Thanks a lot for the suggestion guys!
Looked through both programs again and seems like better deal on upgrades (considering flight times on long haul from HKG are longer so you get more bang for your buck) and easier to search for availability with CX so Ill probably stick with MPC..

BA or AA
 

Hi All,

Reviewing my FFP option this year with the recent devaluations, potential no more soft landing at BA.

Currently BA Gold ending in Sept based in TLV with the following upcoming flights:
TLV-JFK-TLV (business)
TLV-LHR-SEA-JFK-AUS-MIA-DFW-HNL-NRT-SIN-CMB-PVG-LHR-TLV (DONE)

Usually fly TLV-LHR / TLV-NYC (3/4 times a year in business).

Questions

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
redemption costs + Taxes and availability>status recognition>lounge access

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
TLV-LHR and TLV-NYC 3 or 4 times a year in business/Economy and a DONE every year or two

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Business long haul Economy short haul

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

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?

TLV-LHR and TLV-NYC on BA/AA/IBERIA

(6) What is your home airport:

TLV

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?

BA Gold

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
BA/IBERIA/AA

Any help appreciated in considering AA over BA?

Thanks

J

given that you can satisfy the four-AA-segments minimum with your US flights and they now have service to TLV thanks to the merger switching to AA would be something I`d seriously consider.
AAdvantage has cheaper longhaul redemptions without scamcharges on most carriers (except BA...), way better earning than BA post-April28 devaluation, and you'll get eight systemwide upgrades upon qualifying for top tier.
Pretty much the only thing you'll miss are the RFS redemptions and lounge access on domestic AA itineraries.

With the ongoing "more EQPs" promotion, you'll easily qualify for Executive Platinum all the way through Feb. 2017 with just the DONE and the NYC flight you listed as upcoming (the flights need to be AA/US marketed to qualify, though!), should you make the switch now.

Long-term, AA might follow BA and the other two US legacies and massively devalue the program at some time in 2016. But this will still leave you with OW Emerald status while you can re-evaluate.

Agree with this. Even though AA flies from TLV to PHL, the fastest connection through PHL (to LGA) will likely put you on the street in NYC quicker than the fastest LHR routing, counting time for border controls. And the US longhaul J product is pretty darned good.

Thanks bhomburg and Gardyloo.

Looks like I will be investigating AA further.

J

OneWorld FFP from Singapore
 

Hi,

I'm trying to pick a OneWorld programme that is most appropriate for me. Need help, please.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Redemption and long validity (preferably no expiry)

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
<50,000, spread across Star Alliance, SkyMiles, Oneworld and LCCs

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Cheapest direct (or one-stop) fares.

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes, I can choose my airline. I travel mainly for pleasure. Business for work, economy for pleasure

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Asia (couple times a year) and Asia to Europe/US (once or twice a year)

(6) What is your home airport?
SIN

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
Nothing much - SQ Krisflyer Silver (Star) and Delta SkyMiles Elite Silver (Skyteam). No OW membership yet.

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
No preference for pleasure - pick the most convenient airline that's reasonably priced. Mostly SQ for business.


Thanks a lot for your help.

Qantas FF
 

Hi team,

Sorry for this.

I switched from AirNZ Airpoints after flying about 200,000 miles with that program in 2013, and barely made silver status. I'd been a FF since 1998 - but enough was enough.

I joined Aegean. I got to StarAlliance Gold within weeks. Very happy, even with their new program, as I fly Aegean 3-5 times a year anyway.

However, I decided to switch over to OW, as I've also been a QFF since 1999. Happily, I started earning well, as OW covered more territory.

Within 5 months I was Gold (up from an ambient Silver), and after another 5 months (May) I'd earned QFF Platinum.

However, Qantas is quite sloppy. If I travel more than three legs (as I frequently do), the first leg is ALWAYS "forgotten". It takes time to follow up, do phone ins, etc, and I'm ALWAYS pretty shocked that I receice so few miles and so few status points.

TODAY, I'm three days away from my year-end; and my account says "65 points to go" (of the 1400 target), still, yet to be recognised as Platinum.

However, I know I've flown at least 180 points that they are yet to credit, includiIng a trip from Athens to Doha (7hrs), and Singapore to Sydney (7hrs), a Doha to Singapore (6hrs) and a Sydney to Auckland (3hrs), plus a Business Class trip Nadi to Auckland (3hrs), economy AKL/KUL (9 hrs), and a second SYD/AKL... It's always a problem when I go to New Zealand!

