Moving to AAdvantage after QF LTG?

[kempvet]

My lifetime miles with AA are just over 400,000, and I've redeemed them in BA and AA First and QF, BA, and CX Business for flights which effectively represent an around the world as well 2 return trips SE Asia-North America. My Qantas redemptions can't hold a candle to that, and the fees and taxes are generally less than half what Qantas charges. I'm lifetime Silver with Qantas but have started to focus primarily on AA because the burn is so much better.

Agree totally with you, most on this site will never reach LTG and to waste the opportunity of AA mileage redemption seems silly to me, just buy a QP or AC membership if you become an infrequent flyer if you do not reach LTG and need to fly occasionally after retirement or change of circumstances.

 

[kempvet]

How do you accumulate your points? Mostly flights or CC?

If I could earn via CC I'd jump over in a flash...

I am in talks with Citibank in the US at the moment, they can link a direct account between Australia and my US accounts fee free and no commission on exchange rates, I will need to bring 6 months bank statements to the US branch, then likely qualify for the AA Citibank Visa card which gives me 60k AA bonus with some use, also can pay with this card my purchases in Australia, again commission free. When I purchase AA fares, it is double points. The if I spend $90,000 US on the card in a year it is 90k AA miles (and they give up to 10,000 miles back on mileage redemption as well), that is return SYD-DXB in J. If I spend the equivalent $97,000 AUS on my Qantas AE card, best I can get is 145,000 miles, leaves me 51,000 miles short of a QF J trip return SYD-DXB ( and no miles back on mileage redemption). Of course the exchange rates will play a role if the $A falls significantly, but for the moment the Citibank AA visa card is a no brainer.

 

[NM]

I am now around 1.8MM lifetime miles with AAdvantage, so closer to dual Lifetime Sapphire than I will ever get to being Lifetime Emerald. But with the new rules re AA lifetime mileage that last 200K may take quite some time to reach. Unlike dr ron, I was not able to reach the hurdle before the rule change - though I did get a lot closer to it in the last week of the old rules.

 

[bismarck]

Agree totally with you, most on this site will never reach LTG and to waste the opportunity of AA mileage redemption seems silly to me, just buy a QP or AC membership if you become an infrequent flyer if you do not reach LTG and need to fly occasionally after retirement or change of circumstances.

This is a compelling reason for me to at least push all flying above the threshold to AA. Only have one more paid flight this year so will probably put that one to AA and pick up the 14,000 points that way.

How do you find availability ex-Australia when booking through AA? Considering the 330 day lead against QF. Are there still sufficient J seats? I anticipate typically booking 2x J seats to Europe or South America.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

How do you accumulate your points? Mostly flights or CC?

If I could earn via CC I'd jump over in a flash...

Wash Diners and Amex points through SPG to AA (DC spend effectively earns 1.8 AA miles per $, the Mastercard combined with the DC earns 0.8, and Amex MR earns between 0.625 and 1.8 depending on earning between 1 and 3 MR points per $)
Try to stay at Starwood hotels to transfer additional SPG points
All car rentals credited to AA
All hotel programs which auto-earn set to AA
Whatever purchases can be made of flowers or through the AA shopping portal
Keep an eye out for any "free" AA miles offers on places like Flyertalk
Purchase top-up points on Points.com to reach an award.

Now to be topped up with actual flights from OW airlines being credited to AA.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

How do you find availability ex-Australia when booking through AA? Considering the 330 day lead against QF. Are there still sufficient J seats? I anticipate typically booking 2x J seats to Europe or South America.

I've never tried booking for two, but the other week I booked a one way SYD-LHR in BA First for 80,000 miles plus about $380 in taxes next May on exactly the date I wanted. AA's site is good at showing you options (for the airlines it has available online, CX not being one of them) when you search on their website even when not logged in.

Qantas would have wanted 192,000 points and god knows how much in fees for the same thing...

 

[Bigtones]

I changed to AA a year ago and haven't looked back just booked 3 J tickets to Auckland from Bangkok 105000 points $90 in taxes. Same flights with qantas FF 216000 points and over$900 in taxes. I told my parents about AA and they changed from QF to AA after the flights were booked to Europe and Scandinavia and became AA gold with Ruby One World and through Qantas no status at all

 

[amaroo]

Hmmm, I've got 4 AA flights booked for Dec/Jan under my QF FF#..... is it too late to change over to AA?

 

[knasty]

Not too late...just do it before you fly preferably.

 

[bismarck]

Hmmm, I've got 4 AA flights booked for Dec/Jan under my QF FF#

Is it too late to change over to AA?
I can still access all lounges thru my QFWP status?

