I am enjoying EXP and the better value earn/burn levels, I really am. But several things still bug me:
- The inability to get into lounges on purely "domestic" itineraries in North America; I do intend to spend quite a bit of time in the US in the coming years, though I must say status on a North American carrier is good insurance policy for when something goes wrong which is not uncommon in the US
- The inability to redeem one way All Partners at 50% the cost; oneworld awards are more expensive. especially post Sept enhancements, and require "2 carriers other than AA" which at times isn't possible; a lot of my redemption activity are for repositioning flights between "long stopovers" in DONEs and so one way awards are important to me
- More importantly - it is much harder than QFF to gain elite status and I fear when my travel dwindles down i might not remake EXP. I have had a taste of OWE status and now fear I can't go back!!
I have addresses in Austria and Israel that I can use, and so qualify for the European levels of BAEC elite status and should easily get BA Gold with my travels next year. I have no problems complying with the 'min 4 BA flights' requirement. And that's without things like YUPP runs or BAH-DOH runs (though latter has been enhanced away). The status benes seem pretty good, both officially and unofficially. BA seems to op up its elites well, and BAEC elites are supposedly treated on a level playing field as QFF elites on QF flights on the JSA routes.
I have yet to spend time analysing the BAEC earn/burn levels, but I anticipate busy demolishing my bmi dc mileage over the next year or so before they turn into Miles and Less. From what I know thus far, BAEC seems far more generous than QFF, especially when you hit the ultra high levels of TPs, but of course not as great as AAdvantage.
Now the only problem with BAEC is they charge YQ on awards of course... and I'd miss my EVIPs, though BA does give out Gold upgrade vouchers (for 2!) at 2500 TPs which with some strategic itinerary planning is about more or less the effort it'd require to keep EXP anyway. Hence the word "compromise" I guess.
Your thoughts please?
- The inability to get into lounges on purely "domestic" itineraries in North America; I do intend to spend quite a bit of time in the US in the coming years, though I must say status on a North American carrier is good insurance policy for when something goes wrong which is not uncommon in the US
- The inability to redeem one way All Partners at 50% the cost; oneworld awards are more expensive. especially post Sept enhancements, and require "2 carriers other than AA" which at times isn't possible; a lot of my redemption activity are for repositioning flights between "long stopovers" in DONEs and so one way awards are important to me
- More importantly - it is much harder than QFF to gain elite status and I fear when my travel dwindles down i might not remake EXP. I have had a taste of OWE status and now fear I can't go back!!
I have addresses in Austria and Israel that I can use, and so qualify for the European levels of BAEC elite status and should easily get BA Gold with my travels next year. I have no problems complying with the 'min 4 BA flights' requirement. And that's without things like YUPP runs or BAH-DOH runs (though latter has been enhanced away). The status benes seem pretty good, both officially and unofficially. BA seems to op up its elites well, and BAEC elites are supposedly treated on a level playing field as QFF elites on QF flights on the JSA routes.
I have yet to spend time analysing the BAEC earn/burn levels, but I anticipate busy demolishing my bmi dc mileage over the next year or so before they turn into Miles and Less. From what I know thus far, BAEC seems far more generous than QFF, especially when you hit the ultra high levels of TPs, but of course not as great as AAdvantage.
Now the only problem with BAEC is they charge YQ on awards of course... and I'd miss my EVIPs, though BA does give out Gold upgrade vouchers (for 2!) at 2500 TPs which with some strategic itinerary planning is about more or less the effort it'd require to keep EXP anyway. Hence the word "compromise" I guess.
Your thoughts please?
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