The benefits of status across airlines

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simongr

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Hi all - sorry for being spammer at the moment - lots of things going and lots of changes are sparking lots of questions for me. Most of the people who will reply to this will probably see the context of some of my other threads (aa platinum challenge, managing my seat booking etc.)

I am just trying to understand what status benefits I can expect to see/need to push for on my future travels. Ok the context is:

Currently QF Gold
Undertaking AA Platinum challenge - should be complete 3 November

I generally fly QF business class international (on business) and have one domestic QF flight and one international WT+ on BA planned (before I hit AA Platinum).

I have now allocated all future flights to my AA number. This means I think that when I book and turn up for all my QF flights they wont recognise me before the flight as either QF Gold or Oneworld Sapphire (until I get AA Platinum I think).

As I see at the moment if I continued as Gold I would get the following benefits when:

Travelling economy on QF:
Priority baggage
10KG extra luggage
Better chance of seat closer to front
QP access
Business class check in

Travelling business class on QF:
Priority baggage
10KG extra luggage
Better chance of seat closer to front (?)

Travelling BA WT+:
Business Class priority check-in



Priority standby and waitlisting



Boarding at convenience


Lounge access


I think the key thing that I am losing is the extra 10KG allowance as that isnt an allowance on AA. Out of interest is the 10KG only on QF flights? In which case for my WT+ flight to BKK I am guessing that I wont be able use the extra 10KG...
 
The extra 10Kg only applies to Qantas flights, on BA (after Oct 11) you are allowed 2 pieces of max 23Kg in WT+.

Once the QF status goes, the loss of the extra allowance of baggage is pretty much the only loss

Dave
 
Both QF Gold and AA PLatinum will get you lounge access when flying QF Economy, QF Business (well, you get that by way of cabin), and BA WT+.
 
Dave Noble said:
The extra 10Kg only applies to Qantas flights, on BA (after Oct 11) you are allowed 2 pieces of max 23Kg in WT+.

Once the QF status goes, the loss of the extra allowance of baggage is pretty much the only loss

Dave

Lucky I just qualified for gold and my qualifying year ends in September :)

I guess the thing I am interested in is the seat allocation. I kind of imagined that being gold I would be defaulted to seats 30+ on domestic flights. Do gold or platinum flyers get this special treatment and if so - will I miss out on it if I put my AA number down? Perhaps I should book all flights with my QF number and then change just before they give me my boarding card :)

Again on a related topic I am guessing that when I am flying with BA I cant expect to get priority baggage with my WT+ tickets and brandishing my QF Gold card wont make any difference. Mind you even flying business class I dont seem to get the priority baggage tags :(
 
simongr said:
Again on a related topic I am guessing that when I am flying with BA I cant expect to get priority baggage with my WT+ tickets and brandishing my QF Gold card wont make any difference. Mind you even flying business class I dont seem to get the priority baggage tags :(
Priority baggage is not a benefit of OneWorld Sapphire status, nor is it a benefit of WT+ ticket.
 
NM said:
Priority baggage is not a benefit of OneWorld Sapphire status, nor is it a benefit of WT+ ticket.

Correct. Priority baggage is a Star Alliance status benefit but not One World.
 
Just one thing that was not clarified on this for me (geez - demanding or what?) was seating priority. As I understand it as a QF Gold flying on QF I would get (generally) a seat closer to the front of the plane - is that correct?

Does that still apply once I get AA Platinum? Is it a oneworld benefit? The same would go if I was to make Exec Plat next year - would I get the same sundry privilleges that QF Plat get (flying QF generally)?

But in the interim if I book my seats on QF but allocate my no-level AA number do I get treated like cattle? It shouldnt be a big deal as my flights before AA Plat are QF-Bus (SYD-AKL if I get the upgrade) and BA WT+ - but I do have one flight to Brisbane on cheap domestic and I would like me+mr sim to get a decent forward seat as we cant upgrade to bus...
 
You can make these bookings using your QFF number and obtain your SG privileges.

