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Deciding on a Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program? Help is here.

Deciding on a Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program? Help is here.

Old Nov 28, 2018, 5:28 pm
  #1501  
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: one world
Posts: 17
hi there, I need some help regarding choosing a one world frequent flyer membership program.
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
( Lounge Access,upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, extra baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, free, etc.)
Reply:
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(not sure about miles but 10 to 15 flights a year is my average, sometimes I fly more.
Reply:
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
( Economy, cheapest business)
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Pleasure
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(Asia, Africa and Middleast ) MH, UL (rarely) and QR
Reply:
(6) What is your home airport?
(MYY, KUL,)
Reply:
(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 burgundy and MH blue lol lowest possible)
8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Doesn't matter whatever can help me change tier's in a year.

Thank you.
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Old Nov 28, 2018, 5:53 pm
  #1502  
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Location: MEL CHC
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Peachy6 Welcome to FT

Originally Posted by Peachy6
hi there, I need some help regarding choosing a one world frequent flyer membership program.
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
( Lounge Access,upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, extra baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, free, etc.)
Reply:
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Reply: not sure about miles but 10 to 15 flights a year is my average, sometimes I fly more.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Reply: Economy, cheapest business
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Pleasure
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Reply: Asia, Africa and Middle east, MH, UL (rarely) and QR
(6) What is your home airport?
Reply: MYY, KUL
(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: QR burgundy and MH blue lol lowest possible
8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: Doesn't matter whatever can help me change tier's in a year.
With only a few flights a year, even if some are in business class you will struggle(=probably not) fly enough to step up a status level.
Anyway what would airline status do for you, other than a more shiny plastic card?
QR burgundy and MH blue equal nil OW status.
The first status level OW ruby gives some benefits.
The next level above that is OW sapphire which has some more benefits, the most useful of which is lounge access.
https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/my-oneworld-tier-status

It does not make much sense to collect ff miles/points in both QR & MH. They are ff partners, So you can earn & burn on both and credit to only 1. But some low cost fares can earn nil: check the fare booking class & details.
www.wheretocredit.com/qr
www.wheretocredit.com/mh

The airline you fly most or an airline of the country you live is the best ffp for many people. Generally you are better earning on your primary airline due to greater recognition, better service when disruptions, better seating (with some ffp’s) ability to upgrade flights, possible operational upgrades and simpler to earn non flying ff miles/points. Status benefits are often better on the home airline.

Be mindful of expiry Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.
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Old Nov 29, 2018, 1:26 pm
  #1503  
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: one world
Posts: 17
Thank you for your reply Mwenenzi, I know that QR burgundy and MH blue are no OW status. I need help deciding on one of them because like you said both are one world better to credit to one of them QR recently has some great qmiles offers for new members sadly, I already signed up for QR before. I think I will choose QR because they serve more places that I go to in Africa and middleast since MH, serves none of these destinations.
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Old Feb 2, 2019, 8:19 pm
  #1504  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,840
Looking for a OW program to accrue to when I take advantage of cheap OW J fares for leisure travel. Leaning towards BA, because of Amex and relative ease of making status on premium fares.
Alternative suggestions would be appreciated!

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Priority services, lounge access
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
~150k miles/100 segments, mostly domestic Y for business, paid J for international business and leisure
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Close-to-lowest Y for most business travel, discount J for leisure
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Both, some flexibility
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Most flights on UA/AC, mostly short-haul segments in the eastern half of North America
(6) What is your home airport?
YYZ/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?
UA 1K, no OW status, ~100k AA miles as a consequence of being a former US Preferred
8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
N/A
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Old Feb 16, 2019, 7:57 pm
  #1505  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: AS MVPG75k, AA Plat
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by Santander
Looking for a OW program to accrue to when I take advantage of cheap OW J fares for leisure travel. Leaning towards BA, because of Amex and relative ease of making status on premium fares.
Alternative suggestions would be appreciated!

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Priority services, lounge access
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
~150k miles/100 segments, mostly domestic Y for business, paid J for international business and leisure
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Close-to-lowest Y for most business travel, discount J for leisure
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Both, some flexibility
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Most flights on UA/AC, mostly short-haul segments in the eastern half of North America
(6) What is your home airport?
YYZ/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?
UA 1K, no OW status, ~100k AA miles as a consequence of being a former US Preferred
8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
N/A
BA is only worth it if you can earn and maintain Gold because of poor Avios value. BA Gold can only be earned cheaply if you reposition to Scandinavia/ Eastern Europe/ North Africa and are willing to do insane multi-segment TP runs in discount J.

