MilesBuzz! - Would like to expand my FF options beyond United

I own my own business and I rack up miles from credit card use.

What other FF program do you recommend (I mainly fly to Thailand and Greece).

I'm in the Washington DC area.

This might be better off in another forum, since you're asking about non-United options...

I own my own business and I rack up miles from credit card use.

What other FF program do you recommend (I mainly fly to Thailand and Greece).

I'm in the Washington DC area.

Can you be more specific?

I assume you posted in the UA Forum because you have UA affiliated credit cards with Chase, and you fly UA.

What is your objective of getting another FF program? It can go different directions based on your objective.

I think it would help if you told us why you want to expand, i.e., what doesn't work for you with United (and its partners), so that recommendations can take that into consideration. For instance, if you want to expand because you don't like UA's service, Olympic probably wouldn't be a good choice (do they even fly to the US?)

Maybe LH is your choice with M&M since they are operating those routes. If you are thinking of something out of *A, then there are a lot of options.

Can you be more specific?

I assume you posted in the UA Forum because you have UA affiliated credit cards with Chase, and you fly UA.

What is your objective of getting another FF program? It can go different directions based on your objective.

The main thing is to be able to use my miles for business class tickets, United never has any saver awards and the miles needed for a standard business ticket are ridicules.

Unfortunately, United seems like the best USA based airline to get from Washington DC (my location) to BKK (one stop).

As for Athens, Greece, I know Delta goes direct from NYC, but I haven't researched the other airlines.

My main objective of joining another FF program would be to use my award miles for business class tickets and avoid the problems I've had trying to book an award business class seat on United.

I think it would help if you told us why you want to expand, i.e., what doesn't work for you with United (and its partners), so that recommendations can take that into consideration. For instance, if you want to expand because you don't like UA's service, Olympic probably wouldn't be a good choice (do they even fly to the US?)

Options/choices, for example, ANA just wants 80,000 miles (I called and they had tickets available) and you are in business class (from the US to Thailand). United wants 90k (or 110k now) for a saver award that doesn't exist, so really they want 200,000 for a business class seat.

If I have 300k miles in 2 different FF programs then I will have a second choice for travel.

As far as the airline itself, it's seems like a good airline to me (but what do I know). United does seem to the offer good routes to my locations, I've only flown United for the past 10 years so I can't rate the service, but I'm starting to believe what I've read here on flyertalk that "United's FF program is a scam."

Maybe LH is your choice with M&M since they are operating those routes. If you are thinking of something out of *A, then there are a lot of options.

Thanks. I'll take a look at LH, I'm also checking out virgin airlines right now, they offer a credit card through American Express, so I might not be stuck with just US based carriers.

This may go against conventional wisdom - but I say sign up for the big three. Any airline you fly will be a partner of one of them. That way you get the most convenient flight and (assuming you are paying) the cheapest one.

If you really fly a lot you will enjoy your miles in multiple programs and if you end up flying one most of the time, then it all works out OK.

In any case, they will probably all merge in a few years, anyway:p, merging your accounts.

This may go against conventional wisdom - but I say sign up for the big three. Any airline you fly will be a partner of one of them. That way you get the most convenient flight and (assuming you are paying) the cheapest one.

If you really fly a lot you will enjoy your miles in multiple programs and if you end up flying one most of the time, then it all works out OK.

In any case, they will probably all merge in a few years, anyway:p, merging your accounts.

I agree with your suggestion, although soon there will have to be a decision to go CO-AA-DL or UA-AA-DL since CO is going *A.