Welcome to FT

I don't know enough about BAEC to really give you a full answer. If the flights you will be taking will credit to BA, perhaps remaining with that program will be in your long term advantage. Note though that with CX MPC Silver status (30K miles) will get you lounge access in HKG, something that is unlikely in any other OW program. I believe that there still is some cross fertilization between the BA and CX programs in terms of using miles in one program to upgrade the other's flights. Also AA is very generous in the mileage credit for their flights being credited to CX MPC/AsiaMiles.

Hope that helps.

Fred

Because of the JointVenture agreement between BA and AA, almost all BA flights credit fully to AA. AY also credits well and covers quite a bit of China. Back to the USA, use BA for the east coast, and AA for middle and west. It may be a pain but connections in MIA for South America will work if there are no reasonable flights with BA/IB.
I acknowledge that life time status on AA is rather more challenging now, but I think I'd stay with AA.

Fred

Mostly agree. Except for "Some low QF fares get zilch with AA." QF currently markets domestic sale type fares so that no partner programs will easily collect mile credits (mostly E/N/Q classes). So you would need to book semi-flexible fares on-line or have access to a TA for Australian domestic flying. Note that QF fares in V class or higher will credit to AsiaMiles/MPC. The same applies for AA with the addition of O and S class. Though, if I were likely to be flying through HKG multiple times I'd stick with Cathay since even if downgraded to Silver you still get lounge access in HKG.

As always, YMMV

Fred

Fred: thanks for replying. Good to get more opinions here
From another thread I note that YYCOllie received CX gold via an AMEX cc and not flying

Thanks everybody - I guess crediting to AA is the way to go. :)

Thanks!

(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: YUL

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
Reply: 40-50k, mostly economy

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ? ( First, Business, Economy etc.)
Reply: economy & premium economy

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or, class of service?. Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: yes. Mostly work, 1-2 times per year for pleasure.

(5) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: mostly transatlantic (often YUL-LHR) and YUL-US transborder. I also fly YUL-MEX or thereabouts 1-2 times per year for family reasons.

(6) Do you have FFP status of any kind of OW or other airline at present? What is it? (AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: not in OW. Currently AC Elite, and will be A3 Gold in 2013.

(7) What is most important to you in a FFP? (upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, extra baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, free - discounted lounge access, etc.)
Reply: upgrades in TATL legs, priority services. Mile redemption will most often be to Mexico.

(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: BA

I am intending to switch to OW since my relatively frequent YUL-LHR legs a well served by BA, but I am trying to decide whether BA or AA should be where I credit to. It seems that AA makes sense due to the redemption criterion, but I prefer BA for transatlantic flights, and that is where I would appreciate upgrades the most. However, maintaining status will be a consideration and so I am interested in opinions concerning the best FFP strategy. Also, do either have a credit card in Canada? Many thanks!

Beware: lost oneworld emerald due to AB!
 

My poor judgement should be warning to anyone located in Central Europe and deciding which Oneworld-programme to concentrate on:

In order to remain independent from LH, I have maintained my BA gold status (oneworld emerald) since over 10 years without interruption, parallel to LH Senator (Star Aliance gold), AF/KL gold (Skyteam gold, but not held it continuously) and additionally AB-Gold (now oneworld sapphire) for my econimy flights on business within Europe and my longhaul business class flights.
When AB joined oneworld I thought this would be relief for me, being able to concentrate on only one oneworld program and thus enabling me to get more consistence into my Skyteam status due to less necessary flights.
I opted for AB platinum (oneworld emerald), sacrificing BA gold after 10 years for the sake of priviledged parking at German airports and the additional possibility to collect on EY, also due to the poor customer service of BA Executive Club in Germany.
What a mistake!
In spite of actually flying more oneworld in 2012 (I did even book addition flights just for the reson of maintaining my emerald status), I never made it to AB Top Bonus platinum. BA has just sent me my silver card for 2013 (I am thankful, because I didn't even know they offer a soft landing). But it is sad to no longer have oneworld emerald from January 2013 inwards after over 10 years and my last visit to LHR T5 first lounge in December is also lost due to my BA flights having moved to T1.
The reason is very simple and I should have paid more attention to this before opting for AB top bonus:
Top Bonus gives more than fair credit for their own flights (shorthaul economy), but very poor credit for business and longhaul and absolutely no additional status points for status members on oneworld (and Etihad) flights!
A business class flight on BA from Germany to London can get less credit than an economy flight on AB within Europe. A longhaul flight in business class on BA or EY receives less credit than three shorthaul flights in AB in economy! Credit for a Finnair return flight in economy is a joke!
Had I continued to collect in BA executive club I would have maintained my emerald status by far. But AB top bonus is only interesting for customers who mainly fly on AB metal within Europe!

Personally, I would use BA as the program if you fly them often. If you can get someone to book you into Y+ then upgrading to business is good value.

And yes, there is a BA credit card in Canada:

http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/credit-c...edit-card.html

Of course you end up with the BA redemption fees for award flights but you win in other areas.

I am sorry to hear that you haven't made your goal. AB is very generous with their own flights, similar to LH used to be. Mainly due to the high minimum miles. Earnings for other airlines are actually average, nothing particularly bad. You are aware that BA has gotten rid of the European exception therefore it is now much harder to maintain BA gold than it was in the past? Most probably it is harder to maintain it than getting AB Platinum. You need to fly significantly more now than in the past to get BA Gold.

Thanks, yes, I am aware of this, but even with the exemption I would have enjoyed as existing gold member at BA for another while I would have made gold there with 26 legs, including some business and four longhauls.

Many thanks for this. I will stick to BA, as I do prefer them over AA anyway.

This is an awesome thread! I'm currently in the midst of changing jobs, changing home airports, and indeed changing alliances (because Air Canada's plan sucks now).

(1) What is your home airport?

Starting in January it will be LAS.

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)

<25k but close. I could probably top up over 25k.

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ? ( First, Business, Economy etc.)


Reply: Typically economy but will go business if long-haul and it's reasonable.

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or, class of service?. Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?

Reply: I can choose my airlines and class of service. Travel is a mix of both.

(5) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)

Reply: I will be flying LAS-YVR regularly in the coming year, I will probably take one big transpacific trip (likely LAS-HKG) for vacation and a handful of other US-domestic trips.

(6) Do you have FFP status of any kind of OW or other airline at present? What is it? (AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)

Reply: I am Air Canada Elite (Star Alliance Gold) but nothing on OW.

(7) What is most important to you in a FFP? (upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, extra baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, free - discounted lounge access, etc.)

Reply: Upgrades! Especially on long-haul. Not much else matters to me. Lounges are nice.

(8) Preferred Airlines

Reply: Doesn't matter. Whomever I can get to upgrade me will be my favourite.

TIA for the responses!

Which airlines fly LAS-YVR at a price/schedule that suits you ?
LAS-(LAX/SFO)-HKG on OW is Cathay metal

As a general rule upgrades are only available with your FFP airline miles on a flight marketed (your airline flight number) and operated by your airline. In general you cannot upgrade codeshares. But look carefully at the AA/BA/IB arrangement

AA Plat challenge may interest you

Unfortunately, no Oneworld members operate LAS-YVR, or anything close to it. AA codeshares on Westjet metal nonstop, or on Alaska via SEA, but north/south Oneworld service in the western US is basically nonexistent, except for AA services between LAX and SFO, LAX and LAS, etc.

In your case I'd probably look hard at Alaska's program. AS is not a Oneworld member, but they partner with most OW airlines, as well as a number of SkyTeam members, so it gives you more flexibility on earning and redemptions. Upgrades on AS metal are also a possibility, again via SEA.