If you cannot bring yourself to do that I would recommend AY (Finnair Plus) or JL (Mileage Bank).
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Old Feb 16, 2019, 10:43 pm
  #1506  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: AS MVPG75k, AA Plat
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by hugotam0
MPC members have also helped me out: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...y-program.html

Lifelong CX program participant, but the changes for the past few years caused many troubles. I recently relocated to Buffalo, NY for work. For about 9 more months here. I will be in the US at least for the next 2-3 years. Debating whether or not to switch from CX program to AA. With the amount of air traveling, I am at least a Sapphire in other programs, but CX has been especially tough. Now that I have fewer opportunities to enjoy the HKG lounges now, I'm unsure is it a good idea to switch up? I also banked a lot of credit card points from Amex Plat, so looking to utilize that with the right reward redemption program.

General travel picture:
1-2 Roundtrip flights from US - HKG per year (Econ/Prem)
1-2 major vacation flights, combine with some mileage runs.
5-10 domestic flights for work/pleasure per year

I will manage to become CX Gold before the annual cycle. But should I spend my efforts building Exec Plat instead? Should I keep my Amex Plat card with limited Centurion Lounges around me? Should I stay in for at least another cycle with all miles savings? Should I stay to focus on the upgrades for HKG flights with CX?

A newcomer in the forum here, thanks for all the help so far!

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 on travel, award redemption rates, lounges
(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: >50,000miles
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: Econ/ Prem Econ
c(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Yes. Mostly for pleasure, minor flight trips.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: Mostly long hauls, CX: North America (ORD/YYZ/NYC) -> HKG, AA with all my domestic flights
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: Base in BUF/ YYZ
(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: CX SIlver, 415 points away from Gold. Debating to move up to Gold or not. Or Participate AA Status Challenge.
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Reply: Preferred CX. Most common AA, CX, then BA

Cheers,

Hugo
Yeahh CX status is hard to earn/ maintain even flying discount J, let alone Y/ PY. Crediting CX PY to AAdvantage while being based in North America is a well known sweet spot. The only reason not to do it is if you fly AA and want lounge access on a large volume of intra-North America travel, in which case AY (Finnair Plus) might suit you.
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:29 pm
  #1507  
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,375
Originally Posted by flyercity
Best OW program for status only

Wanted to share some thoughts for those looking for a OW program for status only and are not bothered about spending miles, expiring miles, upgrades etc.

I searched on the basis that all flights credited would be discount economy with no particular preference for any one airline.

Researched all OW member sites and found that many do not credit discount economy fares (e.g. MH), give very little credit (BA, IB, CX, QF etc) or have a money component (AA). So, e.g. with BA or IB you'd need to fly about 5-6 long haul discount economy return flights for Ruby and about 12-14 for Sapphire.

From what I found, AY is probably the best option for those who want to gain status via discount economy travel. Ruby with about 2-3 long haul discount economy return flights and Sapphire with about 6-7.

