Best Star Alliance program for the the not-so-frequent-flyer
May 12, 2015, 1:46 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: TK G,UA *S
Posts: 1,137
UPDATE MAY 2015
1. A3- qualification is not that easy because you will need 48k miles for Gold or 24k for silver. LH crediting is not good at all, UA crediting slightly better. qualification only for 1 year. The rich crediting of UA A fares has just been cut, making even the requalification on cheap UA Y fares difficult.No minimum credit for short segments.
2.TK- if you could match from an existing Gold card to TK you would need to fly 25k miles in a year or 37,5 in 2 years for a 2 year qualification. UA credit good (was just reduced, no minimum miles anymore), LH credits not so good. This is my first choice at this moment.^
3.UA- you will need around 50k to get to gold or 25k to get to silver. UA crediting very good, LH crediting good.
4.M&M- difficult to consider, nothing attractive to get. Even FTL status for 35k miles is high in my opinion, given the low credits you get even on LH flights.
5. OZ- 40k in 2 years to get gold. UA crediting good (was just reduced), LH crediting not that good overal.
6. SAS- 45k in one year to get gold. UA crediting good (just reduced), LH crediting not that good, but at least you receive something even for the cheapest fare.
March 2015 was a milestone in miles crediting cuttings.
Who knows what is next but for now and as of today a matched TK status is the best option for a not so frequent traveller...in my opinion
1. A3- qualification is not that easy because you will need 48k miles for Gold or 24k for silver. LH crediting is not good at all, UA crediting slightly better. qualification only for 1 year. The rich crediting of UA A fares has just been cut, making even the requalification on cheap UA Y fares difficult.No minimum credit for short segments.
2.TK- if you could match from an existing Gold card to TK you would need to fly 25k miles in a year or 37,5 in 2 years for a 2 year qualification. UA credit good (was just reduced, no minimum miles anymore), LH credits not so good. This is my first choice at this moment.^
3.UA- you will need around 50k to get to gold or 25k to get to silver. UA crediting very good, LH crediting good.
4.M&M- difficult to consider, nothing attractive to get. Even FTL status for 35k miles is high in my opinion, given the low credits you get even on LH flights.
5. OZ- 40k in 2 years to get gold. UA crediting good (was just reduced), LH crediting not that good overal.
6. SAS- 45k in one year to get gold. UA crediting good (just reduced), LH crediting not that good, but at least you receive something even for the cheapest fare.
March 2015 was a milestone in miles crediting cuttings.
Who knows what is next but for now and as of today a matched TK status is the best option for a not so frequent traveller...in my opinion
May 13, 2015, 6:26 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 171
UPDATE MAY 2015
1. A3- qualification is not that easy because you will need 48k miles for Gold or 24k for silver. LH crediting is not good at all, UA crediting slightly better. qualification only for 1 year. The rich crediting of UA A fares has just been cut, making even the requalification on cheap UA Y fares difficult.No minimum credit for short segments.
2.TK- if you could match from an existing Gold card to TK you would need to fly 25k miles in a year or 37,5 in 2 years for a 2 year qualification. UA credit good (was just reduced, no minimum miles anymore), LH credits not so good. This is my first choice at this moment.^
3.UA- you will need around 50k to get to gold or 25k to get to silver. UA crediting very good, LH crediting good.
4.M&M- difficult to consider, nothing attractive to get. Even FTL status for 35k miles is high in my opinion, given the low credits you get even on LH flights.
5. OZ- 40k in 2 years to get gold. UA crediting good (was just reduced), LH crediting not that good overal.
6. SAS- 45k in one year to get gold. UA crediting good (just reduced), LH crediting not that good, but at least you receive something even for the cheapest fare.
March 2015 was a milestone in miles crediting cuttings.
