Qantas FF points

[boone2]

I have tried looking on the Qantas website but it isn't clear so I thought some of you who collect FF points could help me. I am flying next weekend from LAX to Papeete on ATN which is actually a Qantas codeshare, the booking was done through Qantas and I have directed any queries through them. If I joined the Star Alliance group which Qantas is a member of, would I be able to collect FF points on this flight?

Thanks in anticipation

Terry

[greatam]

I have tried looking on the Qantas website but it isn't clear so I thought some of you who collect FF points could help me. I am flying next weekend from LAX to Papeete on ATN which is actually a Qantas codeshare, the booking was done through Qantas and I have directed any queries through them. If I joined the Star Alliance group which Qantas is a member of, would I be able to collect FF points on this flight?

Thanks in anticipation

Terry

 

Qantas is NOT Star Alliance. Qantas is OneWorld, tied in with AA, Cathay, BA and others.

 

You don't join Star Alliance, OneWorld or Sky Team. These are alliances between various airlines. You pick ONE airline (or two or three like some of us) in an alliance, then acquire miles in ONE airline. When you have enough miles to book a ticket, you can use your miles on ANY airline in the alliance. But you must specifically sign up for an AIRLINE FF membership.

 

Unless you particularly want Qantas miles, why not join AAdvantage (AA) and put your miles to OneWorld/AA??? http://www.airtahitinui-usa.com/traveldesk/partnersfrequentflyer.asp

[boone2]

Thanks Greatam, I knew you would have the answer:) I actually meant One World, I realised I don't actually join them, just worded it wrongly. The reason I am asking about these miles is that I frequently fly BA back to the UK and have never signed up with BA,(very silly I know) I thought using Qantas points would be a good starting point but it isn't clear if a code share with ATN would qualify for FF points

Terry

[FlyerTalker]

If you are frequently flying BA TATL and not taking the points....shame!!

 

Perhaps a BA account crediting the TN flight would work best. You could put your future BA flights there as well. I'll leave it to our resident BA expert Globaliser to supply hard details, or an analysis if AA or BA would work best for you. Or a QF account. Lots depends on your travel patterns and what you want to get from your account.

[Globaliser]

Perhaps a BA account crediting the TN flight would work best. You could put your future BA flights there as well. I'll leave it to our resident BA expert Globaliser to supply hard details, or an analysis if AA or BA would work best for you. Or a QF account. Lots depends on your travel patterns and what you want to get from your account.

I don't think that we have enough information to give any firm advice on this.

 

But if you fly trans-Atlantic on BA, then using an AA account is definitely NOT a good idea (on current rules). You can't earn AA miles for flying BA between the US and Europe. So definitely join a scheme which would allow you to earn for both these flights and the BA flights. (However, it also follows that if you fly trans-Atlantic at all on AA, then you will not be able to earn BA Miles when doing so. So this is something to look at as well.)

 

So the choice is probably between BA and QF. The one thing that flags up a warning to me is that you would need to check that you can earn BA Miles for travelling on a QF code on TN metal (aircraft). But on a quick look I can't immediately see any such restriction stated on the BA website.

 

Beyond that, there are two other big considerations:-

1. Do you fly enough to be likely to qualify for status? If so, both BA and QF apply and enforce their 4-sector rules - you cannot earn or retain status, however many miles you earn, unless you fly four sectors a year with the respective airline. So you must check your likely flying patterns against this criterion to see whether you will get more out of one scheme than the other.
2. What are you likely to use the miles for? Which scheme is going to offer you the more attractive redemption opportunities? For example, if you might buy BA WT+ fares and then use miles to upgrade to Club World, the BA scheme offers stonking good value there. But there are other respects in which the QF scheme might be better, depending on your flying patterns.

[greatam]

I don't think that we have enough information to give any firm advice on this.

 

But if you fly trans-Atlantic on BA, then using an AA account is definitely NOT a good idea (on current rules). You can't earn AA miles for flying BA between the US and Europe. So definitely join a scheme which would allow you to earn for both these flights and the BA flights. (However, it also follows that if you fly trans-Atlantic at all on AA, then you will not be able to earn BA Miles when doing so. So this is something to look at as well.)

 

So the choice is probably between BA and QF. The one thing that flags up a warning to me is that you would need to check that you can earn BA Miles for travelling on a QF code on TN metal (aircraft). But on a quick look I can't immediately see any such restriction stated on the BA website.

 

Beyond that, there are two other big considerations:-

1. Do you fly enough to be likely to qualify for status? If so, both BA and QF apply and enforce their 4-sector rules - you cannot earn or retain status, however many miles you earn, unless you fly four sectors a year with the respective airline. So you must check your likely flying patterns against this criterion to see whether you will get more out of one scheme than the other.
2. What are you likely to use the miles for? Which scheme is going to offer you the more attractive redemption opportunities? For example, if you might buy BA WT+ fares and then use miles to upgrade to Club World, the BA scheme offers stonking good value there. But there are other respects in which the QF scheme might be better, depending on your flying patterns.

 

BUT the OP is in Canada. Could he not be flying BA from YYZ to LHR on the nonstop and get AA miles???? I thought that was the workaround to get AA miles on a flight "over the pond" AND enjoy BA service.

