How much more valuable is an AA mile versus a QF point?

[Supersonic Swinger]

I know which I prefer.
So when mrsdrron gets to LTG she will credit to AA and our QF accounts merely to collect CC points or the occasionally domestic flights that wont credit to AA.

I'm already crediting non-QF OW flights to AA because the earning is so much better than on QF (other than a few exceptions such as some CX economy fare classes). If i ever make it to QF LTG, it'll only because of the QF flights I've been crediting to it.

 

[serfty]

I did a MEL-LHR return in First on AAdvantage. I won't mention the +++ differential, but will note the same trip booked using QFF will cost 384,000 points. (FWIW, economy is 50,000 miles on AA or 128,000 QFF points)

Doesn't SYD-LHR in F fall into the "9,601-15,000" bucket, in which case it would be 384,000 QFF points? Plus an economy fare worth of fees and taxes?

Yes - and economy is 90K AAdvantage miles return, not 50K - that was a typo.

 

[burmans]

LOL. Wouldn't that depend entirely on how one earns the points?

No, value and cost are different things.

 

[NM]

I have never purchased AA miles, so all mine are earned from flying or credit card laundering from Amex to SPG to AAdvantage.

My redemptions are mostly long-haul international and whatever cabin I can get for the number of pax traveling, so that often mean economy but sometimes J if I can find the availability.

My QFF redemptions are only long-haul international upgrades from paid economy to business class for the last 5 or 6 years.

So its really difficult to quantify value comparison since its not apples v apples.

But if I compare what my AAdvantage redemptions would have cost in QFF points, including $$$ co-payments for fuel fines and taxes, then I its at least 2:1 in favour of AA miles.

 

[drron]

But I book through QF with my Aadvantage number in the booking so no cost difference domestically in Australia.

 

[JohnK]

Earn/Burn is an interesting thing.

This thread is more about the Burn - i.e. If you have 200K QFF point and 200K AAdvantage points which have the best value redemptions?

Although interesting, and since you are generally using E class when you book on you domestic Qantas, E class earning is important. However, E class has nothing to do with Burn and hence little to do with this thread. (On the same Off Topic vein, with my own situation these days I rarely travel on QF for domestic journies as VA is generally cheaper. Being WP in both I have a choice and I do value a Velocity point more than a Qantas point [maybe at 150% - but that's still off topic].)

Sorry serfty but this thread was discussing earn/burn well before I posted.

By the way I don't disagree with you regarding value but there are many factors involved and no one size fits all.

 

[ketsuzei]

If given a choice between 100,000 QFF points and xx_ AA miles, how large would xx_ have to be to make you opt for the AA miles?

It's really not that difficult a concept, and has nothing to do with what those miles cost originally or the relative worth of the programs in their entirety.

It's not so much "restricting the conversation" as trying to cut out irrelevant noise, futile though that may be.

 

[amaroo]

If given a choice between 100,000 QFF points and xx_ AA miles, how large would xx_ have to be to make you opt for the AA miles?

It's really not that difficult a concept, and has nothing to do with what those miles cost originally or the relative worth of the programs in their entirety.

It's not so much "restricting the conversation" as trying to cut out irrelevant noise, futile though that may be.

Futile, irrelevant Why be so precious? Plenty examples posted detailing how QF can be better value than AA.

Balance view is never noise....

 

[serfty]

I can't see how you can discuss value between two programs without comparing the cost

For some AA is a clear winner....for others it's worthless. Restricting the conversation to one view is counterproductive in regards to the question asked by the OP.

As I posted ... earn ... burn. (Here 'burn' is really a metaphor for 'spend' that rhymes with 'earn'.)

Try to title this thread: "How much more value is an AA mile versus a QF point to earn?".

Doesn't make sense to me.

Try this: "How much more value is an AA mile versus a QF point to 'burn'?".

If you want to refer to 'cost', I was a proponent of QFF over AAdvantage around ten years ago - I considered a platinum challenge, but decided as a WP earning 1000 points minimum per flight QFF was better for me than the earn would be as a AA Plat/EXP.

Things have changed - it's now 800 points minimum with QFF and the burn costs for international trips are becoming horrendous. (See $1080 YQ referred to earlier.)

Lets forget international redemptions for a bit. AAdvantage reward one-way business class bookings within Australia cost 17,500 miles.

MEL-PER +++ is USD14 , MEL-SYD is USD13, both cost 17,500 miles.

To contrast QFF is AUD35 & 36,000 and AUD32 & 16000 respectively.

So, if you can't garner AA points then you may find yourself stuck with QFF, or perhaps as I have done, move my domestic travel mainly to VA.

To be honest, 2 for 1 is being generous to QFF IMHO; up until July 1 it was not so - but we are 29 days into what really is a massive devaluation of QFF.

