Wow, that title sucks, but I couldn't think of a better one!

I have a ticketed RTW. My QF FF number has been recorded, so if I do nothing the points/SCs should end up in my account.

Now, the issue is that I have been convinced by a certain Mr Noble that it would make sense for me to do the AA Platinum lack-of-Challenge. At the risk of sounding like a recently banned member I have a couple of questions:

1. If I change the FF number on the reservation now to my brand new AA FF number, is there a downside? For example, currently when a QF boarding pass is issued to me it shows my QP membership. Obviously if the AA number is in the system this will not happen. Can I still access the QP by showing my QP membership card and boarding pass?

2. Would I be better off getting boarding passes with the QF FF info on them and getting the staff in the QP to change the info in the computer?

I really don't want to risk being refused entry to the QPs in CBR, SYD and LAX. On the other hand, by my calculation my CBR-SYD-LAX-IAD flights (booked in H class) will just get me to the required 10,000 Q-points, so I can't afford to make a mistake.

Any input would be appreciated.

Alan.

"1. If I change the FF number on the reservation now to my brand new AA FF number, is there a downside? For example, currently when a QF boarding pass is issued to me it shows my QP membership. Obviously if the AA number is in the system this will not happen. Can I still access the QP by showing my QP membership card and boarding pass?"

In the words of Ansett. Absolutely .

No problems there, just show your QP card and in you go

"2. Would I be better off getting boarding passes with the QF FF info on them and getting the staff in the QP to change the info in the computer?"

There is a lot more chance of things going wrong and points getting credited to the wrong location. QF staff make enough errors at putting AA numbers in without adding this to it. I recommend, phoning QF and getting the QF number removed from the booking. Use checkmytrip to ensure that it is removed. Then call again and ask to add the AA number. If correctly entered, it will appear on checkmytrip as

Qantas Airways - AAxxxxxx

The Qantas Airways words in front are perfectly normal. If it appears in any other form, phone and get it removed and then re-added

"I really don't want to risk being refused entry to the QPs in CBR, SYD and LAX. On the other hand, by my calculation my CBR-SYD-LAX-IAD flights (booked in H class) will just get me to the required 10,000 Q-points, so I can't afford to make a mistake."

Looks right to me

CBR-SYD - 500 qpoints / 500 miles
SYD-LAX - 7491 qpoints / 7491 miles
LAX-IAD - 2288 qpoints / 2288 * 2 miles

Are you travelling on the AA flight number or a QF codeshare to IAD? If on an AA number, I would phone and check with AA that your membership number has filtered across

Total qpoints earned = 10279 so just nicely over the threshold giving a 2288 bonus on the flight for completing the challenge. Once your status appears on AA.com, you may wish to remove and readd your FF number into your AA bookings so that your AA boarding passes show you as platinum , allowing you to use the elite security lanes at LAX et al plus getting Group 1 boarding. Also, if you wish to pay the extra $25 per 500 miles, you can then also request upgrades for any other AA domestic sectors you may have

Dave

After some serious discussion with the TA about this just before the recent start of our LONE4, it came out that you can enter a different FF # by CARRIER. Thus all AA flights could be credited to AA and all QF to QF.

As the trip had to be deferred - and all the reservations cancelled (and now seriously close to missing the AA challenge) I can not vouch for the validity of the answer.
We still however have the same problem - for me how to get one BA flight (SIN-LHR) credited to the AA program (side note BA WT+ is very nice for the challenge) and for Mrs WF how to get one BA flight credited to QF (LHR-PHX)

OTOH changing the FF# at checkin with AY in BKK was a non-issue.

YMMV


WF

Alan in CBR, I feel that you must have been caught in the Dave Noble web of AA Plat Challenge over a HP in the CBR QP...aaaagggggggghhhh

Dave's assertions in his reply are as he quoted to me; however I have previously tried (and it didn't work). However, different time, different circumstances.

Best of luck with changing them before the trip and hope it works.

It does work; just verify with facilities such as checkmytrip that the old numbers have been removed and the AA number added. Don't leave the QF number in the booking, it is just asking for flights to get credited to the QF scheme

iirc, you were trying to credit some flights to QF and others to AA rather than only having the AA number in the booking and crediting all to AA

Also, when signing up for the platinum challenge, do not phone AA in Sydney to do it. Call the US office on +1 800 843 3000 . On answer, press 0 , when it asks for your Advantage number say AGENT, when connected to a real person , ask for Aadvantage Customer Service.

Also, call back a day or 2 later and just verify that the person did add it.

It has worked every time I have done it for people

PM me a booking reloc and I can set it all up.

