Countdown to Gold for Life

[serfty]

If AA Platinum = QFF Gold, what are the AA equivalents of QFF Bronze, Silver, and Platinum? What type of benefits do the AA top tier get, and how do they vary from QFF Platinum?

QF NB = AAdvantage member = oneworld member
QFF PS = AAdvantage Gold = oneworld Ruby
QF SG = AAdvantage Platinum = oneworld Sapphire
QF WP = AAdvantage Executive Platinum = oneworld Emerald

Most obvious difference between the Tiers of Qantas Frequent Flyer and AAdvantage Platinum is that Qantas oneworld Sapphire's and Emeralds get complimentary anytime outbound access to AAdmirals clubs where AAdvantage equivalents do not.

 

[serfty]

Duplicated

 

[Dave Noble]

Thanks for the information. I've been QFF Platinum for about 7 years now, so usually get the 100% points bonus. Is there an advantage for transferring to AA if I'm likely to retain QFF Platinum this year again?

If you can get AA Executive Platinum you get the 8 Systemwide upgrades on AA which you can use for yourself or others ( or even trade on FTs coupon connection at around 30k points value each )

With AA, the costs of award flights are typically a lot lower and there are no fuel fines to pay; e.g. a QF economy r/t to London is 128k points plus taxes plus about $350 fuel fines, 256k for business and 384k for 1st ; using AA the rates are 90k/120k/160k respectively with no fines to pay

Dave

 

[NM]

With AA, the costs of award flights are typically a lot lower and there are no fuel fines to pay; e.g. a QF economy r/t to London is 128k points plus taxes plus about $350 fuel fines, 256k for business and 384k for 1st ; using AA the rates are 90k/120k/160k respectively with no fines to pay

This was the clincher for me. With LTG I have lounge access when flying any OneWorld fliht, including AA domestic. So its the better AA earn/burn rates that make the difference.

AA Exec Plat is harder to reach than QF Plat for the type of flying I do. I can make QF Plat in one DONE4 itinerary, but that would only get to about 60% of AA EXP. On AA my itinerary earned me just over 100K miles, while on QF it would have earned me 80K points (quite a lot of CX flights which AA pays the 100% status bonus by QF does not). Now I wanted to send some of my family on a vacation to AKL during the Christmas school holidays. The only availability during January was via MEL. So the 80K QF FF points would have bought me one economy return (50K points). My 100K AA miles bought me 3 x business class return flights (105K miles, but AA allowed me to go into the red by up to 5K). And for 3 business class awards, QF wanted 300K points and $750, while AA wanted 105K miles and $148. A huge difference.