So, I'm no mileage sloth. But I always feel I'm getting a raw deal. QFF always seeming to book me in Discount Economy, despite expensive fares, maybe because i generally book my tickets 3-12 hours out; yet I fly about 400,000 actual miles per year, and rewarded with maybe 250,000 'accrual' miles despite the "multipliers" - (flight spend is around $50k/year). So i feel very short changed, and frustrated.

My question: given I have gold (at least) for another year (OW*Saphire), plus SA*Gold; and will probably maintain the 300,000+ miles per year (yep, 20-90 hours per month, wheels up)....

Where should I place my loyalty ($$!) - (given I don't really trust the QFF programs ability to recognise my actual travel/value/use - just as I've previously moved off AirNZ?


(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Reply: Last minute check in. Consistent recognition. Good Operational upgrades. Large network.

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Reply: >400,000 miles & >100 flights per year (mostly cheapest available).

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Reply: fastest connections.

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: cheapest available. My wife is increasingly coming with me on work trips.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Reply: Europe to Pacific. Asia to Africa, Asia/Europe. Pacific/US.

(6) What is your home airport?
Reply: Singapore, Auckland, London and Athens. A little SFO or Dulles/DC.

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
Reply: 300K Miles in Qantas Gold/Platinum. 100k miles in Aegean Gold. Just started earning status in Skyteam.

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: Cathay has probably the best staff. Then prefer Fiji Airways, Singapore, Etihad, Emirates, Qatar, Qantas, Turkish, AirNZ, Aegean, BA, in that order, then the rest. Fly often (but less than the above) on Air France/KLM, Korean, United, American, Lufthansa, LLCs, and South African... Don't prefer Virgin as they gave me a ratty deal on an airnz codeshare for status/mileage LHR-SFO-AKL once. Although their Upper Class lounge was nice, I've not used them since.

Also... I'm not against buying access. Like the Chairman's Club at United (if they still call it that)... :)

The only major OW program that hasn't massively reduced earnings on cheapest tickets is AAdvantage - for now. However, that is valid only for their own flights, plus the transatlantic JV partners (BA,IB, AY). Most discount economy fares on Cathay flights earn zero, for example... But then, you say you usually book last minute, so "cheapest available" may well full-fare - and those earn quite well with all partners.
They also partner with Fiji, even with decent earning - but those miles aren't status-qualifying except on AA codeshares.

I'd also have a look at Qatar Privilege Club.
And as you say you like CX the most, why not Asia Miles? Beware they're apparently revamping the program and are scheduled to move to a spend-based system - which may not be all that bad for you after all.

Buying status used to be possible on US Airways until last year ($4,000 for top tier) but that has been discontinued. To my knowledge, there's no oneworld program that let you purchase top tier status outright currently.

Please help me optimise my travels
 

Hello I would like to have your opinion if I should simply stay with MPO where I just became silver or if I should switch to another program to get to emerald status faster.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
My Company travel policy don't let me fly J so being able to use the loung is important for me, then award access is important.

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?

I do CDG-HKG every two month with a lot of domestic flight in greater China. I will also soon often make CDG-VIE.
it should be around 80k to 100k
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
I can fly up to premium economy class

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

I can choose the airlines when I travel for work.


(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
I use CX for international and any airlines in china/Taiwan

(6) What is your home airport?

CDG

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?

I just got MPO silver. I also have 50k miles on FB from a previous life

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?

I like cx because it's very efficient when I go to HKG.


Thank you in advance foir your insight.
__________________________________________________ ____________________

Hi, happy 4th of July!

I'm reachinh Lufthansa Senator with my next flight and I'm considering switch to a oneworld program through status match.

For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
good award redemption rates

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(<25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles - <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)
Reply:~80 000, 4+ transcontinental and 3 transatlantic business, a few US domestic personal
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?

Reply:Business for work, economy for private travels
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply:I have relative flexibility. I travel for work and pleasure.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: US domestic transcontinental and transatlantic
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply:SFO
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
(AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: Lufthansa Senator soon, no current OW membership (registered to AA recently)
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: LH, Swiss,

I'd like to use points with my family to visit relatives in Europe.
Thank you!

well, as you say your primary concern is a program that will match your LH status, the choice is limited.
AFAIK, the only program that will match your status outright is AB - you'll get straight to Gold, which is OW Sapphire (mid tier). Click here to request it (German language only).

