Travel Tools - cost per mile calculation feature on ITA is inaccurate, no?

ITA software shows nearly the same cost per mile for economy LH flights as economy UA flights. However, LH only awards 50% of miles traveled, while UA awards 100%.

Are there any aggregators that accurately show cost per mile?

There are 27 or so airlines in *A and about that many different FF programs that an LH flight (or a UA flight, or an LH codeshare on UA, or vice versa) could be credited to. Each program has its own rules about RDM and EQM accrual for each fare class on each partner airline, and the rules and fare classes change now and again. Seems like it would be rather complicated for ITA to keep all of that updated and apply it to each search. Instead, they give you the calculation based on BIS miles, to which you can apply the rules of your preferred program -- and depending on the program, YMMV.

It would be nice to be able to set a preference to include or exclude 500-mile minimums, though.

There are 27 or so airlines in *A and about that many different FF programs that an LH flight (or a UA flight, or an LH codeshare on UA, or vice versa) could be credited to. Each program has its own rules about RDM and EQM accrual for each fare class on each partner airline, and the rules and fare classes change now and again. Seems like it would be rather complicated for ITA to keep all of that updated and apply it to each search.

I have trouble understanding, because I don't know what "*A" is, or RDM, or EQM. I'm guessing RDM is redeemable miles, correct? So RDM can be 50%, or 100%, or 150%, etc?

Suppose I want RDM to be 100%. I noticed that ITA already has the capability of searching on fare basis codes. Does this make it possible to ensure that search results are all the same percentage?

*A = Star Alliance
RDM = ReDeemable Miles
EQM = Elite Qualifying Miles

For example, in the case of a LH transatlantic K fare credited to UA Mileage Plus, if the flight is operated by UA it earns 100%; if it's operated by LH it earns 0%. Searching by the booking code should work, if you also use the O:UA search parameter to include only flights operated by UA.

I have trouble understanding, because I don't know what "*A" is, or RDM, or EQM. I'm guessing RDM is redeemable miles, correct? So RDM can be 50%, or 100%, or 150%, etc?

Suppose I want RDM to be 100%. I noticed that ITA already has the capability of searching on fare basis codes. Does this make it possible to ensure that search results are all the same percentage?

"*A" is the Star Alliance. When you fly on one airline in this alliance, you can generally credit those miles to another airline's program within the alliance. Each of those programs has a different policy about how many miles they will credit for a certain flight on a certain airline. Those conditions can vary widely and change frequently--there is no standard (althought here are some patterns). For this reason, something like ITA can't tell you how much you will earn, since it doesn't know WHERE you will credit those miles

Put another way: ITA does not have a "cost per mile calculation feature". It has a feature to tell you your total flight miles. Figuring out the accural rate into YOUR preferred program is another step, which you have to do yourself

Example: A Lufthansa flight booked in "W" earns 50% if credited to US Airways, or 100% if credited to United. In another program, it might be 0%. How would ITA know which number to show you?

Partners and booking codes aren't the only time the accured miles won't match what ITA will show. For example, on a "direct flight" (one flight number, with a stop) you may accure miles as if you flew nonstop, even if the stop took you out of your way, because the system might consider that to be "one flight"