Newly Wed

Mr NW attained GFL a few months ago. He also has a CCR card and topped 7,000 tier points to get the extra GUF2.

We massively value the GGL jokers and the GUFs for F long haul travel at Xmas as a family but I feel the system is not as flexible as is should be and it takes considerable planning to secure the flights we need as we are limited to school holidays. Nonetheless we have done very well in the last couple of years (4 x F to SYD last year, 4 x F and 4 x CW to SIN for this Xmas) so we are keen to retain the GGL status at the 3,500 level. Beyond that CCR is nice to have but Mr NW is often in F anyway so the additional tier points above 3,500 add very little in terms of value beyond the extra GUF which I'm not sure we will be able to use.

Mr NW has recently dipped his toe into the world of Emirate gaining gold status in just over a month.

My question is, once he hits 3,500 tier points, aside from pursuing platinum status on Emirates, what else should he consider doing, maybe with another OW airline or maybe not.

For information, he flies both East and West with Dubai and East coast US being his main destinations. Pricing is not much of an issue, hard / soft product more so.

Dave_C

Lufthansa HON circle. I'm only 2500 tier points away myself from GFL, and will be switching fully after that.

chimambu

Not your question but need to point our that retaining GGL is 3000 and not 3500.

Calum

I think she may of been talking about the 2x GUF1 you earn at 3500, not renewing GGL.

Personally, if I had crossed the 5000 mark, I would go after AA explat just for the upgrades but that is do to the fact I do a fair amount of internal US travel.

chimambu

Thanks. Just understood that.

ShuttleRunner

Fingers in many pies! Things go wrong on occasion and you never know were you'll need to be last minute - I find that spreading my business about always makes these situations much easier to handle. Also, it gives you the freedom to fly who you want rather than being bogged down trying to hit the next level.

golfmad

If you value the jokers then the obvious next step is GGL for life at 100,000.

Newly Wed

Correct. The 2 x GUF1 and GUF2 works well for us as a family.

Newly Wed

Age is not on his side 😀

Newly Wed

Thanks for the suggestion. How does AA explat work for upgrades? Are they generally available on TALF as he does hardly any domestic? Is there anything similar to the GUF? About to head off to the AA forum to check it out myself too.

Newly Wed

Not sure how that would work ex-LON to the US and Middle East. He flies far too much already to make ex-EU attractive.

ukgooner

That doesn't make sense - Gaining HON requires quite a bi-annual commitment to LH group flying, completely different to the long pod to accrue Life Time TPs - particularly when the latter are easier to game with the known OW scams.

I dont really get this type of debate. The status benefits of any airline top tier are a blend of published and soft, the latter being the upgrades and other perks of on-board service. Why you'd sacrifice that to then join the treadmill of status accrual elsewhere seems bizarre.

Newly Wed

The point being that all the upgrades and status perks can be achieved in a matter of weeks with his currently flying pattern and after that there is nothing more to be gained.

OT but I'll share with you the message I just received from 36,000 ft obvs not flying BA:

"There is just no point being in First on one of the longest hauls with the best airline on the nest aircraft in the world and not showing off, now is there? Huh? So there is more staff in First that ar Buck Pal on banquet day. You get a suite not a seat. You go to the loo and 2 people replace the paper seat liner - even if you don't squat. Heaven forbid if there are drops on the floor. They have a full shower on board and underfloor heating. Underfloor heating? The loos and shower area are massive, they even have a hair drier (which obviously I need desparately given my locks ({}) ), they have an enormous bar, caviar on the menu, Dom Perignon, at least 2 top classed growths clarets, over 2000 films.massive plasma screen, the duvets are duck down, the pillows goose down. Massive pasma screen (did I say that before? Well it is), and wi fi. The only thing missing is you cannot go water skiing on board - I have complained bitterly! They only accommodate that once you have landed. You don't want to get off. X"

He insists I must try it sometime and if he's paying, I'm going. :-)

Saltire74

It's good and sometimes not that expensive in the grand scheme of things. I paid the difference from J to F PEK-GLA last year, albeit only one leg on the A380, and it cost me £412 and that was from the cheapest J ticket. Anyway, enough about EK, this is the BA forum

Safe & Happy Travels

S

Calum

I don't fully know how the AA program works. I know the upgrades are available on all AA flights so long as space is available but I guess you take a risk that the cabin above is fully booked and then youre stuck in Y on HKG-DFW...