[titaniumostrich]

@Waffles1

Mine never reset either, I’m almost at the two year mark. Rather annoying in terms of progress tracking indeed.

Perhaps because the rolling average for Platinum (which would make no sense regarding the Gold year) is two years, and it will reset then? We will see.

[titaniumostrich]

@Waffles1 I think it’s just one of those badly thought out things, showing only tier mile accumulation.

Upside: finally able to see what those award miles are actually worth!!!!

[titaniumostrich]

jonr405 wrote:

I’m definitely going for Platinum Hawk, but my plan was do a run up to Golden Sparrow and then just fly regularly to hit PH. I guess it should take me 6-7 months to do the additional 16 sectors.

Am I correct in thinking that I will get PH for 2 years from the date of my last qualifying flight?

From the date your last qualifying flight is credited, so a little longer than that.

Take it from @Waffles1 and myself: make sure you have at least a month between said flight and the end of your term. Quite a number of flights wasted due to one dropping off the 12-month rolling period before the last one was credited.

[titaniumostrich]

@jonr405

Air Nostrum flights should credit either after some time or after follow up. None of my Iberia Express (always IB coded) flights ever credit. I still do Amsterdam positioning flights simply because of pricing, but never any success. I’ve understood others have experiences to the contrary.

[titaniumostrich]

@yorkshireRich

Seat selection is not a Oneworld benefit, it’s subject to individual airline policy. MH: OWE get seat selection, OWS must pay.

[titaniumostrich]

@jonr405

I hear the same as regards to AA issues. Until I’ve got more data points I’m sticking to Delta. Iberia isn’t a walk in the park either, but I guess it all has to do with all airlines not using Amadeus for booking (i.e. Reciber & Sabre etc.). Would love to hear some experiences on AA/AA codeshares and how far the avian flu stretches.

[titaniumostrich]

Yes I started mine with PMI-FRA on 4Y, coming in from MAD on IB. I have to say they were the most accommodating of them all in for an unduly matched Senator. Full row was empty whilst the aircraft was packed. Nice welcome from a chatty purser who wanted to know why I was on this oneway flight. Offered a drink from the business menu.

Was put in the exit row on Air Dolomiti. All others had seat blocking but most were aisle seats. Furthermore nothing to write home about. Then again, everything was done in basic economy so I wasn’t expecting anything.

[titaniumostrich]

My route no longer applies since pricing went up. I’d say make it a multi destination trip. Pure segment run would be a waste of money for 100k. I did mine for just under €500.

Best current (as in today) bet: PMI-FCO on Austrian, FCO-MXP domestic on ITA, MXP-MUC on Air Dolomiti. MUC-PMI on Discover. PMI-ZRH-BER on SWISS & Eurowings. That’s 6 airlines under €400 in March.

Key is to have fun, the miles themselves are too few to justify a pure run. I turned it into a weeks’ holiday. Second part in three weeks time.

[titaniumostrich]

Unsure how to answer this. If by “loyalty points” you mean credit card points, only Virgin will give you status credit for award flights.

Delta initiated spend-based tiers a year before BA did, so in case I understood correctly that you want to attain some kind of tier status, that would be a dead end. (Or a very unwise decision considering the alternatives.) Unless you only plan to use converted CC points there, then I’d say: keep doing what you are doing and remain a free agent.

I’d say Virgin is your best option if UK-based and planning to credit just long haul there, but this is not enough info to go on. Fare class on cash tickets? How many segments per annum on average? Which routes?

[titaniumostrich]

Edit: sorry I should’ve mentioned my own corporate travel allowances. Since covid that has been premium eco long-haul (which I cash upgrade at own expense if availability allows, and if low enough I can compensate 1 segment on the per diem allowance) unless flight needed is <5 working days out and J is allowed, and Y short-haul.

I rarely use miles (which anyone on this forum will tell me is insanely stupid with all the devolving), basically like looking at them in the app. Just kidding, just never had the time for an extended leisure trip.

If you are more miles oriented and/or no longer care about lifetime, I’m sure someone else on the forum can provide a suitable alternative.