[Globaliser]

BUT the OP is in Canada. Could he not be flying BA from YYZ to LHR on the nonstop and get AA miles????

Whoops - I missed that! I thought the OP was in the US. You are right - I think it should be possible to earn AA miles on Canada-UK BA flights.

[boone2]

Thanks for your help everyone. I will try and sign up for BA and get the ATN flight credited. I'm not sure I will qulaify due to that 4 sector flying rule thingy, I fly once a year to the UK usually yyz to LHR and then fly a couple of times usually in the states to cruises or visiting friends. Never have stuck to one airline for that, just gone with what was cheapest/convenient. You are right though that I have been wasting FF opportunities. Have joined aeroplan this year and collecting lots of points on that with AC

Thanks again, I will look into it more

Terry

[greatam]

Thanks for your help everyone. I will try and sign up for BA and get the ATN flight credited. I'm not sure I will qulaify due to that 4 sector flying rule thingy, I fly once a year to the UK usually yyz to LHR and then fly a couple of times usually in the states to cruises or visiting friends. Never have stuck to one airline for that, just gone with what was cheapest/convenient. You are right though that I have been wasting FF opportunities. Have joined aeroplan this year and collecting lots of points on that with AC

Thanks again, I will look into it more

Terry

 

Unless BA has changed the rules again, you cannot sign up for Executive Club UNLESS you are flying one of their flights.

 

And I think you will have real hassle trying to get a Qantas codeshare flight on ATN (which is not OneWorld) credited to BA EC. I am not positive on this, but it seems like it could be a real hassle.

 

One reason I suggested an AA account. You, being Canadian, can use your AA miles for BA YYZ/LHR flights award tickets. Americans flying from the USA cannot use AA miles to book a BA flight across the pond. And if you need to meet a 4 flights per year requirement with BA, your miles possibly could go to waste. There is no requirement like that with AA.

[greatam]

Unless BA has changed the rules again, you cannot sign up for Executive Club UNLESS you are flying one of their flights.

 

 

I just looked at BA and you can now sign up again without flying BA.

 

BUT they have a nifty little mileage calculator. I put in your flight-LAX/PPT on Qantas. 1026 miles each way ONLY!!!!!!

 

AA-full miles-4095 EACH WAY

 

THAT's a BIG difference!!!!

[Globaliser]

BUT they have a nifty little mileage calculator. I put in your flight-LAX/PPT on Qantas. 1026 miles each way ONLY!!!!!!

 

AA-full miles-4095 EACH WAY

No, only 2047 each way (50%) if the OP is booked in MVLGOS classes. AA gives 100% credit only for YBHK.

 

But the OP would probably earn 100% QF miles if credited to the QF scheme.

 

This is another of the wrinkles which makes it very difficult to offer generic advice as to which of the three schemes would be "best".

[greatam]

ATN/AA gives full miles for almost all fare classes. The long standing and close partnership AA has with ATN and AirPacific usually results in full miles. Everyone that got in on the $61.00 deal to Fiji got full AA miles and one of my employees got full AA miles on a RT ATN flight from LAX to Paris. YMMV

 

Direct from the AA website:

 

Eligible Air Tahiti Nui Fare Classes*

Class of Service Purchased Fares Booked In: Mileage Accrual Percentage

Economy Class Y, M, K, H, T, L* 100%

Business Class D, J 100% + 25% bonus

First Class P 100% + 50% bonus

American Airlines and/or Air Tahiti Nui reserve the right to change the eligible fare classes at any time without notice.

 

* L inventory is not eligible for mileage accrual for flights taken on/after April 1, 2008.

 

 

 

Just curious-why does the nifty little mileage calculator on the EC page only state 1026 miles each way????

 

Airline Qantas

Tier Blue

Leaving from LAX

Going to PPT

Class Economy (lowest)

 

Calculate BA Miles and Tier Points

 

BA Miles Tier Points

1026 0

[Globaliser]

ATN/AA gives full miles for almost all fare classes.

...

Just curious-why does the nifty little mileage calculator on the EC page only state 1026 miles each way????

The OP has not got a TN code, though - it's a QF code on TN metal, so earning rules will be whatever you can get for the QF code (including taking into account any earning restrictions that there may be for flights on non-QF metal - but I couldn't see any).

 

If the OP were flying on the TN code, the earning in both BA and QF schemes would be a big fat zero, as (AFAIK) TN is not a partner of either.

 

If you're on a QF discount economy fare, you usually earn 25% mileage in the BA scheme. In fact, most discount economy fares from most airlines earn you 25% of flown mileage in the BA scheme.

[greatam]

The OP has not got a TN code, though - it's a QF code on TN metal, so earning rules will be whatever you can get for the QF code (including taking into account any earning restrictions that there may be for flights on non-QF metal - but I couldn't see any).

 

If the OP were flying on the TN code, the earning in both BA and QF schemes would be a big fat zero, as (AFAIK) TN is not a partner of either.

 

If you're on a QF discount economy fare, you usually earn 25% mileage in the BA scheme. In fact, most discount economy fares from most airlines earn you 25% of flown mileage in the BA scheme.

 

Thanks

 

I see what you are speaking of. 100% POINTS, but only 50% MILES on the lower fare classes. Too complicated for me and as you point out-ATN flight/Qantas codeshare. But full AA miles AND points if you have the ATN flight number.