I (Swiss based) was (years, centuries?) ago, first a UA Mileage Plus ff-member and only after having joined FT-board in early summer 1998 learned from a (otherwise 'faked' and soon afterwards 'eliminated' TlyerTalker) the specialities/advantages of the miles&more-program for those that don't care to much about inner North-American upgrades with HK-49 and 500er-vouchers from Mileage Plus (no SWU then).

The higher status (and minimum-status) miles for UA flights when flying paid first on UA-two-class flights then, made miles&more a more attractiv program for some of us then.

some comparisons (just status-mileage credits comparisons) between Mileage Plus (MP) and miles&more (m&m):

* short paid eco flight: MP=500, m&m= 1'250
* short paid first (2-class UA) flight: MP=500, m&m= 3'750
*transatlantic paid business SFO-FRA: MP=5'786, m&m=14'465

International upgrades:
* MP on selected fares, m&m=every paid fare

Status expiry:
* MP one year +, m&m 2 years + (but you need 100'000 status miles with m&m for StarGold = Senator, only 50'000 with MP)