AA vs. QFF

[calgarychris]

Hi,

I'm currently sitting on 340 status credits, with my anniversary date May 31st. I have MEL-AKL one way in economy (JQ return), MEL-SYD (one way) and MEL-xSYD-HON (one way) in S before May 31st and possibly one other MEL-SYD trip at some point. Sadly I don't think I'm going to make SG

I'm seeking opinions - if people know they aren't going to make the next tier, would I be better to put some points into AA or Avios, given the decent awards you can get in Oz, or should I simply bank the QFF points? I don't have much opportunity to acquire AA/BA points, unless I sacrifice my QF flights (although I can potentially pick up 1,500 AA/BA when I stay at the Langham next week).

Opinions - am I crazy to contemplate putting some points in AA? Edit: Also, if I've assigned my QFF number to a flight, can it be changed at check in as it doesn't appear to allow it via Qantas website...

Thanks

 

[juddles]

There are so many factors, schemes, etc. All too hard. I decided to chase QF LTG, and then settle in to having fun mixing and matching.

So what I am saying is that if you intend on a lifetime of travel, focus on QF LTG - it should be the anchor of everything else. And even if you do not achieve a certain status in a given year, all those points count!

 

[calgarychris]

Hmm, I hadn't considered LTG - I'm so far from it (I've only lived in Australia 6 years) I don't think about it! I think I have 800 SC in total

Thanks for the reply…still on the fence as my potential MEL-TSV trip could be done in AA (too bad I can't buy the AA miles on sale, sigh, stupid 30 day rule!)

 

[moa999]

AA program is no longer what it was

 

[drewbles]

AA program is no longer what it was

It's still a long long way in front of QF in terms of burn and cash payment ratios. Earning in Australia is obviously tougher, but there are opportunities to earn 1.5 points per dollar on certain credit cards in certain locations, but it is limited.

I wish people would stop beating up the AA devaluation so badly. Yes, it's devalued but it's still miles (ha!) ahead of DL, UA, or most other airlines for that matter.

 

[calgarychris]

Well ultimately I split the difference - the airfare went to QFF and the hotel to AA. I guess time will tell, but assuming AA do another promo on points, I can see myself flying QF somewhere in Oz that's a little bit pricier than SYD-MEL...

 

[casanovawa]

It tends to be more difficult to reach status if you split between different programs... Especially as AA and QF are in the same alliance and getting one lot of status would get shared reciprocal benefits... It might be more understandable if one was OW and the other *A...

You really need to work out what you want to achieve, for years i had zero status on everyone and just through using credit cards for points and sign ups, buying miles during good bonus promos (not so readily available now with A$ down against US$ etc) i was able to fly nearly all of my long haul flights on awards in J and so got nearly all the benefits of status such as lounge acces, priority checkin/boarding, extra luggage etc...

I managed to work myself into an AA challenge i wasn't really eligible for last year and got AA Explat reasonbaly cheaply... So with 8 System Wide Upgrades (which to me seemed a big benefit at least for flying AA with nearly free upgrades from Y to J) and the miles i earned from a few flights, plus heaps of miles I'd bought in the old USDM program that transferred over it was looking quite good... Then AA devalued their program... I used most of the 400k or so AA miles to book several First class flights this year....

I am still open to whether i might try to get some status with them... Another AA return flight to the US on top of my earlier January one should have me pretty close to AA Platinum (QF Gold) which might be sufficient for me, I might also try to leverage my current status with a few status matches... Yes there is still some value probably in AA although the increase in redemption rates, the drop from 8 to 4 SWUs for Ex Plat and the shortly to come reduction in earning miles based more on a cost of ticket basis rather than a distance basis (when i am strictly a value based flyer) really has put me offf side...

QF, well its taxes and surhcarges are much worse than AA, but the earning opporunities from card sign ups and general spend is much easier to earn the points and you have the options of earning on flighs to the US and to Europe and domestically...

Through several credit card sign ups I now have about 350k Virgin points which will be good for some redemptions as well as although their network isn't as large as QF's, their taxes and surcharges are much lower...

So most, if not all of my miles/points, have come from non Bum in seat options, I haven't rated status highly as i find its nice to have but not up for spending thousands of dollars to fly to no where to earn/retain it when that eats out of my actual travel budget to go see the things i want to do... Not having status also allows me to go to wherever the best valu is, whether that is One World, * Alliance or Virgin...

Like you I am so far from QF life time gold it doesn't even really come into the equation.....

So you have to think about what makes your travel plans tick i guess to come up with what is the best strategy for you???