Use QF FF or AA FF for upcoming trip?

[misstam]

Hi, I'm pretty new here & I have to say it's a gold mine of information - hats off to all the regulars for sharing their vast knowledge & experience!

Here is my dilemma:
After pouring through this site, I've just joined AAdvantage as it seems a good option for me - my work flights are sporadic domestic QF (or Virgin, whatever's cheaper) but i also do a few personal trips/year to Asia/US. I'm QF NB, with just 90 SC. I'd like some advice about where best to allocate points for my next trip (and future trips) to start making smarter use of flying pts.

My upcoming trip in Feb is: CX - BNE>CNS>HKG/ HKG>LAX then AA - LAX>DFW/ DFW>RDU
Same return, but the home bound leg is CX - HKG>BNE
This is booked through a TA, (who has not responded to any enquiries since, so bear with me).

I guess first step is determining the fare basis - i recall seeing in another post that it's generally the first letter.
So am i correct in assuming that the CX flights (YL) are Y class, and the AA flights (OR14QDN/ QA10LQKN) are O & Q?
(If not, all my following calculations will be incorrect - so, apologies in advance)

Ideally, I'd like to do a AA Plat Challenge on this run, however my CX flights do not have AA flight numbers. Is it possible to have them changed into AA codeshare for ticketing? If so, how do i go about it? (I don't have tickets yet). From what i can see, only the HKG>LAX runs can be AA codeshare, but that would still get me over the line.

Failing that - Could i credit the flights as is, to AAdvantage and make gold status anyway & then do a Plat challenge on a later trip (Apr/May)? By my calculations at x1.5/mile for CX flights & .5/mile for AA flights, I'd qualify gold with around 37,000 pts?

My other option seems to be to use the points for QF FF. I need another 260 SC by August to make PS - I believe the total SCs for the run are 370 (CX at econ/ AA at disc. econ)?
Even so, to a newbie such a myself it seems a shame that the extra 100+ SC would go down the gurgler in Aug - I'm not sure how this works, but if i got another 200 SC before then, does it mean I'd retain PS for an extra year?

Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[notzac]

I'd like some advice about where best to allocate points for my next trip (and future trips) to start making smarter use of flying pts.

The thing you need to find out (definitely prior to paying if at all possible) is what fare bucket each sector falls in to - this will determine what you'll earn in which program. Certain fares may not get anything at all (e.g., some of the cheapest Qantas fares will credit 0 miles to AA), so it pays to be certain.

This is booked through a TA, (who has not responded to any enquiries since, so bear with me).

Next step - find a new TA.

So am i correct in assuming that the CX flights (YL) are Y class, and the AA flights (OR14QDN/ QA10LQKN) are O & Q?

The CX ones are probably incorrect - and CX codes are no good if you want to do an AA PLT challenge. The AA codes are correct, though I'm not sure you'd want to have O or Q fares while doing a challenge (they'll only earn half the number of points).

The flights in your itinerary BNE-CNS-HKG and HKG-BNE aren't available on an AA flight number, so they won't count for the challenge (you should still get mileage for them though). Now, you need 10000 EQPs for a successful challenge, so I propose the following -

BNE-CNS-HKG - QF/CX
HKG-LAX-DFW-RDU-DFW-LAX-HKG - AA, with codeshares on CX
HKG-BNE - QF/CX

If I've worked it out correctly, the AA flights will total some 19k miles - and on the proviso that they're booked in to H, K, M, L, W or V, they'll give you 19k EQPs, which is enough to earn PLT via a challenge.

I wouldn't worry about losing 90 SCs so much; it's a long way from there to just getting QF PS.

The other gurus here will no doubt have much better advice, but I hope this gets you started!

 

[serfty]

It really depends upon the booking class with CX - if Y then what you post seems correct.

Do you have your CX booking reference?

In anycase you can email CX using [email protected] armed with your details and request the fare class of the booking.

Same with AA, but a call to 1 800 673 486 is needed (Note that I think you are correct about O & Q class for the AA segments).

Now as for Plat challenges, it does cost USD150 to enroll these days. If you have travel that could be sufficient using AA flight numbers after 16th July, then if the challenge succeeds you would have status until end Feb 2011, do it before then and the status would expire next year.

See here for more on AA Challenges: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...-platinum-challenge-mileage-earning-8595.html

 

[misstam]

Thanks Notzac & Serfty,

I've emailed CX as you suggested, to request the fare class info on these flights.

Do you have your CX booking reference?

On my itinerary it has - Class: Economy... "PNR" code... and "Airline Ref" code, is that it?


I will give AA a call tomorrow also, then hopefully have a better idea where i stand.

Next step - find a new TA.

This booking with the TA has been quite a circus, so - you bet i will!

Now, you need 10000 EQPs for a successful challenge, so I propose the following -

BNE-CNS-HKG - QF/CX
HKG-LAX-DFW-RDU-DFW-LAX-HKG - AA, with codeshares on CX
HKG-BNE - QF/CX

I have already paid for these tickets - If the CX booking class turns out to be eligible (though it seems unlikely), what are the chances of getting the tickets (to/from HKG) changed to reflect the AA flight#?

Now as for Plat challenges, it does cost USD150 to enroll these days. If you have travel that could be sufficient using AA flight numbers after 16th July, then if the challenge succeeds you would have status until end Feb 2011, do it before then and the status would expire next year.

That's well worth considering, thanks! That could mean keeping Plat status for an extra 6 months if i held off doing the challenge until my travel plans for the latter part of the year.

cheers

 

[notzac]

On my itinerary it has - Class: Economy... "PNR" code... and "Airline Ref" code, is that it?

