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Is it worth moving to AA Advantage after Ba Gold is reached

Is it worth moving to AA Advantage after Ba Gold is reached

Old Mar 5, 2015, 1:54 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: In Transit
Programs: BAEC Gold, ClubCarlson Gold
Posts: 72
Is it worth moving to AA Advantage after Ba Gold is reached

Looking for a bit of advice please.
I will requalify for Gold end of March, my collection date is in October.
I have a few flights coming but not enough to get me to the next magic number.
Would I be best served shifting the rest to my AA account until the reset date?
What are the advantages and disadvantages with this approach?
Dont Travel Without Your Pete is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 2:01 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
Interesting... I'm considering the same thing as I've just requalified and see the recent devaluation announcement as a disincentive to continue accruing on BA.

Haven't really done the research though so will follow this with interest.
windowontheAside is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 2:11 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, AA EXP
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This is what I did but primarily because I was getting overloaded with Avios and I really didn't want to earn any more. After learning a bit more about the scheme and then using my AA miles on some trips, I realised that there was much better value to be had from an AA mile than from an Avios for certain regions etc and in many instances the additional charges are significantly lower.

Before, I had thought it was a bit pointless focussing on two OneWorld schemes but now I'm up and running, for me I find that they complement each other well (for now at least), based on my flying patterns, particularly redemptions.

The downside will be that you are earning a smaller number of AA miles compared to Avios per flight, at least initially if you have no AA status so you may want to think about doing an AA challenge to get Platinum status. They will grant you Gold status as you do the challenge and so you earn some extra because of that and then get to Platinum much more quickly.
where2travel is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 2:22 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
Originally Posted by DontTravelWithoutYourPete
What are the advantages and disadvantages with this approach?
I value an AA mile at least double that of an Avios, so I've started crediting flights to AA where the earnings rate is reasonable.

AA earnings are very different to BA, check here http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/ea...britishairways for details. As I read it, WT+ is the sweet spot, you'll earn 1.5x EQPs on that regardless of actual booking class. Note that even in full F you'd still only get 1.5x EQPs(!)

Have you got trips where you can get redemptions with AA miles that you can't with Avios (eg on EY J/F) ?
shorthauldad is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 2:35 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,041
AA/US have been busy with the merger,don't be surprised if enhancements are next on the list of things to do.
Hannibal Lecter is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 3:15 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: EDI
Programs: AA: Life time PLT; HH Diamond
Posts: 336
AAadvantage Miles

Yes, works for me!
Good for long haul redemptions ('awards' as AA calls them) in premium cabins...half of the BA miles you need and SEEMS to be better availability; certainly when we have used them (First to OZ in JAL, BA, QF (excellent), CX, all for 160,000 miles return).
Excellent AA customer service (no wait on the free line through to Dallas or Arizona) but then I have never had a problem calling BA in UK....longest wait is 2-3 minutes..Am I just lucky??
BUT waiting to see if AA will change (to dollar spend/ miles earned is the rumour)... AAdavantage miles by next year, after the US merger settles...Likely to be changes.
wemyss is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 7:00 am
  #7  
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Join Date: Jun 2014
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Programs: BAEC Gold, ClubCarlson Gold
Posts: 72
All interesting points.
I have a TATL from BCN in May with AA, flying J. With any luck some flights to Mexico with them.
Say I do the challenge and get Platinum, I am assuming that I will still get Admirals club based solely on my BA Gold/Emerald status and not on the FF on the ticket....or is that a gotcha?
Dont Travel Without Your Pete is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 7:03 am
  #8  
nux
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Originally Posted by wemyss
Yes, works for me!
Good for long haul redemptions ('awards' as AA calls them) in premium cabins...half of the BA miles you need and SEEMS to be better availability; certainly when we have used them (First to OZ in JAL, BA, QF (excellent), CX, all for 160,000 miles return).
There is no difference in availability, AA.com is just better at finding multi-segment itineraries. Any SAAver level award inventory can be booked with avios also.

