Switching from QFF to BAEC

[travellerqff]

Hi all

I know there has been discussion here some time ago: Worth switching to BAEC from QF FF?

I’m currently QF WP LTG and living in Australia. It only took me around 10 years to achieve LTG, with only taking it seriously in the last 5 years.

I’m seriously considering switching frequent flyer programs so I can begin working on attaining LTP with BA. I have a UK address for signing up and travel there twice annually, plus to the US - so could tie in trips together via the UK.

I’m just curious as to how many member here at AFF are already doing this?

And also, if my status match request is unsuccessful, can I credit to BA while using my QF WP benefits? Or does it require a last minute BP swap when leaving the lounge to board?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

 

[samh004]

I'm under the impression that you are able to add two FF numbers to a booking, one that shows on the BP for lounge access and another that the ticket actually credits to, but I would imagine both require the intervention of a travel agent or a call to the airline and a good agent.

As for status matches, I would be very surprised if BA granted you one, I wait with baited breath!

 

[TonyHancock]

I made the switch three and a half years ago. I was a P1 with QF and typically switched my FF number in the lounge or via the AY website. I was using points to upgrade on QF flights and the one thing I would say is make sure a flight credits before switching your FF number if your next flight is on the same PNR. I got caught out once on a SYD-PVG-SYD trip when I switched back to QF as soon as I landed at PVG in order to pursue an upgrade on the return leg.

I used my QF status for lounge access etc, using my QF card without any issues even though my BA FF number was in the booking. Things may have tightened up now.

It is a long hard slog to get to the magical 35,000 TP's so good luck.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

I'm under the impression that you are able to add two FF numbers to a booking, one that shows on the BP for lounge access and another that the ticket actually credits to

ISTR one code may be called FFTS and the other FFTV?

 

[drron]

I made the switch late last year.previously I had relied on mrsdrron's QP for lounges and I have been LTP with AA for some time.Mrsdrron made LTG early this year.
But with us starting to wind down our travel and using points for a lot of long haul flights mrsdrron missed on requalifying WP last year and will just scrape back this year.But I will easily get to BAEC gold.I wild hit ~ 2150TPs whereas she with more domestic QF flights than I and the same international flights as I will get to 1410 SCs.A few of her flights were the double SC variety.
Sure I have found the BA staff just as variable as QF but on the whole still a tad better than QF.
Besides I can fly paid BA F cheaper than QF J.Selected routes only but ones that we do fly anyway.

 

[clifford]

I made the switch a couple of years ago, just after the start of the Qatar blockade.

Most of my flights are international, mainly in F/J using QR and MH. When the blockade prevented me from flying to certain Middle Eastern countries on QR, my travel patterns had to change, and so crediting most flights to the QF FFP became a waste of time, due to QF's disdain for these airlines and laughable crediting rates for many QR/MH routes.

Following the Qatar blockade, it would have cost a lot more to continue crediting to QF and retain WP status , so I switched to BAEC, who treat QR and MH as regular airlines. I have clocked up about 3,000 TP's so far this year.

I also find that for many routes, particularly short-haul in Europe, Asia and Australia (I don't travel to the USA), redemption rates for award tickets are quite a bit lower.

So what's not to love with BAEC?

 

[travellerqff]

Does BA ever have double TP promos?

 

[Strategic Aviation]

I made the switch a couple of years ago, just after the start of the Qatar blockade.

The Qatar blockade started last year - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

 

[TonyHancock]

Does BA ever have double TP promos?

I can't specifically recall double TP's, I have certainly seen extra points on offer. The key to BA is to remember the 2000 miles "rule". A good example is SYD-PER which is over 2000 miles, just, and earns 140 TP's. MEL-PER is sadly under 2000 miles and earns 40 TP's!!!

In my first year the prospect of only reaching Gold energised me into a status run and I completed a DUB-LCY-JFK-PHX-HNL-PHX-JFK-LCY-DUB run in J, for GBP1300 and 1340 TP's (when LCY-JFK earned at F rates, as did the internal US flights. - happy days.) The real benefits of BA open up with the upgrade vouchers and then jokers when you hit GGL. The ability to gift a gold and two silvers is handy too. The gifts keep coming with additional upgrade vouchers and the option to choose between upgrade vouchers or jokers, or points at 7000, 8000 and 9000 TP's.

I maintain that there are fewer more generous FF programs out there for those that fly a lot.....but of course the downside is flying BA!

