Help Planning Itinerary (please)

[Kiwi Flyer]

yes, or lifetime QC in Lindsay Wilson's case

 

[Alan in CBR]

It means I want nothing to do with AA or their AAdisadvantage program.

I would genuinely be interested to know why - if you would care to add any more information.

Certainly the airline is rubbish, but I find their FF scheme to be good.

If QF shut down their FF program I would join the FF program of some Asian carrier like Singapore or Thai.

Another example of how a "loyal Australian" would act?

Don't go so easy on him next time JohnK

I'm sure if he had any valid points he would have stated them.

Mind you, I have no doubt that he is contributing to the best of his abilities.

 

[JohnK]

It means I want nothing to do with AA or their AAdisadvantage program.

I would genuinely be interested to know why - if you would care to add any more information.

Certainly the airline is rubbish, but I find their FF scheme to be good.

Sorry, airline is rubbish and want nothing to do with their FF scheme either. Would be exactly the same if JQ decided they would start a FF scheme separate from QF. Nothing I have read in any of the AAdisadvantage threads would make me want to want to join their FF scheme.

I enjoy struggling to reach any sort of status on QF and Oneworld carriers other than AA. I now have lounge access for 12 months, which I never cared about in the past, and I will try to reach platinum next membership year and then there is a challenge of QF lifetime gold.

I am sure you don't care but I am actually happy that people like you are enjoying the benefits from AAdisadvantage and I hope you continue to do so for many more years.

If QF shut down their FF program I would join the FF program of some Asian carrier like Singapore or Thai.

Another example of how a "loyal Australian" would act?

Sorry, if you read my previous reply it stated that "Nothing to do with loyalty. It means I want nothing to do with AA or their AAdisadvantage program. ". No reason to continue on the loyalty tack any further.

Don't go so easy on him next time JohnK

I'm sure if he had any valid points he would have stated them.

Mind you, I have no doubt that he is contributing to the best of his abilities.

Well Alan, you have my intelligence summed up very well. Give the man another prize from the top shelf.

 

[Dave Noble]

Sorry, airline is rubbish and want nothing to do with their FF scheme either. Would be exactly the same if JQ decided they would start a FF scheme separate from QF. Nothing I have read in any of the AAdisadvantage threads would make me want to want to join their FF scheme.

Given that you want to insult the scheme (given the terms you are using) what aspects of the QF scheme is it that you prefer to the AA scheme.

I know that on some itineries ( such as AONEs and DONEs ) it can be easier to reach Platinum on QF than to get to Executive Platinum on AA and there are a few exceptions where the QF scheme does beat AAs scheme ( e.g. One Way awards can be v good. to get to Libya using QF points cost 18,500 plus a debate with QF over the extra 2,500 they wanted to charge vs 35-40k with AA ) though these are rare. I have found QF Platinum much easier to obtain than AA Executive Platinum which is a good thing and I do like being able to pre-select exit rows on QF

For passengers that fly predominantly in economy, getting status is easier with AA and the earned miles have a higher value

I would be interested to know what aspects of the scheme you prefer on QF . I'm assuming that it isn't unreasoned prejudice and that there is a good reason

Dave

 

[NM]

Certainly the airline is rubbish, but I find their FF scheme to be good.

Sorry, airline is rubbish and want nothing to do with their FF scheme either. Would be exactly the same if JQ decided they would start a FF scheme separate from QF. Nothing I have read in any of the AAdisadvantage threads would make me want to want to join their FF scheme.

I dislike flying in the USA due to the process more than the airline.

AA are actually quite good to fly with when seated up front. Their international J is very good service, though their current seating is not as good as skybeds - but way better pitch than QF's Dreamtime seats. Food is similar quality to QF. AA's domestic F is very similar to QF domestic J. No complaints from me with that product.

And the FF scheme offers significant benefits over QF in most areas - especially upgrade opportunities and award flights. Not too many down sides for me that I can see. AA EXP is harder to reach than QF Plat, but it comes with some added benefits such as VIPOW upgrades and complementary upgrades from B/Y to F on domestic flights.

But if you want to keep doing SCRUNS-from-Hel to maintain QF Gold status and all the benefits that come with it, then feel free to do so. For me, my next trip will be credited to AA and upon return I will have earned enough AA miles for 4 x BNE-AKL return award flights that do not come with fuel fine payments. Not a bad little family vacation as a return from one trip. Crediting the same trip to QF would earn me 3 x 1-way BNE-AKL plus payment of Fuel Fines.

 

[JohnK]

Given that you want to insult the scheme (given the terms you are using) what aspects of the QF scheme is it that you prefer to the AA scheme.

