Originally Posted by Tim Martin

Hello all,

I've recently commenced operating as an On Board Courier from my Hong Kong Base, which now sees me undertaking 1-3 international trips per week. I can be placed on any airline, often multiple airlines per trip. At current rate I'm racking up approximately 10 international flights per week and need advice on which *A FF Program I should be claiming all my points too? I've also undertaken 40 international flights in this past month on various *A airlines - but am yet to claim any of the points to any airline.

(1) What is your home airport? HKG

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? Y (sometimes J)

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? Much more than 50K

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Nil

(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? 1- Priority is Lounge Access as I am transiting for MANY hours each week; followed by 2- frequent upgrades on travel, and 3- all other bonuses are presently of equal value to me.

A long-term goal would be to achieve lifetime Gold Status with a *A Carrier, so that I can retain status and then focus on increasing point generation/upgrade potential etc (feel free to suggest a more profitable goal).

(6) Which routes do you fly most often? HKG -> NRT -> IST -> BUD -> DOH -> HKG (this route I do once per week at present).

(7) Preferred Airlines: No preference yet

(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Both - but for work I have no say on airline, class of travel etc. As such most tickets are either of discount economy or regular economy. Occasionally I will be given Premium Economy or Business class tickets.

Just for reference - a typical courier job may see me undertake the following patterns, mostly on *A carriers:

- HKG -> NRT -> IST -> BUD -> DOH -> HKG
- HKG -> ICN -> LAX -> JFK -> MEX -> LAX -> HKG


I would love to be able to join the best *A FF Program now so I can start collating the points I'm rapidly collecting across the alliance members. So any advice on which *A FF Program to join to maximize my status AND points generation would immensely helpful.

Thank you