BA SYD-BKK-SYD: Trip Advice

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Rhythm

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
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Hi members.

I will be making a trip to India. I *think* the tickets are Class V. (Should I not be expecting much from the upcoming trip)

SYD-BKK - British Airways
BKK-DEL - Air India
DEL-BKK - AI
BKK-SYD - BA

I have 12,990 Krisflyer miles from a previous trip with Singapore Airlines expiring March 2006.

After experiencing the benefits of being a FF member with SA, I'd like to become a member on BA and AI. Problem is though, neither have a program downunder. BA recommends paying $82.50 for a QANTAS membership. Is it worth it?

Any suggestions as to how to maximise any possible benefits (current or future) from the above info? Any other relevant suggestions are welcome.
 
You can join the QF scheme and avoid the $82.50 fine by giving a non Australia/New Zealand address when joining. If you have any overseas friends then use their address

I would suggest the AA frequent flyer scheme over the Qantas one; you will only earn 50% miles for the SYD-BKK-SYD flights, however the points are worth more than QF points ( e.g. 20k points gives a r/t eceonomy ticket from australia to anywhere in australia or new zealand. ) plus you will not get stung for large fuel surcharges when redeeming awards. The AA scheme is free to join and you can enrol at www.aa.com

If you are taking any other OW airline flights within 3 months, then enrol for the AA Gold Lack-Of-Challenge and you'll get OW Ruby status after your next flight ( even CBR-SYD would do )

Dave
 
Rhythm said:
LOL at 'fine'

Thanks Dave. Looks like I'll become a AA FF.

I would recommend also enrolling for the challenge if you can take another flight of any distance within 3 months; get business class check in and 25% mileage bonus through till end of feb 2007

Dave
 
No, you need to ring AA..but a word of warning, don't ring AA SYD as they are clueless.

You need to ring AA USA...
 
The Gold and Platinum challenges are un-official, so there is no info on the offical AA website. All information is from forums such as this. I recently enrolled in the Plat Chalg and and have since gained AA Plat/OW Saph until Mar '07 (and thanks again to all who helped me with that!).

Enrol in AAvdvantage online at AA.com, print out your membership card. After a couple of days to allow for processing, phone the AAdvantage customer service desk on (0011) 1800 421 0600. You will need to phone early in the morning SYD time to match up the time zones. Give them your AA number and ask to be enrolled on the Gold Challenge. You will need to specify a start date. You can nominate the 1st or 16th (I think) of any month, and then get 90 days from that date to complete 5000 qualifying points (on discount tickets sometimes only 0.5 Q-points per mile flown). For example, if your trip departs 10 Nov, you would nominate 1 Nov start date, if your trip starts 20th Nov, nominate 16th Nov start date.

There is lots of info if you use the search function, but this is the basics and should get you started.

By the way, as the challenge is some what un-official, you may get a CSA that doesn't understand what you are talking about. It didn't happen to me, but has to others, who simply recomend thanking them for their time, hanging up, and phoning again, in the hope of getting another agent who is familia with the scheme. I rung once to enrol, and again a couple of weeks later to confirm, and didn't have any troubles.

Hope this helps.
 
I'd gone off to get the number and a graduate of the AA Plat Challenge steps in and gives all the relevant details.. excellent Sequel.

The BA earning table is here.

According to Mile Markers' website (your mileage may vary), SYD/BKK is 4,680 miles (one-way); thus 9,360 miles in total.

But as earning on BA's V class is 25% of actual flown mileage and 50% EQP's on mileage earned; then you should earn 2,340 miles in the AA program and 1,170 EQP's (or 12.5% of actual mileage flown). This is insufficient for the Gold Challenge requirement of 5,000 EQP's...so as Dave Noble commented above, do you have any more flying in the 90 day period...

Of course, if you could change to the QF codeshare flight number, V class would earn you 50% mileage and 100% of mileage EQP's (thus giving you 4,680 miles and the same number of Q-points, still short but a domestic flights could push you over - would be better taken prior to your trip and making you Challenge have to start earlier).

Even better would be the possibility of changing to the AA codeshare, which would give you 100% mileage and EQP's, easily meeting the Gold Challenge and being 640 short of the Platinum Challenge level (10,000 EQP's)...if you fly some domestic QF flights prior to your trip having already enrolled for the Challenge, that would push you over by the time you return (and give you a 100% mileage bonus on the BKK/SYD flight). If you are able (assuming it's cost effective to change the flight numbers), I'd enrol for the Plat Challenge.
 
I feel guilty if I dont give something back. It's not fair that the same 3 or 4 peopls keep retyping the same info so I though I would take up some slack. How did I do? Did I get it all right?
 
