Eta Theta

That's the thing, I haven't decided. I thought I might as well use an airline where the miles would be useful. I was thinking about using Korean Air because I flew here with Emirates. Korean Air seems like a good airline but I don't think the distance qualifies for Emirates unless it is cumulative (?).

Nice tool. Bookmarked.

orthofootsurgeon

Thank you, Mwenenzi! I suspected as much, but it's nice to have some external confirmation of the trends I'm seeing as I lurk around. Thank you for the warm welcome and for answering my question, I appreciate it!

peti

Please let me know if I can do better than United MileagePlus.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: earning and redemption rates as I usually buy discounted economy tickets and I don't care much about upgrades or lounge access

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply: around 50000 miles, 10-12 flights (15-20 segments), US, Asia, Europe

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply: discounted economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: mostly for pleasure and can choose flights even for work related travel.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: US-Asia, US-Europe

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: SFO (would prefer SJC though if it had more flights...)

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: ~100000 skymiles

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: really no preference (I have Chase Sapphire Preferred CC though...)

I used to be Delta Gold when I lived on the east coast and flew out of JFK... and Delta didn't yet have revenue based accrual. After moving to the SF area I focused on MileagePlus given that United dominates at SFO, but it doesn't really work out: I didn't get ANY miles for my Lufthansa flight from SFO to Munich, only got 845 miles for ANA San Jose-Tokyo... and MQD's are also just a fraction of the actual price (e.g. $95 for ANA Tokyo-Bangkok, none for Swiss SFO-ZRH), so for example this year having flown ~50k miles on *A, I've earned 24,632 award miles, 44,799 PQM and only $1,553 (so not even silver)...

Pierre09

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: good award redemtion acces, points ( i usually buy a lot of points to stack because i can't plan my vacations)

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply: only one time per year, around the world.

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply: economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: for pleasure, yes im able

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: europe, usa

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: ezeiza, argentina

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: no

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply:

JohnJ92

Hii there... I am looking for some help on which FFP would be best to choose for me.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: Upgrades and good award redemption rates.

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply: I usually take about 2 - 3 flights a year.

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply: Economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: Travel for pleasure.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: I mostly fly from West Europe to South East Asia, and usually have a couple of flight there as well from country to country.

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: Amsterdam Airport

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: With KLM's (flying blue) program I have around 8000 miles. With Qatar's privilege club I have around 5500 miles. With Singapore's Krisflyer program I have 500 miles.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: I prefer flying with Qatar or an Asian airline. Actually I prefer an OW or *A airline over Sky Team because, the other two alliances give me more flexibility in the flights taken to South East Asia. But on the other hand there is a very limited Credit Card choice in the Netherlands. Amex has a FB branded card, which have some nice perks over the regular Amex cards, or isn't it worth it?

Thanks for your help in advance!

Banffee

I am a Canadian living and working in the United States (but entire extended family in Canada, so Canadian stop-overs and visits are nice). I have moved to a new position within my company that will involve some travel to Europe, beginning this month. I can't even figure out which alliance to be working in, never mind which specific airline! Please help?

(1) What is your home airport? IND
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Currently economy (short term economy measure at work. Likely to go back to business class soon)
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? Likely 25k-50k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? None
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Good redemption rates, trying to get enough to take my kids and spouse on a trip from IND to Europe next spring.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often? Transatlantic
(7) Preferred Airlines? Unsure, haven't traveled much recently.
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? I travel mostly for work but I *can* choose my airlines and my company has preferred airlines in all of the alliances (cannot choose what class of travel, usually transatlantic is automatic business class but right now is temporarily restricted to economy)

Facedoc

Hi
I am trying to transfer miles from a few of my credit cards and hotel points for airline awards. With all the changes and devaluations, I would like some opinions. Which airline or alliance to members find it easiest to secure Trans-Atlantic business class seats with the lowest requires award miles? Thanks in advance..

Mwenenzi

A very open ended question. From where to where? Date? (Both make a big difference)

Awards assistance tools
Use at your own risk. These may not be up to date. (These are not recommendations)
If a multi segment award check the rules/cost carefully. With some ffp’s it can be 2 or more awards or cost more ff miles than a direct flight.
Some awards/airlines/routes can have cash surcharges, in addition to real taxes.
-AwardAce: Compare Award Redemptions Across Airlines In Seconds -->http://www.awardace.com/
-Economical Excursionist's Tools to compare Frequent Flyer Mile Redemptions --> http://www.flyermiler.com/
-http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ast-miles.html --> http://www.awardhacker.com/

LondonElite

Where do you want to go, what class of travel, how much are you willing to absorb in YQ+ (fees, taxes, surcharges, etc). You really need to give much more detailed information.

