bbkenney

I am an AA Lifetime Platinum member (former ExPlat) fed up with the craziness. I am considering changing my international travel to BA. I have some questions. It seems you cannot join the Executive Club without making a booking and the booking I am considering is non-refundable, non changable etc.

I am sure the answers to these questions exist somewhere but I would appreciate any help you might give.

1. If I join the Exec Club and want to earn points for travel (FC and full fare coach I understand)) within the US on AA or ?, how do I book it? I can't figure out how to book US domestic flights on the BA website.

Edited addition: Do I understand that I earn the same Tier Points on a flight from New York to Boston as I do on a flight from Dallas to Boston? Can this be right?

2. Are miles transferable from Aadvantage? (I think I know the answer but thought I'd ask anyway).

3. How many miles does it take to upgrade "I" fares to FC transatlantic?

4. How many miles, points, segments to move to Sliver? to Gold? Never mind on this one, I figured it out.

5. I see you can buy 15,000 BA miles per calendar year. Anyone know how much that costs? (Its on ba.com but you have to be a club member to see it)
Thanks for any help.

jamespvg

You can just make a fully refundable booking, sign up to EC, and then cancel your booking -- if you want to credit that first non-ref ticket, might be a wise idea.

The BA website only sells its own tickets. If you want a domestic AA ticket, go to aa.com, book your ticket (DON'T enter your AAdvantage number), and present your EC card at check in (or phone AA reservations).

This is correct. On partner flights, BA awards a fixed number of tier points (TPs) for flights <2000 miles, and a fixed number over 2000 miles. DFW-BOS is about 1,600 miles, BOS-NYC is about 200. They both earn 20 in Y, 40 in J, 60 in F. These figures are tripled for flights over 2000 miles (so, transcons in the US).

Not officially, but there are ways. Check out: http://www.webflyer.com/programs/mileage_converter/ for more.

All J fares are upgradable to F -- 50,000 miles return transatlantic.

Yup. It's �16 per 1,000 miles, and a fixed �15 processing fee on the whole transaction. Not sure of dollar figures for EC NA.

TWAforever

Hi bbkenney,

I too have switched from AA to BA.

As for buying miles, in the US it is US$437.50 for the full 15,000 miles.

Also, bear in mind that, unlike Qantas, BA is strict about having 4 segments on BA in order to achieve elite status, so even if you rack up 600 tier points on AA you will still be Blue until you have 4 BA segemts. This requirement must be met every year.

GUWonder

If you want 15,000 BA miles in the US, just get the BA credit card for 15,000 bonus miles, and/or use Idine/RewardNetworks for eating/lodging and it'll be hard not to get 15,000 miles. Car rentals get more miles in BA's program than in US programs generally.

One downside, BA awards take far more miles in many situations than AA miles for the same award. BA awards also have no flexibility if the itinerary involves a partner carrier.

DFW DL

The Bank One BA Visa also comes with BAEC Blue membership (no flight required)...which is another potential solution to the OP's original dilemma.

GUWonder

You can open a BA Exec. Club account by using a real flight number from a phantom booking or a refundable ticket.