Who knows what is next but for now and as of today a matched TK status is the best option for a not so frequent traveller...in my opinion
1. A3- qualification is not that easy because you will need 48k miles for Gold or 24k for silver. LH crediting is not good at all, UA crediting slightly better. qualification only for 1 year. The rich crediting of UA A fares has just been cut, making even the requalification on cheap UA Y fares difficult.No minimum credit for short segments.
2.TK- if you could match from an existing Gold card to TK you would need to fly 25k miles in a year or 37,5 in 2 years for a 2 year qualification. UA credit good (was just reduced, no minimum miles anymore), LH credits not so good. This is my first choice at this moment.^
3.UA- you will need around 50k to get to gold or 25k to get to silver. UA crediting very good, LH crediting good.
4.M&M- difficult to consider, nothing attractive to get. Even FTL status for 35k miles is high in my opinion, given the low credits you get even on LH flights.
5. OZ- 40k in 2 years to get gold. UA crediting good (was just reduced), LH crediting not that good overal.
6. SAS- 45k in one year to get gold. UA crediting good (just reduced), LH crediting not that good, but at least you receive something even for the cheapest fare.
March 2015 was a milestone in miles crediting cuttings.
Who knows what is next but for now and as of today a matched TK status is the best option for a not so frequent traveller...in my opinion
Silver Req:
To reach the Silver Tier, all you need to do is fly Aegean or Olympic Air at least twice and earn 12,000 Tier Miles within 12 months or collect a total 24,000 Tier Miles, regardless of which airline you choose to fly with.
Gold Req:
To upgrade from Silver to the Gold Tier, all you need to do is fly Aegean or Olympic Air at least four times and earn 24,000 Tier Miles within 12 months or collect a total 48,000 Tier Miles, regardless of which airline you choose to fly with.
To reach the Silver Tier, all you need to do is fly Aegean or Olympic Air at least twice and earn 12,000 Tier Miles within 12 months or collect a total 24,000 Tier Miles, regardless of which airline you choose to fly with.
Gold Req:
To upgrade from Silver to the Gold Tier, all you need to do is fly Aegean or Olympic Air at least four times and earn 24,000 Tier Miles within 12 months or collect a total 48,000 Tier Miles, regardless of which airline you choose to fly with.
May 13, 2015, 9:01 am
#33
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
With A3, from scratch, you do indeed require 72k miles with no A3/OA flights, off very low earnings with many carriers. The reality is that it may even be easier to obtain LH Senator ...
That can reduce to a low of 36k miles with 6 A3 segments (2 for Silver plus a further 4 for Gold).
With the new bars, A3 has effectively closed the program for most new entrants, and recent actions appear geared towards encouraging some existing members to move elsewhere.
That can reduce to a low of 36k miles with 6 A3 segments (2 for Silver plus a further 4 for Gold).
With the new bars, A3 has effectively closed the program for most new entrants, and recent actions appear geared towards encouraging some existing members to move elsewhere.
May 14, 2015, 12:22 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 171
With A3, from scratch, you do indeed require 72k miles with no A3/OA flights, off very low earnings with many carriers. The reality is that it may even be easier to obtain LH Senator ...
That can reduce to a low of 36k miles with 6 A3 segments (2 for Silver plus a further 4 for Gold).
With the new bars, A3 has effectively closed the program for most new entrants, and recent actions appear geared towards encouraging some existing members to move elsewhere.
That can reduce to a low of 36k miles with 6 A3 segments (2 for Silver plus a further 4 for Gold).
With the new bars, A3 has effectively closed the program for most new entrants, and recent actions appear geared towards encouraging some existing members to move elsewhere.
Jun 11, 2015, 6:24 am
#35
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: fwp blood diamond, dykwia uranium
Posts: 7,251
I am so confused. With TK I see certain discount Y fare classes on TK opreated flights earn 50% award miles on TK. Which is fine and similar to UA.
http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-in...k-hava-yollari
But does award miles = to tier miles? I see no reference to it.
If tier miles are same as award miles then I would tell everyone to stay away from miles and smiles.