[titaniumostrich]

@sbaker76uk

Virgin has the only airline programme I know that allows you to earn status on award tickets (which I personally find daft), but the 1000 tier points to gold is a long hard climb on partner revenue earn: a measly 10 per short-haul segment on AFKL. So my strategy would be:

1. Stick to BA for most long-haul revenue work flights and QF for earning and stay on track toward lifetime gold. Otherwise fly Virgin & credit toward Flying Blue.
2. Always book these BA flights originating in the EU, separately marrying them with short-haul AFKL connections (if corporate allows), and stick earning on Flying Blue. Even in the lowest fare bucket LHR-AMS-OSL is 20XP for a return, with 180XP to gold. (Same day start, or overnight at the affordable Scandic Gardermoen with £5 shuttle service?). That’s Flying Blue Gold for 9 trips a year.
3. Use the AMEX & Virgin Reward+ (companion voucher) for all travel purchases. Book Virgin awards, use Flying Blue status on them.
4. Your cheap short-haul connections won’t bank you much with Flying Blue, but expect say a business Promo Award return after 3 years of travel.

[titaniumostrich]

@Pangolin

It’s a pretty aweful exchange rate, but you can open a German Payback account (their version of Nectar), then link your AMEX account. It’s a 3:1 transfer. Hold off on transferring until Payback has a bonus M&M offering which happens around once a year (25% to 50%), limiting your loss.

[titaniumostrich]

@Pangolin

Will dutifully do so upon completion in said dedicated thread!

I’ll probably never hold mid-tier in all 3 alliances (with significant mileage in 2) again. So the plan is to do a RTW-trip / multi destination Asia-Oceania return / multi destination South America return by roping together:
1. one-way cash fares in economy on RJ using the upgrade vouchers (miles earned probably won’t amount to anything, so not adding that to the factor)
2. one-way(s) on LH-Group with M&M miles earned topped up by some cc points converted & the senator 50% mileage discount companion awards
3. one-way(s) on SkyTeam with FlyingBlue miles earned
4. one-way(s) with advantageous cash fares as they present themselves on OneWorld airlines

I’m logging dynamic pricing on the awards so I know what ceilings to reasonably expect (highly unscientific approach) & doing the same on certain desired cash sectors.

[titaniumostrich]

@tootsci

I don’t want to generalise, but there are some great Cremants from Luxembourg & the Alsace that rival an upmarket Baden sekt any day. And the affordability! Similarly I’m always astonished at people in Galleries First reaching for the mediocre champagne, with bottles of Wiston & Nytimber floating around. English non-vintage sparking wine has really improved over the years. Sure it’s not champagne-style and never will be, but I think it’s truly wonderful stuff, and far superior in it’s own right than Monsieur Nicholas over there.

Well once upon a time I did a free status match to ITA (when it freshly arose out of the Alitalia bankruptcy as Italian companies miraculously do). That got matched to Lufty. And they in turn offered 100k for a run I couldn’t refuse.

We weren’t that hungry so shared a couple of Basque style pinchos at Quina Creu, and hopped a few streets over for a pair of wacky dishes at La Vieja by Jonay Hernández. Usually I’m not into “play food” made primarily for looking at, but this place is affordableish. They have funky fried things that may impress your son.

(Offtopic top tip: I’m very exited to tick off the new bib gourmand / honourable mentions in the new Michelin España guidebook coming out in a few weeks. Many in Madrid do an enhanced menu del dia, until their newfound fame axes that nugget.)

[titaniumostrich]

@Waffles1

Typical AENA set-up food wise, much like Madrid, but good constant fresh turnaround of the buffet due to smaller selections of everything. Some regional cava’s I didn’t see in the other places. It’s small, but has high ceilings, fully glass view outside, a few working desks with power and a meeting room. Seating is spacious and private enough.

Rush hour may be a different story, but I’ve always been there 10:00-16:00 and never crowded. Sundays are the best. It’s very far away from the other terminals. You need to be there for a reason, basically to take this commuter flight with fast exit to a car park. Transfer bus to train connections.

Personally I prefer an Air Nostrum flight to some desolate airport for a direct turnaround. Castellon has an aircraft boneyard in full view from the apron. But this Barcelona flight comes in on a close second.

[titaniumostrich]

@slidey

BCN-MAD is the Puente Aereo (“air bridge”) that always leaves from A1-A4, they leave hourly. Perfect for a direct turnaround, although they stuff people into the walkway beforehand (two-directional so no need to wait on deplaning). The lounge is opposite and almost exclusively used by commuters on these flights. I would also recommend taking the next one as @tootsci is undertaking. Gives you the chance to freshen up, grab a coffee and head back. Be sure to have seats sorted in advance, these flights are always full.

[titaniumostrich]

@NorthernLass

NorthernLass wrote:

OH just asked if I wanted to start walking to the gate for our 9.05 departure. I said let’s wait a bit longer. Been practising my saunter

I’m visualising this. Up and down the buffet. With staff holding clipboards and nodding vigorously.

[titaniumostrich]

@MikeHi

titaniumostrich wrote:

HampshireHog wrote:

Am I correct in saying that you need to be Platinum Hawk to gift status to the wife?

