Hello, I'm looking for some advice from the OW gurus out there.

Background: I've been in QFF since '97 but never flew enough to achieve/maintain elite status. Now I'm in the US and my job requires me to do "bursts" of travel (which can't be predicted with certainty). Ex: Last year I flew about 37K mi of which 33K were in a 3 week period; last week, I learned I'll be doing 2 flights DFW-Europe within the next 3 weeks. My company prefers AA and requires me to travel on the cheapest (i.e. non-refundable economy) ticket.

This year I will be flying *at least* 2x to Europe, 1x to Australia, and a few times domestically.

If I stick with QF, I will get at least 375 status credits this year which would lift me to silver (no way I will achieve gold). Whether or not I would earn the 300 credits necessary to retain silver the following year is uncertain.

On the other hand, if I go with AA on the same itinerary, I will put on at least 45K mi, i.e. close to Platinum based on miles.

Based on this, it seems I'm better off putting my miles on AA. Any differences of opinion about that?

In the longer term, there is a 50/50 chance of moving back to Australia, so my location shouldn't make much difference in the equation.

Thanks!

Generally speaking QF is better for disc economy travel as you get full miles (cf. AA .5 miles).

See this thread for comparison:http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum39/HTML/001638.html

Hi, I read that thread but it mostly dealt with annual mileage (and classes of travel) way beyond the level I'm at.

Unless I am mistaken, AA *do* give you full miles for discount economy; they give 0.5 qualifying points per mile for elite status though.

Since you can qualify for elite status on AA with *either* points or miles, flying a lot of miles in discount economy is still fine on AA - see my example above where I am barely getting silver on QF but am nearly Platinum on AA for the same itinerary.

Correct. 100k miles or 100k points. Most discount fares give you one mile or half a point. Personally, if you are flying AA and in coach, go with AAdvantage. Do the platinum challenge, which will give you platinum status after 20000 discount miles, then you get 100% bonus, 500-mile upgrade accrual, and platinum for quite a while. If you get within 5000 miles of renewal (get up to or over 45000 miles this year) then I think it's worth it to just fly somewhere for the weekend and get the extra 5000 miles.

Also, you will accrue more miles with AAdvantage and personally I think they are worth more. The two advantages you get with QF is that you can take BA across the pond (which you aren't doing anyway) and you can redeem an award to take BA across the pond.

Thanks for the reply. If I do switch to AA, then I will take the platinum challenge (I made a separate post about that in the AA group). However, to switch solely because of the platinum challenge might be a bit short-sighted.

As far as I can see, the biggest disadvantages of AA are:
- AA only give 70% of miles flown for discount economy on QF (and I'll probably fly 30% of my miles on QF)
- QF give a 1000 mile guarantee (quite high) for each segment flown on QF
- Can't earn AA miles on BA trans-Atlantic (may or may not be relevant)
- Can't do international upgrades

OTOH, the advantages of AA are:
- Easier to get status. I did some more calculations, and let's say all the segments flown on QF are 2701 miles (which is at the low end of the 2701-5000 mi bracket for QF status credits, so I'm being generous to QF). Then you need 14 segments (38K mi) to make QF Silver (cf. AA Gold), and 76K to make QF Gold (cf. AA Platinum). I'd expect to do about 40-45K mi/yr so this means I will always at least have AA Gold and will push AA Platinum, whereas on QF I'll barely make Silver and QF Gold is way out of reach.
- AA Platinum earns 100% bonus miles whereas QF Gold earns 50% bonus (so even if AA give 70% miles for discount economy on QF, so long as I maintain platinum my loss is small - 140% of mileage for AA vs. 150% for QF).
- Better access to lounges than QF
- Ability to upgrade on AA flights

There are other factors that become more relevant at higher mileages, which I've ignored.