That and no tier bonus except for premium fares....remember the purpose FF programs exist (and why we do all of this) is for free award flights. Or am I being old school here...
http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-in...k-hava-yollari
But does award miles = to tier miles? I see no reference to it.
If tier miles are same as award miles then I would tell everyone to stay away from miles and smiles.
That and no tier bonus except for premium fares....remember the purpose FF programs exist (and why we do all of this) is for free award flights. Or am I being old school here...
Jun 15, 2015, 7:02 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: singapore
Programs: still looking
Posts: 2
I'm one of the not-so-frequent flyers, but I'm based in Singapore and usually fly SQ in coach or discounted coach.
I guess that my preference is for status, and secondly for non-expiring (or long-expiring) miles. Is there any difference between OZ, TK or A3 for these?
I currently have an A3 gold status, due to expire in Nov. Since I never fly A3, I am wondering if I should jump ship to something else, eg. OZ or TK. Moreover, to retain A3 gold, it seems that I would need to fly 24k by Nov, which won't happen. So my best bet might be to match to another, which resets the hourglass for attempting to retain status. Is it known for OZ or TK to status match from A3?
I guess that my preference is for status, and secondly for non-expiring (or long-expiring) miles. Is there any difference between OZ, TK or A3 for these?
I currently have an A3 gold status, due to expire in Nov. Since I never fly A3, I am wondering if I should jump ship to something else, eg. OZ or TK. Moreover, to retain A3 gold, it seems that I would need to fly 24k by Nov, which won't happen. So my best bet might be to match to another, which resets the hourglass for attempting to retain status. Is it known for OZ or TK to status match from A3?
Jun 15, 2015, 8:41 am
#37
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: TK G,UA *S
Posts: 1,137
TK will do a status match from your A3 gold if you have activity in the last 2 months.
That status will last for 2 years and if you requalify for another 2 years. So almost 4 years of status for 25,000 miles.
You decide
That status will last for 2 years and if you requalify for another 2 years. So almost 4 years of status for 25,000 miles.
You decide
Jun 15, 2015, 8:47 am
#38
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: singapore
Programs: still looking
Posts: 2
Thanks. Unfortunately, haven't had any activity recently. Will be flying at month end, but it's too bad I can't put it towards re-qualification.
Still, 25k to requalify and for a total of 4 years sounds great. I'll take a look...
Oh, requalification criteria is 25k within 1st year, or 37.5k within two years. Technically, that's still easier than OZ's 40k within two years.
Still, 25k to requalify and for a total of 4 years sounds great. I'll take a look...
Oh, requalification criteria is 25k within 1st year, or 37.5k within two years. Technically, that's still easier than OZ's 40k within two years.
Last edited by airbrowser; Jun 15, 2015 at 9:02 am
Jun 17, 2015, 11:02 am
#39
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 6
Hope I'm also able to piggyback here!
Currently reside in London but will be emigrating to Taiwan later this year. Before that happens I've got a couple of long-haul flights coming up on Turkish Airlines and EVA air. Once I move to TW I'll most likely be sticking to short haul flights around Asia with maybe one long-haul a year.
I travel fairly frequently for pleasure (probably <25k miles a year though), always go for the most discounted economy seat available.
Is anybody able to recommend a decent *A FFP to sign up to? I'm currently a member of none. Award redemptions and status are probably most important to me, although I guess I'm looking for a good "all-rounder" since I've never experienced any of these luxury perks!
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Currently reside in London but will be emigrating to Taiwan later this year. Before that happens I've got a couple of long-haul flights coming up on Turkish Airlines and EVA air. Once I move to TW I'll most likely be sticking to short haul flights around Asia with maybe one long-haul a year.
I travel fairly frequently for pleasure (probably <25k miles a year though), always go for the most discounted economy seat available.
Is anybody able to recommend a decent *A FFP to sign up to? I'm currently a member of none. Award redemptions and status are probably most important to me, although I guess I'm looking for a good "all-rounder" since I've never experienced any of these luxury perks!