QR looks promising in terms of their tier thresholds but unfortunately their mileage/elite points calculator does not work, so it is not known if they are a better option than AY.
Thanks for your analysis. I am looking for more information on this topic. I find OW Ruby to be useful on AA to get me decent seat assignments and last-minute extra legroom seats. I could probably make the mileage component on AA for Ruby, but I don't spend $3000/year (most of my paid AA flying is on junk fares). I have cheap-fare-class long haul flights booked on Qantas and BA. Is crediting to Finnair my best shot for getting Ruby? Would it make any sense to do this, and is there any other viable alternative?
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Old Feb 19, 2019, 9:34 pm
  #1508  
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,920
Originally Posted by iahphx
Thanks for your analysis. I am looking for more information on this topic. I find OW Ruby to be useful on AA to get me decent seat assignments and last-minute extra legroom seats. I could probably make the mileage component on AA for Ruby, but I don't spend $3000/year (most of my paid AA flying is on junk fares). I have cheap-fare-class long haul flights booked on Qantas and BA. Is crediting to Finnair my best shot for getting Ruby? Would it make any sense to do this, and is there any other viable alternative?
Note some airlines require X flights on own aircraft and/or flight number for status. [Precise rules vary] For example BA has a 2/4 & QF a 4 flight rule for status. No idea if AY has a similar requirement.
BA ffp is used by some USA residents.
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Old Feb 20, 2019, 9:33 am
  #1509  
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Posts: 17,375
Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
Note some airlines require X flights on own aircraft and/or flight number for status. [Precise rules vary] For example BA has a 2/4 & QF a 4 flight rule for status. No idea if AY has a similar requirement.
BA ffp is used by some USA residents.
Thanks. I'll try to do some more research. With the extraordinary number of frequent flyer blogs, I was surprised I couldn't find a good analysis of this issue. I guess the issue is complicated, and not many bloggers fly coach and care about low tier status. Honestly, it's not even a huge deal for me to get Ruby oneworld status. But, as I said, it would be useful to me for my monthly AA flights. That said, I know I can do things like credit my cheap Qantas flights to Alaska and get full mileage credit -- which is pretty rare these days. Alaska miles are pretty useful and valuable. And crediting the flights to Alaska would probably even push me over the top to low tier Alaska status (not worth much to me, but worth more than nothing). So crediting the flights to an obscure one world airline does involve some cost to me. So I'd love to have all the facts, and then pick my best option.
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 9:17 am
  #1510  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 155
Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
Note some airlines require X flights on own aircraft and/or flight number for status. [Precise rules vary] For example BA has a 2/4 & QF a 4 flight rule for status. No idea if AY has a similar requirement.
BA ffp is used by some USA residents.
I have never flown on AY but managed to get status via AA flights (avoidng the $$ requirement and getting domestic lounge access which of course you dont get as an AA member). Biggest downside is no upgrades and limited rewards. But if your focus is on things like seat assignment, lounge, boarding group and free baggage, then AY offers a good alternative to the usual ‘credit with the airline you fly with most’ approach.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 8:08 am
  #1511  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Monaco
Programs: Amex Plat
Posts: 105
Hi Guys,

(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.)
Availability of upgrades and redemptions with lower taxes/charges, priority security&boarding, lounge access (although have PP via Amex Plat), increased bagg. allow.
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Reply: >50,000 miles & 50+ segments
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
mix of discounted bus/economy
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
80% personal travel, 20% work related
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
SH routes: NCE-TLL, NCE-FRA-TLL, NCE-HEL-TLL
LH routes: ex Scandinavia-South East Asia (poss.other Asia&MidEast)
(6) What is your home airport?
(NCE&TLL, often times in FRA&HEL)
(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?
(LH FreqTrav (Silver) 40k MilesMore, QR Silver (almost Gold) 200k QRMiles, AY Blue 20k miles, BAEC 2flights&1k Avios
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
ShortHaul: *A: (LH&LOT), some AY
LongHaul: QR (interested in AY)

Thoughts.
No direct flight NCE-TLL or NCE-HEL during offseason (OCT-APR). So commuting with 1 stop off-season on LH/LOT get me into lounges, but spending those miles on long-hauls - not really. Could of switched to AY under OW during season (April-October) and thus earning and spending within OW (would be ideal) but the problem is a direct flight from NCE-TLL on *A (LOT) which is more convenient, i.e. 2-2.5 hrs instead of 4-6+hrs.

Even if I need to keep flying *A, what would be the best OW FPP for my case? I tend to switch to BAEC vs AY+ with better availability of OW redemptions/upgrades inside Asia but may be put wrong and AY+ is better? I haven't done spreadsheets/math, which could probably provide the answers, but brainstorming at this stage.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 12:53 pm
  #1512  
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Originally Posted by Gobber
(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.)
Availability of upgrades and redemptions with lower taxes/charges, priority security&boarding, lounge access (although have PP via Amex Plat), increased bag. allow.

<snip>
(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?
(LH FreqTrav (Silver) 40k MilesMore, QR Silver (almost Gold) 200k QRMiles, AY Blue 20k miles, BAEC 2flights&1k Avios
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
ShortHaul: *A: (LH&LOT), some AY
LongHaul: QR (interested in AY)

Thoughts.
No direct flight NCE-TLL or NCE-HEL during offseason (OCT-APR). So commuting with 1 stop off-season on LH/LOT get me into lounges, but spending those miles on long-hauls - not really. Could of switched to AY under OW during season (April-October) and thus earning and spending within OW (would be ideal) but the problem is a direct flight from NCE-TLL on *A (LOT) which is more convenient, i.e. 2-2.5 hrs instead of 4-6+hrs.

