Mod note to responding FTers: Please see added questionnaire responses at end of post.

Mods, if this is titled incorrectly or posted in the wrong forum, apologies in advance and please feel free to move as you see fit.

Hi all - am interested in coming up with a thoughtful strategy on how to accumulate and use miles. We are based out of ORD.

Currently our sources / status are as follows:

Husband: Does NOT travel for work. Has ~ 750,000 miles on AA, is Lifetime AA Platinum due to having accumulated 3,000,000 miles. Currently uses a Citicard AA card for his business, which adds ~100,000/year to his AA bank.

Wife (me): DOES travel for work (4 -5 international business class UA per year, plus ~10 domestic flights - workplace purchases tickets, so don't get the $ credit but do get the miles). Currently UA Platinum, though in a typical year may only qualify for UA Silver or Gold. Currently ~ 150,000 miles in my UA bank. Workplace committed to UA, so that won't change.

Both: We had a personal Chase Value Miles card with ~60,000 points remaining that we're trying to wind down before touching either UA or AA banks. Have a new Chase Sapphire card for personal use, anticipate spending ~45,000 annually.

Out of ORD, basically anyplace UA flies, so does AA, so we're generally indifferent between the two -- it just so happened that we had "thrown our lots" in with different airlines in earlier years.

Our travel "needs":

1) Fly daughter back and forth ORD-BOS for college -- if a move-in/move-out trip, do so by redeeming my UA miles since she "inherits" 3 bags @ 70 lbs; if just a short trip (such as Thanksgiving), redeem either Value Miles or the AA miles since she can use carry-on.
2) Want to plan some big splurge trips (mostly Europe) over the next couple of years for the two of us, redeeming miles for business class - in which case I *think* immaterial whether UA or AA, because we'd get a bag in business class anyway (and we'd only need 1 checked bag apiece at most).

So, what strategies might you all employ re spending, managing accounts, and pulling miles / points out? Just want to approach this thoughtfully vs haphazardly, and welcome suggestions / thoughts. Thanks.

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Just noticed this wiki, so will respond to it.
1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
Award availability / value for miles, and not paying for bags


2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
Husband: None. Me: About 4 international round trips (typical year: 2 ORD-Asia, 1 ORD-Europe, 1 ORD-Brazil) and about 10 domestic round trips (typically ORD-LGA/EWR/PHL)

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
Business class for overseas, economy for domestic.

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Travel for work, company pays but need to be mindful of costs, almost always UA unless UA doesn't fly route

5. Which routes do you fly most often
See above.
What we *want* to fly is: ORD-BOS for daughter, ORD-various places in Europe for us

6. What is your home airport?
ORD

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in a FFP, if any?
Husband: AA Plat, 750K miles. Wife: UA Plat, 160K miles. His status is through cards, my status is through actual miles flown.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
Honestly indifferent for our personal travel between UA and AA