Originally Posted by Dave Noble

This is absolutely correct.

However, if you want to fast track it, AA has a Platinum Challenge. You can enrol for $200 and , as long as you book your 1st trip in one of H, K, M, L, W, V classes ( i.e. avoid G, Q, N, O, S ) then on your 1st ONE WAY trip LHR-MEL you can fast track your way to Platinum status and have OW Sapphire immediately. You will need to earn 50,000 miles to renew during the year

$200 to get status on 1st outbound trip seems v worthwhile. this will give u 3 extra one way trips with 100% bonus.

If you are happy using the USA route in general, then 4 trips in a calendar year would get you Executive Platinum status ( OW Emerald ) and 1st class lounge access plus 8 one way systemwide upgrades which would enable you to upgrade 4 LHR-LAX r/ts to business class for free ( other than the the extra UK departure tax )




Correct. Just avoid QF flight numbers since the lower fares will only earn 50% with some fares being ineligable. Book on BA numbers and get 100% miles plus 100% status bonus


And all other OW business lounges




Unfortunately these are only useable on domestic flights ( and some other North American locations ) so not for LHR-LAX . These would require mileage of 25k plus $350 to upgrade as aplatinum member. If you get to 100k miles and get EXP status then you would get 8 systemwide upgrades which can upgrade LHR-LAX for free




Of course. As long as you have yor membership card, no issue with accessing AA lounges since AA Lounges are accessible with QC membership

If flying BA, the AA scheme is , imo, a lot better value than Qantas for cheap economy travelling; easier to get status and good earnings and generally far better redemption rates ( e.g. SYD-PER r/t in business for 35k vs 72k QF points or LHR-MEL one way in business 120k vs 256k plus Ł227.00 fuel surcharge ) ... all the ones quoted do have to have genuine taxes added but no fuel fine using AA points

You can find out a lot about the AA scheme in the neighbouring AA forum, but sounds like you might be happy with the scheme change



Dave

Originally Posted by TheRealBabushka

Hi David,

I've done a bit more research and it seems, from several web sources, that Elite status bonus miles do not count toward annual elite status qualification.

Originally Posted by TheRealBabushka

Our discussion earlier suggested Elite status bonus does count towards elite status qualification. Hence flying 1 MEL/LAX/LHR vv to renew Platinum status. Can you please confirm?

Originally Posted by Red Roo

Hi All,

Really sorry for the delay posting in this thread and for all the inconvenience that the BA lounge access issue has caused. I would have liked to have been able to update you sooner but we have been working to get a resolution.

So, I can now (very happily) report that access to BA lounges including Galleries, Terraces and Executive Club lounges has been reinstated for Qantas Club members. This will be effective from Tuesday 31 January.

For further details on lounge access visit qantas.com/loungeaccess

Cheers,
Red Roo

Originally Posted by wrekker platinum

Hi all,

I just checked the QANTAS website (8th Feb) on BA lounge access by QC members and it has still not been updated to include galleries lounges.

Until this is corrected, it is difficult to be confident that a Qantas Club membership will give access to BA Galleries lounges or to be able to successfully argue the case if entry is refused by BA at lounge reception.

Red Roo, could you please find out when this website will be updated as you said access was going to be again available (effective) January 31st and so I expected the website to corrected near that time.

Thanks for helping pass on QC members concerns to Qantas management about reinstating access to BA lounges. http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/smile.gif

Originally Posted by BA

02 Feb, 2012



QF Club members - access to BA Galleries Club lounges

With immediate effect, QF Club members travelling on the routes listed below are now permitted access to the BA Galleries Club lounges in LHR T3 & T5 .
QF Club members are entitled to bring one guest into the lounge.The card holder and guest must be travelling together.

Eligibility as follows:

QF Club members plus 1 guest travelling together on any BA or QF operated flight LHR to: BKK, HKG, MEL, SIN or SYD
QF Club members plus 1 guest arriving together on any BA or QF operated flight from BKK, HKG, MEL, SIN or SYD and through connecting at LHR to any BA operated flight
Access to the Arrivals lounge is not permitted

Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF

so... one reading could be that it has to be an immediate connecting flight... at best case, you could show your arriving boarding pass from several days earlier to get access? I am doubtful of the latter.

so flying any other carrier to Europe, then choosing a BA flight is not going to get you access. or stopping over in London then continuing on... no access.

and from the terms and conditions on that page it looms like even if you have a complete itinerary on BA/qf - let's say syd-sin-lhr-ams... while you could get access to the galleries lounge at heathrow, on your RETURN journey you won't gat access prior to your flight in Amsterdam??

so it doesn't look like the benefit was reinstated at all. it is a completely new access agreement?

Originally Posted by wrekker platinum

Irishguy28, could you please indicate where this information is documented on a Website.

This policy provides a much more restricted access than I expected.

It is not like reinstating the access to BA lounges to the situation before the existence of Galleries lounges.

Then access was to all Executive or Terraces worldwide, as is still stated on the Qantas Website.

This not much help with any other OneWorld Itineraries (not in the quoted list) where arrival at Heathrow is with BA (or other carriers) and departure is with BA. Galleries lounge entry will be denied at both the airport for the incoming flight and at T5 for outgoing BA flights which can be to so many destinations.

I welcome Red Roo's comments on when precise updated information will be put on the Qantas website.

Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF

he already provided the link (hyperlink... just click on the bolded BA at the top of his quote).

the wording on the page is exactly as irishguy stated. there is no other clarification.

Originally Posted by wrekker platinum

Thanks for pointing out the link. I just checked the Qantas Website on Partner Lounge Access and their information is still not updated to reflect this new restrictive policy.

The BA wording is very disappointing for OneWorld RTW travellers and further devalues the worth of QC membership.

Originally Posted by wrekker platinum

Thanks for pointing out the link. I just checked the Qantas Website on Partner Lounge Access and their information is still not updated to reflect this new restrictive policy.

The BA wording is very disappointing for OneWorld RTW travellers and further devalues the worth of QC membership.

Originally Posted by wrekker platinum

Quote today from Red Roo on Australian Frequent Flyer forum



We were of the understanding that Qantas club access was reinstated.

Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF

did they not read the agreement before posting that it had been reinstated? Or did BA change the wording between the original confirmation and subsequent one?

bit odd me thinks