<snip>

For passengers that fly predominantly in economy, getting status is easier with AA and the earned miles have a higher value

I would be interested to know what aspects of the scheme you prefer on QF . I'm assuming that it isn't unreasoned prejudice and that there is a good reason

Sometimes my words do not come out the way I want them. I am not trying to insult the AA scheme. It probably is a good FF scheme for some people. As a general rule I do not like US based air carriers. Delta is OK but they have their own problems.

I only joined the QF scheme in May 2003 when I started travelling to Thailand for work. I didn't know anything about FF/loyalty programs and I was encouraged by the secretary at work to join. I attained silver status in the first year and have now made gold status in the 3rd year of membership. More than I could have ever wished for out of this FF scheme looking back 3 years ago.

Living in Australia I have mainly been flying QF and I think will continue to do so in the future, apart from the odd SC run on AY, so it makes sense, for me at least, to credit the flights to this FF scheme. Again I fly mainly heavily discounted economy except for the odd SC run in D on AY.

For international flights I travel with N,Q class airfares, sometimes V class when there is no sale on, and QF's scheme gives me the same recognition as if I had purchased a B,H,K,S,V class fares. For domestic flights I only ever travel on red e-deal O,N class fares unless I am really desperate to go somewhere in a hurry. So basically with QF I get the discount economy SC's and full FF points. With AA I would have to purchase a higher class airfare just to get the x0.25 mile recognition and even higher class airfares to get the x0.5 mile recognition. Not sure whether I want to spend the extra money!

I like QF's SC's based scheme as opposed to a mileage based scheme. And AA is not the only one here. Singapore and Thai are just a few to mention.

I like dealing with local call centres. Just recently with the AY debacle QF have been fantastic. Could not praise them enough. The service I have received from their friendly staff, yes I do find them friendly, makes me want to continue doing business with them.

I am very happy with the treatment I have received from QF in the air. In more than 90% of flights I am sitting in the front of economy with my aisle seat preference. When I was just mere silver status I received an op-up to business class SYD-BKK-SYD.

I trust QF. I know they will be around even with the dark JQ cloud hanging around. Yes I know they make changes to devalue FF points from time to time but that is business in general. The cost of goods or services at certain times must go up. To be honest with you I really don't care too much for the FF points just glad to have status.

I feel very safe when flying with them. I feel very comfortable. I feel at home when I step onto a QF aircraft.

I know that my points above are not all FF scheme related but all these little things matter. QF has done the right thing for me so I will continue to be a member of their FF scheme.

And yes I know that I could still fly QF and join AA's FF scheme but that would mean that I would need to spend more money to buy higher class airfares. Maintain 2 FF scheme's like you? Impossible.

 

[Dave Noble]

For international flights I travel with N,Q class airfares, sometimes V class when there is no sale on, and QF's scheme gives me the same recognition as if I had purchased a B,H,K,S,V class fares. For domestic flights I only ever travel on red e-deal O,N class fares unless I am really desperate to go somewhere in a hurry. So basically with QF I get the discount economy SC's and full FF points. With AA I would have to purchase a higher class airfare just to get the x0.25 mile recognition and even higher class airfares to get the x0.5 mile recognition. Not sure whether I want to spend the extra money!

I like QF's SC's based scheme as opposed to a mileage based scheme. And AA is not the only one here. Singapore and Thai are just a few to mention.

You are confusing Qpoints with miles earned. Eligable classes earn 50% minimum and KHBY earn 100% miles. All earned miles count towards status.

Although earning may be at 50% ( with a min of 500 ), I think it is fare to say that AA miles have a value at least double of QFs , especially when it comes to premium awards

I find it odd that someone who admits to travelling on low fares would prefer a scheme that awards status to those who pay the highest fares.

Dave

 

[serfty]

... I find it odd that someone who admits to travelling on low fares would prefer a scheme that awards status to those who pay the highest fares.

Dave

I believe JohnK's issue with that is N (the most common red e-deal) class fares do not earn on AA at all. At the moment O does, but this may change (See AA A class).

When booking a read e-deal on-line with Qantas you do not know which of the classes you are booking into. (Although "Sale" fares tend to book into O).

ATM, standard BNE-SYD red e-deal prices on the QF Website appear to vary vary from red e-deal $106-$139, Super-Saver $166-$238, Flexi-Saver $281 & Fully-Flex $401.

The $166 fare will earn on AA but one does not know if a $106 fare can until you complete the booking. Is it worth forking out upto $60 to be sure? You can book over the 'phone but this will incur a hefty surcharge.

