Why are there so many AA threads on an Australian FF website?

[smit0847]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I've wondered this for a while - why is there so much interest in a FF program for an airline that doesn't fly into Australia? I know they are OW so QF codeshare but why would Australians have a AA membership rather than a QF membership? Do you all live/travel to the US all the time?

I have heard people say the earn and burn rates for AA is much, much better than QF so can understand that but it seems like people on this forum are also signing up for AA credit cards and other promotions to get more points. This doesnt make sense to me unless there is good use for AA points in Australia. Is there any point signing up to this is you are not flying around the US?

Do Australians who dont even travel to the US benefit from the AA FF program?

 

[dfcatch]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I've wondered this for a while - why is there so much interest in a FF program for an airline that doesn't fly into Australia? I know they are OW so QF codeshare but why would Australians have a AA membership rather than a QF membership? Do you all live/travel to the US all the time?

I have heard people say the earn and burn rates for AA is much, much better than QF so can understand that but it seems like people on this forum are also signing up for AA credit cards and other promotions to get more points. This doesnt make sense to me unless there is good use for AA points in Australia. Is there any point signing up to this is you are not flying around the US?

Do Australians who dont even travel to the US benefit from the AA FF program?

I travel to the US regularly - but that said, I rarely if ever utilise my AA membership in the US. (The only time I do is when flying on AA Q or O class fares which do not earn on QF therefore I direct the earn to AA).

When flying QF I (at this stage) earn towards my QF membership as I'm not even LTS yet - another year or so away. Some others who are already LTG direct their QF flights to earn on AA.

Reason is simple - a SYD-LAX award on QF in F costs me 144,000 points. The same seat in F on the QF plane only costs 72,500 when redeemed through AA.

I direct all of my ancillary earn to AA (hotels, car hire, BOSE QC15s etc), and my flights mostly to QF (where I earn 100% status bonus).

Of course for a WP - award availability is better through QF than AA so YMMV.

That's the simple reason.

Oh - and for most members here - unless they are officially resident in the US and have a US credit score - then US CCs are out of reach - together with their overly generous bonus schemes.

 

[zan5hin]

As you say, the earn and burn rates are much better.

Personally, I first got interested in AAdvantage when Microsoft Live/Bing Search was giving away free mileage for playing their word games. I did it when I was at work, for an hour or so a day, and after a couple of months I ended up with 60,000 free miles in my account.

Then I was planning a RTW trip, which I ended up doing as a LONE5 in 2011. Of course I credited all my miles to my AAdvantage account. Another great feature is the platinum challenge, which allowed me to get status extremely quickly, after which I got business class check-in, lounge access about 8 times, upgraded to an exit row 4 times on LAN, once on BA and once on CX. With the proper planning, I ended up getting another FF 70,000 miles as well. Not bad for a flashpacker flying in the back.

Now I have 150,000 AAdvantage miles which gives me a business class, 16 segment ticket over 25,000 miles: oneworld Airlines Award Chart

As long as I steer clear of BA, the fuel surcharges and taxes are negligible compared to Qantas, who wanted to charge me something like $400 in +++ for a one-way award MEL-SIN flight when I had a look using my father's QFF account.

How I wish I could sign up for a an American Citibank credit card, if I could get one, I could go 50,000 miles in business.

 

[smit0847]

Hmmm... interesting!

I have been doing a lot of reading up about the various FF programs around the world and have noticed that US programs usually have far better earn rates as well as crazy promotions. I have been a fairly loyal VA FF for several years simply because I fly a lot domestically and they are my preferred airline, regardless of FF programs. I'm racking up a fair few points (100K in less than 18 months) as I have changed my CC habits etc to Velocity and am pumping everything into that. Domestically burning points on VA is great, internationally unless you want to go to LAX the burn rate is terrible (it is much more expensive to redeem VA points on partner airlines which seems to be the opposite of how AA does it).

I LOVE hearing about the gimmicks and crazy schemes people get involved in to earn points (the US Mint one was a terrific read - I love thinking outside the box like that). I've got plenty of time to research and play their crazy promotions (this Microsoft Live game would have been perfect!).