PNR should be the one. Without knowing what system the TA used it's a little tricky to tell you where exactly to go online for more information - but the usual suspects are:

www.checkmytrip.com
www.virtuallythere.com

Try going to those sites and putting in the PNR and your surname - one of them ought to let you in and give you a stack more information - including fare basis or fare bucket for each flight.

I have already paid for these tickets - If the CX booking class turns out to be eligible (though it seems unlikely), what are the chances of getting the tickets (to/from HKG) changed to reflect the AA flight#?

Ahh, I didn't realise you'd already paid for it. To be entirely honest, changing the flights (even if it's just the flight #) would probably mean re-ticketing, fees, annoyance and given your TA - more than a few painkillers. Wouldn't hurt to ask of course - but the cost of changing things might be a little unpleasant.

If the cost ends up being too prohibitive, I'd stick with just earning the miles on your flights and worrying about doing the challenge another time - the flights on CX flight #'s won't give you anything towards the challenge, and you'd need those (on AA flight #'s) to qualify.

One thing you may want to consider is factoring in the cost of a couple AAdmirals club day passes if you have any substantial layovers between flights whilst in the US - it could well make those days more pleasant for you.

One Day Pass. All The Admirals Club ( R ) Benefits

 

[Mal]

As a general rule, the AA scheme is much better for rewards. However, I believe for Australians, unless you do a lot of US travel or are on Full Economy/Business/First tickets, then QF will often be a better choice.

A few disadvantages of AA that need to be kept in mind:

• Limited earning on CX flights in Economy (pretty much all discount fare classes are ineligible for points earning).
• Qantas having a lot of sale fares now in E/N/Q class which are all ineligible for earning on AA.
• Hefty penalties for cancelling FF Award tickets / re-routing them or booking within 20 days of departure. ($US150 for cancelling/re-routing // $US50 for booking <20 days // $US100 for booking <7 days).
• Awards are priced at return levels (ie no one-way discount).
• No direct way of getting credit card points from Australian cards into AA (Although you can 'launder' them through the SPG Scheme if you have Amex/Diners or another reward scheme that can credit into SPG.
• Qantas awards are released to AA around 30 days after Qantas members get access. (ie it's ~330 days with AA, ~360 with QF - not sure of exact timings)

I'll let others explain the perks of AAdvantage. But I commonly find that the disadvantages are never clearly spelt out.

 

[simongr]

• No direct way of getting credit card points from Australian cards into AA (Although you can 'launder' them through the SPG Scheme if you have Amex/Diners or another reward scheme that can credit into SPG.

• 
  
  I agree with most of your comments but note that Diners->AA is a direct 2:1 transfer.
  
  S

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Ok..a few points:

• I would firstly add to remember that FF points can be earned by many means including credit cards, hotel stays, car-hire etc. so my main TIP is to also consider all your possible earn...as well as where you want to redeem to before choosinga FF program, or programs.
• Credit Cards in particular can generate large numbers of points (what with points per $ and sign-on bonuses, promos etc..) and so points earned by flying may or may not be a large % earn for you if you look broadly.
• Now some people fly a lot and so that can dominate their own earn/burn strategy.
• Others like me find that CC is our dominate earn.
• For some people their combined earning of points from various sources is such that it makes sense for them to "pool" it into the one program so that they can redeem for flights ata reasonable rate.
• With me I find that living in Australia that there always seem to be each year a number of point earning opportunities that can only go to QF. So for this reason I am keeping my QF FF points account going. My "new' preferred program is however SQ's Krsiflyer though based on a better earn (mainly by CC spend) burn rate....for destinations that I want to fly to (as remember not all FF programs are equal in this depending on your departure and destination cities). so SQ and QF are my two main programs, though I have earnt enough free points with BMI as well for two regional Internatial Business flights. AA is my fourth..but it's free points are onlya few thousand after about 3 years and so it is realy going no-where. I am a member of Virgin as well, but have not hada flight since joining. In the main for me as I want to redeem for long-haul international flights its earn and burn for suvhj rewards are not attractive.

 

[misstam]

Quick update:

PNR should be the one. Without knowing what system the TA used it's a little tricky to tell you where exactly to go online for more information - but the usual suspects are:

...snipped because i can't post websites...
The "Virtually there" dot com site worked for me - but still gave the same fare basis listed on my itinerary.

Next, as Serfty suggested, I emailed Cathay Pacific & called American Airlines - turns out the AA flights were O/Q as suspected. The CX flights "YL" are L.

Which means, the AA flights are eligible for AAdvantage, but not Qantas FF - and the CX flights are eligible for Qantas FF but not AAdvantage.

Even though the TA had assured me that my QF FF# was entered in the booking, both Cathay & American Airlines said there was nothing entered - so at least it gave me the opportunity to allocate to the eligible programs.

Oh - and after almost 3 weeks, i finally received an answer from the TA, re: fare basis of each flight. Her answer: " All of your flights are economy." !!@%#!

So - thanks to all for helping me get to the bottom of this. I'll know better for next time before i get to the booking stage!

I'm thinking now that a Plat challenge in the latter part of the year is a good idea -it was also very helpful to have some of the disadvantages pointed out by Mal - there's such an abundance of info, these things can often go unnoticed.

I'm heading off in a couple of days & seeing as i have 5hrs to kill in LAX, much appreciate the AAdmirals club day pass tip!

cheers