Duke787

Well "easiest" for TATL without a doubt is BA (which can also be obtained with AA miles). Their J award inventory is plentiful (tons of US destinations and I think they guarantee at least 2 award seats on every flight when it opens up for booking to offset their latest devaluation) but you'll be hit with high fuel surcharges.

UA and AC are pretty good options to get *A TATL flights. UA charges 140k for partners and 125 for UA metal but no fuel surcharges. AC charges 110k or 115k depending on where in Europe you are going but passes on fuel surcharges where applicable. For both, LH is a good option, they often release J and F space at T-14.

Based on your profile which says AMEX, your best bet is AC. FlyingBlue (Air France/KLM) is also a decent option at 125k and is a transfer partner but only if you are leaving from a city served by AF/KLM - otherwise good luck finding DL saver Y/F to connect to the AF/KLM flight.

Facedoc

Thanks that is actually what I thought
Leaving usually from PHL. JFK or EWR
bound for europe zone 1 usually
Hate the BA fuel surcharges

sdsearch

Well, the problem is, once you factor out BA, then there is no one airline/alliance which is always easiest (for the lowest business class mileage redemptions).

Lately I find I need a different alliance for each trip. (Fortunately, I've been accumulating miles in AA the most, but also enough in UA and DL and BA and now also AS.) I wanted to go to Alesund Norway a year ago, Star Alliance is the only one than get you there (since it's a city not served by any other alliance, as Scandinavian Air has the alliance monopoly on secondary cities in Scandinavia). Then for this spring I wanted to go to Netherlands, and lo and behold because of my early-enough-in-the-spring travel dates I found Delta at the lowest (125k for business class round trip), while neither other alliance had availability at the time I was looking. Then for early next year I wanted to go to South Africa, and only found availability in oneworld (flying Qatar via Doha but using AA miles).

And the example of Scaninavia shows why "Europe" is way too general a question, because different airlines may be better for different countries in Europe.

Keep in mind that if you transfer to an intra-European airline, their short-haul so-called "business class" seats these days can be worse than domestic USA airline's coach seats . So you may (or may not) prefer to plop down wherever a longhaul jet will take you, and use Europe's excellent trains from there. (But that, of course, requires even more award searching, since you're now looking at lots of European destinations, not just a specific one.)

Tal_B

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here yet enthusiastic about the world of flying, gaining miles, CC rewards and so forth. I would like your advice regarding the most suitable FFP program for me.

I am currently living in Las Vegas and I travel twice a year to Israel to see my family, twice a year to Orlando for a trade show, Twice a year to Mexico for a vacation, and 2-4 other segments domestically, usually for short vacations as well. For all of my travels I travel with my wife.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
Upgrades (to business from economy)

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
40,000-50,000 miles. 2 roundtrip flights from LAS-TLV, plus some domestic flights, inside the US and to Mexico. I'd say total sectors 10-14

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
Economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
My transatlantic flights are for vacation, and most of my domestic flights are for work

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
most of my routes are domestic/US-Mexico, but the majority of miles ~40K would come from transatlantic


6. What is your home airport?
LAS

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
Currently no status

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
No preferred airline, however I have chase CC's so I think United may be the best option here due to the ultimate rewards transferrable miles

George Sumpter

I'm trying to cut the cost of our planned travel for Winter/Spring of 2017/2018. There will probabbly be 5 of us traveling for 1 month from USA to Philippines. I'm open to using any credit cards needed to earn miles to trade for the tickets. Thank you for any help/advice you can offer.


1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Replyoints

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply:less than 25000

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply:economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply:Yes, mostly for pleasure

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply:domestic USA

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply:TLH

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply:I'm in sky miles but I barely use it

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Replyelta I guess, they're about the only one at my airport

Mwenenzi

This thread is not the one for advice on credit card selection/sign up bonus
Credit card transfer links
Credit, Debit and Prepaid Card Programs forum
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l-program.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chase...mes-rules.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-...-partners.html

I guess by earn miles to trade for the tickets. you mean get award flights. You cannot trade.
Getting 5 awards on 1 flight will be close to impossible.
What research have you done yourself on airline ffp's that could get the trip you want?