AA might match your status or (more likely) you will have to enroll in a challenge to get to Platinum, which involves paying a $240 fee and flying a ceertain amount of points (not miles!) within a given timeframe, usually 90 days.
Browse these threads for more insight:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage-combined-airline-program/967395-help-desk-aadvantage-elite-status-challenge-gold-platinum.html


AB Gold status (or any other non-AA oneworld sapphire or emerald status) will get you lounge access on domestic AA flights, something you can't get with AA status of any kind.
However, you'll likely fly a good deal on AA, and non-AA oneworld status will not give you domestic upgrades.

When you fly 80k miles a year with most of them transatlantic in premium cabins you will likely achieve Emerald status at some point in any OW program. Currently, Executive Platinum on AA will confer hard-to-beat benefits for an US-based flyer: 8 systemwide upgrades good on any fare, complimentary domestic upgrades, expanded award availability. Emphasis on "currently", as the consensus around here seems to be that there will be a major devaluation of the program following the US Airways merger/integration.

I would stick with CX or look at BAEC.
with BAEC, one return trip from CDG to China in WT+ or CX Premium economy (with the EU and Chinese domestic flights in cheap Y) will net you 220 Tier points - you need 1500 to qualify for Gold, so with one such trip every two months plus the other flying you mentioned you will definitely qualify for BA Gold.
They have recently slashed earnings for discount economy tickets, so carefully check earnings of your domestic China flights using their earnings calculator.

Award availability isn't too bad, however there's substantial cash surcharges on longhaul flights, especially in premium cabins.

My Work is taking me to London and Spain more often and I'm thinking of switching to BA any advice is wonderful! Thanks :)
Questions
For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) 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
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(<25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles - <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)
Reply: 100,000 Miles Currently Plat Med Delta
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: Premium Economy
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure? Choose
Reply:
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: Domestic though as of recently to London alot
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: LAX NYC LHR soon
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
(AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: Platinum Medallion Delta through 2016
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: Delta KLM
__________________________

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Lounges, priority services (+award tickets/upgrades)
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
Around 50k
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
Couple of J, rest is Y or discounted Y
(4) Do you travel for work or pleasure?
Both. For work: 1-2 J return to Europe / year, rest is mostly Y. Some flexibility in choosing airline/alliance.
(5) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
To Europe for business, SE Asia regional and US for leisure
(6) What is your home airport?
HKG
(7) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it?
LH FTL (won't make it to SEN unfortunately barring a crazy mileage run)
(8) Preferred Airlines
N/A

Many thanks in advance!

For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Reply:Lounge access

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Reply: 25,000-50,000 Taking job in Qatar, so travel patterns changing.

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply:Econony

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: No - work dictates - mostly Qatar Airways.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply:YYC - DOH

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

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
(AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: AC basic at moment

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: Air Canada until this move.

If you are sure to have at least one annual US trip in your plans for the foreseeable future (to satisfy the four-segments-on-AA-minimum metal requirements), AAdvantage currently is arguably the most generous program out there.
With a few longhaul J flights annually, you should not have a problem quailfying for mid-tier sapphire status which will give better benefits than LH FTL - namely alliance-wide business-class lounge access (comparable to Star Alliance Gold and way better than the limited LH group lounges open for FTLs), extra baggage allowance and free advance seat selection/free premium seats on a number of oneworld carriers (AA, BA, QF...).
If you don't know if you can satisfy the minimum metal requirement, check one post above and look into BAEC or CX's program.
Coming from Miles and More, you won't be too shocked at the cash surcharges BA imposes on long-haul redemptions :rolleyes:. BAECs redemptions are distance-based and the sweet spot is with shorthaul awards.

I did the switch from LH to AA back in 2009 and haven't looked back since.

US based, with LHR as frequently-visited destination?
I would rather go with AA than BA. As a 100k flyer, you'll earn eight systemwide upgrades (which, in my experience, are actually usable and good on any fare and always cleared going to LHR as there's a ton of capacity on that route). Also, AAdvantage has no unlimited domestic upgrades for its lower tiers (this is a benefit reserved for its 100k top tier), so likely your domestic upgrade rate will be higher than you are probably experiencing on DL. Mine is something like 85%, and I usually only sit in coach during IRROPS or after last-minute changes.
While you can upgrade AA domestic flights with BA points, this is highly restrictive (only Y and B fares). Same the other way around: One can only upgrade Y and B fares on BA metal with AA miles.

