Thank you for the comment.

My next flight will probably be class N.

I mainly care about priority check In & boarding.
It seems like Alaska is an appealing option, as they also partner with Hainan Airlines - another company i might take from time to time.

Just to make sure - do you know if I must fly some Alaska segments (just as BA demands)?

Small timer with information overload
 

Hello,

Could really do with some pro-help deciphering which way to go with FF membership please. I am about to embark on an international relocation with an opportunity to (at last) be airline/ program loyal with significantly increased travel. For the last few years I've channeled AA points to my QF account and thinking it may finally be time to give up on my QF allegiance with my upcoming move:

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Lounge access and seat selection

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Estimate 3 long haul flights per year and 20 continental European flights... 50,000 miles/ year?

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Usually cheapest option available (discount economy).

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
80% work travel. Directive to choose the cheapest flights, definitely down the back of the plane.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
LHR to continental Europe, in the short term commuting LHR to LAX

(6) What is your home airport?
LHR

(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?
QF Bronze- 100,000 points. Would make Silver status tier based on credits before year end (6 weeks) but will not meet required segments. Lifetime silver is a long way away.

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

My +1 is lifetime QF gold so our ability in the past to pool/ transfer points has been a benefit.

Thanks for your time and thoughts.

I currently have Gold status with Qatar Airways and the experience has been very positive. I have ~65000 miles. My home city is Philadelphia, and I fly a couple times to the Middle East on QA since that’s home. However, I’m starting a job in the US and I will be traveling extensively (8-10 times a month) most likely on American Airlines (since I’m based in Philly). The split will be about 50-50 between economy and business. I know I want to stick to OneWorld but I was wondering if I should move to AA. It seems like AA has better long-term plans and I plan to be in the US in the longer term (I’m only 22 now). Should I move to AA or stick to QA? Which has a better program? Any tips are appreciated.

One thing to note is that QR Gold gives you lounge access when flying on AA, whereas AA's own élites do not get lounge access in most domestic flights. I will let others comment on other aspects as I am not a member of either programme.

I am in almost exactly the same scenario as you.

First of all, hello to everyone on the forum. I've been following this forum for some time but have only recently joined. I have a very similar case to the poster above.

Currently, I have about 300,000 Avios on my BAEC and I currently have Silver Status (OneWorld Sapphire).
I recently moved to Philly working as a consultant meaning I will take between 8-16 domestic US flights per month with AA out of the Philly hub in regular main cabin Economy.
Once per year, I fly to the Far East (Kor, HK, Sing, Jap, VN etc) with QR in full-fare business class (because it's the best biz class in OneWorld?). And once per year I will fly to Europe in Premium Economy.

Now, the benefit of having BAEC status is that I can access the AA lounges whenever I fly.
The disadvantage, however is that I am missing out on all the potential OpUps for AA members?
But if I switch over to AA, I may lose my BAEC status ergo losing access to the lounges?

If there are any similar posts already which I may have missed, I apologise.
Thank you in advance for your help.

Welcome!

There's no rule against multiple FF plan memberships; you won't lose your lounge access as long as your Silver status lasts with BA. When it expires, so will your lounge privileges. You could, however, just buy a membership in the Admirals Club - I'd look at the math.

Op-ups are quite uncommon on AA as there are so many elite members of AAdvantage that most flights depart with full first class sections. Once you achieve AA Gold or Platinum (Ruby or Sapphire) status you can use 500-mile electronic "stickers" to request upgrades on domestic flights, subject to availability and limited time "windows." The math to achieve AA elite status has changed, so much depends on your level of spending and fare classes used.

I'd educate myself on the AA program to see if switching to AA makes the most sense in your case.

BA, Qatar, AA or someone else entirely?
 

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Good award earning and redemption rates
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Two business class returns between Europe and Australia each year. Other flights (not many) mainly on LCC intra-Europe and intra-Oz, in economy.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Business - been busily redeeming award flights for the last few years but now looking at business class sale fares
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes, purely pleasure
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Europe (pref LHR/LGW) to Australia
(6) What is your home airport?
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?
No status. c650k Avios (mostly from credit cards) and 300k AA (mostly from US Airways days)
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
No preferred but rather avoid BA.

First paid long haul flight for quite a few years is coming up next month, returning May, on Qatar from ARN to Oz, booked in business (R). It'll be back to Oz in July, returning December; not yet sure with whom or whether paid or award flights. I've been thinking about where to credit and also whether it's actually worth chasing status.