My goal is to be able to do J travel internationally once every 12 - 18 months (Asia, US or most likely Europe). Is it worth getting serious about an AA membership given I would only be flying QF when redeeming AA points? I have no real desire to fly AA Y anywhere (doubt I would do AA Status Runs if I was in the US on holidays). BTW, I am an Australian resident, 28, good solid job, excellent credit rating (no debt). Are there many good points earning options that dont involve flying QF (as I think their Y dom product is terrible) or being a US citizen for CC reasons? As I said, I have loads of time to check/participate in zany promotions, love getting something for nothing (i.e. sign-on bonuses) and enjoy the challenge. Should I be concentrating my dom burn on VA (as I earn points and SC on flights I am purchasing anyway as well as points from my AUS credit cards) and then concentrating my intl burn on AA because of the excellent burn rate? Or is it foolish to split between 2 as I wouldnt achieve much on either? I would need to work out how to earn enough AA points to be able to burn....

Thank you for your assistance - this is honestly one of the most helpful and collegial forums I have discovered!

 

[smit0847]

Hmmm... interesting!

I would need to work out how to earn enough AA points to be able to burn....

I think I have just worked out the answer to getting around not having a AA CC - get a high-earn Australian AMEX MR card, rack up heaps of MR points then transfer them to AA account via SPG at a 1:1 transfer rate? Is this correct?

 

[k3nnis]

Yes but MR to SPG is 1 MR = 0.5 SPG

 

[serfty]

I think I have just worked out the answer to getting around not having a AA CC - get a high-earn Australian AMEX MR card, rack up heaps of MR points then transfer them to AA account via SPG at a 1:1 transfer rate? Is this correct?

Get 40000 MR points, transfer them to SPG at 2:1 giving 20,000 SPG and on transfer to AA getting the bonus 5K for 20000 making a total of 25000 AAdvatange miles.

 

[browski]

My goal is to be able to do J travel internationally once every 12 - 18 months (Asia, US or most likely Europe). Is it worth getting serious about an AA membership given I would only be flying QF when redeeming AA points?

No, I don't think it would be "worth" it; on any program, not even QFF. Loyalty is very expensive and the "cost" of your loyalty will not really make up for the rewards that you might receive. It would mean that you would have to fly Qantas or another OW partner when there would most likely be cheaper and more direct options available. If your company paid for the travel, then that is a different story.

 

[simongr]

The differential between AA and QF used to be staggering. It is more marginal for me now and I am locked into aiming for LTG on QF...

The big thing for me is that it is so much easier with premium int'l travel to get top tier in QF than AA. Also my travel has been somewhat less predictable this year and unpredictable for the future...

 

[drron]

Aadvantage is my prefferred frequent flyer program.I actually joined because our son was living in the USA.I had previously made the mistake of taking mrsdrron RTW on a QF J ticket.So J it had to be.JAL was~$5000 in J BNE-NYC whilst QF was~$9000.On top of that JAL already had their shell seat-ie near flat whereas QF had not yey introduced the Skybed.Along with better service and food we went JAL.
Now at that time JAL was not in OW.You could not earn QFF points NRT-JFK but you could earn Aadvantage miles.Again a no brainer.Then in 2006 we wanted award flights BNE-SEA.Could not even get 1 segment in J on QFF except BNE-CNS to connect to JQ.On AA could get all segments in J.On top of that even though no status got op upped to F on NRT-LAX sector.The rest is history.
I do have a charmed existence with Aadvantage and have as an OWS get J awards on QF when mrsdrron as a QF WP could not.Has happened twice.Fortunately I now have lifetime plat on AA so am in a position to redeem miles at my leisure.

Now there are a few points which are not as good with Aadvantage.First with our pattern of travel it is harder to get status on AA so mrsdrron has gone back to QFF and easily makes WP whereas I always(apart from 1 year)fall short of EXP on AA.
Second AA have "enhanced the program"lately.It is now extremely difficult to get lifetime status.As well the cheaper milesaaver awards have become scarcer-eg looking at NRT-USA or reverse in past years I could get F milesaaver awards on virtually any day I wanted.Now much rarer.
So now it is not as easy as it was to decide to go with aadvantage over QFF.

 

[wandering_fred]

If you want lounge access or typically fly premium cabins or deep discount QF domestic then the QF program is likely the better program for you. OTOH if you wish to get the best redemption returns or fly long haul in economy (or Y+) or typically fly into the USA each year then AA is likely the better program.