(I burned all the QFF points I could garner (over 200K) in the six weeks leading up to this month, ending June with a balance of under 5k. It now over 20K due mainly to Chauffer Drive cancellations.

FWIW, I do not have a single QF flight booked in the second half of this year. That's the longest break on QF flights since I began flying them regularly in 1994 (that's with over 1000 QF flights).

 

[amaroo]

............

Try to title this thread: "How much more value is an AA mile versus a QF point to earn?".

Doesn't make sense to me.

Try this: "How much more value is an AA mile versus a QF point to 'burn'?".

Maybe the thread needs to be titled - How much better is an AA mile (earned via flying) versus a QF point?

If both were earned via CC (assuming this is how the OP earned them - given, it's Cove...a decent assumption) AA loses its appeal pretty quickly....unless you've got a LOTFAP CC to supersize the dividend

 

[ketsuzei]

So what you are saying is (snip)

<redacted>

I am completely agnostic vis-a-vis QFF or AA, and use whichever suits me. But I do it with an understanding of the numbers.

 

[knasty]

Pity ATO induced bounties don't work for this equation....BTW happy to be corrected if I've got this part wrong! (not interested in 0.5P/$)

IIRC the challenge is a once only affair.....after the initial sugar hit - you're going to have maintain it the hard way. There is also the 4 x AA flights a year to take into consideration.

I'm on my second challenge. Only requirement is to have lost it before you enrol again. Even with the 'new' 4 sector requirement it works for me. Lounge access and double miles for ~$250p.a. Sold!

 

[amaroo]

......

It has been noted that everyone's circumstance is different - so YMMV, especially when it come to earn.

Indeed.

Another negative for AA is the cost of transferring points between accounts. No issue for singles, however for couples/families the cost @ USD$20/1,000 was a major turn-off. Over the past 6 months I've transferred >1,000,000 QFFP between 5 accounts......AA would slug me >USD$20,000 :shock:

 

[JohnK]

However the fact does not change that with 160,000 AA points one can generally go a lot further, more comfortably and for less expense than with 160,000 QFF points (or even 35K).

So for me 50% more value referred to in the OP is lowballing it somewhat.

Agreed but you are not comparing like for like.

What is more valuable? An ounce of tin or an ounce of Gold?

 

[cove]

We definitely have quite a range of ideas in this thread and there is no one shoe fits all. I am reading every post to see what could apply to our family. I knew that the value and availability has worked well for us but this started for me in how to cut across to London from Los Angeles in style and then realizing it is so much more.
AFF has been really helpful that's for sure so thanks for the ideas so far.

 

[drron]

So Cove did you get the CC with 100000 miles for signing up?
If so you have really answered your own question-must be miles ahead of any QF earning card.

In my situation I get more "free" AA miles than QF miles.Hotels,rental cars,dining in the US and some shopping.It helps that my primary hotel loyalty is SPG.With the promos and bonuses I will probably rack up 120000 SPG points this year which will get me 165000 AA miles-already transferred 60000 this month.

My Amex and DC are now used to get SQ miles so that one day I will savour the Cove and Cruiser elite experience of a SQ suite.

 

[straitman]

Indeed.

Another negative for AA is the cost of transferring points between accounts. No issue for singles, however for couples/families the cost @ USD$20/1,000 was a major turn-off. Over the past 6 months I've transferred >1,000,000 QFFP between 5 accounts......AA would slug me >USD$20,000 :shock:

Yes a down side but easily sorted with a bit of planning. All AA award tickets are one way so rather than booking a return for two you book one way for two out of each account.

 

[amaroo]

Yes a down side but easily sorted with a bit of planning. All AA award tickets are one way so rather than booking a return for two you book one way for two out of each account.

A little while ago I was dead keen on AA and was ready to purchase 80,000 miles + bonuses for each of the four of us/per annum. I was all set to go when I noticed the transfer cost. Always worth running your own numbers......

 

[straitman]

A little while ago I was dead keen on AA and was ready to purchase 80,000 miles + bonuses for each of the four of us/per annum. I was all set to go when I noticed the transfer cost. Always worth running your own numbers......

I would never even contemplate transferring the miles.

My daughter has an account, my wife has an account and I have an account. Just buy the miles and use one persons account at a time. The only requirement is that when purchasing a flight you must make the copayment from a CC belonging to the account holder.

 

[Foreigner]

Indeed.

Another negative for AA is the cost of transferring points between accounts. No issue for singles, however for couples/families the cost @ USD$20/1,000 was a major turn-off. Over the past 6 months I've transferred >1,000,000 QFFP between 5 accounts......AA would slug me >USD$20,000 :shock:

I'm trying to understand this...how did you manage to transfer 1mil QFF points between accounts?