Which is the most generous FF program? American, Qantas, United?

[NM]

Earning points on UA is at least as good as AA, and much better than QF for a Star silver/gold traveller. Redemptions are where UA/Star Alliance is particularly strong. As an example I just booked an award ticket from Singapore to San Juan, Puerto Rico with a stopover in San Francisco in business class for 90,000 UA Mileage Plus miles. Transpacific flights are on SQ, and US domestic flights, of course, are on UA (first class). Taxes amounted to AUD 51.80 in total.

And similarly, UA will provide upgrade options trans-Pacific where AA cannot since they only codeshare with QF.

 

[rebe]

The easiest way to reach 2nd highest tier (QF Gold, AA Plat, UA 1P) is:

Credit Cards:

• AA: Best mileage is through Plat Amex->SPG, 1.5 points/AU$. 1 Amex point = 0.33 SPG (usually). 20,000 SPG = 25,000 AA. Approx 0.6 AA/AU$ usually.
• QF: Plenty of cards with 1.5 QF/AU$ directly. Can also do the same through Amex. Some cards offer extra for booking QANTAS.
• UA: Nothing good in Australia. Seems to be the only decent way to get points in is to buy them directly from UA.

NB The other Star Alliance program that people seem to like (at the moment) is BMI, since earning miles are easy via Hertz and Hilton.


Hi there,

I've called Diners and Amex (here in Australia) and apparently they don't have any cards that link into American Airlines. Only Qantas, Singapore, Virgin etc... Does that sound correct? Everyone on this thread seems to be talking about AA points with Diners and Amex.

Thanks!

 

[oz_mark]

The easiest way to reach 2nd highest tier (QF Gold, AA Plat, UA 1P) is:

Credit Cards:

• AA: Best mileage is through Plat Amex->SPG, 1.5 points/AU$. 1 Amex point = 0.33 SPG (usually). 20,000 SPG = 25,000 AA. Approx 0.6 AA/AU$ usually.
• QF: Plenty of cards with 1.5 QF/AU$ directly. Can also do the same through Amex. Some cards offer extra for booking QANTAS.
• UA: Nothing good in Australia. Seems to be the only decent way to get points in is to buy them directly from UA.

NB The other Star Alliance program that people seem to like (at the moment) is BMI, since earning miles are easy via Hertz and Hilton.


Hi there,

I've called Diners and Amex (here in Australia) and apparently they don't have any cards that link into American Airlines. Only Qantas, Singapore, Virgin etc... Does that sound correct? Everyone on this thread seems to be talking about AA points with Diners and Amex.

Thanks!

As noted above, the way to get them to AA is to go via SPG. Amex have transfers to SPG, and once the points are in SPG they can be transferred to AA.

 

[serfty]

Amex Member Rewards program Ascent transfers points to SPG at 100:33, so 60,700 Amex MR becomes 20,018 SPG points.

20,000 SPG points converts to 25,000 AAdvantage miles. (5k bonus per 20K transferred.)

 

[rebe]

Amex Member Rewards program Ascent transfers points to SPG at 100:33, so 60,700 Amex MR becomes 20,018 SPG points.

20,000 SPG points converts to 25,000 AAdvantage miles. (5k bonus per 20K transferred.)

Thanks Serfty,

I'm struggling to understand some of your acronyms!!! What exactly is SPG?

Cheers
Rebe

 

[futaris]

SPG = Starwood Preferred Guest -> Starwood Preferred Guest - Hotel Offers and Loyalty Program spg.com

 

[serfty]

Thanks Serfty,

I'm struggling to understand some of your acronyms!!! What exactly is SPG?

Cheers
Rebe

Thanks futaris, for more on this and other related:

• Please Post your AFF Acronyms and Abbreviations here.

 

[rebe]

Thanks futaris, for more on this and other related:

• Please Post your AFF Acronyms and Abbreviations here.

Thanks for explaining that. But with an exchange rate of 100:33, it looks as though it is significantly less than what I would receive using a Qantas credit card and Qantas FF program?

 

[JohnK]

Thanks futaris, for more on this and other related:

• Please Post your AFF Acronyms and Abbreviations here.

This thread is a sticky in the 'Your Questions' forum. It's purpose would appear to be limited as there are multiple forums on AFF and is a little bit out of the way and hard to find if you are not specifically going to this 'Your Questions' forum.

Is there any chance it can be made a sticky in multiple forums or even on the front page of AFF? Perhaps even a different colour to the rest of the threads. Perhaps my request will be put in the too hard basket....

 

[rebe]

Hi John,
I don't really understand your request... I don't know what a sticky is...

This thread is a sticky in the 'Your Questions' forum. It's purpose would appear to be limited as there are multiple forums on AFF and is a little bit out of the way and hard to find if you are not specifically going to this 'Your Questions' forum.

Is there any chance it can be made a sticky in multiple forums or even on the front page of AFF? Perhaps even a different colour to the rest of the threads. Perhaps my request will be put in the too hard basket....

 

[Mwenenzi]

Hi John,
I don't really understand your request... I don't know what a sticky is...

On the top of this forum (Yours questions) is a post that sticks to to top. Sticky's are allways at the top of a forum and never fall to bottom like other threads. Stickys contain useful information
..
..

Sticky: Abreviations and Explanations (

1 2 3 ... Last Page)

 

[simongr]

A sticky is a thread that sits at the top of the forum and doesnt drift off when no-one posts in it. It is designed so that useful information is close at hand at all times.

John's request was directed at the moderators rather than you Rebe.

 

[serfty]

Until the 30th September, the exchange rate is 100:60, so 30,400MR will garner those 20K SPGs

 

[JohnK]

Hi John,
I don't really understand your request... I don't know what a sticky is...

A sticky thread is something that always appears at the top of the list of threads in a forum. As others have mentioned my request was more for the moderators to somehow have the thread for the abbreviations visible to all forums rather than be restricted to the 'Your Questions' forum.