Is it worth moving to AA Advantage after Ba Gold is reached
#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?
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?
#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.
Haven't really done the research though so will follow this with interest.
#3
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, AA EXP
Posts: 1,140
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.
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.
#4
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
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) ?
#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.
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.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: In Transit
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?
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?
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
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).
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).
Yes no problem.
#9
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,475
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.
- 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.
#10
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
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.
#11
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LON
Programs: AA : BA
Posts: 276
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!
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!
#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.
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.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,438
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.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: QFF Silver, BA Blue, GF Silver, 3V Emerald
Posts: 141
Booking the same flights via BA Exec is 200k Avios + 140.