Originally Posted by
Stgermainparis
Some great trips you’ve done. And in J. Nice. I’m grateful for the validation re split programs bc that’s how I was leaning. And actually I mis typed. AA is $175 cheaper. So another reason to do it.
Weighing flexibilty with strength in numbers is delicate. But I think we both incline the same way. I started thinking about the split bc UA worked ideally in one direction but not other.
Still curious what others do.
I've done it both ways at various times, depending on saver award availability, cost in miles and fees, and how many miles I have in each program at a particular time. There are, however, some additional points you may wish to bear in mind.
1) Unlike AA and DL, UA offers a free stopover (under certain conditions) on RT award travel (only RT). Two years ago, I used UA miles to fly IAD-VIE-INN/SZG-VIE-IAD RT on Austrian with a stopover of 5-6 nights in Vienna. That arrangement wouldn't have been possible if two airlines' programs had been involved.
2) You don't mention DL and don't indicate the routes you're interested in, but it may be worth noting significant surcharges on award tickets originating in Europe. As far as transatlantic flights are concerned, DL is best used RT or for the flight to Europe, not for the return.
3) Are the sure that the difference in fees between UA and AA that you mention above is due to differences in the policies of the two airlines (or their various partners)? If the flights are between the USA and Europe, for example, the fees are typically higher on the return portion of the trip because of government and airport fees. If you wish to compare UA and AA on this issue, you need to compare two flights headed in the same direction; comparing a flight to Europe on one airline with a flight from Europe on another airline will yield a distorted result.