Can Qff Points Be Transfered To Aa ???

[sumthinfornuthin]

Hi
I read an article in the Fin Review recently quoting Dave Noble on the benefits of the AA FF scheme. Can existing QFF points be transferred to AA ?? If so is there a loss on the way ??
Thanks

 

[Evan]

I am afraid not, generally once points are in a FF scheme thats where they stay and must be used. Thats one reason a lot of us with Amex cards leave the points with Amex until we know where we want to put them.
E

 

[superchris]

I am afraid not, generally once points are in a FF scheme thats where they stay and must be used. Thats one reason a lot of us with Amex cards leave the points with Amex until we know where we want to put them.
E

Sorry Evan but you are wrong.
You can move points in and out of your Starwood account to do this.

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/starpoints/redeem/index.html

Amex can tip points into QFF or SPG with SPG giving you the ability to transfer further afield.

 

[serfty]

Sorry Evan but you are wrong.
You can move points in and out of your Starwood account to do this.

...

Amex can tip points into QFF or SPG with SPG giving you the ability to transfer further afield.

Evan is not wrong, his post explained why most people with Amex MR keep them there until the need to use them (and method of use) become clear.

This is because under the current Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme, once a QFF point - always a QFF point! (until it's burned or expired)

Using family transfers they can be moved around between QFF accounts, but that's it.

For OZ CC award point earning to AAdvantage, there is much information on this forum regarding the movement of AMEX MR points to AAdvantage via Starwood Preferred Guest.

e.g.

• 70000 AX MR --> 23100 SPG Points --> 28100 AAdvantage points (5K bonus for 20K+ transfer).
• 1000 AMEX MR --> 330 SPG Points --> 330 AAdvantage Points.

 

[drron]

But where does it say you can move your QFF points to Starpoints?
The statement that once you have QFF points they dont become AA miles is correct.

 

[superchris]

But where does it say you can move your QFF points to Starpoints?
The statement that once you have QFF points they dont become AA miles is correct.

Correct. Putting them into QF or SQ is a deadend street. My suggestion is that you don't do that unless you need them for a reward.

 

[Dave Noble]

But where does it say you can move your QFF points to Starpoints?
The statement that once you have QFF points they dont become AA miles is correct.

Superchris is actually correct as is Evan

As Evan says, In some cases transferring to a FF scheme is a dead end, however this is not true for all schemes and Evan was giving a general statement not a statement specific to QFF; With QFF, it is a dead end and there is no way back and would seem to be the key question posed by the OP

superchris was also correct in that AA, for example, does permit mileage transfers to other schemes such as Priority Club and Hilton though whether the redemption rate is good value is down to peoples own views

Dave

 

[Evan]

I was trying to be general as i knew there is exceptions. I keep all my Amex points as just that until i find a need to use them, then i will do the transfer to the required program.

The OP said QFF points so i did assume he meant actual QFF points as in the QFF scheme and not potential points earnt on a credit card but not yet transfered.

E

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the input.
Yes. I have a heap of QFF points in my QFF a/c, guess I was stupid along the way and got them out of the C/C accounts as soon as I could. Currently sitting on 1.4m points in QFF with 250K in AMEX and 200K in CITIBANK.
I have realised (too late) that I should have left the points in the cards.

My question was to ask if I could get the existing points out of QFF to AA but it appears the answer is a definite NO.

Second Question please .......Can the other points be transferred STRAIGHT from AMEX & CITIBANK to AA.??

Must also thank whoever left the original link to the fee free CITIBNK card 12/18 months ago I applied and got and I still refer the link to friends etc but not sure if it is. still available.

I ditched my ANZ Qantas card because of their miserly 1/2 point per dollar after $ 2500 in a month then nothing after $10,000

 

[Dave Noble]

Second Question please .......Can the other points be transferred STRAIGHT from AMEX & CITIBANK to AA.??

