Best Oneworld
Jun 18, 2005 | 8:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2
Best Oneworld
My apologies if this has been brought up previously or is in the wrong forum...
I'm about to join a one-world FF scheme and was wondering which one everyone thought would be the best for someone who travels on QF and CX more than the others. I've considered the QF frequent flyer scheme but given the latest changes its not worth the $82.50. Asia miles or AAdvantage look good??
opinions anyone??
I'm about to join a one-world FF scheme and was wondering which one everyone thought would be the best for someone who travels on QF and CX more than the others. I've considered the QF frequent flyer scheme but given the latest changes its not worth the $82.50. Asia miles or AAdvantage look good??
opinions anyone??
Jun 18, 2005 | 10:21 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,045
Liam,
If you have an overseas address (you can borow one from a mate), you can use that in ur application form for QF FFP and you do not need to pay the membership fees altogether. However this means you don't get the membership card, but hey no biggie. I think you're quite right about the recent changes making QF FFP rather unattractive though as they've made it practically impossible to get upgrades, unless you're QF Plat or Gold which in themselves are harder to achieve than a lot of other airlines (except maybe SQ PPS Club), and diminished the value of mileage accrued.
I believe you've already been told of the AAdvantage Platinum Challenge when we were chatting on msn - get 10k points (points are based on what fares you pay) within 3 months and you get AA Plat straightaway. This shouldn't be too hard as you travel on J and full Y a lot. AA Plat entitles you to oneworld sapphire benefits such as lounge access and priority check in. Simplest way to sign up for the plat challenge is by ringing up the AAdvantage office in the US as the Australian office would probably tell you that they can't do it. You can start ur challenge either on the 1st or 16th of every month so sign up just b4 u travel. Renewal is via the normal method of accruing 50k miles or points (whichever you achieve first) though. AA also requires you to travel at least 4 sectors in a year on AA to renew elite status (Challenges are exempted) however I've been told that they don't really enforce this rule. Look at the AAdvantage sticky for more info.
You might also want to check out the CX scheme - AsiaMiles for miles and Marco Polo Club for status. Joining both is imperative unless you want only miles and not status or vice versa. CX is known to treat their elites, and even other oneworld elites very well.
If you have an overseas address (you can borow one from a mate), you can use that in ur application form for QF FFP and you do not need to pay the membership fees altogether. However this means you don't get the membership card, but hey no biggie. I think you're quite right about the recent changes making QF FFP rather unattractive though as they've made it practically impossible to get upgrades, unless you're QF Plat or Gold which in themselves are harder to achieve than a lot of other airlines (except maybe SQ PPS Club), and diminished the value of mileage accrued.
I believe you've already been told of the AAdvantage Platinum Challenge when we were chatting on msn - get 10k points (points are based on what fares you pay) within 3 months and you get AA Plat straightaway. This shouldn't be too hard as you travel on J and full Y a lot. AA Plat entitles you to oneworld sapphire benefits such as lounge access and priority check in. Simplest way to sign up for the plat challenge is by ringing up the AAdvantage office in the US as the Australian office would probably tell you that they can't do it. You can start ur challenge either on the 1st or 16th of every month so sign up just b4 u travel. Renewal is via the normal method of accruing 50k miles or points (whichever you achieve first) though. AA also requires you to travel at least 4 sectors in a year on AA to renew elite status (Challenges are exempted) however I've been told that they don't really enforce this rule. Look at the AAdvantage sticky for more info.
You might also want to check out the CX scheme - AsiaMiles for miles and Marco Polo Club for status. Joining both is imperative unless you want only miles and not status or vice versa. CX is known to treat their elites, and even other oneworld elites very well.
Last edited by Keith009; Jun 18, 2005 at 10:26 am
Jun 19, 2005 | 11:40 am
#8
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,593
CX scheme is good but quirky. Depending on how you fly and use miles it can be quite good or quite bad. Highly variable on your circumstances. Asiamiles are harder to earn than other miles (so 1 Asiamile is worth more than 1 AAdvantage mile or QFF mile, etc.). You can't compare award cost directly because of this, you have to work out what you would earn in a year on the various plans and then see what you can redeem for that earned amount. CX is particularly good if you want to get upgrades on CX (I haven't joined CX's plans for precisely this reason, I never want to get upgrades on CX as I purchase the class that I want to fly).
Jun 19, 2005 | 1:19 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,045
Originally Posted by number_6
CX scheme is good but quirky. Depending on how you fly and use miles it can be quite good or quite bad. Highly variable on your circumstances. Asiamiles are harder to earn than other miles (so 1 Asiamile is worth more than 1 AAdvantage mile or QFF mile, etc.). You can't compare award cost directly because of this, you have to work out what you would earn in a year on the various plans and then see what you can redeem for that earned amount. CX is particularly good if you want to get upgrades on CX (I haven't joined CX's plans for precisely this reason, I never want to get upgrades on CX as I purchase the class that I want to fly).
Jun 22, 2005 | 12:57 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: TUL Lifetime Plt AA 2.8m
Posts: 154
I was in the same situation last year when health kept me from flying until late October - leaving no chance to qualify for EXP on AA. I looked at all of the options and chose BA, mainly because their system allowed me to qualify for Silver on one RTW and they delivered a free club membership with that level. I found that BA was far better over the Atlantic that AA in Business and will be using them in the future.
In Perth (where I lived for 8 years, by the way) the options may be different. It would depend on where you want to fly when using your points as well as how fast you can qualify for elite status. Show CX how often you fly and they might give you an immediate elite status.
AA is OK for collecting miles, but as I recall you need 4 domestic segments each year. I think BA is better than AA, but you don't get bonus miles as fast.
In Perth (where I lived for 8 years, by the way) the options may be different. It would depend on where you want to fly when using your points as well as how fast you can qualify for elite status. Show CX how often you fly and they might give you an immediate elite status.
AA is OK for collecting miles, but as I recall you need 4 domestic segments each year. I think BA is better than AA, but you don't get bonus miles as fast.
Jun 23, 2005 | 11:17 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold(OWE), QF LTG, MR Plat, IHG Spire, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,156
Originally Posted by kenm
In Perth (where I lived for 8 years, by the way) the options may be different. It would depend on where you want to fly when using your points as well as how fast you can qualify for elite status. Show CX how often you fly and they might give you an immediate elite status.
AA is OK for collecting miles, but as I recall you need 4 domestic segments each year. I think BA is better than AA, but you don't get bonus miles as fast.
AA is OK for collecting miles, but as I recall you need 4 domestic segments each year. I think BA is better than AA, but you don't get bonus miles as fast.
More information can be found here:
http://www.britishairways.com/trave...u?prim=execclub
Last edited by traveloguy; Jun 23, 2005 at 11:18 am Reason: spelling