Caveat: When you book travel on BA in premium economy on those London flights and want to upgrade, it's better to go with the BA program as you can use BA points for this but not AA miles to upgrade from PE to business or F. If that kind of upgrade is your primary goal, you will indeed need to go with BAEC.

Many thanks for the detailed answer!

Quick question re: alternatives to AA. I was looking at QR as well. Any particular opinion regarding it vs your other suggestions?

Economy fares earn rather poorly in QRs program, on QR as well as all partners. Only full-fare Y/B fares earn 100% miles. Still-pricey next three fare buckets down (H,K,M) 75%, the most prevalent ones (G,L,N,S,V) 50% and the cheapest ones a meager 25%.
This, btw, is exactly the same one would earn crediting QR flights to AA, so they don't treat their own members better than partners'.

Hey, it's Sunday morning, so let's have some fun and use a real-world example of, say, a return HKG-DOH-FRA flight, flying cheapest economy.
On QR, that'll earn you 70 Qpoints (needed for status qualification). You will qualify for Gold (their Sapphire level, which is the one you want) halfway into your 5th return flight on this route. While that is in line with other OW programs, you would earn a crap-tastic 3,380 redeemable Qmiles (25%, remember!) only.

An upgrade to business class will cost you 120,000 of those precious Qmiles, an award ticket 160,000. That means you will earn one upgrade to business after 'enjoying' the back of the plane for 35 flights on this route respectively will have earned one free flight in business after 47 flights! This will halve with the most common economy fare classes as these earn double the miles than the cheapest tickets, but still even then you'll need to fly this long-haul route back-and-forth 18 times on a reasonably priced economy ticket before you have enough miles to upgrade the 19th flight to business. Which totally discredits this program for anyone flying on discount economy tickets.
Your miles would expire before you could use them if you only flew discount economy on QR.

Crediting to AA, flying the same route on QR you would earn the same paltry 3380 miles, BUT an award ticket in business class is just 52,500 miles, so you will have earned a free flight on our 16th flight.
BTW, if you flew this route on BA (HKG-LHR-FRA), you would earn 12,988 miles, enough for a business class award after just four flights! (Well, four, plus a 600-mile shorthaul...). You would also qualify for OW Sapphire status after four flights.

Bottom line: for people who (have to) fly economy, the QR program has a terrible earning rate, combined with expensive redemptions. Play around with their mileage calculator and the fare classes you usually buy to check if this could make sense for you.


BAEC is heading the same way with their April devaluation (greatly reduced earnings for discount economy fares), BTW. At the moment, AAdvantage members earn better on BA flights in discount economy than they do in BAEC. The big question is when and how will AA will follow this trend and institute a massive devaluation as well.
Not that AA is always the best option, especially for someone located in HKG and likely to fly CX: Only the two most expensive fare classes earn ANY miles in AAdvantage when flying CX, That's right - everything except full-fare Y/B earns zero AA miles.

Well AA earning from the lower CX economy fares along with some of the CX Silver benefits is why I now have status with CX after reaching AA 1mm Gold. :(

However, while Y and B CX fares earn 100% EQM (and 150% EQP) of base flight miles when credited to AA, H class fares do earn 100% EQM and EQP. Cathay Pacific fare class earning with AA

I have no doubts that there will be changes in the not too distant future in both the AA and CX programs. With luck that will happen after I have given up on earning serious status with any airline. :D

Happy wandering

Fred

Got it. Many thanks again, very helpful!

First time poster, long time lurker here. I am an UA FF member. Recently moved to LON from ATL and I spent all of my UA miles lately traveling around, so thinking of jumping ship.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?

Good award redemption rates, easy miles accrual rate.

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(<25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles - <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)

Reply:~35, 000, 2+ transcontinental between LON & India, 4-6 transatlantic economy, a few US domestic economy

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?

Reply: Economy

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

Reply: I have relative flexibility regarding airlines but economy exclusively, maybe premium economy if its a great deal. I travel for work and pleasure.

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

Reply: LHR/LGW - EWR/PHL; LHR/LGW - ORD; LON - CCU.

(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)

Reply: LHR & LGW

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
(AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)

Reply: None currently. Registered to AA & BA.