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Lindsay Wilson said:
Even better would be the possibility of changing to the AA codeshare, which would give you 100% mileage and EQP's, easily meeting the Gold Challenge and being 640 short of the Platinum Challenge level (10,000 EQP's)...if you fly some domestic QF flights prior to your trip having already enrolled for the Challenge, that would push you over by the time you return (and give you a 100% mileage bonus on the BKK/SYD flight). If you are able (assuming it's cost effective to change the flight numbers), I'd enrol for the Plat Challenge.

I didn't think that AA codeshared on the Roo routes however. When I replied my brain just decided that he was travelling on QF rather than absorbing the BA bit so thought that he'd be sorted for a Gold challenge

Dave
 
Haven't had time to mentally digest the last couple of posts, but how would i go about changing to another codeshare? do i contact BA directly or do I contact travel agent?
 
You'll need to contact your TA to see whether the fare rules allow changes like that...and if they do, how much it may cost you. Have you just booked the flights at present, or have you already got the tickets??
 
While I google about codeshare, I thought that some more detail about my flight might be helpful:

I have become a AA member

I can confirm that the tickets are Class 'V'. (Yes, they were cheap)

The flight no for SYD-BKK is BA0010 and BKK-SYD is BA0009.

On checkmytrip mileage is reported at 4,679 each direction = 9358 total

Departure is late Nov, so I guess I'll start the Challenge from the 16th.

And regarding the AA Gold Challenge, it seems all I have to do is change to the AA codeshare to qualify... (is it that simple? I need more info to understand this, because I don't understand this. Any links would be great.)

Also, as it is impossible for me to make a domestic QF trip before the BA trip, would it make a difference if I made a trip after? Or how about a short trip with another Oneworld carrier from BKK-somewhere?
 
Lindsay Wilson said:
You'll need to contact your TA to see whether the fare rules allow changes like that...and if they do, how much it may cost you. Have you just booked the flights at present, or have you already got the tickets??
From what I can gather my TA has the tickets, but I was unable to to get a return flight on the date I wanted, so the TA booked me in on a later date and said that they'll try and do something about changing the return date.

I will contact the TA tomorrow and find out the current status.

(All your advice will benefit three persons, so whenever I say thanks, triple it)

Rhythm :wink:
 
Rhythm said:
Also, as it is impossible for me to make a domestic QF trip before the BA trip, would it make a difference if I made a trip after? Or how about a short trip with another Oneworld carrier from BKK-somewhere?
All this stuff is too technical for me. :?

A trip BKK-SIN-BKK on finnair is ~1794 miles return, 30 status credits and should only cost ~$250AUD. You can do this in 1 day as flight leaves BKK ~15:40 gets to SIN ~19:05 and leaves SIN at ~22:30 and returns to BKK ~23:40. Any flights with CY on internet may not qualify whereas AY flights I think still qualify 100%.

Good luck.
 
Also, as it is impossible for me to make a domestic QF trip before the BA trip, would it make a difference if I made a trip after? Or how about a short trip with another Oneworld carrier from BKK-somewhere?

Nothing stopping you doing QF flights prior to your holiday. Just book them according to the QF Table.

As JohnK has pointed out, AY BKK/SIN/BKK might be the go. See the AY Table for the fare buckets you need to book t in.
 
Rhythm said:
And regarding the AA Gold Challenge, it seems all I have to do is change to the AA codeshare to qualify... (is it that simple? I need more info to understand this, because I don't understand this. Any links would be great.)

Also, as it is impossible for me to make a domestic QF trip before the BA trip, would it make a difference if I made a trip after? Or how about a short trip with another Oneworld carrier from BKK-somewhere?

There is no AA codeshare. If you can change to the QF codeshare and take just one OW eligable flight within the 90 days from 16 November , then you'll be Gold.

It doesnt matter if you do it before or afterwards excepting that if you do it before the BKK-SYD flight you will get the gold bonus of 25% on the BKK-SYD flight

Dave
 
Update:

I have the tickets.

My trip SYD-BKK is in Class 'V'
My trip BKK-SYD is in Class 'L'.

Before I ask the TA about codeshare changing I need to ask:

Does changing codeshare means just using a different code for the same flight or does it mean a diiferent flight operated by a partner airline?
 
Rhythm said:
Does changing codeshare means just using a different code for the same flight or does it mean a diiferent flight operated by a partner airline?

It would involve rebooking using the Qantas flight number but still on the BA flight

Instead of BA10 SYD-BKK, book on QF301
Instead of BA9 BKK-SYD, book on QF302

Dave
 
Thanks David. I'll be contacting the TA on Monday.

Any ideas as to how much a TA would charge, considering I already have the tickets?


PS

For future personal reference:

How
did you manage find out the QF equivalents for the BA flights?!

Is there a site devoted to listing codeshares? Or have you 'been there, done that'. :?:
 
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