of a 1st class lounge at the airport?

AlreadyThere

True about the award redemption levels, although those are most likely to be devalued over time. But lifetime status would be more valuable, since even when my redeemable miles are gone and I am paying for tickets in retirement, I would have continued access to those privileges that make the lower-priced tix I'll be buying then tolerable... better seats, upgrades, better waitlist positions, award change capability, etc. I'd trade a bunch of miles for that continuing status when I'm out of paid First.

Dave Noble

The AA scheme may devalue, but doubt it will devalue anywhere close to that of the BA scheme which has never imo been good for long haul redemptions with huge surcharges to pay

I would seriously consider whether LT Emerald is that much better than LT Sapphire and whether it is worth the throwing away of thousands of dollars in value with awards and loss of complimentary upgrades in the process

96 Systemwide upgrades can have a points equivalent or 2.4m plus $33,600 if would otherwise wish use miles to upgrade from discount economy to business to Europe or to Asia. If not making use of the SWUs then value would not be there but 96 SWUs is something to consider

AA Sapphire already gets access to better seats and free award cancellation and no fees for close in bookings

What waitlist improvement would BA Gold give you over AA Platinum? Also, do you generally purchase expensive fares since attaining status is definitely targetted much more on spend than distance travelled with BA

A waitlist priority improvement will only assist you for booking paid tickets - if wanting to use AA status to upgrade domestically using 500 mile upgrades, will need to use the AA FF number in the booking

JDiver

I retired last year, and part of my "retirement plan" was OWS / AA Platinum for life. 100% miles bonus (though I fully believe miles earning will at some point become fare based), no cost for MCE, Business lounge access on long haul international, etc.

How long / how much would it take for BAEC lifetime Gold? Would it actually be worth it to you?

AlreadyThere

Admittedly, OWE status is not incredibly better than OWS on any carrier except the one you have status with. AFAIK, all there is is first class lounge access and check-in counter. You're right, no waitlist benefits outside your airline.

I guess part of the problem is that, having attained LT Plat, there's nothing to aim for. I suppose I'm like the greyhounds at the track needing to chase the fake rabbit, even fully knowing it's not worth eating. All I get for my continued (expensive) flying at this point is redeemable miles of declining value.

If I do switch to BA, I don't affect my retired AAdvantage status at all, it stays where it is, since they won't let me improve it. So even if I don't make it to BA LT Gold, I'm no worse off in 12 yrs.

While BA is crap about long-haul awards (for which I can use AA miles), they're very good with short-haul ones, esp within Europe. They don't whack you with their phony award "fuel surcharge" (how they can keep calling it that with $50 oil is beyond me). And the CCRs are nice (if I happen to be flying them in F).

Dave Noble

Rather than worry about chasing status could just enjoy what you have

You do not affect your AA status indeed by switching , however if you can maintain EP status with AA during the period I would suggest that you will be a lot better off

The main benefit seems to be 1st class lounge access, but with the extra miles earned and much lower redemption rates, much easier to travel 1st on awards and get access

What type of fares do you purchase? if not purchasing full fare economy, premium economy or higher you are likely to have a poor earning especially towards attaining status . If you are purchasing business and/or 1st class fares then getting status could be easy on BA

I would also wait until BA annouces the changes that may affect partner earnings for travel on airlines other than BA

wemyss

Twelve years is too long to plan realistically for award travel benefits. The programs are likely to change significantly. BA is devaluing and going back to high spenders/ business travel only and not interested really in leisure traveler.
AA may move to a spend/ basis model but IMO, as Dave N astutely states AA award scheme for LH is excellent.
Enjoy the rewards!

tom911

That's an excellent point. I didn't pay attention to million miler status at UA, or 2MM at AA, until I was within 50K of each of them, and then I accelerated my flying to get it out of the way just in case program changes were on the horizon. I never had a plan to reach those plateaus until the goalposts were very close.

That backfired over at UA when they took away the lifetime perks I enjoyed (2 yearly regional upgrades, 100% flight miles and 100% bonus miles) and retitled my lifetime Premier Executive status to Lifetime Gold with significantly lower perks. I have not bought a paid ticket on UA since they made those changes and have been burning miles there (down to my final 5,000 now).

I would never go out of my way 12 years out to find the best carrier for lifetime benefits. Find whoever works best for you now and focus on that. None of us can tell what the frequent flyer landscape will be 12 years out and planning your travel with that strategy can just backfire in the end.

I've been retired 10 years now and still not living off lifetime AA benefits. Going to hang in there and make EXP as long as I can as I get excellent value from AA systemwides.

Tom on a train between Belfast and Dublin

Prospero

Lifetime oneworld Emerald is a significant cut above LT Sapphire and Executive Club LTG will deliver Emerald benefits into and throughout your retirement.

To obtain LTG requires a bucket load of flying. Needn�t all be BA though. Flights on all oneworld carriers will count toward the end goal but qualification at 35,000 Tier Points will require serious commitment. Over 12 years, it equates to over 2,900 TPs annually or to put it in very blunt terms 20+ long haul business class flights each year. There is of course a wide range of methods you can follow to maximise the number of TPs earned per trip and the BA forum is awash with tips and success stories of rapid TP accrual.

I�d worry less about the minutiae of each programme and focus instead on what level of oneworld status you ultimately wish to aim for. Twelve years is a comparatively long time in the realm of FFPs and each programme will cycle through several changes in that period.

That said, each programme tends to offer a home advantage. If you are US based then AAdvantage will probably continue to offer a broader range of mileage earning opportunities than the Executive Club over the long term.

Interesting dilemma though

boss315

+1. Same happened to me at UA so am finally with AA. Set a focus and then change horses if need be..monitor your chosen program closely through FT forums and you'll be ok....maybe!

I'm retiring this year..yeah!

Bob on a plane from LHR to Dublin for st pats day!

worldiswide

Better seats and fees for close in bookings, but I don't think free award cancellation is a ows benefit. Do you have a source for that?

Dave Noble

What I typed and what I was thinking have got confused. Indeed, there is a fee for reinstatement of points

worldiswide

Hanging on every word. Just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed out on a new benefit.. and that would be a good one.. even a reduced rate would be good.

AlreadyThere

It seems to me to have more to do with travel patterns than with home base. Mine could go either way. And anyway, the BA "TP run" threads are awash with AA US itineraries. Also, if AA follows UA and DL's program changes with a spend requirement, note that those two exempt non-US flyers from that requirement -- a home-field disadvantage! (Not a deterrent to me at this point, but...)

Well, I don't consider it a "minutia" that a BA "fuel-surcharged" award transtlantic ticket, non-upgradable and non-earning, can actually cost more than a paid ticket without those accompanying disadvantages. It's probably the biggest deterrent to a switch for me. If I earned those TPs buying tickets with oil at $140, shouldn't I now be getting a "fuel rebate"?