Can I earn points on AA but use the benefits of my QFF WP status?

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Nobby

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I've finally been tipped over to AAdvantage. The final straw was trying to redeem points only to find the fuel surcharges are so high that compared to buying a fare outright from a different airline, I'm only saving about $25, max $50 per 10,000 points. Compare this to my redemptions of Northwest points, where any flight within Africa costs 25,000 points, which has saved me from buying $1000+ tickets. So forget it -- I'm going to AA!

Now that AA restricts the challenge to AA-operated flights, I won't be able to get any AA status of note really -- it will be a long time until I hit even their Gold tier. So I'd like to use my QFF Platinum status benefits while I'm earning AA points. What's the best way to do this?

I assume I can just flash my QF card to use the First queues and lounges, even though an AA number is on my booking? What about other benefits like good seating, etc?

As context, I'm doing a LONE5 starting in a few weeks, and will be doing it over the course of a full year... was fortunate to be able to take a year off work!

On this LONE5 I'll be flying this many miles in L class on each OW carrier, in this order:

  • Qantas: 4,662
  • JAL: 7,568
  • Royal Jordanian: 753
  • BA: 1,565
  • Iberia: 7,035
  • AA: 4,705
  • LAN: 20,908
 
AA does not restrict the challenge to just AA operated flights ; any flights with an AA flight number will count. Do any of the flights which you have booked have AA codeshares which you could use

e.g. if you are flying on Qantas between Australia and USA, there is an AA flight number which you could use and so get AA Platinum status easily

also, some longhaul JL flights have AA codeshares. I would expect it to be quite feasible to get 10k of AA flight numbers from a LONE

As far as the benefits go; all you need to do is show your QF Platinum card and you can use the 1st check ins and the 1st and Business class lounges

Dave
 
What is there above Platinum for AA? As the equivalent is QF Gold, surely there would be one above that? And what are the extra benefits and how hard is it to get?
 
Executive Platinum on AA is One World Emerald - same as QF Platinum

The main "selling" points (in addition to standard OWEmerald) appear to be
1. 8 eVIPs or electronic long hual upgrades on AA metal
2. complimentary upgrades on AA domestic to "first"
3. Dedicated (and more informed) call center staff and USA toll free access

And of course the less taxing award tickets.....

Alas I haven't been able to find the combination of time and $$ to repeat my EXP status earned in 2005

Happy wandering

Fred
 
This table should help with AAdvantage point earning:
Code:
AAdvatage milage earning - oneWORLD partner Airlines: 

(from: http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/AAdvantage/partners/airlines/main.jsp)

Airline   First Class     Business Class    Economy Class
Code      Booking    %    Booking    %      Booking       %
           Class   Earn   Class    Earn     Class        Earn

AA          AFP    150%    DIJ     125%     HKMLWVGQNOS  100% 
                                            (Some O and Q class 
                                            travel does not earn)

BA          AF     150%    CDIJ    125%     TW           110%
                                            BYH          100%
                                            KLMNOREGQSV   25%

        Transatlantic flights to/from the U.S. are not eligible for mileage accrual.
  	Domestic UK flights booked in C,D,I, or J do not receive the 25% bonus.

CX          AF     150%    CDIJ    125%     BYH          100%

        Many economy booking classes on CX do not earn AAdvantage 
        miles. These include the following classes: KMLVSNQO      

AY          -              CDIJ    125%     BYRAHKLMPV   100%
                                            GLNOQSTWZ    100%

IB          -              ACDIJ   125%     RY           100%
                                            BHKMQVGLNOPS  30%

JL          F      150%    J       125%     Y            100%
Domestic    E      125%    I       85%      A             75%

JL
Internat'l  AF     150%    CDIJ    125%     W (Prem)     100%
                                            E (Prem)      70%
                                            Y            100%
                                            BEHKLMVX      70%
                                            GNOQRSV       50%

LA          AF     150%    CIDJ    125%     BYHKLMVQNOQS 100%
       For travel wholly within Peru or Chile or Argentina, some
       economy fare codes are not eligible. See above link for details.

