Who pays for the miles?

[ANstar]

Random question...

Who pays for the points when flying with airline partners? Ie If I am flying on QF metal SYD-LAX and credit to AA ... Does QF pay AA for the miles or does AA just credit them to their program for flying QF?

 

[Mattg]

The operating airline (well, actually it would be the marketing airline in the case these are different) pays.

So, if you fly Qantas and earn AAdvantage miles, Qantas will be paying American Airlines for those AAdvantage miles.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

In the end tho, its us, the people, when we first make a airline rev booking, or when we buy our groceries, from Coles/Woolworths.
Airlines are not dumb/stupid, they know how to make money.
When we pay for an item at some places, they will say, "oh, there is a credit card surcharge", can be up to 0.0015%, but on a $10 meal, its $0.17 to the bank.
Then when our data gets moved between partners, airlines/hotels/etc, they are worth something too, your email address can get onsold, to a survey company for the hotel to send you a "survey" form, and you have the "option" to fill it in, or not, but they can pester the bum out of you, to fill it in.
If we made a booking with Airbnb, we also pay, for it then, ...
You have to spend to get the "points".
I know someone who doesn't do these rewards things at all, tho.
Look at QTMC/the former Qantas Cash card.
They don't pay us interest, no matter if you have a large sum sitting in it, for an upcoming overseas trip, but for those of us who do not want real debt, or can't get a "real" credit card, this is the only way to earn QFF points on a regular basis.