Luthansa or Eithad SFO-BOM Which FF program is best
Jul 24, 2014, 11:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
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Luthansa or Eithad SFO-BOM Which FF program is best
Hi all, I am planning a trip to India with my mom and want (to attempt) to accrue enough miles to fly business or first from San Francisco to Mumbai Dec 2 2014- Dec 16th 2014.
Luthansa and Eithad both offer the easiest connection to Mumbai from San Francisco, so now I need to join a program that allows transfer of miles to Star Alliance or Equity Partners (which I've never heard of.)
Eithad offers a class called "the residence," that I am unfamiliar with. Anyone have experience with it?
I can meet the minimum spending requirements and between the two of us should be able to get the miles needed in the time needed.
My questions are: Which airline offers a better business/first product? Which airline would be easier to accrue the miles for?
Ive noticed that UA doesn't show availability so maybe I need to check with Luthansa directly?
Also Eithad seems to be already sold out. I dont know how both airlines could already have awarded tickets for those dates and destinations, but hey, anything is possible.... So I don't even know how many points/miles a ticket would require. Their website shows the miles I would earn to sly from LAX, but not the amount required.
UA would require 195,000 for a first ticket.
Luthansa and Eithad both offer the easiest connection to Mumbai from San Francisco, so now I need to join a program that allows transfer of miles to Star Alliance or Equity Partners (which I've never heard of.)
Eithad offers a class called "the residence," that I am unfamiliar with. Anyone have experience with it?
I can meet the minimum spending requirements and between the two of us should be able to get the miles needed in the time needed.
My questions are: Which airline offers a better business/first product? Which airline would be easier to accrue the miles for?
Ive noticed that UA doesn't show availability so maybe I need to check with Luthansa directly?
Also Eithad seems to be already sold out. I dont know how both airlines could already have awarded tickets for those dates and destinations, but hey, anything is possible.... So I don't even know how many points/miles a ticket would require. Their website shows the miles I would earn to sly from LAX, but not the amount required.
UA would require 195,000 for a first ticket.
Jul 24, 2014, 12:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 179
Honestly to Bombay from SFO flight time/distance is 95% the same whether you go via atlantic or pacific. so your options are vast since now you can consider: Cathay Pacific, ANA, Asiana going west.
Also, keep in mind you dont have to fly one airline to go all the way. e.g. you can take AA to LHR then BA from LHR to BOM.
I'd say since you want two tickets in C/F it will be hard unless you get at least 3-4 cards ( assuming you have no miles at the moment)
Do you have any balances atm?
Also, keep in mind you dont have to fly one airline to go all the way. e.g. you can take AA to LHR then BA from LHR to BOM.
I'd say since you want two tickets in C/F it will be hard unless you get at least 3-4 cards ( assuming you have no miles at the moment)
Do you have any balances atm?
Jul 24, 2014, 12:08 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 581
LH First Class awards are not released to partners until 2 weeks from departure.
Also, if you intend on flying LH First using United MileagePlus Miles, you need 280K for each person, round trip. ( See the Star Alliance/Partner Awards Chart )
In order to get that many miles from just sign up bonus, both of you probably need to be approved and complete spend for around 6 cards in the next couple of months.
If you can complete 30K in spend, may be consider getting the Chase BA Visa. This way you can get a 2-for-1 voucher and fly BA First SFO-LHR-BOM.
The Residence is a Suite with living room, bedroom and bathroom on the plane. It cost about 2.5 million miles for a one way 7 ish hours flight.
Also, if you intend on flying LH First using United MileagePlus Miles, you need 280K for each person, round trip. ( See the Star Alliance/Partner Awards Chart )
In order to get that many miles from just sign up bonus, both of you probably need to be approved and complete spend for around 6 cards in the next couple of months.
If you can complete 30K in spend, may be consider getting the Chase BA Visa. This way you can get a 2-for-1 voucher and fly BA First SFO-LHR-BOM.
The Residence is a Suite with living room, bedroom and bathroom on the plane. It cost about 2.5 million miles for a one way 7 ish hours flight.