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Jun 19, 2015, 1:05 pm
#40
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: FRA
Programs: UA, TG, LH
Posts: 70
You can ammend the list for LH with the following information
- M&M-Sen 2 years duration of status until 28.February when renewed.
- M&M status miles are reset at 1.Jan. to 0.
- My wife lost her silver staus years ago, but as long as she has LH-Mastercard Gold her miles don't expire. However I don't know if the LH-Mastercard with this benefit is available at many countries outside of Germany.
-As with most airline creditcards you get 1 mile per € for purchases, sometimes more after registration.
- companion award for 50% if you fly together
- for 150% of the miles you get a ticket for any flight where LH still has tickets for sale
-No charge for seat selection or changes, e.g. now 10 € normal and 20 € for an emergency exit.
Other reasons you may consider e.g.
Do you plan for upgrades or discounted Milage tickets, than you are best of with the airline where you are most likely to claim the tickest or upgrades. If you want them on another airline on short notice you have to be extremely lucky to get them overnight or at a gate.
- M&M-Sen 2 years duration of status until 28.February when renewed.
- M&M status miles are reset at 1.Jan. to 0.
- My wife lost her silver staus years ago, but as long as she has LH-Mastercard Gold her miles don't expire. However I don't know if the LH-Mastercard with this benefit is available at many countries outside of Germany.
-As with most airline creditcards you get 1 mile per € for purchases, sometimes more after registration.
- companion award for 50% if you fly together
- for 150% of the miles you get a ticket for any flight where LH still has tickets for sale
-No charge for seat selection or changes, e.g. now 10 € normal and 20 € for an emergency exit.
Other reasons you may consider e.g.
Do you plan for upgrades or discounted Milage tickets, than you are best of with the airline where you are most likely to claim the tickest or upgrades. If you want them on another airline on short notice you have to be extremely lucky to get them overnight or at a gate.
Aug 17, 2015, 5:48 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO, BRU, ADB
Programs: UA Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 705
Hello,
I am also looking for options here, I am pretty lost.
I just got A3 Silver but am hesitating to switch over to UA or OZ...
I fly mostly DTW-BRU (around 4 times a year) on UA/LH/AC on S, T or K fares (which get only 50% on most programs). + Some other random domestic flights (in the US and Europe).
I have about 25k miles worth of booked flight for the rest of 2015 and around 30k for 2016 so far(All AC/UA/LH)
If I switch to UA now, I would get Premier Silver before the end of 2015 but not sure if I would get Gold in 2016 (I have about 30k miles worth of flying planned in 2016 so far). The plus here are the E+ seats and the 100% status miles crediting on almost all my flights. I fly UA TATL a lot. The big downside for me here is that the Award flight are very expensive in miles... 57k miles for a one way TATL vs 45k miles on A3 (in J). The spending minimum is not a problem as my home address is outside the US even-though I am based in DTW.
If I stay on A3, I would need 24k miles + 4 A3 segments. I will get the 24K pretty easily but the problem is going to be the 4 A3 segments. I might or might not spend 3 / 4 months in Europe next summer and could just do a mileage run to some greek islands and back but I won't now for sure if I will be in Europe or not.
I could also switch over to OZ but earning there are pretty low and it would take me almost 2 years to get 40k miles. I am also scared they change the program midway into my progression like they did with A3. (They changed the program 1 month before my last flight to get gold on A3
)
EDIT: Actually, I found out that SQ's KrisFlyer earns 100% on all UA flights! 50k to get gold on a 12 month rolling period (doesn't restart on calendar new year). So I am probably going for that. Already have about 45k worth of Krisflyer status miles booked for the next 12 months.
I am also looking for options here, I am pretty lost.
I just got A3 Silver but am hesitating to switch over to UA or OZ...
I fly mostly DTW-BRU (around 4 times a year) on UA/LH/AC on S, T or K fares (which get only 50% on most programs). + Some other random domestic flights (in the US and Europe).
