AA Advantage or Qantas?

[Aubergine]

Hello,

I need to choose a Oneworld frequent flyer program, and am looking for advice.

I will be moving to Australia, so Qantas would seem the natural choice. However, a friend told me that AA Advantage may be a better plan. What's your advice?

So far this year I have an economy London Melbourne return flight to book (21,000 miles). This year I would not be flying a lot more on Oneworld, but in future years I would expect to fly around 50,000 miles per year, mostly in economy. In particular, I would be in both the US and Europe at least once a year.

Thanks!

P.S. I have miles on BA's program, but I don't want to continue with them - it's a really bad program. I would be interested though if there is any way to transfer miles to another Oneworld program.

 

[serfty]

See the thread on AAdvantage Platinum challenges in the AAdvantage forum.

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[NM]

It really depends on the type of flying and non-flying earning you expect to be doing.

QFF is easier to gain higher levels of status if regularly flying in premium cabins (J or F). QFF is also better if you use the cheapest sale fares as some of the really cheap QF fares do not credit to AAdvantage. However, if you regularly use flexible fares, especially fully flexible economy B/Y fares for international flights, then AAdvantage can be better.

QFF is best for earning through credit cards in Australia. There are limited opportunities to launder credit card points to AAdvantage for Aussies - Diners and Amex via SPG are about the only options).

But when it comes to burning points, AAdvanage can be significantly better value especially for long-haul premium cabin awards.

 

[kempvet]

as NM said, It really depends on the type of flying (flexible with fares and time - when and for how long) and non-flying earning you expect to be doing. I would at least entertain the idea of serfty and do the AA Platinum challenge. Going to the US and Europe from AUS? maybe consider going to Europe through LAX and book all international travel on AA, often you will find that the fares will be cheaper and as AA Platinum you get double miles at least when booked through AA.

Your future travel sounds a little like where I will be in the next few weeks, I am not far off AA Ex Platinum and being QF Platinum already I hope to really be in a situation where I can compare apples with apples QF compared to AA. I get the feeling that AA is a better FF program when miles only and not credit cards are taken into account.

From a personal point of view, status on AA is taken more seriously than on QF. If you book your international flights through AA (through LAX) you should come close to the 50,000 qualifying miles needed to maintain AA Platinum. With double miles that is a lot of awards in both economy and business which can be reclaimed flying domestic in both AUS and NZ, Broome to Christchurch only 17,000 AA miles or something like that for J business class. Also LAX to Helsinki only 50,000 AA miles (off peak) in business while 92,000 miles with QF.

Bottom line - there is a lot of homework for you to do on this issue, and hope that they don't change the goal posts too often.

 

[scheps]

ummm, i am the opposite, i am trying to decide if its worth staying on QF or go to AA as i will be in the states for 1.5 years from next year sometime....... Life was never this complicated before i came to this forum

Actually just realised, AA platinum = QF gold = OW sapphire according to the sticky.... mmmmm

 

[simongr]

Will you have any QF flights whilst you are in the US? If not then expect to see your status drop like the proverbial heavy and aerodynamic thing that drops quite quickly.

 

[scheps]

you mean the 4 flights or not clocking up SCs?

SCs: Will be able to get that from F on AA
4 flights: Should be coming back to australia at least once a year therefore 4 sectors to brisbane (make sure i go past sydney).

 

[serfty]

ummm, i am the opposite, i am trying to decide if its worth staying on QF or go to AA as i will be in the states for 1.5 years from next year sometime....... Life was never this complicated before i came to this forum

Actually just realised, AA platinum = QF gold = OW sapphire according to the sticky.... mmmmm

It depends a lot on how much flying with the USA you would expect to do.

EXP has defined benefits beyond that of a QF WP when flying AA.

 

[kempvet]

Agree with Serfty, In my experience both AA Plat and EXP have benefits well beyond QF WP and gold, for example double AA miles start at AA Plat, and in addition even the deepest discount fares on BA still gives 100% AA miles when claimed through AA FF number.

British Airways

while QF you only get 25% QF miles when traveling deep discount on BA with QF FF number

Frequent Flyer - Earning Points - Fly - Airline Partners


I received an email today, some American credit cards are offering 10,000 elite qualifying miles if you spend about $40,000 a year on the card through Citibank. Maybe not practical for Aussies but still illustrates how far AA is ahead of QF with respect to FF program. AA has a few minor hidden charges on mileage transfers and purchases.

And QF has no Gold (sapphire) challenge whereas AA has the Platinum (sapphire) challenge

In short, best to do your homework in advance, going anywhere near the US consider AA, going to the US and also Europe, definitely consider AA and also using AUS-LAX-LHR as a route with AA.

Probably one disadvantage with AA EXP is that it is harder to get than QF WP, basically AA EXP is BIS flying with no QF SC AA run shortcuts

 

[drron]

A few years ago I would have no hesitation in saying Aadvantage.Now though it really depends on your flying and what you want from your points/miles.
If you want to redeem for premium cabins then AA has a clear advantage(no pun intended).As a mere Aadvantage plat I get access to QF awards that my wife as QFF plat cant get without asking for extra award seats to be released-but my awards have been to or from Asia.If you want awards to the USA then QF is better if you can reach top tier-mrsdrron is with QFF because she can easily maintain her status on QF whereas I with a couple of extra trips can't get to EXP.
And of course using Aussie CCs it is much easier to be with QFF for points transfer though as has been said you can use DC or Amex to do so.If however you are from the US and have an American CC the picture changes.

 

[altaskier]

I know this is a bit of an old thread.. but I am AA EXP through 2014, and PLT for life. I am considering a move to Oz for 5-10 years, and expect to fly internationally from Oz 4-6 times per year, probably just in paid Y. If I were to be based in Oz, should I stick with AA or switch to QF for my frequent flyer program?

 

[serfty]

Welcome to AFF

In general my advice would be to stick to AAdvantage as the miles earn/burn tends to be far better than Qantas FF.

The only caveat on that would be in relation to your oneworld Emerald status - QF WP is generally not as difficult to earn when based on Oz than is EXP. (Especially with the ability to travel on discounted First Class fares during on the likely regular occasions you are back in the USA.)

 

[kempvet]

I know this is a bit of an old thread.. but I am AA EXP through 2014, and PLT for life. I am considering a move to Oz for 5-10 years, and expect to fly internationally from Oz 4-6 times per year, probably just in paid Y. If I were to be based in Oz, should I stick with AA or switch to QF for my frequent flyer program?

One of the disadvantages you may have is using the 8 free system wide upgrades on AA metal, they can not be used ex Australia as there is no AA metal, I get around this using AA points for J to Asia and then use the upgrades to the US from Asia, adds a few hours to the flights but a cheap way of flying J most of the time. So if I was going SYD-LHR I would probably do AA points in J to PVG and then PVG-LAX-LHR upgraded on AA metal in J for close to the same price as Y QF SYD-LHR