OW Ruby w/o Card
 

I know this is a newbie question, but I'm giving it a try.

I just hit AA gold over the new year (OW ruby), but my new card is sitting somewhere back in the States (I'm in SYD now), I'll be flying SYD-AKL, AKL-LAX, and LAX-BOS over the next 10 days on QF, and wondering if I can expect the gate/ticket counter people to give me a problem using the few perks I get (boarding, check-in, etc.). I'm new at this, so I don't really have a clue.

Thanks much.

If your AA number is in the system then you may be okay as QF will see (and print on your boarding pass) that you are OW Ruby.

Contact the airline with whom you fly more (AA?) and ask them for a printout of your status. They can do almost a certificiate that confirms status and you can use that to gain perks.

I was recently flying ZQN-AKL (all-Y config) and they announced preboarding of OW Sapphire's and Emeralds. I'm sapphire (AA Plt) but I forgot to give my FF # at check-in, and I don't have a card yet either, but the agent said to just go ahead. Those Kiwis are friendly! Probably didn't hurt that nobody else got up for preboarding...

But regardless of that experience, your Ruby status should show up on your boarding pass when they enter the FF information, as Kiwi Flyer said.

If you quote
 

them your FF number. It will show up. i didn't need to show my card when I was flying Y back to HKG in WLG.

It SHOULD work but not with all OW partners. My FF number showed up on an AY flight boarding pass (issued in HEL), but it said SG instead of WP. All other flights both before and after this one showed the correct status. Most curious, but it didn't matter in the end. Never queried it with check-in - too tired!

The status is stored when the FF number is entered. It is not refreshed if the level changes. So the fix is to delete the FF number and enter it again, this will then show the current level. But it usually doesn't matter so agents won't bother to do this (or will do it wrong when they do, as its not something they are familiar with). On QF flights the custom for elite pax is to board last, as overhead bin space isn't usually a problem and they'd rather spend time in the QP. Can't remember ever boarding a QF flight more than 10 minutes before departure time.

How does this work if you change status during a trip, for example on a RTW ? Does that mean you get nothing during the trip ? :confused:

Hate to be the voice of the chill wind of reality but most of the benefits of OW Ruby will be apparent before you even reach the airport: ie seating preference. Is there anything else given at Ruby level?

Business class check in access

Dave

I had a QF status change half way through a LHR-MIA-LHR on BA. I was pleasantly surprised when the return boarding pass automatically printed with my new status on, without anything more having been done by me or the check-in agent. (She and I were also further pleasantly surprised when this was immediately followed by two more boarding passes, for EK flights onto which I was interlining on a completely different ticket - the computer had picked up the booking and checked me in, just from the entry of the flights' details for the bag tag.)^ ^ ^ The single most important FF perk in the world, for economy class passengers.

Yeah, the business class check in is the biggest deal for me, especially for the LAX-BOS run (I've had too many bad LAX experiences).

J checkin is important
 

Hate waiting for people in a line in any Domestic/Int Airport in NZ now days.

Thanks much!

Got switched to bulkhead on the SYD-AKL run (and Qantas club check-in).
No real change on the AKL-LAX flight (but there was no line), and business class check-in on the LAX-BOS run.