For the last couple of years, I've enjoyed oneworld sapphire status with Cathay Pacific. I have a membership card which clearly indicates my oneworld Saphire status. However, even though I have sapphire status, I don't want to pigeon holed into collecting Cathay Pacific points, since they aren't as beneficial for travel in the americas to me.

So, I switched to racking up points to AAdvantage with the goal of achieving oneworld status with this program instead.

Since, I have already achieved oneworld sapphire status with CX, I still expect to get all of the flyer benefits with this status.

This means, even though my ticket always uses my AAdvantage number and not my CX FF number, I still expect and do the following:

1) one world lounge access
2) priority check in
3) priority boarding

for the last year, overall this has been no problem while flying on 30 one world flights AA, TAM, LAN.

I've read a few forum posts where people have indicated that the FF number used on your ticket has to be the one where you have status in order to get the benefits.

However, I have not seen this mentioned anywhere in the terms of service for my oneworld sapphire membership or any other docs.

I always use my AA FF number and I provide my CX oneworld sapphire membership card in order to receive all of the benefits above - and it works, typically.

I did have one incident recently - when trying to priority board an AA flight in Miami.

Boarding agent wouldn't let me board with priority because my ticket did not say "Priority". She said, you are "Boarding Class 4" - shrug.

I argues with her, nicely. She said no.

I waited for everyone to board that was priority, and then I went up to her again and explained the situation, showing her my oneworld sapphire membership card (from CX) again, and she let me board - somewhat reluctantly.

Another time, in Miami, same thing, except the agent let me in right away when I explained that my ticket doesn't say "priority" because I'd prefer to gain AAdvantage points even though I already have Saphire status with Cathay Pacific. She said no problem, and let me in.

Am I correct in thinking that the gate agents were wrong with their initial reactions?

I wanted to ask the community what their experience has been? I am assuming I am completely in the right. I rightfully have status and shouldn't be tied in to collecting FF points with that program when I'd prefer to switch to another program while keeping my existing status in benefits until the end of the year.

Anything in terms of service that indicate otherwise?

You are right, but there are so many different frequent flyer programs that it is sometimes difficult for gate agents to be aware of all ins and outs of the different programs. This is precisely one of the reasons why tickets often have "priority" printed on them - to make things easier for the airport staff. So you're right and a gate agent made a mistake, but this is a thing that is likely to happen and I am surprised it did not happen to you more often.

I have recently had the same issue with QR flying out of LHR to BAH via DOH. I am BAEC Silver (OW Sapphire). I had checked in using my QR FFP as I am registered for a double tier point promotion over Xmas and wish to get to Gold this coming year. At check I was advised that if i wanted to avail the OW Sapphire benefits i would have to collect BAEC miles on this flight as "the system does not allow this". As you have quite rightly stated their is no clarity on this issue anywhere on the Oneworld website. I have written to QR and await their response and will keep the forum updated

Follow up after my recent experience:
Booked flights with AA (status less with them) using my BA FF# (OW Sapphire), as I know I won't be reaching gold I thought about crediting the miles to AA instead.

AA's website won't let me change the FF# whose main perk online is the free main cabin extra seat selection, so I decided to give it a try during check-in at the airport. I spoke to an agent who managed to change the FF# to AA, and told me I had to present my BA card to get priority boarding and AC access.
His advice worked fine throughout the trip, my BA card did the job nicely.

Interesting. So what did you do? I assume you used QR FFP on the ticket then? Did you then attempt to use any of your benefits airside such as lounge access or priority boarding? If so, I assume you used your BA OW Saphire membership card. Any issues regardless of what you were told by the check in agent?

A check in agent changed my FF number to my one world sapphire CX number one time when I checked in priority with my card. I asked her to change it back to my AA number - she didn't understand since I used my CX card for priority check in. I said that I was allowed to do this. She changed it back in the system to my AA number without a problem.

My recent experience.

Since last October, all my oneworld flights have been credited to JAL.
No problem at all for prioriy checkin at first class counter, first class lounge access, priority boarding with my CX Diamond card for JAL international/domestic, CX first class lounge at HKG, BA first class lounge at LHR.

Anyway, migration to JL has completed.

I recently decided to start collecting AA miles hoping to keep my BAEC sapphire (OW silver) privileges, for the same reason.

Since I had already booked a dozen flights through BA I needed to change their BAEC FF# to AA FF#. Although the BA website didn't allow me to, doing it through the QR website worked like a charm ("Manage Booking" -> "Update passenger details").

Theoretically the airline systems should support two FF numbers - one for earning/accrual (FQTV) and one for status/benefits (FQTS)
These are documented notes in Amadeus (used by most oneworld airlines) - http://api.dev.amadeus.net/api/Devel...st/PNR_SSR.htm

Practically the implementation of this appears very poor among many airlines / agents don't know how to do it.


The FQTV appears to be the primary entry - and will carry over to FQTS if not present.

On another board a staffer has recommended that you have the base ticket with the accrual program (FQTV) and then at the airport approach the service desk and ask them to put in a secondary number just for Status (FQTS/ or Status dropdown in Altea)


Others have tended to use the Status number for checkin, baggage, lounge access, then while exiting the lounge asked the staff to remove all FF programs, re-add the accrual airline (FQTV) and reprint.

But no method appears to be foolproof.