YMMV

 

[Alan in CBR]

JohnK, thank you for your most recent post. It's clear now that you have put a good deal of thought into your decision to remain with QFF, and that's great. Whether I or anyone else agrees with your decision or otherwise is irrelevant. I think everyone on this board is glad that we at least have a choice and can decide for ourselves which scheme is best for our particular circumstances.

I only became involved in this thread because I inferred from your posts that you considered it disloyal to be a member of any scheme other than QFF, and that you thought the AAdvantage scheme was a bad one. It is now clear that you did not mean to imply either of these two points.

I feel very safe when flying with them. I feel very comfortable. I feel at home when I step onto a QF aircraft.

I think that is something nearly all of us can agree on.

Alan.

 

[Alan in CBR]

[tangent]
From Dave Noble's post, "Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 8:00 am"

Aren't you somewhere over the Pacific at the moment?

Where did you post this from? The HNL QP/AC?
[/tangent]

 

[NM]

[tangent]
From Dave Noble's post, "Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 8:00 am"

Aren't you somewhere over the Pacific at the moment?

Where did you post this from? The HNL QP/AC?
[/tangent]

HNL AC would be a good bet at that time of the day.

 

[Dave Noble]

[tangent]
From Dave Noble's post, "Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 8:00 am"

Aren't you somewhere over the Pacific at the moment?

Where did you post this from? The HNL QP/AC?
[/tangent]

HNL AC would be a good bet at that time of the day.

When I arrived at 10:30, the lounge was a QP ; at 11:00 , when QF4 boarded, it morphed into an AC , but a decent AC

As a QP, it had wine, beers, cheese and biscuits, fruit platter et al , but once it morphed, the only food available was danish pastry.

Unlike normal ACs though, it did continue to offer free wine and beer on request.

I can definately recommend travelling to US via HNL; immigration was v efficient ( a lot of people arriving, but loads of immigration staff to process it) . I had to wait approx 10 mins for immigration and then went to bag claim and all the priority luggage had already been delivered next to the baggage carousel. Straight through customs and the bags then delivered onto another carousel for transfer to LAX flight. At security checkpoint to get airside , no queues at all and then a nice quiet AC ( much more pleasant than most ) to await flight to LAX

Dave

 

[JohnK]

You are confusing Qpoints with miles earned. Eligable classes earn 50% minimum and KHBY earn 100% miles. All earned miles count towards status.

Although earning may be at 50% ( with a min of 500 ), I think it is fare to say that AA miles have a value at least double of QFs , especially when it comes to premium awards

I find it odd that someone who admits to travelling on low fares would prefer a scheme that awards status to those who pay the highest fares.

Dave

From what I understand, and I could be wrong, with international flights on QF the lowest paying fare is N class. There is no O class. This would mean that I would not earn any Qpoints or miles earned on the AA scheme.

With domestic flights I only ever travel on O,N classes and as serfty has mentioned you have no idea when booking red e-deal airfare what class you will be booked into.

I would have struggled to make AA platinum with my flights this membership year and even if I did I would prefer QF Gold to AA platinum.

I also think it will be easier for me to reach top tier on QF than AA if I decide to do DONE4.

 

[NM]

I also think it will be easier for me to reach top tier on QF than AA if I decide to do DONE4.

One marginally optimised DONE4 will make QF platinum. Two similarly optimised DONE4s are required for AA Exec Plat.

My current planned DONE4 would earn about 1300 QF SCs (enough to requalify my QF platinum status until Sep 07) or about 55,000 AA EQP (enough to complete the AA Plat challenge and then renew status until Feb 08).

Since I already have QF Lifetime Gold, I am going to post to AA for this trip. And if I happen to do another DONE4 later in the year it will puch me over the Exec Plat line. If there is a third DONE4 this year it will go to QF.

 

[JohnK]

Since I already have QF Lifetime Gold, I am going to post to AA for this trip.

If I ever get the remaining 12,500 SC's required for QF Lifetime Gold I may also consider crediting flights to another FF program.

 

[NM]

Since I already have QF Lifetime Gold, I am going to post to AA for this trip.

If I ever get the remaining 12,500 SC's required for QF Lifetime Gold I may also consider crediting flights to another FF program.

10 x DONE4 will do it easily .

 

[JohnK]

Since I already have QF Lifetime Gold, I am going to post to AA for this trip.

If I ever get the remaining 12,500 SC's required for QF Lifetime Gold I may also consider crediting flights to another FF program.

10 x DONE4 will do it easily .

Should have realised it was that easy. :roll:

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

If they're well optimised you dont even need 10.

 

[NM]

If they're well optimised you dont even need 10.

Hence my use of teh word "easily" 8) .

 

[JohnK]

If they're well optimised you dont even need 10.

Really! Now I am interested.