I have about 25k miles worth of booked flight for the rest of 2015 and around 30k for 2016 so far(All AC/UA/LH)
If I switch to UA now, I would get Premier Silver before the end of 2015 but not sure if I would get Gold in 2016 (I have about 30k miles worth of flying planned in 2016 so far). The plus here are the E+ seats and the 100% status miles crediting on almost all my flights. I fly UA TATL a lot. The big downside for me here is that the Award flight are very expensive in miles... 57k miles for a one way TATL vs 45k miles on A3 (in J). The spending minimum is not a problem as my home address is outside the US even-though I am based in DTW.
If I stay on A3, I would need 24k miles + 4 A3 segments. I will get the 24K pretty easily but the problem is going to be the 4 A3 segments. I might or might not spend 3 / 4 months in Europe next summer and could just do a mileage run to some greek islands and back but I won't now for sure if I will be in Europe or not.
I could also switch over to OZ but earning there are pretty low and it would take me almost 2 years to get 40k miles. I am also scared they change the program midway into my progression like they did with A3. (They changed the program 1 month before my last flight to get gold on A3
)EDIT: Actually, I found out that SQ's KrisFlyer earns 100% on all UA flights! 50k to get gold on a 12 month rolling period (doesn't restart on calendar new year). So I am probably going for that. Already have about 45k worth of Krisflyer status miles booked for the next 12 months.
Last edited by Mict; Aug 17, 2015 at 8:55 am Reason: Adding
Aug 18, 2015, 4:39 pm
#43
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 11
Also piggy backing onto this as I am also an infrequent flyer.
I typically fly OneWorld (AS MVP Gold/non gold), and I am based out of SEA. I have at least one J/PE trip to SE Asia on BR coming up next year as well as a Berlin trip in Y and two Toronto trips in PE.
Which *A program would take the most advantage of this set of flights to get me started with status on a reasonable carrier? Work books me in Y, and I typically book PE for myself.(I've heard terrible things about UA, but typically fly AS, so I don't have any first hand experience)
For additional context, I have a bunch of miles stuck in Asia Miles, bunch of Chase UR points and SPG Gold.
I typically fly OneWorld (AS MVP Gold/non gold), and I am based out of SEA. I have at least one J/PE trip to SE Asia on BR coming up next year as well as a Berlin trip in Y and two Toronto trips in PE.
Which *A program would take the most advantage of this set of flights to get me started with status on a reasonable carrier? Work books me in Y, and I typically book PE for myself.(I've heard terrible things about UA, but typically fly AS, so I don't have any first hand experience)
For additional context, I have a bunch of miles stuck in Asia Miles, bunch of Chase UR points and SPG Gold.
Nov 23, 2015, 12:15 pm
#44
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Hong Kong, SAR
Programs: CX MPO GO, HH GO, SPG, GO
Posts: 113
Another person needing advice!
Hi - thanks in advance for letting me in on this thread:
I'm a OW Gold (CX), and soon i've got a trip planned with AC in (D) Business Class, the flight is about 8,000 miles, which I don't want to waste, looking for the best *A FFP to join, a bit more information about me below:
1) I fly about 10 ultra short hauls a year on the Chinese *A carriers at the moment (normally on discounted economy or discounted business but very rarely the cheapest fares) [it would be ideal to have status to be able to use the lounge for these flights as they are often delayed] I also fly several shorthauls a year on other *A carriers i.e. LH, TG, SAA
2) I have a UA account with probably 25k miles in it at the moment, sometimes when booking one way international trips, about once a year I use this account to buy discounted miles from MileagePlus and use this to issue one way or round trip flights
3) I have a SQ KF Account with 100k miles in it, which is also used as (number 2) but I use it more for transferring in from my credit card which offers 1:1 with SQ
If I had status, I would more than likely take one medium/long haul discounted business class flight in 2016 with: TK/TG or Swiss
My goal is to keep the status as long as possible, and to be able to get decent earning capabilities for discounted business so that I can use the accumulated miles to issues short haul econ tickets on any *A carrier when purchasing tickets works out too expensive
Thanks in advance for all the advice!
