MileageManager

Earning from Basic AA into Avios at Iberia Plus...I had to double-take and make absolutely sure (i.e. from the "AA Error Reticketing" WIKI) from my own upcoming flight that Basic Economy issues as fare code "B." According to Iberia's rules, fare B earns full Avios and segment parameters at Iberia Plus.

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(once there, click on the chart popup)

This is great news since I plan on reclaiming my Sapphire status sometime in 2018 through IB Plus segment-running, flying AA segs (as Iberia Plus requires only 50 segs/yr to reach Oro-SPH level, with no native minimums).

Advantages of Iberia Plus - Iberia

(A copy will be posted to the other airline's forum. Feel free to consolidate, thanks)

-MM

Yllanes

AA fights that have not been booked with an IB code do not count for the 50 segments. They, of course, still give you Avios and Elite Points (EPs).

Nevertheless, I fail to see how a 50 segments can be a "fast track" to anything. If you do not qualify for status with your normal flights and still think it's worth it, it is much better to get it with a TP run on BAEC (a little more expensive probably with an EP run on IB+).

MileageManager

Again, this is posting in the context of dethroned AAdvantage Plat/ExP flyers seeking to requalify back to Saph/Emer level w/o having to go thru the new AAdvantage spend hurdle. That leaves us with foreign oneworld partner progs but as US flyers flying mostly (if not exclusively) AA metal, it's important that the prog not have native minimums nor spend hurles to achieve elite level. They're a mix.

So yes, any OW prog that has those features *is* a fast track to Sapphire and up. I thought I missed something from my post and got your arrogant, know-it-all response because of it. So I reread it but no, I did say "in the US."

BAEC has native min's to get TP...IB has that 1 native seg req you pointed out (EP maybe not)... AY afaik doesn't for either column, but their redemption online (toward AA flights) is practically nonexistent. The headache of having your Finnair Plus points in Arctic limbo isn't worth these nice features. All others have native minimums. The one program that was perfect...topbonus..no native metal, no spend hurdle, less than 50 segs to reach SPH, etc. well, we all know where that prog went.

So as it stands, I feel IB+ is the next best alternative to disAAdvantaged status-seekers in 2018. Especially since their website says full Avios, EPs and segs credit on "B" fares of AA, which ironically is basic economy. At these fares, the cpm (or cpA/cpEP) is going to be next to nothing.

Yllanes

You misunderstand, you cannot qualify for IB+ Oro with 50 AA segments unless they have been marketed by IB and booked with an IB code:

[quote]You cannot book basic economy under those circumstances, IB won't sell you a domestic itinerary within the US. An itinerary marketed by AA will give you Elite Points and Avios but will not count towards the 50 flights.

But even if they counted, it would be cheaper and much faster to get BAEC Silver with a TP run (just look at the TP run thread). IB+ would be a little more expensive but only require one flight on IB or BA, so it can be easier overall.

I live in the US and have IB+, so I understand the situation you are describing. Sorry if my message was too blunt, it wasn't my intention.

LupineChemist

I have a feeling the table on the IB+ site isn't updated. I know H credits as full economy on AA code now so some stuff has definitely changed.