flyertalker00133

Doesn't CK = Prem, GGL = Executive Platinum?

I imagine BA are going to have an uphill struggle convincing AA to allow GGL but not Executive Platinum in.

alexwuk

Before the introduction of Platinum Pro, it was simple:

AA Gold = BA Bronze (OW Ruby)
AA Platinum = BA silver (OW Sapphire)
AA Exec Plat = BA Gold (OW Emerald)

Given Platinum Pro is easier to get than ExecPlat, not sure how you can conclude GGL = ExecPlat?

GGL -requalification is around 11 roundtrips in longhaul paid business class a year (so typical $40,000ish min spend for non mileage runners). Qualification requires 17 longhaul biz roundtrips in a year. It's a lot harder than EXP.

Stopwatch430

First, I think this is a joint development, not a case of BA moving in on AA where AA calls the shots.

Second, BA Gold = Exec Platinum. They are equivalent status tiers (One World Emerald) and AA and BA recognize them both that way.

BA has two tiers above that. AA only has one. So it is difficult to draw equivalences. In terms of percentage of travelers amongst the entire traveler population of each airline, I imagine BA GGL is much more simlar to CK. Premier is a very small sub set of people - many of whom don't travle that much. Both BA GGL and AA CK are designed to recognize high revenue travelers. AA CK is stricter given that it is a secret, revenue-based invite only criteria whereas BA GGL is published and indeed, you can make it for not that much money if you do tier point runs, etc. That said, the majority of BA GGL fliers are quite lucrative. BA and AA recognize each GGL and CKs in each others systems as VIPs though the actual implication of this is not standardized or published. I imagine absent IRROPS, its irrelevant of CKs on BA (given that BA GGL gets almost no traveling benefits over Gold). On AA, as a BA GGL, sometimes I've been invited by name to board with CKs (especially in places like CLT) and no recognition in other cases. AA's CK team has told me to always board with CKs but given its not published on one's boarding pass, I tend not to bother if I'm not invited.

81romeo

Slightly off topic but wondering if anybody has a clue.

Landing at JFK T8 with AA from GRU at 8am, planning to spend an entire day in NY then connecting to BA114 leaving 2245 from T7.
Would I be able to check in my suitcase at T7 in the morning after I land from GRU?

alexwuk

Issue going to be that the BA dayflight departs at 9am, so BA checkin closes 8.30amish and I don't think it's manned again until 2/2.30pm?

You can pay to leave it at the Terminal 8 luggage storage for the day. It's a pretty basic looking desk on the arrivals level with a piece of paper saying luggage storage, but last time I used it: they did produce my bag at the end of the day.
Luggage Storage | JFK Airport

Markie

I asked BA the question about access in T8 for GGL's. (Bolding mine):

81romeo

Thank you! Yeah I thought so about the 9am departure, no chance I will make it to T7 before 0830am, unless we land 1 hour early from GRU.

I will follow your advice about the Luggage Storage facility then - is there one at T7 too?

alexwuk

Nope, only T8 / T4 / T1

abraxias

"However in the new terminal there is some fantastic new lounges" - shouldn't that be "there ARE some fantastic..."?

Acidity

Plat Pro is OWE, so BA Gold and Plat Pro are the lowest OWE in their respective programs, with GGL and Exec Plat being the 2nd OWE level (and CK and Premier being the 3rd OWE level, and both being invite only).

I think this is where the confusion is; if you look solely on the positioning of levels you might think that ExPlat should equal GGL. However, if you look at qualification difficulty, ExPlat is more akin to Gold, with Plat Pro being even easier than that (despite still being OWE). I'm sure qualification difficulty / percent of travelers at each tier is far more likely to be what drives AA/BAs decisions, and so from that, far more useful metric, Exec Plat = BA Gold.

Fraser

AA Platinum Pro was initially oneworld Sapphire, but was then upgraded to Emerald in the last couple of years.

BA Gold and AA Executive Platinum are the equivalents, IMO.

Acidity

Yup, despite AA and BA each having 5 levels, their systems aren't directly comparable because they cover 6 different segments. That said, when flying most OneWorld airlines, Plat Pro = Exec Plat = CK = BA Gold = GGL = Premier, so the distinctions between the extra high levels really only matter when flying BA or AA.

BA Bronze (300 TP) = AA Gold (30k LP) = OW Ruby
BA Silver (600 TP) = AA Plat (75k LP) = OW Sapphire
-------- = AA Plat Pro (125k LP) = OW Emerald
BA Gold (1500 TP) = AA Exec Plat (200k LP) = OW Emerald
BA GGL = AA CK = OW Emerald+ (UltraHigh Spender)
BA Premier = AA CK = OW Emerald+ (Important People)

BA lacks a mid-tier Emerald level between Silver and Gold, and AA groups ultra high spenders along with "important people" into CK whereas BA has GGL and Premier respectively.

orbitmic

I think this thread is in danger of getting very ot, but since this is being discussed, that is not really how it works.

All OW airlines have the right to have multiple tiers within one of the OW tier and several do, not necessarily at Emerald level. As mentioned, Plat Pro used to be a second sapphire, now they negotiated for it to be accepted as a second Emerald instead. Of course, airlines can differentiate internally between all of their tiers even if they are considered as equal for OW purposes.

Separately, all airlines have the right to have one or several "super tiers" . Again, for OW purposes, those are just Emerald (though there was discussion at at least one point for creating a mutually recognised OW super tier).

Not all tiers of Emerald are necessarily or automatically intended as a super tier, even if an airline has multiple Emerald statuses. For AA, Plat Pro and Exec plat are two regular Emerald status (again, Plat Pro used to be a second Sapphire status before) even if AA obviously creates internal differences between them. CK is also emerald but is intended as a "super tier". For BA, Gold is their sole regular Emerald tier, and GGL and Prem have been created and intended as "super tiers".

Ergo Exec Plat is different from GGL.

And regardless of what is decided (answer mentioned above notwithstanding), I don't agree that BA would likely have a difficult "negotiation" to have GGL allowed in the Chelsea lounge. First, that discussion probably took place a long time ago, and second, it is almost certain that each airline will pay for "their" admissions so AA won't particular care if BA want to pay the higher price for more people (and obviously, as they discontinue international F, the Chelsea lounge will likely become more and more BA-sided). Similarly, AA are likely to keep what I believe are more generous guesting rules for Admirals Club member in the Greenwich lounge without BA saying anything.

Edit: I agree with your characterisation in post 172 and indeed, BA simply don't have a second regular (what you call mid tier) Emerald, though on that front, it is more AA who are one of the few to have one.

Acidity

Yeah I didn't phrase my original post as well as I should've; I wasn't arguing that ExecPlat == GGL, just that I could understand how someone could make that confusion. I've edited it to hopefully be more clear

As for whether BA will have issues getting GGL into the Chelsea lounge, I agree with you that this will both be something BA brought up when they got together with AA to design (and capacity plan) the lounge setup in T8, and that AA won't care since BA will (likely) be footing the bill for GGLs anyways. This is all assuming there's no crowding issues; if there is AA might raise the issue with BA.

In fact, I suspect this extends beyond just the T8 lounges; when AA made Plat Pro OWE I doubt the other OneWorld airlines cared, and if they did they were probably happy, since it just meant more money in their pocket from AA.

navylad

On my flight JFK-LHR mid November, they are offering a $125 J to F upgrade. Think that says about everything you need to know about AA F.