Last edited by Ragnarok; Jul 24, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Jul 24, 2014, 12:13 pm
#4
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
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You are unlikley to be able to get award tickets to fly on Eithad's Residence class and in any case the only route to have this service will be between London and Abu Dhabi.
Jul 24, 2014, 12:22 pm
#5
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
AA miles are redeemable on Etihad, but only when Etihad has low-tier award seats available.
AA has several other partners that serve BOM, including LY, QR, and RJ.
A strategy that some FTers have used is to fly CX or CX/UL to CMB (which is in AA's Asia 2 zone), and then purchase a cash ticket from CMB to BOM. (An AA award ticket would not let you fly from SFO to BOM via the Pacific; an award ticket from SFO to CMB would.)
AA miles are redeemable on Etihad, but only when Etihad has low-tier award seats available.
AA has several other partners that serve BOM, including LY, QR, and RJ.
A strategy that some FTers have used is to fly CX or CX/UL to CMB (which is in AA's Asia 2 zone), and then purchase a cash ticket from CMB to BOM. (An AA award ticket would not let you fly from SFO to BOM via the Pacific; an award ticket from SFO to CMB would.)
Jul 24, 2014, 12:42 pm
#6
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Join Date: May 2010
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This is incredibly helpful information. I can ixnay The Residence! I am not royalty.
I have about 100,000 AA miles currently and 50,000 UA miles.
Same with my mom.
I think we can do the $30,000 spend re: If you can complete 30K in spend, may be consider getting the Chase BA Visa. This way you can get a 2-for-1 voucher and fly BA First SFO-LHR-BOM.
So I should probably look into that.
I have about 100,000 AA miles currently and 50,000 UA miles.
Same with my mom.
I think we can do the $30,000 spend re: If you can complete 30K in spend, may be consider getting the Chase BA Visa. This way you can get a 2-for-1 voucher and fly BA First SFO-LHR-BOM.
So I should probably look into that.
Jul 24, 2014, 1:34 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2009
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This is incredibly helpful information. I can ixnay The Residence! I am not royalty.
I have about 100,000 AA miles currently and 50,000 UA miles.
Same with my mom.
I think we can do the $30,000 spend re: If you can complete 30K in spend, may be consider getting the Chase BA Visa. This way you can get a 2-for-1 voucher and fly BA First SFO-LHR-BOM.
So I should probably look into that.
I have about 100,000 AA miles currently and 50,000 UA miles.
Same with my mom.
I think we can do the $30,000 spend re: If you can complete 30K in spend, may be consider getting the Chase BA Visa. This way you can get a 2-for-1 voucher and fly BA First SFO-LHR-BOM.
So I should probably look into that.
Jul 24, 2014, 1:48 pm
#8
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
And BA availability SFO-LHR might not be plentiful -- especially in premium cabins. You can easily check BA availability right now, at aa.com: no log-in required.
And BA availability SFO-LHR might not be plentiful -- especially in premium cabins. You can easily check BA availability right now, at aa.com: no log-in required.
Jul 25, 2014, 3:29 am
#9
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I think you should consider moderating your expectations. You will need to accrue a heck of a lot of miles in a short space of time to have the necessary balance for first flights. I would suggest that business might be realistic, while first probably is not. Having 100,000 AA miles and 50,000 UA miles doesn't really help you, since these are in difference programmes/alliances. I'm sure that there is a complicated way of merging these via some hotel or third party sites, but I suspect there will be some devaluation.
Your next problem is going to be finding availability. To my great surprise, there is actually availability from SFO to BOM on connecting flights on BA through LHR for your dates in business class at the moment, however, you should expect to pay the better part of $1,000 per ticket in charges. If you are willing to do this, you should probably book these today on aa.com
LH is going to be nearly impossible in first, since these seats are not released to partners until just before the flight.
Your next problem is going to be finding availability. To my great surprise, there is actually availability from SFO to BOM on connecting flights on BA through LHR for your dates in business class at the moment, however, you should expect to pay the better part of $1,000 per ticket in charges. If you are willing to do this, you should probably book these today on aa.com
LH is going to be nearly impossible in first, since these seats are not released to partners until just before the flight.
