philipr

Hello everyone,

My apologies if this has been asked and answered before.

A friend has asked for advice on frequent flyer programs and since I was unable to help, I thought I ask the people in this forum.

She has Platinum Status with Qantas (Oneworld Emerald) and has recently relocated to the UK. As a result, she wants to switch frequent flyer programs from Qantas to BA.

She has been benefitting from her Qantas status on BA flights by adding her Qantas frequent flyer details to her BA flights. As a result, any miles and tier points were also credited to her Qantas account.

Going forward, she wants her points credited to her BA account.

BA does not want to status match her, i.e. she'll need to build points until she's reached BA status. Until she's achieved that, she still wants to benefit from her Qantas Platinum/Oneworld Emerald status.

That, of course, only works if she adds her Qantas frequent flyer number to her BA flights.

What's the best way to benefit from a status with one airline, while crediting miles and tier points to another airline of the same airline?

Is it possible to claim flights for a BA flight with the Executive Club even after the Qantas frequent flyer was used prior to and during the flight?

Thank for your help!

Philip

obduro

The Executive Club number needs to be on the booking before the flight is flown for your friend to get any Avios and tier points.

Playing Devil's advocate, what benefits is she expecting to use? If it's lounge access, she could put the QF number on the booking, access the lounge and then visit the customer service desk and ask them to put the BAEC number on.

philipr

Thanks, obduro.

It's mainly about being able to select a seat in advance and lounge access.

Once she's asked at the customer service desk for the number to be changed, would she need to change it back again before the return flight to access the lounge and then once again ask at the customer service desk for it to be changed?

TyneTraveller

If it's avios and TP's that's required the BA Exec number must be entered before flying and the QF number removed. There are differing ways of changing this, and also BA staff at the airport would happily oblige in adding the BAEC number for you. I would personally just suggest uncomplicating things and using the BA number in the booking from the off, although this would not allow free seating I guess; that would require a switch after check in. For lounge access, providing you have the card with qualifying status on hand, the system can be overridden and access granted without issue.

Mwenenzi

How long will she be UK for? A short time (few years)? Or for ever or a long time?
What are her objectives from a ffp?
Look here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html

Or use the Finnair "manage my booking" Unsure if that works after checkin

Showing the physical QF OWE card may or may not work for lounge access.

dakaix

I've just finished a similar process as part of my switch from AA to BAEC this year. Here's what I've been doing these last few month's:

1. Make bookings using my AA FF#, select seats as normal.
2. Prior to OLCI or airport check-in use the "Manage Booking" options on Finnair.com, or rj.com, to replace my AA FF# with my BA number.
3. Wait 5-10 minutes to ensure that the number has replicated over to BA
4. Check-in with BA in the normal way; the boarding card will show the BA status.
5. On arrival at the airport use the status benefits of my AA FF# by presenting my card at check-in, security, lounge and at the gate.

Overall its been a very smooth switch, bar a couple of wrongly credited sectors (one that was my fault, the other was checking-in too quickly after changing the number) and plenty of confusion at check-in having been presented with a card that's a different number/program to the one on the ticket... but the agents soon understand the reasoning when you explain you're switching. No issues using benefits anywhere else, so long as you show the other program's card.

Biggest issue is just remembering to change the FF number before check-in. You can do it earlier, however given the Theoretical Seating benefits only apply from 72hrs before I preferred to do this as late as possible (to reduce the risk of someone ending up next to me).

philipr

It looks like she'll be staying in the UK permanently or at least for the foreseeable future and she wouldn't be able to make the four Qantas flights required to maintain status with Qantas - hence the switch to BAEC.

philipr

Thanks for your help everyone. This has all been really useful.

Mwenenzi

OK. Not being able to get 4 QF, or eligible JQ, flights is a good reason to change.
QF points expire in 18 months if no activity. So burn them or have a QF eligible activity every xx months. [xx - say 14 months to be safe. Check on line the QF points have posted]

kingstontoon

I've also been switching from AA to BA this year (due to the new revenue requirement brought in by AA) but planned it in a slightly different way to that described above. Given one can earn Sapphire on BA with just four long haul business class, I've been crediting all my economy class flying to AA for the status benefits and a paltry few redeemable miles, and crediting my business class flying to BA, where I gain pretty much the same benefits. I'll plan in a trip for later this year including quite a bit of domestic US flying to hopefully use up the rest of my upgrade "stickers", and that'll then be that with AA.

sxc

I have mentioned my experience in the forum before but there is a risk in just showing the QF card at the lounge entry. In my case they typed typed typed and changed the FF from BA back to CX. I double checked at the customer service desk inside the lounge and they helped changenit back to BA.

schmoots

I am doing the same thing but I check in with my BA Gold status number in booking in order to use First check in at LHR then whilst in First lounge go to Finnair.com and change FF number to the lower status QF number. I am trying to change to QF. On the return trip just flash high status card and no issue to access lounge etc. Free seat bookings do not change with change in FF number.

lostinlondon

Not sure how relevant to the original topic, but flew IAD-LHR as the first leg of a return with the goal of switching programmes. Switched my AA (Sapphire) number to BA (currently blue) at the lounge. Registered on the BA app and website. Changed it back afterwards (probably where I messed up, I know), and was just credited on AA... is there any recourse? Anything I can do at all? Totally understand if not, my fault in switching it back too soon.

Globaliser

When did you change it back? Before or after flying?

lostinlondon

Afterwards, once I got back to London.