Even if I need to keep flying *A, what would be the best OW FPP for my case? I tend to switch to BAEC vs AY+ with better availability of OW redemptions/upgrades inside Asia but may be put wrong and AY+ is better? I haven't done spreadsheets/math, which could probably provide the answers, but brainstorming at this stage.
Upgrades are normally only on the airline of you ffp.
But AA-BA-IB have a cross airline upgrade system, but with heavy t&c's so little use for most people.
And upgrades are hard to get.

For short flights time & cost benefits will be better than earning a few ff miles.

Having 3 OW ffp's QR, AY & BA is not very efficient. It may have been possible to credit flights to 1 ffp
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit flights to does not need to be the same.

QR points have a hard expiry (3 ~ 3.5 years) so would be considering using those :- expiry thread Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 10:53 pm
  #1513  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, NZ Elite, QF Plat
Posts: 1,774
Hoping for some help. Im based in AKl and Im currently QF Gold (OW Sapphire). Ive got to take the following on QR J for work in R class (most likely but flights not booked yet): AKL-DOH-FRA-DOH-AKL. Most of my work travel is NZ domestic, a fair bit of trans-tasman for work and pleasure and 1-2 long hauls ex-NZ annually for work and another 1-2 for pleasure.

These flights earn terribly on QF - Ill credit to QF if I have to (they will only earn me around 25k points and 280 status credits) but is there anything else people reccommend? The only other thing I can think of is to credit to AA and then buy some top up points during the next points sale for a flight redemption

I dont really see much point crediting to QR. Only other option is maybe credit somewhere that has very good transfer rates to Hilton Honors or Le Club Accor?
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Old Mar 2, 2019, 11:13 pm
  #1514  
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Originally Posted by NZ_Flyer
Hoping for some help. I’m based in AKl and I’m currently QF Gold (OW Sapphire). I’ve got to take the following on QR J for work in R class (most likely but flights not booked yet): AKL-DOH-FRA-DOH-AKL. Most of my work travel is NZ domestic, a fair bit of trans-tasman for work and pleasure and 1-2 long hauls ex-NZ annually for work and another 1-2 for pleasure.

These flights earn terribly on QF - I’ll credit to QF if I have to (they will only earn me around 25k points and 280 status credits) but is there anything else people recommend? The only other thing I can think of is to credit to AA and then buy some top up points during the next points sale for a flight redemption

I don’t really see much point crediting to QR. Only other option is maybe credit somewhere that has very good transfer rates to Hilton Honors or Le Club Accor?
For QR flights the earn to burn/cash surcharges for awards will be far better on AA compared to QF.
BA is another possible option. BA do not allow members with Au address, but no idea if they allow an NZ address.
BA awards are by distance.
AA awards are by zone. AKL SYD is the same as AKL PER or AKL DRW
https://www.wheretocredit.com/qatar-airways/r
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=AKL-DOH...SU=kts&RS=best

But will you get enough ff miles in a new ffp to be of use, compared to a far less ff points in QF ffp?
Adding frequent miles in a ff program that you can use, are worth more than ff miles in an orphan ffp that you will never use, even if the earning rate is nominally better.

Not aware of any OW ffp that allows transfer out. But there may be some.
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Last edited by Mwenenzi; Mar 2, 2019 at 11:36 pm Reason: added gcmap link
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Old Mar 4, 2019, 1:54 pm
  #1515  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Monaco
Programs: Amex Plat
Posts: 105
Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
Upgrades are normally only on the airline of you ffp.
But AA-BA-IB have a cross airline upgrade system, but with heavy t&c's so little use for most people.
And upgrades are hard to get.

For short flights time & cost benefits will be better than earning a few ff miles.

Having 3 OW ffp's QR, AY & BA is not very efficient. It may have been possible to credit flights to 1 ffp
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit flights to does not need to be the same.

QR points have a hard expiry (3 ~ 3.5 years) so would be considering using those :- expiry thread Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.
So I need to decide between BAEC, AY+ or QRPC. Thoughts?
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