I'm a OW Gold (CX), and soon i've got a trip planned with AC in (D) Business Class, the flight is about 8,000 miles, which I don't want to waste, looking for the best *A FFP to join, a bit more information about me below:
1) I fly about 10 ultra short hauls a year on the Chinese *A carriers at the moment (normally on discounted economy or discounted business but very rarely the cheapest fares) [it would be ideal to have status to be able to use the lounge for these flights as they are often delayed] I also fly several shorthauls a year on other *A carriers i.e. LH, TG, SAA
2) I have a UA account with probably 25k miles in it at the moment, sometimes when booking one way international trips, about once a year I use this account to buy discounted miles from MileagePlus and use this to issue one way or round trip flights
3) I have a SQ KF Account with 100k miles in it, which is also used as (number 2) but I use it more for transferring in from my credit card which offers 1:1 with SQ
If I had status, I would more than likely take one medium/long haul discounted business class flight in 2016 with: TK/TG or Swiss
My goal is to keep the status as long as possible, and to be able to get decent earning capabilities for discounted business so that I can use the accumulated miles to issues short haul econ tickets on any *A carrier when purchasing tickets works out too expensive
Thanks in advance for all the advice!
Nov 30, 2015, 9:27 am
#45
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
Hi - thanks in advance for letting me in on this thread:
I'm a OW Gold (CX), and soon i've got a trip planned with AC in (D) Business Class, the flight is about 8,000 miles, which I don't want to waste, looking for the best *A FFP to join, a bit more information about me below:
1) I fly about 10 ultra short hauls a year on the Chinese *A carriers at the moment (normally on discounted economy or discounted business but very rarely the cheapest fares) [it would be ideal to have status to be able to use the lounge for these flights as they are often delayed] I also fly several shorthauls a year on other *A carriers i.e. LH, TG, SAA
2) I have a UA account with probably 25k miles in it at the moment, sometimes when booking one way international trips, about once a year I use this account to buy discounted miles from MileagePlus and use this to issue one way or round trip flights
3) I have a SQ KF Account with 100k miles in it, which is also used as (number 2) but I use it more for transferring in from my credit card which offers 1:1 with SQ
If I had status, I would more than likely take one medium/long haul discounted business class flight in 2016 with: TK/TG or Swiss
My goal is to keep the status as long as possible, and to be able to get decent earning capabilities for discounted business so that I can use the accumulated miles to issues short haul econ tickets on any *A carrier when purchasing tickets works out too expensive
Thanks in advance for all the advice!
I'm a OW Gold (CX), and soon i've got a trip planned with AC in (D) Business Class, the flight is about 8,000 miles, which I don't want to waste, looking for the best *A FFP to join, a bit more information about me below:
1) I fly about 10 ultra short hauls a year on the Chinese *A carriers at the moment (normally on discounted economy or discounted business but very rarely the cheapest fares) [it would be ideal to have status to be able to use the lounge for these flights as they are often delayed] I also fly several shorthauls a year on other *A carriers i.e. LH, TG, SAA
2) I have a UA account with probably 25k miles in it at the moment, sometimes when booking one way international trips, about once a year I use this account to buy discounted miles from MileagePlus and use this to issue one way or round trip flights
3) I have a SQ KF Account with 100k miles in it, which is also used as (number 2) but I use it more for transferring in from my credit card which offers 1:1 with SQ
If I had status, I would more than likely take one medium/long haul discounted business class flight in 2016 with: TK/TG or Swiss
My goal is to keep the status as long as possible, and to be able to get decent earning capabilities for discounted business so that I can use the accumulated miles to issues short haul econ tickets on any *A carrier when purchasing tickets works out too expensive
Thanks in advance for all the advice!