Miles and More and CX
 

Hi everyone,

I have been an avid passive reader for a while and really like the forum. Now my first question: I am flying from London to Australia via HKG at end of the year and back in the new year in Y. No other CX flights are planned for the immedeate future, but I could use the M+M award miles quite well (I also have Senator status with Lufthansa).

So, my idea would be to collect the M+M miles on the HKG to Australia leg and Marco Polo miles on the first leg. Would that work?

These mileage plans are in place to "encourage" to fly the hoster of the mileage plan (and to a secondary degree, the corresponding alliance).

To be able to deposit to AsiaMiles, you'lll have to fly on CX or OneWorld metal, marketed by CX or a OneWorld alliance partner.

So, depositing CX miles to a competing airline in a competing alliance: Quite unlikely.

Thanks for that - I should have mentioned that M+M allows you to collect award miles on certain CX flights ex-HKG and I am looking now for the best way to use these...

Sure, if you are not a member of any oneworld program, then try to get the M&M miles from your CX flights.

SEN status means nothing on CX and you won't get status miles either.

I would recommend not putting any FFP in the booking at first, and then when you get to HKG ask the lounge agent (if you are in business/first) or gate agent (if you don't have lounge access) to add your M&M number.

If you want to join Asia Miles, do so later and then do a retro-claim for the London to Hong Kong flights after the M&M miles have credited.

If you live in London/Europe you may wish to join BAEC and credit to that program instead. If you are in business/first class on the CX flights, you would get enough miles for a short-haul flight or several on BA; and perhaps if you do the calculations it may turn out to be more worthwhile to credit the whole ticket to BA.

Thank you - that is quite helpful; I thought about asking for a status match, but read that CX is a bit stingy with that...

Keep in mind, if you want to "qualify" for status at BA, you will need to fly 4 segments/year on BA metal.

You should always give it a try for the status match. They were helpful in my case 2 times in the past for silver which at least gives you lounge access for your flights. Being SEN is already a good reason for them to match you, doesn't really cost them anything. Id say it's probably too late by now though since your flights are so soon.

Regarding your specific case with M&M be careful with the booking number and booking classes and make sure they actually earn something on M&M. There is a difference when you book with a M&M airline booking number or CX booking number as well. As suggested already, the best way is to add the frequent flyer number at a later stage when you already commenced your travel.

When I would be in such a situation, I would do the sorting out of these things upfront. Adding a FF number, when on travel, you no longer have the means to check out, whether your choice works out OK. Or maybe just claim afterwards, though it may give you less status during the travel and "maybe" missing experiences you would have appreciated.

As mxr mentioned, booking class can be completely different from the right to claim (and at which multiplier) to a FF program. Often the booking class does not earn anything on a foreign FF program, especially with these special code-share tickets. For example BA flight Z class legs (BA flight number, not a code-share), do not earn anything on MH Enrich, not even when the whole ticket is booked through MH. On the other hand CX does honour the miles/points on BA Z class....... All OneWorld, but little consistency.

Regarding the "costs" of the granted status, this can be considerable, when the visitor subsequently does use this status for lounge access on flights where the lounge owner does not earn a dime on the ticket (and subsequent flights).

Status match: Yeah, sometimes, though I don't think you would be granted anything, when you don't have not at least 2 LH returns booked on the "new" airline.
Or so to say, with just 1 upcoming code-share flight in CX metal, I have my doubts, if you would get anything more then maybe a "free" MPC account (you remember you have to pay USD 100 to even become an MPC member ?).