Note that 67K miles in premium cabins will earn OW Emerald on AA. Or 34K OW Sapphire. Note SYD-SIN-LHR-ORD round trip with plane changes or stopovers is about 29K miles round trip and Y+ is considered premium. Add a few AA domestic segments or a second trip to SIN (on a BA flight number) and you have lounge access.

Though exPER there are a few different permutations to consider


And note there is some small benefit to having BOTH.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[NM]

Do Australians who dont even travel to the US benefit from the AA FF program?

I certainly fit into that category. I have not set foot inside an AA aircraft for about 3.5 years, but maintain my OneWorld benefits and take advantage of the far superior earn/burn rates based on the type of travel I do.

 

[smit0847]

I certainly fit into that category. I have not set foot inside an AA aircraft for about 3.5 years, but maintain my OneWorld benefits and take advantage of the far superior earn/burn rates based on the type of travel I do.

But how do you earn then?

Through CC purchases?

 

[simongr]

People do earn FF points by actually flying...

 

[serfty]

Travel on Qantas flights in most booking classes other than Q, N & E earn on AAdvantage.

Economy B & Y earn at 150%.

 

[Foreigner]

I rarely follow AA (Annoying Airline) threads. Travelled with them on flights to US via Narita, then across the US. Used to be in Y and not too impressed with service. Following advice I once read on some forum, I like to stick with one OW airline (QF) and one *A airline (SQ).

I do however have frequent flyer membership with numerous other airlines. E.g. ANA but this one is to check availability of award seats on *A.

 

[wandering_fred]

Travel on Qantas flights in most booking classes other than Q, N & E earn on AAdvantage.

Economy B, H & Y earn at 150%.

Crediting to the AA FF program

The 100% EQM classes
All F, J and W fare classes on QF and BA earn 1.50 EQP
In the QF economy cabin Y and B fare classes earn 1.50 EQP while K and H earn 1.00 EQP
In the BA economy cabin the V, L, M, K and H classes earn 1.00 EQP

The discounted EQM classes
QF classes L, M and V earn 0.50 EQM and equal EQP
BA classes G, Q, N, S, O earn 1.00 EQM and 0.50 EQP
QF classes G, O and S earn 0.50 EQM and 0.25 EQP (half the earned miles)
QF classes N, Q (and E) earn nothing.

This is why I am now flying the BA code-share flight numbers on SIN-PER-SIN :mrgreen:
Better availability in less expensive fare classes is just a bonus.
Seating requests are still chaotic/impossible. I'll take the miles as long as I get an aisle seat somewhere.

My QF membership is most useful for the SE Asia CX flights in V or L class (nothing on AA) QF domestic flights (the E and N class offerings don't credit to AA) and the pittance that Woolworths offers along with your groceries.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Wubba]

Hoping someone could offer me advice/your wisdom on if I should be moving from AA to QFF for 2013. My situation - based in SYD, with family in Canada, currently PLAT status, with no hope of requalifying for 2013 (only flying once this year - SYD-YYZ return in Economy). I have 445,094 program to date miles.

Will probably travel to North America/Canada once per year with husband and toddler (most likely in Economy), and there is a future pssibility of work travel (to NA and around APAC, with some premium class travel as part of that) but not starting until 2013. I've enjoyed accessing the lounges, and have redeemed for some F awards (lucky!) and have had great service from AA just not sure if it is to my benefit to begin crediting to QFF or stick it out to work towards 1 million miles, which given my current travel plans seems a long way off.

Any advice would be really helpful.

 

[browski]

No need to move from AA to QFF, you just need to get yourself a Star Alliance partner that also partners with VA - so that leaves SQ Krisflyer, or Air New Zealand Air Points.

This will leave you well positioned to fly VA domestically, and Air Canada, VA or UA for flights back to North America. Alternatively, you can take out the VA Velocity membership but you will miss out on Air Canada/UA earning (although you do pick up Delta)

 

[burmans]

Get 40000 MR points, transfer them to SPG at 2:1 giving 20,000 SPG and on transfer to AA getting the bonus 5K for 20000 making a total of 25000 AAdvatange miles.

While I do realise this is A way of getting AA points, the question has to be whether it's a good earn rate. The .625 point per MR rate vs 1 (or 1 plus with bonuses) would make this a marginal option at best to me.