Hi Everyone.

I am currently Plat with AA. But in my looking at these xONEx tickets I think there are too many benefits to booking at least D or A instead of L.

As such, would one of the other OW programs work better for this? I really am only familiar with AA so things like the SCs of QFF are new to me.

If I were to pick QFF, what is a good target number to earn on a DONE4 or AONE4 starting in Japan most likely.

Also while I'm asking, does it really feel as hard as it seems to find these fares for 2 people on each flight? (why i'm considering paying instead of award rtw)

First, you need to tell us what type of flying you will do in addition to the xONEx if any. Are you after miles or status? Do you want to fly BA USA-LHR? Each one has its own advantages (sorry about the pun) but advice is limited until more is known. As for seats, it is usually more difficult to get 2 A class seats (on long-hauls mostly), since there are only 8-12 seats per plane. D class is easier as long as one is flexible with schedules, though D class may be limited for some specific flights at specific times of the year (think holidays).

My only redeemable goals at this moment are my award tix on aa to EZE for Cow Do each year. Other than that I usually travel about 60k eqm per year in the back on my own dime. From Australia to Europe to weekend runs across the states. All out of NYC or the near area.

However we're looking to start RTW fares and use award or paid to come home from stop overs then go back and continue on. Likely the couple london stops we're thinking.

Although not complete we're thinking NRT-SIN-HKG-SIN-LHR-CAI-LHR-IST-LHR-LAX-NYC-SYD-CHC-AUK-SYD-NRT

then pick up the next and go NRT-HKG-TPE-HKG-LHR-DXB-LHR-IST-LHR-LAX-NYC-SYD-NRT with fill in to use all the segs and also mileage/status gains.

One of the reason's i'm considering the switch is to get better value from my travels each year. AA doesnt give me lounge access and although I think Admirals clubs are a waste, they're better than nothing. Things like that. And I am under the maybe disillusion of qff lifetime being easier to get than 2mm on aa. But that may just be a feeling.

Everybody's different.

It seems that other OW partners are rather more stringent in requiring the "4 on our metal" rule be observed than AA when it comes to status, but I'm not aware of any definitive research on the matter. (As if.)

But living in the US it certainly seems logical to stick with AA. Buy an AC membership if you really need one (or a Priority Pass.)

It also seems to me that if most of your travel is on your own nickel and in Y, then a premium-class OW RTW might be a game-changer. Structure it so that it yields EXP status (not terribly hard to do) and enjoy the eVIPs and domestic u/gs for a year and a bit, then fall if you must to Plat, burn the miles you've garnered, and then (if you want), do another big trip the following year. That's what we do - one year do an RTW to make EXP, then burn the miles the next year, do another RTW... and so on. An every-other-year DONEx for EXP is actually a pretty efficient way to maintain status, travel a lot comfortably, and amass a pickup truck worth of miles.

I think you'd find that AA's earn/burn rates are as good or better than anybody's, at least for the time being.

Agree with Gardyloo that AA is the best overall for US based flyers.
QF is great for quickly earning status, but the burn rate is terrible. A transcon is the USA will cost 36K in econ with multipliers of 2 for biz and 3 for first.
BA is a stickler for 4 BA segments for each tier level and you lose points when moving up to the next level. Also a 2 and 3 multipler for premium class awards. BA does have one-way awards and the WT+ to CW upgrade option is good.
CX just requires a whole lot of miles and only class of service bonus miles.
AY is really geared for its own metal flyers/awards.
IB just sucks unless you live in Spain. Miles expire after 3 years, no exceptions.
JL could be okay, though I don't know much about that pgm.
LA sounds exciting until someone who is a member of LANPASS told me that they would switch to AA in a flash if it was possible (business constraints)
MA must be invited to OW emerald status even if you qualify otherwise.
RJ no knowledge

I am a Oz resident and switched to AA for the burn rates. QF have just begun to enforce the 4 sectors on QF rules. Status chasing is harder on AA so I would advise getting an AC membership - remember though if you start flying a lot of RTW in J then you have access to the AC (or other OW lounge) when flying (execpt for US domestic sectors) so it becomes a cost/benefit decision.