Which FFP - Qantas Frequent Flyer vs AAdvantage

[SQ421]

I have a DONE4 (and a couple of YUPP mileage runs in the U.S.) planned later in the year, and I'm yet to decide which FFP to credit it to. Here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Time it towards the end of the year, sign on to a AA Plat Challenge, complete that within the first 3-4 flights of the RTW, complete those flights before 31 DEC 2011 (so it gives me Plat till Feb 2013) and finish the remainder of the RTW in calendar year 2012, thus ensuring requal for AA Plat past Feb 2013. This will also leave me with around 140k AAdvantage miles.

2. Complete the RTW in the first month of QFF year, ending up with QFF Plat for two years and a QFF Gold the following year. This will leave me with around 128k QFF points.

I'm leaning towards AAdvantage simply because 135k miles there go a lot further than 128k points in QFF. As my QFF year begins in December, and I'm planning this run around christmas/new year (subject to availability, ofcourse), and effectively, I'll have One World Sapphire or higher status, all through 2012, 2013 and 2014 regardless of which program I credit to.

With that in mind, is there any reason why I shouldn't credit to AA ? Or is my analysis correct and I'll come out far ahead by crediting to AA over QFF.

 

[anat0l]

The only reason to credit to QF would be to have that oneworld Emerald / Platinum status for that year you state.

If you don't intend to retain any kind of status with QF, let alone AA, then you might as well go down the more utilitarian path and select to credit the lot to AA. At least you will definitely get a good trip out of it.

 

[NM]

The best program depends on what you what to gain from the process.

If you are looking at gaining First Class lounge access, then obviously QFF is best option.

If you are looking to be able to upgrade QF flights, then QFF program is best.

If you are looking to be able to upgrade AA flights, than AAdvantage is best.

If you are looking to redeem miles/points for premium cabin medium-to-long haul flights then AAdvantage is better.

If you are looking to redeem miles/points for short domestic flights, then QFF is probably best.

Other considerations:

• Do you plan to supplement points earning from other sources like Australian credit cards?
• How much flying will you be doing in the following few years. No benefit from lounge, priority check-in, luggage allowances etc if you are not expecting to be flying.

 

[markis10]

If you are looking to redeem miles/points for premium cabin medium-to-long haul flights then AAdvantage is better.

If you are looking to redeem miles/points for short domestic flights, then QFF is probably best.

I think ASAs need to be factored into the equation as well, using points for flights that accrue points and SCs adds to their value in SOME cases, especially if you need to travel to from CBR/ADL/TSV or DRW on a regular basis. 20K or so of QFF points spent on an ASA (after taking into account points earned) can attract enough SCs in a redemption to account for 25% of a SG requal.

 

[SQ421]

The only reason to credit to QF would be to have that oneworld Emerald / Platinum status for that year you state.

If you don't intend to retain any kind of status with QF, let alone AA, then you might as well go down the more utilitarian path and select to credit the lot to AA. At least you will definitely get a good trip out of it.

I intend to continue retaining status with whichever FFP I credit this RTW to. The ease of hitting Life time OneWorld Sapphire on Qantas when compared to AA is probably the one reason that has me wavering a bit before planting my foot in the AA Camp.

The best program depends on what you what to gain from the process.

If you are looking at gaining First Class lounge access, then obviously QFF is best option.

If you are looking to be able to upgrade QF flights, then QFF program is best.

If you are looking to be able to upgrade AA flights, than AAdvantage is best.

If you are looking to redeem miles/points for premium cabin medium-to-long haul flights then AAdvantage is better.

If you are looking to redeem miles/points for short domestic flights, then QFF is probably best.

Other considerations:

• Do you plan to supplement points earning from other sources like Australian credit cards?
• How much flying will you be doing in the following few years. No benefit from lounge, priority check-in, luggage allowances etc if you are not expecting to be flying.

My flying thus far is purely personal, and as such, domestically, tends to be on DJ (where I also dump points earned from my credit cards). Internationally, I used to credit to *A (SQ-KFF) but lack of redemption/upgrade options on the newer SQ Aircrafts have turned me off *A.

With QF being a OneWorld airline, and KingFisher soon joining OW (which would take care of my intra-India flights); I figured it is as good a time as any to spend some money, do that RTW I've wanted to, and in the process, earn points to use them down the line.

A well executed RTW ex-Amman will cost about 8k USD, and give me enough miles for 3 one way SYD-BOM business class tickets, one one round trip to BOM and another one way to AMM as a positioning for the subsequent RTW.

Domestically, upgrades on QF are not an issue, as my travel tends to be in the SYD-MEL-BNE-CBR triangle, and the flights just aren't long enough to worry about an upgrade.

 

[tuapekastar]

It may be a minor, or even totally inconsequential thing for you, but AA Platinum will not get you access to AA lounges domestically in the US - which I think means domestically plus flights from US to a few other nearby locations - Canada, Mexico (partially), and the Caribbean.