Dave

Hi there,

I'm about to start a LONE4 too, and I'm planning on doing the AA Platinum Challenge. I want all my QF flights credited to my QFF #, and all my AA flights credited to my AA#. The last time I checked checkmytrip.com, it was showing my QFF # there, however, I explicitly told my travel agent to assign my AA# with my AA flights, he said it's been done but it doesn't show up on checkmytrip.com (I can't check it at the moment, it can't retrieve my data).

What's the best way of making sure that my points go to the corresponding FF program (QF flights to QFF, AA flights to AA)?

Close QF WP but no cigar. It was over a chardy and a Stella at the Verve bar/restaurant in Manuka

I got this number from aa.com -

AAdvantage Customer Service
Outside the US, Canada & the United Kingdom
1-817-799-2500
7:30am - 9:00pm CT, Mon - Fri
7:30am - 7:00pm CT, Sat.
10:30am - 7:00pm CT, Sun

You go straight to an agent, instead of going through a menu ^ . I just called this number and added my AA# to my AA flights (I was trying to do it via their website but I kept on getting an error message). I then checked aa.com, and voila, my AA# is now on my record locator! Afterwards, I checked checkmytrip.com, but my AA # still isn't showing, only my QFF #, so I guess there's a lag between their systems. I also registered for the AA Platinum Challenge!

OK, so I had absolutely no chance over the weekend to browse FT, and thanks to the FT champions I have a lot of catching up to do.

Many, many thanks for all the info in this thread. Looks like I still have some FF work to do before I fly out.

Phoned my travel agent this morning. She said she would add my AA FF number and remove my QF FF number. I went to checkmytrip, which then showed both numbers. I phoned QF and asked them to remove my QF number and now when I go to checkmytrip it shows up just as Dave Noble said it would, "Frequent flyer: Qantas Airways - AAxxxxxxx"

I'm on the QF number, so it should be OK. By the way, thanks for checking my mileage calculation.
Only the IAD-LHR flight on BA, because US to UK flights on BA don't earn miles in AAdvantage. I'll get the BA check-in at IAD to put my QF number in.
Thanks for that. I phoned the other day but was outside those hours, so as yet I am not enrolled in the Plat Challenge. Will phone tonight.

Edited to add: Don't need to phone tonight - I just checked the time in the US and noticed that it's only 6pm Sunday over there. Phoned the Customer Service number which santana gave above - it rang twice and was then answered by a real person! Less than a minute later I was on the challenge which started on 16th November. Of course I will phone back in a couple of days to check that it has been processed properly.

Thanks again to all who responded.

Alan.

It's such a refreshing change, isn't it - to get a real person at the other end of the line after two rings, instead of getting a menu! The agent was flabbergasted at the amount of flights I've got (am doing LONE4) - I'm guessing she hasn't spoken to any members of flyertalk forums yet!

I just checked checkmytrip.com, and it still only has my QFF #, and not my AA#. When I logon to aa.com, and enter my AA record locator (which I got from checkmytrip.com), it shows my flights, and my AA # is shown on my Passenger details section. I asked my travel agent about this and he said that AA doesn't use Amadeus which is used by checkmytrip.com, that's possibly why my AA# isn't showing up. My travel agent also said that he did not link my AA flights with my QFF#, he only linked my QF/BA/IY flights with my QFF#. That's the thing which checkmytrip.com, it doesn't show which FF# is linked to which flights. I guess I'll just double check during check in that they've got the correct FF# for that particular flight

IME, what your TA says is pretty much right. If you've asked AA to put your AA number in for your AA flights, it'll basically be done locally (to AA) and won't get queued back to Amadeus. I don't think it's necessarily a question of whether the airline concerned uses Amadeus, because even if you ask BA to do the same sort of thing, or to change a seat allocation, they sometimes just do it locally (to BA) so that it doesn't get queued back to the Amadeus record that is accessed by checkmytrip - even though the BA res system is now hosted by Amadeus.

Checking the BP on check-in is the best defence.

Just a quick update. Everything went as planned, somewhat to my surprise. In one day and just three discount WHY flights (although H class, not deep discount) I went from having no points in AAdvantage to being second top tier! Now as a Platinum I get a 100% bonus for each mile earned.

I'll have to do the sums, but AAdvantage is starting to look rather more attractive than QF FF. Maybe that's what QF wants - fly on our aircraft (we get the money), but credit your miles to a partner's FF scheme (they get the FF liability).

Alan.

And as a QP Lifer you still get access to the AA lounges on USA domestic flights. So not a bad deal in all.