travelkid

Based on the Myanmar currency issue http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milea...ices-vary.html

plenty of folks booked all kinds of premium cabins, however it seems KE F was hit hardest. Could you pls post away how to best profit from those miles, where to credit, how to get elite bonuses by matching, include as well seating tips and meal requests and other issues related to the flights themselves.

MSPeconomist

Seats, meals, lounges, etc. should be well covered in various threads in the KE forum.

For crediting miles, the starting point should be to go to websites of FF programs you're considering and check the percentage given to your fare class, paying attention to codeshare rules. For most people, it probably doesn't make sense to sign up for an additional SkyTeam FF program for just this TPAC trip, even in IFC, because of the risk of having orphan miles. Moreover, most people find better redemptions more easily and have a better traveling experience when we use miles from programs in which we have elite status. Similarly, when flying on this ticket, one probably wants KE to be aware of any elite status in case of IROPs, which is an argument for crediting to one's normal primary program.

The situation is a bit different if one does not yet have a SkyTeam program account, but even then, I don't think it's wise to make the decision based on just one trip versus the overall pros and cons of various SkyTeam programs in the long run.

Of course, there can be exceptions, especially if one is considering switching programs anyway. YMMV.

travelkid

Absolutely, this thread is not for re-inventing the wheel. Just to make it easier for all those in on the jumbo, unfamiliar with ST/KE etc.



Which is the case for me, and many others from the original thread. A F return should get enough miles to redeem for one extra award, if done with the right program. Which is that? ncluding elite bonuses from status match, allowing one way awards, or even c+m awards etc.

So far it seems AS is a preferred choice as they allow transfer to Hilton 1:2 ratio.

MSPeconomist

AS miles can be earned and redeemed on DL, AA, and of course AS, maybe others. This flexibility makes the AS program a good place to deposit miles that might otherwise be orphaned, especially for anyone who travels an DL and AA regularly, but not enough for elite status with either.

Most airlines now are offering not status matches but status challenges now, if at all, and the challenges tend to be restricted to those who are already elites on certain carriers. Exceptions seem to be offers to BMI participants and the infamous recent UA 1K to AA EXP.

I suspect that everyone's situation here is different, starting with whether one hopes to gain status on another carrier or simply a nice or useful award ticket from the trip.

If one wants IFC award tickets, note that SkyTeam does not permit this using miles of an airline that does not offer IFC. So putting miles into DL limits aspirational awards to their business class (BE), partner business class, or domestic FC. FB allows IFC awards, but only for their own top tier elites. Your best bet might be to consider how easy it would be to use KE miles for an IFC award ticket on KE, which has extensive blackout dates. Note that one way award tickets from DL miles cost the same number of miles as RT award tickets, which normally allow one stopover (at a legal connecting point) and one open jaw.

mtkeller

I have seen nothing to support that this is a ST rule. As far as I can tell, no ST carrier allows partners to redeem for their IFC, even if said partner has their own IFC cabins.

There are no blackout dates for using KE miles on KE flights, just peak dates requiring 50% more miles. Different partner carriers implement this differently. None will allow redemption on a flight under peak pricing, but DL blocks all KE routes on any date where one has peak pricing. OTOH, AS now uses KE's region-based scheme. (US-Korea moght be available but Korea-Australia not, for instance.) I had previously looked into this, and AS used to use the DL approach.

MSPeconomist

I don't know the source or have a citation but it's been widely reported as a SkyTeam rule, as in don't blame your own FF program for prohibiting this. I know AF only allows IFC redemptions for its own elites (Plats, IIRC) using FB miles. I wasn't aware that FB miles couldn't be used for IFC award tickets on KE.

AliMSP

Hey everyone, I am a nOOb, and I have some questions about my RGN-BKK-LHR-BOS tickets.

My final leg is on DL, which is great. The rest I am wondering about.

I am flying RGN-BKK in Y on Bangkok Airways. It appears that their mile program is pretty inclusive. Is there any recommendation on what to do with these few orphan miles?

My Bkk-LHR is on TG in D. I have been reading about Star Alliance, and I think there will be enough to get Gold status matching through crediting my miles to Aegean. There is a 200% bonus on TG, and I think I will use US Airways and Singapore as positioning flights. It sounds nice, but is this the best way to credit the miles? Can I redeem the aegean miles for reward flight later on and keep status?

Thanks everyone.

MSPeconomist

First of all, I don't understand what you mean by *Gold status matching on Aegean. Are you currently *Gold on BMI? Otherwise, I don't think it will happen: you must have equivalent or higher status to get a status match.

Secondly you get 200% miles from D business class on Thai credited to Aegean, not a 200% bonus in addition to regular miles. Aegean requires 19,000 miles for *Gold, so if you check, US and SQ flights could be credited toward this too.

If you use Aegean redeemable miles, you keep your status according to the program's T&C.