Apparently when I take the platinum challenge in the first half of the year, it only lasts me for the current membership year, i.e. until 3/2004. So I'd still have to get 50K mi this year to keep Platinum throughout 2004. Thus the challenge really only helps me for a limited time this year - from when I've flown 20K mi until when I've flown 50K mi.

My feeling is that the ultimate answer (QF vs. AA) depends on two things: (a) whether I can make Platinum in AA each year, and (b) what fraction of the miles I fly on QF. If I can't make Platinum on AA, then I'm losing each time I fly QF. If I can keep AA Platinum, then since I'd only ever make QF Silver, the 100% bonus due to status with AA overcomes the 70% discount economy problem, and all the other benefits of AA tip the scales.

Maybe I've answered my own question, or maybe I've overlooked something. Feel free to offer any other observations!


[This message has been edited by jridge (edited 05-05-2003).]

Don't forget that once you reach silver on QF you will get a 25% status bonus (on QF & AA segments) which in reality will only affect your AA segments of greater than 400 miles as they also have the 500 points guarantee on AA.

I think you got one of your benefits in the wrong place.

"- Better access to lounges than QF"

The reverse is the case. You get lounge access with QF when travelling a OW carrier regardless of itinery. With AA, you do not get lounge access when travelling within North America

Dave

He actually won't get either *in* the US and will get lounge access with AA when flying international because he won't come anywhere even close to QF Gold. Qantas won't get him access anywhere.

You are correct about the 70%, but if you book the AA codeshare you do get 100%. AA gives 500 minimum on any oneworld flight. Maybe with the exception of IB, but I haven't ever flown them.

The platinum bonus, as far as I know, is based solely on the number of miles flown. Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think you should receive 170% on Qantas and 200% on American. I can say that if you fly J or F, you only get the bonus equal to miles flown.

I also still feel that AA miles are worth more if you can get over not flying BA transatlantic. For example, if you wanted to go on holiday from dallas to athens in first to bask in the mediterranian sun, it's going to cost you 125k on AA and 200k on QF. Dallas to Sydney will cost you 275k in first on QF and 135k on AAdvantage. Dallas to Bali on AA/CX will be 300k on QF or 135k on AA. And so on. QF becomes more valuable if you live on the east coast and only want to go to Europe, since it's effectively the same price as AA and you can take British Airways.

Just my two cents. But obviously everyone's opinion will vary.

[This message has been edited by Darren (edited 05-06-2003).]

Darren: That is useful info about the codeshares. Can you clarify what happens if I book on QF when the flight is codeshared?

Example: I book flight QF93 (MEL-LAX) directly with Qantas. This flight is codeshared as AA7349. Do I get 100% miles on AA simply because it's codeshared, or do I get 70% because my ticket bears a Qantas flight number?

Often ticket prices to Aust are cheaper on QF than AA. If I can book with QF but still get 100% mi on AA, then that disadvantage is basically eliminated since most of the non-codeshare segments I would fly on QF are subject to the 500 mi guarantee.

No, you get them according to the flight designator. Lets say you are going LAX-SYD. If you take QF12, you get 70% miles. If you take AA7364, you get 100% miles. Even though it's the same flight. Yes, the AA tickets are often a bit more, in part because you get miles. More often, though, it just has to do with the pricing structure that the companies use.

Gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up.

Not true. The 500 min bonus is not applicable to Aer Lingus either. On many a flight between DUB and the UK, I have only gotten miles in the range of 100-200 miles. The 500 mile (100% EXP bonus) bonus still applies though.

Yes, you are right. 250 on EI, 300 on IB. None on CX, but all their flights are over 495 miles. One other thing to throw into your mess of info. From July 1, BA is 'enhancing' their program. Discount BA flights will accrue 25% on AA and (iirc) 100% on QF.

[This message has been edited by Darren (edited 05-06-2003).]

"The platinum bonus, as far as I know, is based solely on the number of miles flown. Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think you should receive 170% on Qantas and 200% on American. "

You will get 100% bonus of miles earned, so with QF it will be 140% and with AA 200%

Dave