Best programme for South America
 

Hi,
Appreciate any advice here.

I am travelling with my family across Latin America doing 10+ flights with LAN & TAM. I am not a member of their FFP but I do have a QF membership albeit bronze status. Am I best using my QF FFP # for the whole journey or putting my new trips on a LAN Pass FFP account?
Thanks!

Best programme for South America
 

how long are the flights? what fare classes are they booked in? do you have miles in any other oneworld accounts?

Welcome to the forum
Look and ask here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html
and here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html
The links is post 2 will be of interest

FFP's are for the long term; not 1 trip. All depends on your travel profile & aims
Some of us in Australia use AA as the main ffp, but this is not best for everyone. LAN does not get as many good reports as does AA, even with AA ffp subject to a lot of changes. And more expected in the future when finally merged with the US Airways ffp. As above the booking class is all important. Beware of expiring miles/points

Edit
http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/...rs/airline/tam (point earnings to QF ffp OK)
http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/...rs/airline/lan (a lot of local flights earn no points in QF ffp)
But check the booking class & route

Since this question is specifically about an itinerary involving Oneworld flights, I'll move it to the Oneworld forum where the experts therein can provide further input.

Please note this thread originated in the flame-free Information Desk forum.

jackal
Moderator, Information Desk

Thanks all for the responses.

My goal is to secure lounge access as I'm likely to travel in discount economy or economy as a rule.

I am relocating from Australia to London permanently and anticipate short-haul travel with BA ex. LHR around 10-20 round trips per annum.

I've got 35k points and 80 status credits accumulated with QF.

Other consideration is that I'd like to get rewarded for travel with our children, 10 & 8, and notice I need to pay for them to get access to the QF FFP but it appears to be free with BA.

I am thinking I might be best off to start from scratch with BA's Exec Club?

How long is living in UK going to be for? A few years or for ever?

You can join QF ffp for free via www.everydayrewards.com.au (Woolworth)
Be carefully about expiry QF points. No eligible activity in 18 months and they are gone.

With QF is has, until recently, been relatively easy to get gold status (OW Sapphire), which has Q club access.But you need OW Emerald (QF plat / BA?) for wider lounge access. BA is generally harder to get status on discount fares.

BA have family pooling which may be of interest. BA short haul awards are good value to some.

For long haul awards AA wins (unless the AA FFP changes a lot). AA ffp is best OW ffp for many people. AA has the plat challenge for faster status acheivement.

For BA vs QF vs AA look at the links in post 2 of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html (where this thread may get moved to)

With kids, BA is good with their household account. However, if you will travel back to
Australia often, BA requires much more miles than AA for example. And a lot of the discount fares with LAN domestic flights don't earn anything with BA.

Thanks all