Can other people add miles on my Star Alliance card?
Aug 23, 2016, 5:58 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2
Can other people add miles on my Star Alliance card?
Hey all!
I'll soon be flying from Europe to New york for business purposes. I'll be there
for about 6-7 months and will be flying a few times within the USA.
Even though I've searched a lot on the internet and the official sites, it is still not clear to me how the Star Alliance works.
I know there is no overall Star Alliance card, but each airlines (or few airlines together) got a 'mileage program'.
Now my main question is if I am able to let other people, my friends who will come visit me, put their miles on my card (when flying with the airlines who has the same mileage program ofcourse)?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no registration fee of any kind to join a mileage program. Probably want to join the 'Miles & More'-program.
If anybody has other links or information regarding this issue, please share.
Everything is useful and much appreciated! (I'll keep browsing this forum myself).
Thanks in advance!
Kind regards,
Edit: I also suppose I will need the Star Alliance membership card BEFORE I book my flight, right?
I'll soon be flying from Europe to New york for business purposes. I'll be there
for about 6-7 months and will be flying a few times within the USA.
Even though I've searched a lot on the internet and the official sites, it is still not clear to me how the Star Alliance works.
I know there is no overall Star Alliance card, but each airlines (or few airlines together) got a 'mileage program'.
Now my main question is if I am able to let other people, my friends who will come visit me, put their miles on my card (when flying with the airlines who has the same mileage program ofcourse)?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no registration fee of any kind to join a mileage program. Probably want to join the 'Miles & More'-program.
If anybody has other links or information regarding this issue, please share.
Everything is useful and much appreciated! (I'll keep browsing this forum myself).
Thanks in advance!
Kind regards,
Edit: I also suppose I will need the Star Alliance membership card BEFORE I book my flight, right?
Aug 23, 2016, 6:05 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,573
"Now my main question is if I am able to let other people, my friends who will come visit me, put their miles on my card (when flying with the airlines who has the same mileage program ofcourse)?"
No.
No.
Aug 23, 2016, 6:13 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,833
Hi -welcome to FT.
No, you can't do that. You can try to register your FF card No to their reservation (when making the reservation or at on-line check-in) but you will not receive any miles/points. The system will check that the name of the travelling pax corresponds to the name of the card holder.
I'm not aware of any airline charging a fee to join their FFP. That would be highly unusual. Airlines are trying to get as many members as possible.
The easy answer is yes. You need the FF card No. whereas the physical card is immaterial. However, some FFP's allow you to retrocredit for flights made up until a few months before joining the FFP. This does not apply to flights on other Star Alliance partners - I have yet to hear about a FFP that will allow you to retrocredit flights by other Star Alliance partners prior to registration. But you have to check with each FFP whether retrocredit of flights prior to joining the FFP will be granted.
The easy answer is yes. You need the FF card No. whereas the physical card is immaterial. However, some FFP's allow you to retrocredit for flights made up until a few months before joining the FFP. This does not apply to flights on other Star Alliance partners - I have yet to hear about a FFP that will allow you to retrocredit flights by other Star Alliance partners prior to registration. But you have to check with each FFP whether retrocredit of flights prior to joining the FFP will be granted.
Aug 23, 2016, 6:17 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,573
It depends. Will you be flying in a premium class, or in Economy? Do you expect to do any flying when you finally return home to Europe -- for either business or leisure purposes -- and if so, between which cities?
Aug 23, 2016, 3:25 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,971
Don't! The Miles & More program is only worth it if you fly a lot with Miles & More airlines and preferable intercontinental/transatlantic in the higher business class fares.
With your pattern of flying you probably won't even hit the Silver level and not have enough miles in the account to do anything with it besides perhaps booking an economy ticket - which in turn will cost more in taxes than just buying it for cash in the first place.
Depending where you live, there might be better options...
Some might even have family pooling (like SAS used to have and probably will have again with the relaunch of the program later this fall) where you could actually get credit for your friends flights...
With your pattern of flying you probably won't even hit the Silver level and not have enough miles in the account to do anything with it besides perhaps booking an economy ticket - which in turn will cost more in taxes than just buying it for cash in the first place.
Depending where you live, there might be better options...
Some might even have family pooling (like SAS used to have and probably will have again with the relaunch of the program later this fall) where you could actually get credit for your friends flights...
Aug 23, 2016, 3:48 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Programs: M&M SEN, Amex Plat, Club Carlson, Marriott, HHonors & Accor Gold, Velocity Silver, Qantas Bronze
Posts: 3,767
So giving such a general answer to someone new here is not a good idea.
Aug 23, 2016, 4:57 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,016
Veraci Welcome to FT
Each airline has it own frequent flyer program. They can be and are very different.
FF miles are not equal to earn or use.
Generally you must be a signed up member at the date of your flight. A very few airlines allow to join and claim ff miles for a flight taken before the join up date.
You will better to join a ffp using your Eu address and not a US address
For fights in the USA which airline? Can you chose?.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html
FF miles are not equal to earn or use.
Generally you must be a signed up member at the date of your flight. A very few airlines allow to join and claim ff miles for a flight taken before the join up date.
You will better to join a ffp using your Eu address and not a US address
For fights in the USA which airline? Can you chose?.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html