Avianca Brazil Amigo status match

[Awesom Andy]

Happy to report another success story here. Haven't found a use for it just yet although it's valid till 2017, and booked an SQ flight for May. Seriously considering having it credited to SQ or VA and finish nailing up the QF coffin as my travel pattern changes.

 

[RooFlyer]

Happy to report another success story here. Haven't found a use for it just yet although it's valid till 2017, and booked an SQ flight for May. Seriously considering having it credited to SQ or VA and finish nailing up the QF coffin as my travel pattern changes.

Sorry, not following you. You've booked an SQ flight and are considering crediting to SQ or VA. What's the connection to Avianca Brazil Amigo?

 

[Awesom Andy]

I'm currently QF WP mostly flying international on OW, but my future travel patterns will reduce, and become mostly domestic, with the occasional flights to SIN. At this point, the VA program may be more suitable for my needs, and having the status match means I can still have lounge access with SQ while I'm building up my VA status.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ah, OK. Actually that prompts me to ask about something I've noticed in this thread in particular.

A number of people are talking about using the O6 status for perks but crediting to SQ (or VA). Is this just the usual 'trick' of checking then entering the lounge using O6 status then getting them to change the FF program while you are there, or is there a different strategy - such as entering the SQ or VA FF number into the booking / check-in and then just waving the O6 card to get into a lounge?

 

[mitwg]

Ah, OK. Actually that prompts me to ask about something I've noticed in this thread in particular.

A number of people are talking about using the O6 status for perks but crediting to SQ (or VA). Is this just the usual 'trick' of checking then entering the lounge using O6 status then getting them to change the FF program while you are there, or is there a different strategy - such as entering the SQ or VA FF number into the booking / check-in and then just waving the O6 card to get into a lounge?

Having SQ's number in there and waiving the O6 card should definitely work, but generally speaking, this would only get you the lounge access and you wouldn't be recognised as *G elsewhere on the system.

The proper way to do this is to have both numbers in the booking:

FQTV: SQ number (where the points go to)
FQTS - 06 number (where the status is read from)

Sadly, not many agents know how to handle this properly so the easier way to do this is to check-in with the 06 number, then to switch over to the SQ number at the lounge as you mentioned.

 

[AussieTim]

Interesting, mine came through a few days ago valid until March 2018. Seems most are only getting 2017?

 

[RooFlyer]

Having SQ's number in there and waiving the O6 card should definitely work,

<snip>.

Thanks . I'm a 'veteran' of Air Canada Aeroplan (foolish, I know ... ) and I assure you the AC lounge dragons would most definitely NOT allow that caper (ie having a non status FF program on the BP when you enter). If its not on the BP, then they demand the card and change the FF number to the status program. (This experience is why I queried the situation.) No status card, no entry!

Interesting, mine came through a few days ago valid until March 2018. Seems most are only getting 2017?

It appeared to be 2017 until the start of this year, when 2018 expiry came in. So a delay was worth it

 

[mitwg]

Thanks . I'm a 'veteran' of Air Canada Aeroplan (foolish, I know ... ) and I assure you the AC lounge dragons would most definitely NOT allow that caper (ie having a non status FF program on the BP when you enter). If its not on the BP, then they demand the card and change the FF number to the status program. (This experience is why I queried the situation.) No status card, no entry!

I definitely agree that this can happen as it happened to be a fair few times as well.

But I've come to recently discover that Star Alliance official rules say otherwise. As long as you can show proof of your status (even if it isn't a card), there's no requirement for the *G to be on the boarding pass at all.

Understandably, rules are rules and there's then the situation where you'd have to fight the lounge staff to 'educate' them on the Star Alliance rules... This is something that I'd probably want to avoid personally.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

I went through this a few weeks back on both SK and TK (see earlier reports in this thread). I had great trouble trying to get SK staff to find the different FQTV/FQTS fields. I even tried to talk them through it over the phone, but they said FQTS didn't exist. Not a lot I could say to that. So I left SQ in there.

More recently on a TK flight, they changed it over at check-in (I had hoped simply to FQTS, not FQTV) and that made lounge access/boarding really easy, but sure enough, those 500 miles credited to O6. So annoying because I did make it clear at check-in I wanted the flight credited to SQ.

That said, you just carry around your print-out of the temporary card. It takes a few more seconds for staff to realise what they're looking at, but I'm yet to be turned away.

