Originally Posted by
andy_dangg
1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
accessible rewards, reasonably priced international reward travel, easy to use
2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
3-4 flights a year for leisure, looking to travel more though
3. What fare class do you usually buy?
economy (wouldn’t mind a splurge every now and then though)
4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
pleasure travel
5. Which routes do you fly most often?
domestic USA, looking to travel internationally soon
6. What is your home airport?
The closest airport to me is GNV (DL and AA), but I usually use TPA. MCO and JAX are also easy to reach.
7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
no status, I have 16k miles and a couple hundred dollar in travel funds with Southwest right now, will prob use on a family trip this summer.
8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
I’ve only flown Southwest. Delta seems to have a great onboard experience. United seems decent as well, not super impressed by AA’s offerings. I love Southwest but I feel like I have “outgrown” it slightly as I am looking to do more international travel and sign up for a good airline credit card. Premium cabin travel would also be nice.
To be honest with you, sign up for all three, and fly with the carrier that gives you the best timing and pricing. At three/four domestic economy flights a year you're going to be a long way from building up a big pot to splurge on upgrades or free flights, and hoarding is not a great strategy. If you are able to sign up for a credit card or two you might get a fair number of points, but you really need to take your travel up to several flights a month before you see a FFP paying off in a significant way.