chrisb

I currently have a booking with a QFF number in it. Does anyone know whether it's valid for me to waitlist for a QFF international upgrade, and then change the FF number in the booking to an AA number?

I assume it should be - Purely because it's legal for me to waitlist another person's flight for an upgrade, and those points could be going anywhere..

BTW: AA Plat Challenge starting 16/6/05, PER-SYD-LAX / LAS-LAX-MEL-PER all booked in Economy (H). Woohoo - Thanks Flyertalk

Thanks,

Chrisb.

PS. Yes, I realise as a QFPS, the chance of me getting an upgrade on SYD-LAX is near zero, but I have to try...

NM

I can't why you cannot do that, expect that it can be difficult to remove the FF number and swap with a new one. It has to be done correctly. But since the waitlist is not suppoosed to be processed until the day of the flight, you will need to do the FF number change at checkin, so ask at the beginning of the process since it may be harder to do it after you have been checked in.

Also note that your travel may then be seen by AA as being in U or Z class, which their systems may consider to be award bookings, so they may not automatically credit you the miles and EQPs needed for your AA Plat Challenge. With the changes for interntional uprades, I don't know what class successful upgradees will be showing? You may be lucky and actually get J or F points for it from AA? No experience with this yet.

chrisb

Since it's 2 weeks away, and frankly, the Plat Challenge is more important than the upgrade, I was planning to waitlist once it's ticketed (This week sometime) and then get the TA to change the FF number - At least a week prior to travel.

Yes, it's probably asking for trouble.

BTW: I assume it's no problem making use of my (limited) QFPS / AA Plat(in the future) benefits when assigning points to the other carrier? I assume showing the card will do?

ie: The computer will show me as a AA Nothing trying to checkin to economy at the business class line... or once also an AAPlat, a QFPS trying to get into the QP.

NM

I don't know exactly how the system works, but it is quite possible that removing the QF FF number will also adjust the waitlist priority. Then again, you could always have the booking made with your AA number, then call QF and ask to use your points to waitlist a relative for an upgarde. Surely you are your own relative! The surname will match between the booking and your FF account.
Make sure you carry your relevant cards/credentials to present if questioned. Access to the lounge will certainly require you to show your card if it is different to what is printed on the BP.

chrisb

Thanks NM - I assume your status as an "AA Cardboard" is the same as mine - A holder of one of the paper printouts the website gives you, and not much else?

Chrisb.

NM

I did receive a card from AA, but it is just a glossy piece of cardboard! I have about 8000 miles in my AA account, but have not yet actually credited any flown miles to them, just a few promotional miles for various things. I may take the Plat challenge once I reach QF LT Gold later this year.

chrisb

How long did the card take to arrive?

If you're QF LT Gold, why bother with the Plat Challenge?

NM

I can't remember how long it took. It was a few years back now. Possibly a month or two.

I am not quite LTG yet. I will be about 300 SCs short at the end of June, so won't make it until my next trip.

Once I get there, I will consider using AA for miles acrual due to their much more attractive earing and burning rates. At my current rates I would make and retain AA EXP and their upgrade policy is oh so much more attractive for US domestic flights. It will also give me a J->F upgrade option for tarns-Atlantic flights where I currently use BA in J.

number_6

I don't know QF policy on switching FF plans after an upgrade, but AA prohibits doing this -- if you remove the AAdvantage number from the booking the upgrade automatically goes away (and you are left with the worst possible seat in the lower cabin, as any seat assignment was released when the upgrade cleared and taken by someone else).

chrisb

Thanks number_6. I think you just found the worst possible outcome

The QF computer already hates me - For some reason it allocated me 35J (Middle) on SYD-LAX, even though I have Aisle in my QF Preference. I got the TA to change it, and i'm now 66C. Better.

BTW: I currently have 25H on LAX-MEL. All 744 layouts I could find had 25H in business except one - And in that 25H was the first row of economy behind the business cabin. Any comments on this seat, when it's in economy?

yellow77

Slightly different but related: I've had difficulty getting the OW sapphire (AA Plat) benefits (early boarding and the like) from AA when flying on a QF award on AA. The AA system refuses to accept an AAdvantage number on such a booking. It will show it on the boarding pass but still show you as boarding with 'group 6' rather than 'Plat/Ex Plat'. Sometimes agents will let you board by showing the Plat card, but others have refused, claiming it should be on the boarding pass if you're actually entitled.

So I wouldn't take it for granted that you can get both QFPS and AA Plat benefits - you may have to settle for the ones associated with the carrier you're crediting to. (Doesn't apply to lounge access, for which the AA Plat card should be enough.)

NM

25H means this is QF104, sold and operated as 2-class service. I personally like the bulkhead rows in economy. However, I always prefer a D or G seats rather than C or H, just because it means there is less likely to be someone trying to climb out over me during the flight.

Do note that the bulkhead row seast are slightly narrower due to IFE screen being stored between the seats and the tray table being stored in the armrest, and the armrest cannot be lifted between the seats.

alect

I would have thought this was the easiest option:

My thoughts were there was nothing stopping you from making the booking with the AAdv number in it and then requesting the upgrade using QF UCs/miles. If a QF FF can request another pax to be upgraded, surely this applies equally to themselves booked with other than their QF FF#?

As to AAdv treatment of U/Z, it may sometimes cause problems. My own limited experience when i was travelling with mrs alect on her AAdv # MEL-LAX and I upgraded us with UCs to Z (cleared 4 weeks out). I got the correct QF miles for D, while she got AAdv miles for P - ie 50% COS bonus ^ ^ YMMV

paul4471

Being QF Plat but now turning my allegiance to AA I do the following:

Leave my QFF number in the system always - this ensures best seat allocation etc. Then when I get to the QP desk I ask the attendant to change to my AA number and ALWAYS insist they reprint the boarding pass with my AA number on it (try arguing missing points with AA if it has the QF number on it ). I also ask that they only change it for that particular leg of my itinerary (to ensure WP seat allocation priority remains for other legs). Intertestingly some agents can handle all of the above instantly and others look like they are seconds away from meltdown. I also find that sometimes the BP says "AAXXXXXX Platinum (oneworld Sapphire)" and other times it just says "AAXXXXXX" and nothing else - nonetheless in the last 6 months the points have always posted to my AA account within a week.

I have never lost a seat allocation in this process (ie had my seat re-assigned after check in). So using that logic if I was you I would leave your QF number in the booking and waitlist for the upgrade as usual (I agree with NM your more likely to get an upgrade when your doing it under QF than AA). Check in early still using QF number and then go to the QP and again enquire on the upgrade etc etc. If you get the upgrade through then wait till they have issued the BP then ask them to change it to AA number. If the upgrade doesn't come through then 5 minutes before your due to be called go to the desk and get the AA number inserted (and get a BP with the AA number on it).

Your PRN profile can contain more than one FF program number and you should make sure that every time you check in you get the AA number confirmed as the one in the system for that leg and it is printed on the BP. Actually now I think about it, if your upgrade doesn't come through then you might as well get them to delete any referecne to QFF in the booking.

Remember that AA Plat doesn't get you lounge access at the AA AC's. If you travel a lot in the US it is probably one of the few arguments for maintaining a Qantas club membership post 25 May whilst you are AA plat.

wandering_fred

In January I had an LONE4 segment SYD-ADL to be credited to my AA account. I used my last QF upgrade credit to sit in business.

AA received the notice of the flight as "U". I took me more than 2 months to determine that even though I sent ticket copies along with the boarding pass the week after the flight. I have since done this again with a specific note that the flight was paid "L" class and credited to AA as "U" (ie nothing)

I'm still waiting for it to post

WF