Originally Posted by DontTravelWithoutYourPete
Say I do the challenge and get Platinum, I am assuming that I will still get Admirals club based solely on my BA Gold/Emerald status and not on the FF on the ticket....or is that a gotcha?
Yes no problem.
nux is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 7:19 am
  #9  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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A few disadvantages to ponder over, not that it will necessarily be a blocker to this approach:

- Lifetime TPs, bearing in mind something may happen to you in the future which will make you travel more.

- If you give the excess travel to AA and you end up doing some unforeseen travel towards the end of the year you may lose out on a GUF2 at 2,500 TPs (etc).

- The general issue of having lots of pots of small amounts of airmiles. I've been there in the past and unless you are very controlled about it, it's easy to excessively segment.

- Risk of not having enough Avios to make best use of things like Amex 2-4-1, if one comes in unexpectedly. Things like Gold extra availability (Domestic and Economy) and Gold Priority Redemptions are not available to AA travellers, so it's best to ensure your Avios account is kept stocked for this.

- Once AA knows you have an AA card they don't easily forget about it. I found it almost impossible to completely stop some transactions being billed to AA when I wanted them to go to BAEC. Even after the account was closed down.
corporate-wage-slave is online now  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 8:07 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
- Once AA knows you have an AA card they don't easily forget about it. I found it almost impossible to completely stop some transactions being billed to AA when I wanted them to go to BAEC. Even after the account was closed down.
Far be it from me to question c-w-s but like many folk here I have run a BAEC and AAdvantage account for many years and have never had any issues with stuff hitting the wrong account. It's not something I recall seeing here very often, even with people faffing around with swapping FF accounts often mid-trip, or after checkin etc.
windowontheAside is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 8:50 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LON
Programs: AA : BA
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Likewise, I run both programs. For me, I am closer to Lft PLT than lifetime BA, so I just credit the minimum to BA. (All I really need is the free seat selection.)

I find Avios difficult to use, even on US domestics, whereas AAnytime awards are easy (although costing more miles)

I agree with C-W-S though, once they have your AAdvantage number in the system, they don't make it easy to change!
SoggyDollar is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 9:00 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,126
I run both schemes since BA went to segment pricing on rewards. AA are still region based awards for the time being.

I get enough TP for BAEC Gold, which is still only 800TP in my case and I'm already requalified up to 12/2016 and now I put the rest to AA. After achieving Gold, I use the BAEC HHA for family members and AA for myself. Gives enough Avios for the 2-4-1's and RFS bookings and enough AA miles for the EU-SYD redemptions for only 130K miles in J.
Tafflyer is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 9:12 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
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Originally Posted by DontTravelWithoutYourPete
What are the advantages and disadvantages with this approach?
Be aware that in order to qualify for AA elite status (any status), you have to fly 4 segments/year on AA coded flights. People who do not live in the USA sometimes have a problem with this.

There is a long, detailed thread in the AA forum with a Wiki summary. If anyone is thinking about getting an Aadvantage account and working towards elite status, I would suggest they read this first and become fully informed.

This is a minuscule requirement for anyone living in the US. One home-hub-dest-hub-home trip will suffice. Thus: many people don't even know about it despite the fact is is prominently displayed on the AA app, email communication, etc.
QueenOfCoach is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 10:39 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Yes, it works for me, too. But thinking their will be a devaluation on AA at some time.
Skipcool3 is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2015, 2:03 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: QFF Silver, BA Blue, GF Silver, 3V Emerald
Posts: 141
Originally Posted by nux
There is no difference in availability, AA.com is just better at finding multi-segment itineraries. Any SAAver level award inventory can be booked with avios also.



Yes no problem.
Also, the cash element is often cheaper when using AA miles (compared to Avios). I recently booked 2xJ one way PER-LHR on CX for 120k AA + 90.

Booking the same flights via BA Exec is 200k Avios + 140.
stevejnr is offline  

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