About a year and a half ago I posted on FT asking which program I should join. You can find that post here. I got some really nice responses and advice at the time and deciced to join Flying Blue.

Everything was fine and I was very happily accruing miles until Delta had to go buy NWA. CO decided to say Goodnight Everybody and started the process of leaving Skyteam and joining *A or maybe worse getting married to my ex-employer United. We'll see what happens with that flirtation.

I need to make a decision to stay with AF/KLM FlyingBlue or go to OnePass.

Here are the decision affecting factors:

-I live 8 minutes from SFO. I love living in the Bay Area and have no immediate actionable plans to move anywhere else. If I live here the rest of my life I couldn't complain. (Europe and Africa are places that I am slowly but steadily working on living in for awhile because it a lifetime dream. SF is home though.)
-FlyingBlue Account Balance 23K+
-Two Trips to Europe to visit family will occur this year, first to MAD second to CDG. If I fly skyteam on both trips I will attain Silver Status until 31 Dec 2010.
-My parents live in Houston and I make at least two trips a year at least to visit them. They visit me once or twice a year. I LOVE my parents, I am not so hot about Houston. I grew up there and I am done with it. I always fly CO to get there, great price, non-stop, clean planes, meals in coach (breakfast is best), don't lose my bags, ON-TIME!
-The places I like to travel to, AF/KLM serve very well. From SFO there are 5 nonstop destinations in Europe two are on AF/KLM.
-I Love Air France, great food in coach, free drinks and lower elite minimums for people outside France, and yes my bags always get there. They go where I want to go.
-I really like Continental, they are a great airline
-I really don't like United. I got layed off and yes I am bitter. They really are not a great airline, and chance of having to fly United what with CO courting them does not make me happy. If CO took over UA I really would feel vindicated. The bitterness toward UA plays big into my decision, sorry

So if I fly Skyteam in March to Madrid, I could still liquidate on my trip to France in June, and start accruing miles with OnePass on my Thanksgiving and X-mas trips to Houston. It would be nice to think that my pleasure trips could pay for my family trips to IAH.

Or should I do something completely different? I have half a notion to say the hell with airline miles I just want the cheapest ticket on the airline that rarely crashes.

Merci!
JohnPaul

PS If I should move this to the Skyteam Forum please forgive me.