I don't know about Citibank however for American Express Membership Rewards, the points can be transferred to Starwood at 1 Amex = 0.33 Stawood so 250,000 Amex points would give 82,500 Starwood points

Stawood can be transferred to AA at a rate of 1 to 1 excepting that if a transfer of 20000 points is made, an additional 5000 bonus will be applied

80,000 transferred in 4 lots of 20,000 + 5000 bonus would give 100,000 AA points

Dave

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Hi DaveThanks for thew reply

At that rate it would appear to be better to transfer to QFF @ 1 : 1 and pay the taxes etc otherwise they appear to end up in AA at the rate of 2points = 1 AA point ?

Thanks again. Really enjoy reading the wealth of info on this site

 

[Dave Noble]

Hi DaveThanks for thew reply

At that rate it would appear to be better to transfer to QFF @ 1 : 1 and pay the taxes etc otherwise they appear to end up in AA at the rate of 2points = 1 AA point ?

Depends on what you are going to use them for and whether you earn miles from flying.

Consider if using, say, for a r/t to Europe in a premium cabin

AA points required is 120,000 for business and 160,000 for 1st. To get 125,000 AA points solely from credit cards would need 100,000 SPG points which would need 303031 AMEX points. to get 160,000 AMEX points would require 130,000 SPG which would be 393940 AMEX points.

to do the trip using QFF points would be 284,000 and 384,000 respectively so at a 1-1 transfer would require 284k/384k AMEX. The number of points therefore needed from AMEX for the award would be higher however there is at least $400 in fuel fines that will be avoided using AA; whether the extra 19k/8k AMEX points needed is worth $400 would be down to you

If redeeming for travel within Australia/NZ, then the points difference for an award can get quite markedly different. Using the NM example of BNE-AKL in business; due to no non-stop being available and having to go via MEL, the QF points required was 100k plus fines of $207 vs 35k using AA

To get 35k AA points requires 30k Starwood => 91k AMEX so would be less points than the 100k needed for QFF, so save 9k and $207.

Also, if perhaps wanting to make changes, AA charges nothing to change date/times nor to reroute should origin and destination remain the same; drawback is that should it be necessary to cancel , AA charges $100 for mileage redeposit

If solely earning miles from debt cards , then compare the relative costs before making the booking ( AA allows you to hold award bookings for 2 weeks without payment so gives time to do the transfer ) and figure which scheme would be best in each specific instance. Also do be aware, if you have significant spending, that the miles transferred to AA will count towards attaining lifetime status. get to 1,000,000 earned miles in AA and get lifetime AA Gold status

Dave

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Thanks Dave

I am sure these FF systems are designed to be so complex that a University Degree is required to decipher them !!

 

[serfty]

To summarize in relation to a Business RTW award (booking into the SAME seats via QF and AA) using Amex MR points.

AA: ~303K MR Points -{SPG}-> ~120K AAdvantage points + [B]+++[/B] = RTW
QF: ~283K MR Points -------> ~283K QFF Points + [B]+++[/B] + ~$400 additional = RTW*

*2½K 'Assisted' award booking fee, QFF RTW's are quite hard to successfully book online.

 

[kpc]

Just a plug for Diners Club...

To summarize in relation to a Business RTW award (booking into the SAME seats via QF and AA) using Amex MR points.

AA: ~303K MR Points -{SPG}-> ~120K AAdvantage points + [B]+++[/B] = RTW
QF: ~286K MR Points -------> ~286K QFF Points + [B]+++[/B] + ~$400 additional = RTW*

*2½K 'Assisted' award booking fee, RTW are quite hard to successfully book online.