Then change to the AA number shortly before the flight.
 
Thanks - that was what I was thinking of doing that and seeing how it goes. We have some odd flying profiles at the moment with a compressed period for travel and some personal travel. Post Xmas it should be a lot calmer...
 
simongr said:
Does that still apply once I get AA Platinum? Is it a oneworld benefit? The same would go if I was to make Exec Plat next year - would I get the same sundry privilleges that QF Plat get (flying QF generally)?
As far as I understand seating priority is not a OneWorld benefit as I found out flying BA SYD-BKK.
 
simongr said:
Thanks - that was what I was thinking of doing that and seeing how it goes. We have some odd flying profiles at the moment with a compressed period for travel and some personal travel. Post Xmas it should be a lot calmer...

Once you have your platinum status, you will have access to the qualified seating so you should be able to get a preferred seat. Easier on international flights where you can choose specific seats in advance, but you request should be handled by the auto allocator on domestics. Still best just asking for the exit row imo

Dave
 
When you say choose do you mean at the point of booking? I dont do the bookings myself and cant rely on PA/Travel Agent to book the irgh tseat. If I want to change seats do I call Qantas (all flights ar QF) or do I call AA?

With the exception of manage my booking at the BA site (where I think I can only request seats on BA flights) is there an online resource for that?

I am willing to pay a nominal sum for access to that sort of functionality :)

Cheers
S
 
serfty said:
Call Qantas (131131) armed with your amadeus booking reference and ask.
All you need is your name and flight number. The Amadeus booking reference is not required. And if not knows, you can ask for it from the QF reservations agent on the phone.

Seat allocations are just a matter of picking up the phone and asking.
 
JohnK said:
As far as I understand seating priority is not a OneWorld benefit as I found out flying BA SYD-BKK.
Really? The oneworld website seems to think it is.

For QF Golds:
Preferred seating

Each alliance carrier has a policy to allow their most frequent customers to nominate a preferred seat in advance of their flight, and will now also try to honour requests of Qantas Gold Frequent Flyers with oneworld Sapphire status wherever possible.

BA Silver:
As a Silver member, you will also be entitled to the following benefits when flying on oneworld alliance airlines:
...
* Preferred seating - the opportunity to choose your preferred seat in advance.
...
If I recall correctly, your issue was that there were four rows unavailable to you (as a oneworld Sapphire), but that you were able to select a row just aft of that. I seem to recall it transpired that those rows are reserved for selection by oneworld Emeralds. Certainly sounds like seating priority to me - some seats available only to Emeralds and above, and some seats available only to Sapphires and above.

You got priority - just not as much as an Emerald would have.
 
Same for AAdavntage:
Sapphire - AAdvantage Platinum
Platinum is equivalent to oneworld Sapphire
AAdvantage Platinum members will be entitled to the following benefits across the oneworld network:
  • Preferred seating.
 
Alan in CBR said:
Really? The oneworld website seems to think it is. ...
As we all know, the oneWORLD website was extensivly updated recently. Prior to this AFAIK, there was no specific publication of such benefit.

It's quite possible such prefered seating benefits have only recently become official, perhaps in line with the web site changes.
 
Last edited:
Thats great though. It was one of the intangible benefits that I was concerned about missing by switching to AAdvantage.. now no longer a worry :)
 
serfty said:
As we all know, the oneWORLD website was extensivly updated recently. Prior to this AFAIK, there was no specific publication of such benefit.

It's quite possible such prefered seating benefits have only recently become official, perhaps in line with the web site changes.

The preferred seating was listed when you went into details of a specific status with a carrier. Preferred seating is definately not a new entry to the benefits listed on the OW site

Dave
 
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As NM said, it is only a matter of picking up a phone and asking. I am QF Gold, but use CX to HK, normally cheaper and the timing on the new QF flight to HK stinks, especially as I am transiting by ferry into China. I don't think QF realise how many flyers fo into China direct after landing HK, anyway back to the thread, alway get a forward seat on phone.
 
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