windelberger

Hi there

I am a QF silver and a QC member (420 required to attain gold) who is about to undertake a great deal of high value travel in the next few months. I am due to fly AKL-SYD-LHR-Prague-LHR-SYD-AKL in (WT+ for the SYD-LHR return). One month following my return in AKL, I will be traveling AKL-LAX-BOS-LAX-AKL (H class for AKL-LAX return). Three months latter I will be repeating the AKL-SYD-LHR-SYD-AKL trip (again in WT+)

My dilema is this: by the end of my 1st LHR trip I will be about 20 points short of gold.......which I would then achieve on the first leg of the AKL-BOS trip.......but would I be better off using my LHR trip to achieve AA challange platinum and then use the boston trip for QF?

Ultimately my goal is to ensure OW emerald status in the quickest time, as the majority of travel I do is with either BA/QF/AA

I am really greatful for anyones help, or suggestions.........I am happy to list the exact flight details should anyone request

Thanks

number_6

It is relatively hard to get Emerald on AA -- it takes 100,000 miles or 66.6K miles in F/J/certain almost-full Y fares. It is only Sapphire that is easy to get with the 10K Platinum challenge. I haven't checked the QF SC earn rate on your fares (I presume it is fairly low), but I guess it would take less than 100K miles of travel on QF to reach Emerald. However, is status really the only consideration? There is considerable difference in the value of the miles earned in the course of this -- just compare what awards you could redeem a year from now on the QFF plan against the Aadvantage plan. Even if you don't reach Emerald status, you might be much better off with AA. But it all depends on what flights you want to redeem or upgrade (a lot of the AA Emerald benefits may not be worth much to you, for example free upgrades to F from any fare, even the lowest discounted fare, for AA flights within North America). There is almost no difference between Emerald and Sapphire status apart from standby priority (which of course might be quite significant); otherwise the lounges and check-in lines are not that much different.

windelberger

Thankyou

Being able to secure QF bonus flights is definately important to me, however I have found that being able to secure seats on SYD-LHR sectors to be very difficult.........but I suppose you are right........QF would be of a greater value to me day in day out.

In terms of upgrades though.....surely a emerald is more likely to achieve an upgrade than a saphire if a plane is not full...........or have the days of free upgrades vanished?

The reasons I usually travel WT+ is that it seems to me that I would be more likely to recieve an upgrade as compared to a discount economy pax. Is this correct?