Just a little diversion and food for thought:idea:. Why are we only using AMEX as the card for the calculations above?! DC gives the best conversion to SPG at 1 DC pt =0.5 SPG pt as far as I'm aware for Aussie cards; so using serfty's eg. above, only need 200K DC pts to convert to 120 K AA pts via SPG (200K DC = 100K SPG = 4 X 25K AA + 20K AA pts = 120K AA pts). DC pts can also be converted to AA pts directly at 2:1 (mininum DC pts for transfer is 2K) if you can't take advantage of the extra 5K AA pts by converting 20K SPG pts to 25K AA pts. (BTW, 1 DC pt = 1 QF pt)

I earn 1.5 DC pts per $1 spent so is similar to most Amex earn rates, I think (altho there are promos where you can temporarily get 2.5 Amex pts per 1$ spent). I find if a merchant accepts AMEX, they accept DC 80-90% of the time.

So it will require $133K spend on my DC to earn the 120K AA pts for the ATW mentioned above How much do you need to spend on your AMEX? Is it $202K?!

 

[turtlemichael]

Hi DaveThanks for thew reply

At that rate it would appear to be better to transfer to QFF @ 1 : 1 and pay the taxes etc otherwise they appear to end up in AA at the rate of 2points = 1 AA point ?

Thanks again. Really enjoy reading the wealth of info on this site

There are other options.

You can transfer from your Amex MR account to Virgin Atlantic at 1:1. SYD-LHR-SYD in Upper Class will cost you 180K VS Flying Club points +++ Stopovers in HKG are no additional charge. VS also opens up the possibility of using their partners which include Singapore, Malaysian, Air New Zealand, Scandanavian etc at varying redemption rates but still 1:1 from MR. Depending on how you value fuel fines, to my mind, and subject to the age old problem of actually getting a seat, this is a substantially better use of MR points than you can get from either QF or AA.

 

[turtlemichael]

Here's another one for those with cash left over from Christmas.

Make sure you are enrolled in the Amex Amplify promotion and also their Ascent program giving you 1.5 points per dollar spent on Amex. Today or tomorrow go into your local DSE and buy 32 wish/gift cards at $500 each on your Amex. DSE will think you are mad or laundering stolen money but nevertheless love you all the same. You are effectively paying for your groceries/petrol/booze/electrical goods/telephone cards from the partnered retailers up to 12 months in advance.

You will from that exercise earn 184,000 MR points. You're ready to book your VS upper class round trip to London and just have to pay the fines! All you have to do is find a seat! The cost is the lost but diminishing opportunity cost on the $16,000 over the next 12 months.

 

[JohnK]

At that rate it would appear to be better to transfer to QFF @ 1 : 1 and pay the taxes etc otherwise they appear to end up in AA at the rate of 2points = 1 AA point ?

The actual rate of transfer is 2.42 Amex MR points = 1 AA point (60606 Amex MR Points = 20000 SPG points = 25000 AA points). Whilst AA might be better for premium travel it is definitely better to transfer to QF, or even Virgin Atlantic, for economy travel.

A return from SYD to BKK/HKG/SIN would require 60000 QFF points + taxes and fuel surcharges. The same award on AA would require 50000 AA points or 121212 Amex MR points.

A Oneworld RTW Award in economy would require 142500 QFF points + taxes and fuel surcharges. The same award on AA would require 120000 AA points or 303030 Amex MR points (you will still have 5000 AA points left over).

A return from SYD to LHR would require 128000 QFF points + taxes and fuel surcharges. The same award on AA would require 90000 AA points or 227272 Amex MR points. With this example it would probably be cheaper to transfer to Virgin Atlantic as it would normally only require 110000 VS points but I think there is a special at the moment for a SYD to LHR return for 100000 points.

Now lets just say you were interested to travel one way SYD-BKK to start a cheaper paid RTW. A one way SYD-BKK would require 30000 QFF points + taxes and fuel surcharges. The same award on AA would require 50000 AA points or 121212 Amex MR points.

 

[austrider]

Currently sitting on 1.4m points in QFF

I'm wondering if there's (black)market for sumthinfornuthin to sell his QFF pts? Not that I'm condoning it....

 

[futaris]

You can try the Coupon Connection on FT...