1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: Lounge access, priority services
3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply: Premium Economy
4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: Yes, work.
5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: USA and USA-Asia
6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: LAX
7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: Executive Platinum in AA, and *G in Asiana
8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: Delta, China Airlines in Skyteam
Basically, looking for a good program to hopefully easily get Elite Plus status with a handful of longhaul international PE flights.
I'm on Air Europa now, which is easy to get to Elite Plus, but they are planning on leaving if the deal goes through. Plus they are extremely slow with adding/changing fare class adjustments in flights (like China Airlines added A class for Standard PE flights. Seems every other airline on SkyTeam has it on their charts while Air Europa doesn't). I don't want to hit Elite Plus and then find out I have to switch programs anyway.
Looked at Vietnam Airlines and while easy to get to Elite, it still takes the same amount of work to Elite Plus for other airlines. Plus it has horrible earning rates with Delta.
Looked at FlyingBlue and the XP system isn't that great, I would need more flights to get the same status elsewhere since I don't fly business or first.
My current idea is to status match my AA with Delta to get Platinum, and enjoy that for a bit. I wouldn't get lounge access domestically on Delta, unfortunately, but since I rarely do fly Delta domestic it won't be an issue. Plus with the two longhaul trips i'm going on Nov/Dec I can easily hit the status challenge mark with around 36,000 MQM. Having Silver at only 25,000 means I can technically make it especially with the MQM rollovers (and of course high MQD with international PE).