Originally Posted by
malmostoso
Originally Posted by
robbcn
Besides the classic "Which program to join", I guess the biggest question I have is:
- If UA's MileagePlus is not the best one, would it be a good idea to start again in what would be the best for me and get my MileagePlus miles transferred?
Transferring miles between FFPs is not a thing (it is technically possible in some fringe cases but mostly not worth it), so that part you can forget straight up.
If you want "free flights" and you value the "free" part, then UA is a good choice, since redemptions are mostly without taxes. If you have a specific route in mind you can scout for other programs and check the earn/burn rates, along with the taxes.
All flights (cash or award) on the same route and in the class of travel have the
same real taxes. Some fees on awards flights trigger taxes. Some airlines and/or ffp's have carrier imposed surcharges (=airline profit) on award flights. These can be high $$$$.
Never confuse real taxes, real airport fees, etc and carrier imposed surcharges
USA based airline ffp's tend to be more generous (status benefits/earn/burn/upgrades/award cost/award cash surcharges/expiry/affiliated credit cards/promotions) compared to non USA based airline ffp’s (even after the recently announced changes to some USA ffp’s)
The grass in not always
greener on the other side