(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?

Reply: Preferred - Virgin, BA, United. Most common - United.

Many thanks in advance, guys.

Hi,

I've been having some trouble deciding on which FFP to use. My home airport is ARN, and most people here choose Star Alliance, since ARN is a SK hub and there are earning credit cards available, but I refuse to fly with SK unless absolutely necessary because they do not offer business class within Europe. Thus, I'm usually flying OneWorld instead.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
My main goal is getting award flights. I don't mind paying cash for miles, but of course, the point is to fly for cheap :)
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
<25000 miles - <25 flights, mainly within Europe, with a few transatlantic flights.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Business
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes. I travel mostly for work.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
There's not really any route that I fly more often than others. I fly mostly in Western Europe.
(6) What is your home airport?
ARN
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
I am a member of Finnair Plus, and have some miles there.
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
BA and IB.

In addition, I do use American Express Membership Rewards, so being able to transfer MR points (preferably at a good rate) into my FFP would be good.

Earning miles/points for (cheap) economy flights is - for now, at least - better on AA than on BA. BA has slashed the earn rates for discount economy fares dramatically this year (to 25% for deep discount fares and 50% for the most common fares) of what you'd earn for the same BA flight on AA.

With your travel pattern you will not attain status beyond OW Ruby, no matter the program.

Both AA and BA have co-branded credit cards in the UK, something I`d definitely get to earn additional miles.
The AA card has a good bonus sign-up offer now. Read a good review of the AA one here: http://www.headforpoints.com/2014/04...card-reviewed/ and http://www.headforpoints.com/2015/06...credit-card-2/

I'd go with AA for the moment, and re-evaluate if necessary after any devaluation is announced next year.

with that little travel, you'd need to choose a program with generous expiration rules first and foremost. With Finnair Plus and all programs except BA, IB and AA your miles will expire before you have enough for any meaningful redemption.
I would open accounts with both BA and IB and transfer Avios points between them as needed (that is possible; both airlines share the same Avios 'currency').
Earn rates for business class are decent on BA. Also, BAEC is an Amex MR transfer partner. Transfer over when they have a bonus 'sale', which happens infrequently.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Upgrades.
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
2-3 Flights NYC-Athens (Greece) through London, 1-2 NYC-SFO/LAX, a few short-haul domestic.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Premium Econ/Business
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes. Pleasure, some work.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Mostly between NYC and London or Athens.
(6) What is your home airport?
JFK/EWR
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
I am Silver with BA and qualify every year (pre-changes this year). I have about 80k miles left.
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
BA

Although BA really devastated the sweet spot of the program (upgrading from WT+ to CW using Avios, plus lowering Avios earning on WT+ fares by 25%) now with drastically raising the number of Avios required - if upgrades are your priority, and you prefer to go through LHR buying premium economy for those ATH flights, it's still best to stay with BA. Get the BA credit card and use the Avios earned with it to offset the increased redemption cost.
As long as you don't buy economy fares, especially on long-haul travel, you will still qualify for Silver.
The alternative would be AAdvantage. While you can upgrade BA WT+ flights with AAdvantage miles, the value proposition is very low: AA requires the BA premium economy ticket to be in "W" fare class in order to be eligible for upgrading. That's full-fare if bought on BA ticket stock, and usually more expensive than a discounted business ticket.

If you switched to AA, it would make more sense to just buy economy on the US flight via PHL and use miles and co-pay to upgrade to business going to ATH. However, that would preclude you from earning Platinum /oneworld sapphire status as you'd be missing out on the extra EQP the WT+ ticket on BA earns. You will not qualify on miles with the amount of flying you stated.

(1) What is your home town airport?
JFK/LGA

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class?
Reply: 30-40K. Mostly economy

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

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or, class of service?. Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: I can choose the airline and my travel is mostly work related.

(5) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: Domestic. 4 times a year JFK-LHR

(6) Do you have FFP status of any kind of OW or other airline at present? What is it?
Reply: AA Gold

(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: Upgrade availability; good award redemption rates (mostly used for US-Europe)

(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: DL and AA

Question, I have been earning miles with AA but started traveling BA and wonder for 3 trips in WTP if I should get Avios and Tier points or continue with AA.? I have AA credit cards and just received Chase Sapphire Preferred

You would earn 180 TP's for a return JFK-LHR in WTP. Three of those would get you BA Bronze, not quite enough for BA Silver (oneworld Sapphire) which would provide lounge access. It would earn you just over 30k EQP if credited to AA which would get you close to AA Platinum. If you travel on AA domestically in economy AA status is probably more beneficial than BA Bronze.

