Actually, this one is an employee of mine who is gong over to visit his daughter in UK. In fact, Dave Noble you've even met her (in Shakespeare Inn, Dave!)

His Itinerary is:

Friday, 11 June 2004 (BNE/SIN/LHR)
QF51 Dep BNE 2.15pm Arr SIN 7.50pm (744-300) - Seat 36H, connecting to

QF 9 Dep SIN 10.50pm Arr LHR 5.25am+1 (747-400) - Seat 40G

Saturday, 10 July 2004 (LHR/SIN/BNE)
QF10 Dep LHR 10.05pm Arr SIN 5.55pm+1 (747-400) - Seat 40H, connecting to

QF52 Dep SIN 9.20pm Arr BNE 6.25am+1 (744-300) - Seat 36H

I believe it's a V class fare ($2,399 +$151.05 taxes).

As he's going to visit daughter, not interested in side-trips (as much as I was trying to suggest it for extra FFP's).

Seating is pretty much OK as he'll need to be close to toilets (heh, he's 60...). Only 2 seats showing available on Check my Trip for the QF10 flight.

Has already been ticketed. He is a humble QFF Bronze member and he'd remain thus if he added his QF number to the booking. He doesn't have a heap of points in his QFF account, so I am looking to recommend to him that he do the AA Plat Challenge (just to get the status on the way back and extra FF points )

Is there anything that I have missed that other more experienced FT'ers can advise??

Just remember that he can only do the AA Lack-of-Challenge once. So if he is not going to be able to retain status next year, he only benefits from it this year. If he can only make AA Gold challenge then I can see much point. If he can get to AA Plat (OneWorld Saphire) then he can get QP access for the remainder of this year and for his next year (depends on what month joined etc).

The down side is that he will now have points isolated in two programs. Once you isolate points, the benefits of any status bonus might be quickly lost.

If he is unlikely to travel in the US, then any AA upgrade benefits are likely to be useless for him, while QF points can be used for rewards or upgrades on QF flights.

Yes, knew about the once only option. Well, it seems that his daughter is a long term UK resident (been there 7 years now, I think). He and his wife may visit her again (daughter visits every 2nd year).

He would have the benefit of using AA Plat status (he goes to MKY and CNS to visit family/friends).

He will only be joining today/tomorrow, with flights in 3 months (will put him in for both Gold and Plat Challenges at same time, commencing 1 June 2004).

True and probably the one point that I am torn between accepting. However, the bonus points in AA (plus the additional bonus points from time to time), will probably benefit him to a greater extent in the next year. He will get no bonus points in QF and will remain NB forever (and not ever likely to be QP member). AA Plat gets him status at least for a while, so on his domestic sectors he and wife can enter the hallowed QP.

Will trade them in for additional points initially (1,000 points each, aren't they). He would never buy B, H or Y fares and very unlikely to travel to USA to be able to use the post 1/1/04 upgradeability . My initial thought is that he will use them for Aust Dom travel...

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited Mar 14, 2004).]

You can do the "lets all be Platinum" unchallenge more than once. You cannot use it to get back status just lost however

The upgrades can be converted at 4 upgrades = 2000 points

Don't sign up for both challenges. It has no benefit to him and may be baneful. SYD-LHR or MEL-LHR will complete the Platinum challenge on its own and he will get the 100% bonus for it too. Sign up for both and he may only get Gold from the flight to Oz and still need another 5000 points to complete the Platinum challenge. You are risking getting less points for nothing

Dave

Thanks Dave, thought you would post here. You now get a second from me

2K points will be more use to him than upgrades that he won't use and thus probably only lose.

OK, from what you said, best to simply load him up to AA membership and then ring AA SYD to get him Plat Unchallenged.

Dave, note that he is not taking the same flight through to LHR - he is taking BNE/SIN, change flights to SIN/LHR (and same on return), thus I know it is not as beneficial towards Challenge as direct flight but nothing I can do.

Sorry, I think you are confused in the bold type above - he is flying from OZ first. By my calculations (using the AAdv QF Points Table 2004), he will get Mileage at 0.5 (due to V fare), QPoints however still at 1.0.

Flight To/From Flown AA Miles Q-Points
QF 51 BNE/SIN 3,814 1,907 3,814
QF 9 SIN/LHR 6,772 3,386 6,772

So at this point, he should be Plat according to my calcs...as 10K Q-Points needed for Plat. Bonus miles on QF9 (for sector reaching Plat) are 3,386 (thus total FF points are 8,679 at this point)

With the reverse flights, the only difference I can see is the Plat bonus for FF points added on top.

