Originally Posted by
tellis0
1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
(e.g., upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access)
Reply: Earning free airfare.
2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
(e.g., <25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles and <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)
Reply: 3500
3. What fare class do you usually buy?
(e.g., first, business, premium economy, economy)
Reply: economy
4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Yes/pleasure
5. Which routes do you fly most often
(e.g., U.S. domestic, transatlantic, intra-Asia)
Reply: US Domestic
6. What is your home airport?
(e.g., SFO, LHR, HKG)
Reply: SNA
7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in a FFP, if any?
(e.g., AA Executive Platinum, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro)
Reply: No, I've never done this before.
8. What are your preferred airlines, if any? None
From SNA, you may want to look into Southwest and Alaska. Southwest you can get at least one (maybe two) 50k cards from Chase, and those points should last you some time at only 3500 miles a year, if you can book reasonably in advance. Alaska you can get
the 25k card from BofA multiple times a year, and you can use Alaska miles for Alaska, AA, and Delta domestically.
Since those cards are from different banks, you could do both, and then for each particular trip you want to do "free" you could evaluate whether Southwest points or Alaska miles (and the latter on which carrier) would give you the better value and the better connection. (From SNA, most of your flights, unless very local, are likely to involve connections.)