BA: I dislike what BA has become but not so much that I would cut off my nose to spite my face! I'd get enough tier points for BA Silver/OW Sapphire but would need four BA metal flights. I've booked the Lon - ARN positioning flight with Norwegian as that was less than half what BA wanted so even if I came back with BA, I'd still need three more BA flights and I'm reluctance to waste time and money on that unless there is a real benefit to doing so. Crediting to BA is also rather unattractive given they charge 125k Avios min + £alot for a UK/Oz award in Club.

Qatar: These flights would get me Silver/Ruby plus about 25% of the way to a reward flight Europe/Oz (90k, not sure about fees) and a possible second flight later in 2018 would get me to Gold/Sapphire - but the points have a hard expiry date (3 years?)

AA: I think these flights would get me to Gold/Ruby (I think 3,730 EQD + 27,975 EQM but I'm new to AA status calcs, can anyone confirm? Also I don't need any AA metal flights do I?). I'd get fewer miles but then only need 85K + £muchlessthanBA for an award flight. And if we go Qatar again in the latter part of 2018 that would get me to Plat/Sapphire.

But do I really need status other than for extra miles if I fly LH in business? Also I have a Priority Pass through Amex for lounge access (though that's poor in Oz).

Have I missed any other good FF schemes or considerations? I think I'm tending to go with AA.....

Do you have the AMEX Platinum card - if so, that will give lounge access if travelling on Virgin Australia

Indeed AA requires only 85k and only genuine taxes to be paid ( unless booking on BA/IB)

2 business class r/t a year on eligible airlines would easily maintain Platinum status on AA ( at 10,000 miles each way from UK, would be 60,000 at 1.5 mile per mile flown ) . For $300 you could fast track to Platinum and have the benefits and bonuses after the 1st oneway journey


If flying ARN-DOH-SYD , this is 10,557 miles approx
EQM one way will be 15,836
4 of these would be 63,344 elite qualifying miles

As a Platinum member, In R or I class
10557 + 6335 = 16,892
Do this 4 times for 67,568 award miles

and in JCD class
10557 + 2640 + 6335 = 19532
Do this 4 times for 78,128 award miles

For EQDs , this would be 20% in R or I class = 10557 * .2 = 2112 , so 4 of these gives 8448 EQDs which easily meets Platinum requirements

Thanks Dave, you are a legend! Flying Virgin next week (Etihad award) and I'd completely forgotten about that :-)

Just tried a search on fast track to platinum and got nowhere. Could you point me in the right direction please?

Just realised I forgot to add which cities. Actually into ADL and out of PER, though that's unusual for us, we normally fly to the east coast. I don't think this changes anything though (I mean obviously EQMs and EQDs would be less but not less than the relevant thresholds).

Even ARN-DOH-PER twice would meet the requirements

The fast track is the American Airlines Platinum Challenge

This - https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...challenge.html ? Unless I'm reading it wrong, doesn't look like Qatar flights qualify. Probably not worthwhile anyway mind you.

oops - you are indeed correct that QR is not good for it - will have to do it the slow way

which oneworld FF program for 2018
 

I need some advice from the oneworld experts

for 2018, I am QR Platinum (Emerald) but with travel blocked to UAE, KSA................... QR is fairly useless to me now

am also EK Gold but plan to travel to Dubai much less often and Emirates has lost some of its former glory IMO

I will have minimum 4 flights to HK anually, at least two flights to the USA, will visit Africa + India too and considering basing myself out of Milan

for Dubai visits I want to explore buying EK flight with QF code

so my key question here is which FF program to go with > Cathay, BA, AA ??????

What are your objectives from a ffp?
You can continue to credit to QR and fly others OW airlines.

QF codes (flight numbers) on EK are limited to some routes. You may/may not be able to purchase.

BA requires 2/4 BA IB marketed and/or operated flights for status (look in the BA forum)

Look here:- https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onew...help-here.html

I was considering a change from QR to CX but Cathay just seems too stingy with status match and earning it, though I like what I read about AsiaMiles program

likely moving to Milan in 2018 and I visit HK several times a year

EK is a great airline but I am tired of Dubai and EK has lost some of its shine for me

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
top status > Emerald
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
mixed J or Y, 60 to 70,000 miles
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
flex Y or Business Saver
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Yes, for both
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
EK or QR, fly to HK and USA several times, then Africa and Europe as well
(6) What is your home airport?
DXB now but thinking about a move to Milan (Malpensa)
(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?
QR Plat and EK Gold, have minimal miles as I strongly believe in earning and burning with these regular devaluations and rule changes
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
I like QR but this UAE and KSA blockade is a deal breaker if I am in Dubai, so been mostly EK