Granted, there are earning restrictions on OW member programs, just as there are with *A and ST. However I've never had any real difficulty making sure that the flights I book (virtually always discounted economy) are in a booking class that earns at least some miles and status. The airlines all publish their rules fairly clearly, so it shouldn't be too hard to avoid mileage issues.

A lot of it comes down to glass half empty/full. I think some people expect airlines and alliances to effectively be charities by giving them full mileage on the lowest possible fares.

My approach has always been to identify what I value most about the airline/alliance and make it work for my situation and travel needs.

Is Quantas a new airline?

To answer the original question, I enjoy the fact that I just booked a DFW-HRE reward ticket into the middle of Africa with no hassle for a total of 75,000 miles. That is an advantage right there!

The issue is still true. Your RTW books into M or D both mileage earning fares so you will be fine. However, if you just book a flight SYD-AKL, the cheapest fare books into K (no miles), the next fare into G (no miles), the next fare into S (still no miles) and the next fare into L (and again no miles). Just now at almost double the price of the cheapest fare will you find the first fare which gets you miles (but not if it contains a domestic flight).

1. 3 tiers vs. 2 tiers means the OW Emerald has better benefits than *G (except for baggage allowance). Makes sense since *G can be had for much fewer EQM than OWE.

2. Earning rates are not great (especially if you are used to LH or BD), but burn rates are better and AA doesn't charge YQs.

3. Fewer "issues" with redeeming awards (i.e., no SQ types, no *net blocking).

I don't think OWE benefits are much better than *G. Some aspects are better and some are worse.

Earning problems can be worked around in OW. For example if flying Y - Finnair provides some great earning in most OW programmes and codeshares on quite a number of other OW carriers throughout Asia.

R class is currently the hidden gem on AY for AAdv members.;)

Does JAL recognize AA status insofar as upgrades are concerned?

Insofar as do they recognise OW-equivalent status for operational upgrade priority? Yes

Do they recognise AA SWUs and e-VIPs? No -- No oneworld airline does. These are AA metal only.

I find the quality of F lounges across the network, together with access rules for OW Emerald members a little more consistent than with *A.

Setting aside BA's two Concorde Rooms, which it reserves only for those with a F BP or an ultra-elite tier within its own FF program, you know that holding OW Emerald status will get you access to any OW F lounge, provided your onward flight is op by a OW carrier.

While *A carriers sometimes do the same, this tends to be governed by policies of which of its members your onward flight is with. E.g. If I'm departing HKG in any class on any OW carrier, my OW Emerald status gets me into the CX F lounge. If I'm departing F on LH (or arriving LH F and departing LH/LX in any class) I get access to the LH F lounge / terminal @ FRA. If I'm departing F on UA from F, I only get access to the LH J lounge (or SEN lounge if I also hold *A Gold).

I suppose it all comes down to which cities you fly through the most and on which carriers, but for the world's major hubs I've found the benefits of access to OW F lounges a few steps up from equivalent *A Gold lounges.

Each alliance offers different advantages and disadvantages, partly because they are looking for different customers and cater to different home markets.

None are perfect (they do exists to make money after all). The one you choose will depend on where you're based, your travel patterns and what your priorities are. My priority is getting Emerald status in OW and the advantages that gives me. Frankly, I don't care too much about the miles restrictions because most of my longer flights are in Business Class.

If mileage accumulation is the main priority for you, work out where you want to fly, and then choose the alliance that will give you the most miles for doing so. It's that simple.

That is exactly the same as BA's Concorde Room policy.

Assuming you mean from FRA UA (or SQ or ...) F pax get to use the SEN lounge which is the designated *A F lounge at FRA. Not much different to galleries first being BA's designated OW F lounge at LHR.

there are definitely shortfalls (like the baggage allowance, which is the big one, IMO), but aside from that one big one, I think *G is too diluted at times. About a month ago I flew UA on SFO-IAD due to involuntary reroute and during boarding there were like a million *G pax who boarded during this "priority boarding" call. However, the third tier really does give a considerable "priority" in OW.

Same policy I agree but it's difficult to compare overcrowded FRA SEN lounge with BA Galleries First ;)

I have a comment and I guess a question...

I am *G and Skyteam Gold. It would help me to gain status on OW but at the moment I avoid it as our company flies only in economy and it would be very difficult to obtain status with BA, even with the 200k+ miles I do every year. I could gain AA status via the challenge easily enough but then do not gain the luggage allowance across the airlines. This is huge for me as I often combine leisure with business trips. That extra 20-25kg makes a huge difference.

Is there anything I have missed regarding the luggage? If I am platinum or even platinum exp on AA I still get only the 23kg on BA, correct?

An African Nomad

Correct. Extra luggage allowance is not a published benefit. AA waives some fees and sometimes BA is a bit more tolerant but this is about it.