zimstyles

For the longest time, I have flown One World Exclusively as far as is humanely possible. Status with Star Alliance has typically come from Status Matches but never really sticks. I dabbled with EY but then Covid happened at the time my home base JNB was no longer served by EY.

This weekend I did 4 sectors with EK, two in Flex Plus Economy and two in Flex Plus Business.
- EK has a wonderful economy product and I felt I got better rest than I would with QR (not sure if anyone else feels the same)
- EK has a great customer service channel and you can do pretty much anything over chat. QR on the other hand has one rule, HUCA.
- EK business is lack lustre to say the least (777). Sleep quality was poor, meal service takes ages, no lounge wear, lights stay on for what feels like an eternity.
- EK does things very differently like on take off, can we take your fruit juice and put it in a paper cup. Please put your Ipad away etc.


As a QR Gold, I can pivot to EK for business travel to get status but I am not sure how everyone else balances the two airlines. EK has one distinct advantage which is for me flying into DXB is a straight shot from pretty much anywhere, however on QR, I stop in Doha (which helps with tier points and mileage I think)

Is the collective here flying one airline exclusively as far as is possible or do you have 1 primary airline and a fall back. Just trying to figure out how to arrange my mileage year 2024/25

lost_in_translation

My main longhaul airlines are EK and QR. As you’ve identified, EK is superior in first and economy whilst QR is superior in business, therefore the question to me will be whether you mostly fly in economy or business or an equal mix of both as to where you should chase status. With QR, it’s also worth noting as a status passenger in economy you are very much a second class citizen compared to a cash business class passenger even with no status. Unless you use your QR status frequently on other OW airlines, EK status is arguably worth more as it gives you access to the exact same facilities as cash business and first passengers. EK status is definitely harder to earn, though.

zimstyles

Thank you for the comments -
So my work arrangement has the following travel policy
- Flights longer than 6 hours where you arrive and have a meeting are booked in business
- Flights where you arrive a day before are booked in Economy Fully Flexible but you are allowed to upgrade
- Wait time between connecting flights is more than 4 hours, I can fly business if there is a good reason and there was no alternative on the airline

So to answer your question pretty much 50-65% of my flights are business. The remaining flights are upgraded on my own dime via points or cash.

With QR, this works well for upgrades as I time my travel in such a way that either boosting avios from the previous flight gets me enough avios to upgrade to business if I arrive the day before. As a QR Gold I have pushed the needle and some may frown on this but I always ask for a few things
- I book the first row of seats
- I ask for a pillow and a blanket
- I ask to be let of the plane with business class passengers (yes I know probably annoying and not great, but the purser asks is there anything I can do, and that's what I ask for)
- I use the lounge in Doha QR Platinum / Gold and I am quite ok with it. If my layover is longer, I am typically in business and I have on occasion used Al Safwa.

Back to EK -
My main worries are for example when I fly from MRS to JNB
I get MRS-MAD-DOH-JNB which I believe helps with getting a few extra points for status.
If I go EK, MRS-FRA-DXB-JNB but I am not sure if MRS-FRA counts for anything at all in the world of status.

Either way thanks for the insights.

Dr. HFH

Why would anyone frown on this? There's nothing wrong with asking, ever, whether it's your list of asks, or to switch seats. You ask politely and understand that sometimes the answer is going to be No, but never anything wrong with asking.

zimstyles

Thanks for this, I have always felt to a degree asking to de-plane with a class you did not fly in may be a gray area.

Greenpen

I think the push back to early disembarkation would happen if and when J passengers began to moan about being held back by Ys. A single Y would be assumed to be some sort of short connection but a host of them would become annoying.

Not queuing is a real benefit to status and class entitled passengers and takes much frustration out of flying.

For example, I get very annoyed when a problem Y check in gets transferred over to the empty J desk a few moments before I join the queue. It makes sense to the check in staff as it keeps the lengthy Y queue moving but then causes a problem in J as few seconds later.