(Please correct me if my calcs are wrong!!)

But this way, he will end up with significantly more points towards future use than under the QF scheme (where he has insufficient points to even get an upgrade). Yes, he can only spend on Award QF flights (through the AA award seat bucket, probably not as big as thre QFF Award bucket) and not Upgrades, but this doesn't worry him. He'd be happy to get anywhere for free!

At least he will have a chance to use the outbound BA Lounge/QP in LHR and SIN (but given his 3 hour layover there, I think it will be better for him than out with the masses of unwashed).

(changed to delete attempt to insert AA web address for QF Flight Table post 1/1/04, it just doesn't fit!)

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited Mar 15, 2004).]

"Sorry, I think you are confused in the bold type above - he is flying from OZ first. By my calculations (using the AAdv QF Points Table 2004), he will get Mileage at 0.5 (due to V fare), QPoints however still at 1.0."

Flight To/From Flown AA Miles Q-Points
QF 51 BNE/SIN 3,814 1,907 3,814
QF 9 SIN/LHR 6,772 3,386 6,772

So at this point, he should be Plat according to my calcs...as 10K Q-Points needed for Plat. Bonus miles on QF9 (for sector reaching Plat) are 3,386 (thus total FF points are 8,679 at this point)"

I used To Oz when I meant From Oz. Your calcs look correct to me. If you sign him up for both challenges it may require consecutive completion ( ie 15k to get platinum rather than 10). There would be no benefit in signing him up for Gold Challenge, just risks


Dave

This is interesting...

I'll be doing a trip in June to Europe too.

I'll be flying:
DPO-MEL on QFlink
MEL-HKG on CX
HKG-ZRH on LX
ZRH-AMS on LX

and the same return.

Will I be able to do the Platinum Challenge too. I don't know if Swiss will be in Oneworld by June, does this matter?

Would be good to get into the Qantas Club for my domestic trips this year.

"Will I be able to do the Platinum Challenge too."

You can do the lack of challenge...however

(a) If travelling in economy on CX, anything less than H class earns zero miles and points

(b) until LX joins OW, then you earn miles but no points, so will not help towards the lack of challenge

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited Mar 15, 2004).]

Dave/QF WP,

At risk of this becoming a Q&A on AA Platnium/Gold Challenges...

I am travelling to CDG and return via QF/BA in N class next month - on the way home I am on BA 17 LHR-MEL, under the new QF FF rules i will only receive 25% points and was thinking of looking at other programs to drop these points and earn SC's. If i joined AA FF program, would I get more than 25% points & what OW level would I achieve? Fyi, currently WP, but unlikely to maintain by the time my membership expires in Nov.

Jackit, send me an email and I'll give you the QF and BA 2004 earning tables - but I fear it's pretty much the same (25%) for BA N flight earning in AA program.

"I am travelling to CDG and return via QF/BA in N class next month - on the way home I am on BA 17 LHR-MEL, under the new QF FF rules i will only receive 25% points and was thinking of looking at other programs to drop these points and earn SC's."

If you can do it, I would suggest changing it to be booked on the QF codeshare number. That way you will get 100% miles plus 100% WP bonus rather than 25% + 25% into a QF account

If crediting to AA, you would be able to achieve Platinum status ( OW Sapphire ) from the round trip. If booked on BA flight #, you will get 25% miles outbound plus 25% + 25% platinum bonus on the inbound ( i.e. the bonus is 100% of the earned 25% ) ( approx 2500 + 7500 = 10000). If you were able to change to a QF flight # your earning would be doubled

Dave

Jackit, YGM

Dave's points are, of course, spot on...why get 25% when you can get 100% + bonuses (as you'll actually qualify for AA Plat Challenge with his solution) - now he's a General on FT's Qantas Forum

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited Mar 15, 2004).]

Thanks for the response <b>Dave</b>

I thought that it would be the case. I'll just park my miles into my QF account, maybe one day I'll have enought to do something with them.

From memory I think the CX flights are in L class. Will this earn me any points?

Thanks

Jackit, YGMM

Under AA program post 1/1/04, no mileage but 0.5 Q-Points towards Elite Qualification

Under QF program T&C's, see Section 9.3.1:

Fares and routes listed are those which are not eligible for earning Points unless otherwise specified:

Cathay Pacific: Codeshare or joint venture flights operated by airlines other than oneworld Alliance Airlines. Discounted fares booked in G, V, N, O, Q, X, T, E, Z, U, R and P class.

Perhaps you'd be better to put them into AsiaMiles??