Originally Posted by
vasantn
My daughter is moving to Heidelberg, Germany (nearest airport FRA) and she will be coming back to New York to visit 3-4 times a year. She does not enjoy flying so she prefers nonstops. Star Alliance seems to be her best bet where she has the choice of UA, LH, and TP. Which airline's FF program would it make the most sense for her to join?
With only a few flights in (cheapest?) economy the chances of getting meaningful status (mid tier) are very low. And will earn few ff miles per year.
To me far better to go with the best price & schedule for each trip and treat ff miles as a bonus that may or may not be able to be used
A train from Heidelberg to another major city may have more flights/better prices/better schedule.. The closest airport may not be the best. EU is small
https://www.travelmath.com/nearest-a...lberg,+Germany
to USA
A map from Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper
EU->
A map from Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper
Consider expiry
Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire
EU ffps are not as generous as USA ffp's. Do not expect much from low level status