MA          -              JCDI    125%     YBHKLMSV     100%
                                            GNOQTWZ      100%


QF          AF     150%    CDIJ    125%     BYHK         100%
                                            MVLRGOS       50%

RJ          -              JCD     125%     YBHKMVS      100%

Note: 
If a booking class is not listed for an airline in this table 
then travel on that class with the airline would not normally
earn AAvantage miles
If L class is not listed ith a %age, you won't earn miles.
 
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As far as the benefits go; all you need to do is show your QF Platinum card and you can use the 1st check ins and the 1st and Business class lounges

Great -- so the only benefit I'm missing out on is preferred seating, right? How material is this benefit anyway? Can I still ask AA reservations to say block off the middle Y seat, even though I have no status on the AA member number I'm crediting the flight to?

AA does not restrict the challenge to just AA operated flights ; any flights with an AA flight number will count. Do any of the flights which you have booked have AA codeshares which you could use

e.g. if you are flying on Qantas between Australia and USA, there is an AA flight number which you could use and so get AA Platinum status easily

also, some longhaul JL flights have AA codeshares. I would expect it to be quite feasible to get 10k of AA flight numbers from a LONE

Unfortunately with my route I couldn't pick up any AA codeshares (None were shown in the oneworld timetable app). I'll be flying SYD-BKK-NRT-DME//AMM-IST-LHR-MAD-PTY-MIA-DCA-LGA-ORD-MEX-EZE-LIM//UIO-SCL-IPC-SCL-SYD

The codeshares on LHR-MAD amazed me... not only BA and IB, but you can also use QF and LA!
 
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Which is better, 35k AA points or 60k QF points?

As bitter as I am about the fuel surcharges, I may actually end up crediting my LONE5 to QF... I'd appreciate the thoughts of you folks who are better acquainted than me with AAdvantage and the relative value of AA points vs QF points.

These are my 3 options for crediting my flights:

1. All to QF: 84,081 QF points
2. All to AA: 38,600 AA points + 753 QF points (for RJ, where AA gets 0)
3. A mix of crediting: 34,158 AA points + 24,147 QF points (QF,IB,RJ flights to QFFP)

Option 3 seems better than 2, because I give up 4.5k AA points but get 24k QF points.

Option 1 vs option 3 is a tough call though. It comes down to a question of which is better, 34k AA points or 60k QF points?

What are the thoughts of those who use AAdvantage? How much is an AAdvantage point worth (when used for Y redemptions)?

These figures are after optimising flight numbers, and takes into account the fact that I'm WP with QF (and will be the whole trip), and Nothing with AA until the final SCL-SYD flight (because my AA status accrual resets midway through the trip)

Also, I'm not sure the logistics of crediting to different FF accounts for different legs of the same booking. I assume I can do this at check-in and/or in your friendly neighborhood F lounge.

From the helpful replies above, it sounds like I should be able to get the check-in/lounge/priority luggage benefits of WP even if crediting to AA, as long as I show my card, so that's not an issue. For "priority" seating hopefully I can manage this over the phone or in person if I give my WP details

FYI, these are the flights I'm taking:
SYD-BKK (QF)
BKK-HEL (AY)
BUD-AMM (MA)
AMM-IST (RJ)
IST-LHR (BA)
LHR-MAD (IB)
MAD-PTY (IB)
PTY-MIA (AA)
MIA-DCA (AA)
DCA-LGA (AA)
LGA-ORD (AA)
ORD-MEX (AA)
MEX-EZE (LA)
EZE-LIM (LA)
UIO-SCL (LA)
SCL-IPC (LA)
IPC-SCL (LA)
SCL-SYD (LA)
 
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Re: Which is better, 35k AA points or 60k QF points?

.

Option 1 vs option 3 is a tough call though. It comes down to a question of which is better, 35k AA points or 60k QF points


Well, 35k will get you a round trip business class from anywhere in Australia/NZ to anywhere else in Australia/NZ with NO fuel fines to pay

60,000 points will not even get a business class return SYD-AKL or SYD-PER plus even doing SYD-PER in economy and PER-SYD in business ( 54k miles ) you would still have $70 - $140 in fuel fines to pay ( depending on non-stop or 1 stop services)

If direct routings are not available ( e.g. wanting to do PER-BNE but having to go via SYD) could easily reach 100,000 points plus $140 fines for business class

I would say that 35k AA miles will (a) get you further and (b) not incur fines

Dave
 
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