The lesson: whatever you do, don't let them change it on your BP. It will credit to O6. And the temporary card is more than enough, and well within *G access rules.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Sadly, not many agents know how to handle this properly so the easier way to do this is to check-in with the 06 number, then to switch over to the SQ number at the lounge as you mentioned.

This is a great tip. Just wish the FQTV/FQTS was easier to edit yourself. How good would it be if they put both fields into the front-end booking system.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks for those replies. I've just dropped from relatively high status to lower-than-pond-scum on Aeroplan and am going start using Krisflyer as my program-of-choice, so those tips will make the transition much smoother

 

[Awesom Andy]

This is a great tip. Just wish the FQTV/FQTS was easier to edit yourself. How good would it be if they put both fields into the front-end booking system.

That's probably the last thing they would want you to be able to do...

 

[hossein_au]

That's probably the last thing they would want you to be able to do...

Would anyone with GDS access can set these fields? Or it is only the airlines?

 

[hossein_au]

I definitely agree that this can happen as it happened to be a fair few times as well.

But I've come to recently discover that Star Alliance official rules say otherwise. As long as you can show proof of your status (even if it isn't a card), there's no requirement for the *G to be on the boarding pass at all.

Understandably, rules are rules and there's then the situation where you'd have to fight the lounge staff to 'educate' them on the Star Alliance rules... This is something that I'd probably want to avoid personally.

A bit off topic here, but a few months ago I had to "educate" BA check in staff at Hamburg airport that Qantas Emerald is a valid OneWorld status and Qantas has NOT left OneWorld!!

 

[24601]

First flights today on SAS using my new *Gold courtesty of Avianca.
The good:
-Recognised and printed on boarding pass: "Notes: 06 *Gold"
-Priority *Gold check in, security
-Lounge access in ARN and Gold/Diamond upstairs lounge at CPH. Normal J passengers have to stay downstairs, up is reserved for top tier SAS and *Gold. ARN is a nice lounge and CPH is excellent.
-Priority boarding, though that is available to anyone who pushes to the front, it is not policed.

The bad (not related to the status)
-ARN to CPH dlayed by 2 hours, missed connection
-Lost bag, full of nice warm winter clothes that would be handy right now. It seemed that several people from each SAS flight arriving at AAL had lost bags.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

First flights today on SAS using my new *Gold courtesty of Avianca.
The good:
-Recognised and printed on boarding pass: "Notes: 06 *Gold"
-Priority *Gold check in, security
-Lounge access in ARN and Gold/Diamond upstairs lounge at CPH. Normal J passengers have to stay downstairs, up is reserved for top tier SAS and *Gold. ARN is a nice lounge and CPH is excellent.
-Priority boarding, though that is available to anyone who pushes to the front, it is not policed.

The bad (not related to the status)
-ARN to CPH dlayed by 2 hours, missed connection
-Lost bag, full of nice warm winter clothes that would be handy right now. It seemed that several people from each SAS flight arriving at AAL had lost bags.

How great are their lounges! I was so impressed for domestic/Schengen.

Interesting you had a 'note' put on your BP, rather than in the FF field. Does that mean you credited elsewhere?

 

[Awesom Andy]

How great are their lounges! I was so impressed for domestic/Schengen.

I haven't been to them myself and also eagerly waiting for reports, however, from what I have heard, there are some ports where there are both J lounges and *G lounges. In such cases, the *G lounge would be almost always better than the J lounge. Although, do note that in SIN, this is the opposite - the *G lounge doesn't even have a toilet.

 

[24601]

How great are their lounges! I was so impressed for domestic/Schengen.

Interesting you had a 'note' put on your BP, rather than in the FF field. Does that mean you credited elsewhere?

I didn't credit elsewhere, though I should have. There is no FF field on the BP. Anyway, glad the status worked fine and that they only lost my bag. Apparently if you have less than *G they take your wallet too.

 

[gazzax2]

I got my status match from Velocity Gold come through - just have to put up with afew emails in Portuguese

 

[Foxxy]

Can anyone tell me how I go about getting my Avianca Brasil FF number (*A Gold) added to an SAA flight I have coming up. My booking is actually through Qantas, but they are using SAA for the JNB -> DUR leg of my trip from BNE. I wanted to add my newly acquired *A Gold number to the SAA booking. I have no idea how to achieve this?

Cheers,