You definitely can change. Just log into the booking and switch it over.

Shouldn't be a problem to access lounges if you have the card though others may have more experience. A recall a few threads a little while back about some (maybe just QF) requiring the number to be on the booking but that's certainly not OW policy.

 

[amaroo]

Actually, I've got BNE-SYD-LAX-JFK.....DFW-BNE with QF all in J coming up in Dec/Jan......I could change these over to AA too! Stupid question - lounge access under QFF WP still holds water no matter who I credit the flight with?

AA BP will show zero status......do you just flash the QF card? I suppose you lose status perks with seating allocation, etc ?

Pretty keen to start accumulating with AA....

 

[vitagen]

You Can select seats with your WP then switch FF numbers over and it will stick, it won't work for BA though asbthey seem to refresh OW status every now and then.

 

[legroom]

You could even consider taking up the AA Plat challenge for that trip (for all family ?)

$USD240 per person for the challenge

Platinum + (bonus) points

Looks like you will get enough EQM there.

Actually, I've got BNE-SYD-LAX-JFK.....DFW-BNE with QF all in J coming up in Dec/Jan......I could change these over to AA too! Stupid question - lounge access under QFF WP still holds water no matter who I credit the flight with?

AA BP will show zero status......do you just flash the QF card? I suppose you lose status perks with seating allocation, etc ?

Pretty keen to start accumulating with AA....

 

[amaroo]

You could even consider taking up the AA Plat challenge for that trip (for all family ?)

$USD240 per person for the challenge

Platinum + (bonus) points

Looks like you will get enough EQM there.

Interesting. Will go and study the AA webpage.

Yes, the family (4) are all going and we have another 4 AA flights (in whY) over there LAX-LAS-LAX.....YUL-MIA-DFW.

I've got an upgrade in for QF11......long shot for 4 however, three weeks out there are 9 seats open. Don't want to dump that while I'm still a chance......timing will be critical!

 

[knasty]

4x challenges = 4 platinums. You'll get 100% bonus miles from and including the 10,000 qualification flight.

 

[NM]

If wanting to credit to AA, then definitely go for the Plat Challenge as noted above. Instant Sapphire status and can still present your QF Plat card for access to F Lounges where they exist.

 

[kempvet]

I was almost tempted to book the other half on an AA flight HEL-CDG-DFW-GIG GIG-DFW-FRA which I saw in Feb for 860 (booked in V = 1.0 points) USD and enter the challenge for her, I worked out that the flight would earn 37,000 miles as the platinum bonus would kick in before GIG. So for just over 1000 USD she would get the 37,000 miles and OWS status and then of course the double miles on AA, BA, AY flights thereafter. The icing on the cake is that because it was before the end of Feb so I could have used 2 of my SWUs for her to travel in J.
This flight was theoretically possible although I didn't book it.

 

[drron]

I really have no problems getting Aawards on QFF.for example I can get two J awards on QF SYD-LAX next Thursday 28/11/13 for 125000 ponts and $US111.40 in taxes.
Compare to QFF using mrsdrron's WP account when all you are offered for that date is PE to DFW then Y on AA back to LAX for 192000 points and no idea how much taxes.

So if you can retain EXP on AA there is really no point continuing QFF after reaching LTG.No problem to use your CC points for upgrades and a few domestic MASAs

 

[Mwenenzi]

You could even consider taking up the AA Plat challenge for that trip (for all family ?)

$USD240 per person for the challenge

Platinum + (bonus) points
Looks like you will get enough EQM there.

Interesting. Will go and study the AA webpage.
Yes, the family (4) are all going and we have another 4 AA flights (in whY) over there LAX-LAS-LAX.....YUL-MIA-DFW.

I've got an upgrade in for QF11......long shot for 4 however, three weeks out there are 9 seats open. Don't want to dump that while I'm still a chance......timing will be critical!

Nothing in the AA page as I recall Its an unpublished feature
Challenge (AA) - FlyerGuide Wiki is a non AA site, but kept up date. There is a sticky thread on FT

A full J award with AA miles, on a QF flight, can be a lesser number than the QF points needed for a QF upgrade (lottery)

Edit: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-platinum-challenge-mileage-earning-8595.html

 

[JohnK]

I really have no problems getting Aawards on QFF.for example I can get two J awards on QF SYD-LAX next Thursday 28/11/13 for 125000 ponts and $US111.40 in taxes.

Earlier this year I tried getting an AAward in business SYD-ATH for travel ~4-5 months later. Only 1 day available on way out with some ridiculous stopover time in the Middle East and no awards seats for weeks on the return.

Miles really become useless if you have to book ~12 months in advance.