Originally Posted by
Box5
I'm trying to figure out a new ff strategy.
Calculation method: no status = 5 miles per dollar. $1000 ticket price = 5000 miles or roughly West Coast-East Coast round trip. If the ticket is less than $1000, it's better to fly AA, UA, WN, or the little guys (AS, B6, etc.) For trips half way across the country, maybe figure $600 round trip price as a threshold for flying DL ($600 = 3,000 miles compared to a trip on another airline for 1,500 miles each way).
Unless I missed something, UA's 2015 is nearly an identical clone of DL's. You'll earn exactly the same with them and yer miles will expire after 18 months (I believe) if yer account is inactive. AA's program'll likely change when the dust from the merger settles.
I think everybody who posts in the FF mileage forums has been trying to evaluate potential new options this year. We all new it was brewing, particularly when SW/WN started the trend a few years back.