 

[samh004]

The Qatar blockade started last year - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

I think they might be referring to Simpler and Fairer.

 

[drron]

Yes definitely since simpler and fairer.An example SIN-SYD.
If using your BAEC number and flying either BA or QF you get 140 TP in J,210 in F.
If using your QF number and flying QF it is 125/135 SCs in J,180 in F.
If though flying BA it is 60SCs in J,90 in F.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Calling S&F the Qatar blockade is novel. Perhaps Qatar should take QFF to the International Court of Justice as well

 

[JessicaTam]

Yes definitely since simpler and fairer.An example SIN-SYD.
If using your BAEC number and flying either BA or QF you get 140 TP in J,210 in F.
If using your QF number and flying QF it is 125/135 SCs in J,180 in F.
If though flying BA it is 60SCs in J,90 in F.

Do you mean flying BA and crediting to QF in your last sentence?

 

[JessicaTam]

I have switched to BAEC this month. I have already enough future travel to manage BA-Gold.

The only quandary I have is an address for that rare correspondence - a shiny gold card for example. Any suggestions on a country to use that coincides with a cheap mail forwarding service?

 

[TonyHancock]

I have switched to BAEC this month. I have already enough future travel to manage BA-Gold.

The only quandary I have is an address for that rare correspondence - a shiny gold card for example. Any suggestions on a country to use that coincides with a cheap mail forwarding service?

This might be worth a look. I fear a one off shipment, of membership cards, for a starter account might be expensive though.

 

[ermen]

i switched to BAEC a few years back after being QF WP for a while
.
1. reasonable thresholds to get gold for my flying pattern
2. ability for GGL to give 1x gold + 2 x silver cards a huge beneft - if you time the gift properly, the recipient can get the status for 2 years and a bit! this is huge.
3. better short hail burn rates but since cx enhanced its program, its not clear whether redemption SH Y flights will still be available to partners

biggest problem i have is getting the 4x BA sectors as I am not naturally on a BA route. done for 2018, but may need to head to europe in 2019 to get them or to the syd-sin hop with an intra Aus / Asia code share to tack on

 

[RooFlyer]

I have switched to BAEC this month. I have already enough future travel to manage BA-Gold.

The only quandary I have is an address for that rare correspondence - a shiny gold card for example. Any suggestions on a country to use that coincides with a cheap mail forwarding service?

A certain AFF member in the UK, by any chance? Did you buy the last round?

 

[JessicaTam]

i switched to BAEC a few years back after being QF WP for a while
.
<snip>

biggest problem i have is getting the 4x BA sectors as I am not naturally on a BA route. done for 2018, but may need to head to europe in 2019 to get them or to the syd-sin hop with an intra Aus / Asia code share to tack on

BA codeshares count.

A certain AFF member in the UK, by any chance? Did you buy the last round?

Maybe I need to buy the next one!

 

[beardoc]

Quite a number of us are BA GGL, which is a much better proposition and more of a oneworld frequent flyer program than QFF these days (QF forces you to travel with QF, whereas BA is still pretty much carrier agnostic. The upgrade certificates (Gold Upgrade for 1/2 - GUF1/2) are useful and the gifted status cards are incredible. You can really make a difference for seven people just from your flying alone with the status cards.

All in all, pretty nice. BA isn't my favourite airline, but BAEC certainly is my favourite FFP. I'm 2/3rd of the way to Lifetime BA Gold (oneworld Emerald) after 4 years in the program, so hopefully a lifetime guarantee of domestic Business Lounges and First Lounge achieved whilst I'm still in my early 40s will be worthwhile.

 

[drron]

It certainly makes life interesting.For next year with current flying I would fall 100TPs short of requalifying.now I have a couple of repositioning flights we have to do.
First-NRT to SIN or BKK.Gets 140 TPS in J.But looked at CX indirect-NRT-HKG-BKK.That only gets 80 TPs so the exception to the AFF rule.Cheapest would be on MH and cost ~ $A1600.
Second-YYv-DFW-SNA.First leg in J-40TPs,second leg in F-60 TPs.But would cost $US 900 ~ $A1260.
But then the light flashed on and so I went to Page 4 of the possible AA flights YYV-DFW.And there it was YYV-LGA (J) LGA-DFW (F).Cost just $US2 more than the direct flight YYV-DFW.100 TPs and cost $A just under 700.