Correct, and two other caveats:
– it’s a one-off and just for 1 year, also no regifting on status renewal
– you must have 12 months left as Hawk on your own account, so no last minute strategic gifting as I did with ITA.

@tootsci
In Palma overnight this Wednesday! For the Lufty Senator 100k miles for flying 7 different airlines challenge. Taking a leaf out of your book and decided to take it slow and really enjoy the places flown to. My 2027 plan is to ultimately use star alliance miles for a J flight to “somewhere” in Asia, and a cheap OneWorld cash fare on the return. Perhaps cut into two tickets, one passing through Amman. We shall see.

[titaniumostrich]

“Proceeds anxiously to check own seats”. Thx for the heads up that they don’t send seat change emails. Annoying as it requires more monitoring…

[titaniumostrich]

@NorthernLass

Three months ago they did a periodic deep cleanse at the Madrid stables while I was out and erroneously hung my coat there which got the brunt of it, terribly unfortunate. The manure odour emanating from my seat must’ve gassed the entire row for just under 2 hours. Even I could use the nasal rub coroners use. I was somewhat embarrassed, won’t happen again. But then again, they don’t call it cattle class without a reason haha.

No, most places don’t have fixed gate allocation. But the apps show allocation from ATC in real-time. So that’s when the in-head-calculation is done. I really enjoy certainty, with makes my interest in aviation with it’s intrinsic randomness quite odd really.

[titaniumostrich]

Have no business chiming in on this one, and I guess I’m one of those lightly-packed, trolley hating, swash buckling adventurers who seem to be getting the brunt in this thread.

But jokes aside, top tip: the fight tracker apps are great for this. No going back since getting FlightAware & Flightradar24 (have both for accuracy, sometimes there are lags due to log changes). Keep both open in the lounge (great for delays too) to see the time the aircraft reaches the gate exactly on GPS. Keep a log of estimated deplaning & turnaround time per airport, note that down for the specific flight in my agenda so only leave the lounge when absolutely necessary. No fuss, no wait, no jolting, no scurrying, just a leisurely saunter. Sometimes accompanied by a firm stare.

I will acknowledge there are a few locales where this does not work. Athens & Naples and such.

AFKL at MAD is the best, as the AENA lounge is located looks out over the hall. If you ever see a man sauntering down for the last flight on a Friday in elephant-ear riding breeches carrying a saddle it might just be titaniumostrich. (Indiana Jones nod, but I’m not actually joking here. Sometimes I just can’t be bothered to change after crosscountry riding & tend to favour this Madrid-based saddle now.)

[titaniumostrich]

@Waffles1

They have clearly tightened the noose on status gifting, perhaps due to a current influx of applications? Didn’t have said third-party proof issue. Fair enough.

And thx for your query, now I understand where some of my Mystery Miles have been coming from perhaps?

[titaniumostrich]

JDB wrote:

leec-b wrote:

Resorted to calling BA yesterday to change FF to Royal Jordanian and select seats on two CE returns later this year for OH and myself. First woman obviously found it too confusing and hung up after 20 minutes (an interesting variation on HUACA). Second call took 40 minutes but all done eventually. Seems to be deliberately tedious to encourage people to give up or pay. If it were possible online (or it hadn’t been blocked on the other One World carriers as I have done previously) BA would have lower loading on their call centres and happier customers.

Changing to the RJ FF number may seem normal here, but it remains very esoteric even for BA reservations agents let alone the wider world. I don’t think it’s trying to make you give up or pay; if you look at seating maps, lots of passengers don’t care and wait until check in!

True! Flying mid- to long-haul economy without a seat reservation is just too exciting for me. But looking at the seat maps a week out, it surprises me how the vast majority of the populace don’t mind leaving it all up to chance. The chance they will be stuck in a middle seat on a 6 hour flight that is.

I know all too well said security is subject to airline initiated changes, but some kind of assurance in terms of seating really is top of mind.

[titaniumostrich]

tootsci wrote:

@titaniumostrich yes indeed my suggestion to @Waffles1 was in jest!

I did suggest to OH about being declared as my “domestic maid” rather than my spouse and got ‘a look’ 😂

I got an elf apron this Christmas. Wonder if a snap in it would do the trick for your OH.

[titaniumostrich]

HampshireHog wrote:

Am I correct in saying that you need to be Platinum Hawk to gift status to the wife?

Correct, and two other caveats:
– it’s a one-off and just for 1 year, also no regifting on status renewal
– you must have 12 months left as Hawk on your own account, so no last minute strategic gifting as I did with ITA.