Ever bid on a first-class plane ticket to port?

[Globaliser]

OR that I need to have status with TWO OneWorld Airlines and THEN I can access any lounge no matter what class I fly on a DOMESTIC USA flight??? Am I still going to get my free upgrades space available on DOMESTIC flights?

I can give you one more bit of good news. If you're a non-AA Emerald or Sapphire and you're flying Eagle from DFW to Waco (as a purely domestic itinerary), you can not only get into the AC at DFW but you will also be given free drinks vouchers. I know that AC members now get some drinks free anyway, but these vouchers are still worth something.

[greatam]

Thanks Gardyloo, turtlemichael and Globaliser. I feel like a real dunce. All those miles I have been flying overseas were just credited to AA other than a few Etihad and Kuwait Airways flights. Just flew back from SA on LAN/AA combo and again all those miles to AA.

 

So which other OneWorld program should I shoot for? Malev sounds like a dream deal with status match but I don't see a trip to Europe in the near future. Just a few more trips to the Middle East (my services won't be needed much anymore other than possibly in Kuwait) and then only my normal trips to Asia and South America plus my monthly trip to my NYC office from LAX.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

[Gardyloo]

Thanks Gardyloo, turtlemichael and Globaliser. I feel like a real dunce. All those miles I have been flying overseas were just credited to AA other than a few Etihad and Kuwait Airways flights. Just flew back from SA on LAN/AA combo and again all those miles to AA.

 

So which other OneWorld program should I shoot for? Malev sounds like a dream deal with status match but I don't see a trip to Europe in the near future. Just a few more trips to the Middle East (my services won't be needed much anymore other than possibly in Kuwait) and then only my normal trips to Asia and South America plus my monthly trip to my NYC office from LAX.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

With your travel patterns I'd probably look at Lan - http://www.lan.com/en_ca/sitio_personas/lanpass/acerca_de_lanpass/categorias_socios.html - which have decent redemption rates (note they use KM rather than miles.) Lan also allows credit of AS miles to Lan accounts, and v.v. (and Lan miles are actually EQM with AS, if that's of any interest.)

 

Note that Lan tends to enforce the rule that 4 Lan-metal flights have to be included annually for elite qualification.

[Globaliser]

I feel like a real dunce.

Not at all: there can be real benefits of putting as many miles as possible into your primary scheme if you're able to use them. I don't know what the million (or multiple million) benefits are now on AA, but they would be one good reason for this - just as lifetime status in some other schemes provides a good target to aim for.

 

A handful of thoughts from me:

1. You do have to watch for the 4-sector rule on other airlines. I know that BA and QF both enforce this, but there are subtleties involved. AIUI, on BA the following flights count for the 4-sector rule:
   1. BA-operated, BA-coded.
   2. Other airline-operated, BA-coded.
   3. BA-operated, OW-coded.

I'm not now sure what the exact QF rule is. It's worth finding out the exact rules for each candidate airline.[*]If you're heading to Asia, then CX might be a candidate if you can satisfy any rules they have about status. However, you also want to watch the miles you earn as well: with CX, you earn Asia Miles (whereas status is counted via the Marco Polo Club) - and somewhere in my memory is the idea that Asia Miles have a fixed expiry time and the life of the miles is not extended by continuing to accrue further miles (unlike AA, BA or QF).[*]As there are now so few Flagship lounges, you really only need to have OW Sapphire status for this to work well for you - Sapphire will give you access to all ACs.

[turtlemichael]

I'm not now sure what the exact QF rule is. It's worth finding out the exact rules for each candidate airline.

 

The Qantas rule is 4 point earning Qantas or Jetstar flight numbers.

"The travel required in each Membership Year to attain or retain Silver, Gold or Platinum status level must include a minimum of four Eligible Flight Segments where Qantas, QantasLink or a Jetstar Airline is the Marketing Carrier".

[greatam]

Well, LanPass it was going to be. UNTIL I read even more of the fine print. I fly into SCL for my fruit shipping business-either LAN or AA. When my REAL job is finished, then I fly to Lima/Cusco/Juliaca for my miniscule private import business. So flying the 4 segments on LAN metal yearly is NO problem. I usually buy a LAN South America pass or OneWorld pass. BUT those miles on the passes don't count for status unless I read it wrong. You get the miles, just not EQM.

 

So figuring the cost of ONE very cheapest economy ticket from SCL to LIM/CUZ/JUL is more than my AC membership. Since I usually make 4 of these trips per year, I would be wasting money trying to get status with LAN Pass unless I missed something. Did I???