Thank you - this is most complex!

So, if I have this straight, AA I would earn 50%, Alaskan I would earn 100% and LAN I would earn 100%.

Redemption value may vary. If I use AA or Alaskan on their own or a One World flight (e.g. a BA flight) would I be required to pay fuel surcharge (understand from above I would not with LAN)?

AA charges 12,500 each way for flights within the US / Canada, thus 25,000 round trip. I would accrue ~ 10,000 miles (at 0.5 in N), so would not have enough to redeem for any flight without further activity.

Alaskan charges the same miles as AA for reward flights within US / Canada, but I would earn 100% in N, for ~20,000 miles, which I could use for a one way (no return trip without further earning)

LAN is on a milage (km) basis, with e.g. 8,000km being needed each way to fly up to 750km (e.g. YYZ - JFK) (no one way awards). I would earn 100% in N, ~32,000km, allowing 2 x sub 750km round trips.

Based on this (and tell me if I am going horribly wrong here), the only way I could redeem within N. America for a return flight without any other point earning, would be to go with LAN. I *may* be able to use AA for an intra Europe (10,000 each way) depending on additional fees which may make it not worth doing? Alaska's Europe partners seem to start at 15,000 each way intra-Europe, so would not be double without additional earning.


LAN miles (km) expire after 3 years unless you have some sort of activity flying LAN itself

AA miles expire after 18 months BUT there are lots of cheap ways (e.g. buying an itunes song) to have an account activity to renew them ad infinitum.

Alaskan miles expire after 2 years - do they offer similar to the AA in terms of keeping the account qctive easily without flying?


AA or AF would be easier to deal with customer service wise.

Am I on the right track here?

I am going to look at the challenge info now! Thank you!

(dates of trip, start Dec 18th, finish Jan 3rd)