However 4x WTP JFK-LHR would get you either to BA Silver or AA Plat, so it comes back to what to do with the status you have.

(Note you could challenge up to Plat on AA with one WTP round trip, hence earning double spendable miles from then on.)

Avios are okay for US domestic economy awards, depending on distance, whereas AA miles are better for TATL redemptions. Avios are good for upgrading from WT+ to Club; however with AA miles/metal you could buy cheap economy seats and upgrade to business with miles and co-pay and probably end up in about the same place out of pocket, given the need to buy WT+ with BA in the first place (no economy - business direct upgrades, only one class of service.) Also no BA fuel fines on award tickets using AA metal.

Given the devaluation of Avios I'd probably stay with AA, look at challenging up to Platinum, and go from there.

Is this 3 return trips? You need 4 BA segments for BA status.
Having miles/points/avios in multiple ffp's is usually not a good idea. You end up with small balances that you can never use. And expiry must be watched.

What do you use your AA miles for?
FFP's are for the long term, and not a few trips

Not a good value anymore. Post-devaluation (April '15) the price more than doubled, Europe to the West Coast on peak dates now costs 30k Avios one way :td:

True, but the poster is flying JFK-LHR so it would be 20,000, right? Versus AA, 25K + $350 copay to go from economy to biz. Like I say, it's in the numbers.

Leaving Qatar soon, starting a new job in the UK.

Questions
For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) 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: I prefer to use miles for free flights. Lounge access is nice.
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(<25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles - <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)
Reply: No idea how much I'll be flying
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: Private flight selection priority: best connection followed by cheapest flight, any airline. Business: might be business class or priority. Note: this will in most cases be Etihad!
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Private: any. Business: most flights will be to Abu Dhabi, thus Etihad.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: private: most likely within Europe. Business: Middle East
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: Manchester, possibly Liverpool
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
(AA Executive Platinum, QF Gold, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: Qatar Airways Gold, will be downgraded to silver in October
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: no preference

Thus: Etihad no connected to Oneworld. Not sure if I'll at least be able to at least maintain Oneworld Ruby. British Airways doesn't seem to give status miles for most economy flights.

Two more economy flights with Qatar Airways planned: to SE Asia return and oneway to UK. Ignore miles, dump in QR even though I won't gain anything from that or are there better options? Someone mentioned AirBerlin as it's connected with Etihad and Oneworld. Would that be an option for award tickets from UK and possibly lounge access?

:confused::confused::confused::confused:
You seem unaware of the fundamentals of ffp's.
Airline ffp's have partners for awards and earning.
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit those miles/points/avios to do does not need to be the same
Awards are not free. Most (to all) have real taxes and some to many have cash to large cash co payments.


What is attraction of Air Berlin and/or Etihad? :confused:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...programme.html

Yes, I know there are no free flights, and I know that I can credit points to other airlines and not only to the one I'm flying.

There's no attraction of Air Berlin or Etihad. Etihad will be work related flights and I cannot chose a different airline. Air Berlin seems to be the only airline to which I could credit Etihad and Oneworld points. If that makes sense I don't know because I don't know with which airline I'll be flying privately in the future.

No. As posted in the other thread Etihad is also a ff partner of AA.
There is no such thing as "Oneworld points"
Every ffp has its own currency. (BA/IB both use avios)
Each ffp has very different rules

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
good award redemption rates.
Reply:
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
30,000,<25

Reply:
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: economy
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: yes i can
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: California to hk, us domestic
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: SFO
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
aa gold, 70k aa miles
106k avios
24k united

Reply:
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: AA , Southwest

You may as well stick with AA & UA. Nothing will be better
Are the BA avios from frequent spending (credit card) or frequent flying?
BA are a ff partner of AA, so you can get AA miles for (most) BA flights.
Also AS (Alaska) is a ff partner of AA, BA & DL

Be careful about the expiry of the AA, UA & BA miles/avios

Thanks Mwenzi!

The BA avios are from credit cards. I am just concerned with AA because I cannot earn points on Cathay discounted flights. I have a 25% transfer to BA avios so may end up opening an Asia Miles account.