oneworld / non-AA Status with AA flights
 

No doubt it is nice to have an international *O (One World) status when you are a US based flyer. I am wondering how easy it is to do that with QF with the understanding that you still have to fly QF (4 sectors?)/year to maintain your status. Some questions that I have are how to maximize status credits with AA flights. Do short segments work? Returns from business/first class fares etc? Are there any other *O partners better suited with the end result of a Emerlad status? Thanks for your suggestions. ^

Why is that? If you are US-based, and fly mostly in the US, and fly enough to maintain EXP, I think status in AA would be more valuable (for unlimited upgrades, wived baggage fees, EXP desk for help, etc.). The only benefit I see with maintaining status with QF (or other non-US) would be lounge access. But to save a few hundred dollars, and give up the unlimited domestic upgrades, doesn't sound smart to me.

Yes, you need 4 QF segments per year to earn/retain status.

There may be other OW carriers that have an easier path to status, but QF dangles a pretty nice carrot: lifetime status, particularly Lifetime Gold (LTSG) which translates to lifetime AC access with drinks. Discount J and F fares in the US help a lot.

If I had to choose only one, I'd choose EXP over WP (Qantas Platinum) in a heartbeat due to unlimited domestic upgrades, 8 eVIPs, double earned miles on all flights, and the EXP desk.

I am both Plat with QF and EXP with AA.. I use my QF status for the following:

1. Entrance into JFK and LAX first class lounges.. I live in NYC and work in LA. It is nice to come from work and grab a very nice dinner and drinks in the LAX First class lounge...I travel on inexpensive "Y" class tickets .

2. Qf stauts is easy with KUP fares on AA especially on segments like LAX-DFW which yield 120 status credits per segment in "A" class which is the class that the KUP fares book into...

Qantas' program is not generous at all. Why you'd want status with them over AA if you live here is baffling. Stay with AA it is better all around. As an EXP I use the First lounges in SYD and MEL too.

You misread me. I was enquiring about international *O status (sapphire or higher) in addition to EXP with AA. And thanks to the contributions of others we see the virtue of having dual (us based and international) *O elite status even for US based flyers.