I started to get interested in A3 as I only fly about 15-25,000 a year (usually UA, ANA or Thai).

The Gold status is nice, but it is the reward flights for my family that I am most interested in.

The zones are quite different, which for us Japan residents mean a slightly better redemption to SE Asia and Europe, but much higher redemptions for everywhere else (starting to look like Skypesos actually).

Japan to: A3/UA
Japan 25,000/12,000
USA 100,000/65,000
Hawaii 80,000/45,000
Guam 80,000/25,000
China 25,000/20,000
Australia 80,000/50,000
Europe 80,000/90,000
Singapore 25,000/30,000

I may still join A3 and credit up to 20,000 to get the Gold, but the threat of a 50% loss of miles if we cancel a trip and the YQ charges means I'd probably not be sticking with them and amassing piles of miles.

Watch out as most TG and NH flights wont earn 100% miles.

Please check the mileage earner before you post!

ANA

Effective as of April, 1st 2011

Economy Class

Booking Classes

Accrual Factor
Economy Y, E 100%
Economy Discounted B, M, U, H, Q, V, W, S 100%
Economy Discounted T, L, K 50%

Note: Booking Classes not eligible for accrual: O, I, R, X, N, G


THAI

Economy Class

Booking Classes

Accrual Factor
Premium Economy U 100%
Economy Y 100%
Economy Discounted B, M, H, K, Q, T, S 100%

Note: Booking Classes not eligible for accrual: O, I, R, X, N, L, G, V, W


If you fly Thai in Economy then the chances are you will get a flight with full mileage benefits. When booking ensure you look at the box above the flight schedules and spend the extra few dollars to get mileage accrual fare.

No matter which FFP you choose, there will always be another FFP that goes to 'that' place at a slightly better rate.

Pick the FFP that best matches your preferences and stay with them.

I was on the fence since the awards from Japan are mostly higher, especially with the YQ, but after waiting 40 minutes in a massive line to board my most recent flight to BKK and seeing the J class and *G buzz through, I asked the check-in agent to switch my miles to A3 instead of the UA # I had inputted online. The agent at first didn't know what A3 was and had to check.

I was also frustrated by the fact I bought a UA Club one day pass, only to find the lounge closed at 10:30pm despite the website saying it would be open until midnight. Had I already been a *G I could have gotten into the Thai lounge!

I was a bit worried as some have had issues, but the miles were posted in less than a week.

Now I just need a RT to JFK/PHL in the next 12 months and I will be good as gold.

I am a Blue!
My second flight posted 6 days after I took it (on Thai), so not too bad. Got 100% as it was a Q fare.

Award Wallet shows an expiration of one year, but I gather from the information here that it is actually longer than that.

No. Expiration is 1 year for Blue members. No expiration for Gold members. So quickly upgrade to gold before your miles start expiring!

I believe you, but on the website T&C I searched "expir" and all I saw was the confusingly worded information about the account, not actual miles:

If a Blue or Gold Member has not flown for at least once within a period of thirty six (36) months from the date of his/her last registered and Account-validated flight, then his/her Card and Account will be automatically inactivated and cannot be used for any purpose (mileage accrual or redemption) for a period of 12 months. During this period the Member may retroactively claim a flight he/she had made within the previous year so that to have his/her Card and Account reactivated. Otherwise, as soon as the 12-month period expires, the Card and the Account will be irrevocably canceled.

The miles collected by converting points from the Aegean Bonus Visa card are Award Miles, as defined in chapter 3 �MILES/CATEGORIES ETC.", and never expire.

It is correct: as soon as you reached gold your miles will not expired (at least for the 3 year time of the card validity)

if u reside in Japan and the destination is SE, AC will be your best choice 20000mile make you go to Singapore....
Get A3 G and then use AC redeem

I was a little confused about what AC is (not Air China, so must be Air Canada) and how I can redeem A3 miles on AC for just 20,000 Japan-SE Asia.

But I gather you mean collect the 20,000 on A3, then use a Star Alliance award.

On UA's website is provides a *A chart that shows 15OW/30RT for Japan SE Asia.

However the *A chart on Aeroplan (Air Canada) is 20,000 RT, which must be what you are referring to. Looking carefully I can see that Aeroplan defines the *A differently than UA, which can be a benefit to me.

This is [good ] news to me, as I assumed all *A awards were a standard number of miles.

So if I want to book a *A award using an AC version of the chart, do I call AC, A3, or UA (where I have most of my miles)? AC is the logical answer, but I was under the impression you call the program where you miles are (and get stuck with that program's chart in the process).

OMG, are you seriously asking this? You got 250+ posts and still are confused? What the other poster meant is that for quicker *G go with A3 and accrue 20k mls. Then once you have hit Gold then all flights from that point forward credit to AC (Air Canada Aeroplan) for the better redemtion values. Reason going for *G on AC FFP takes more miles / longer, but reward redemtions in Asia are better (only 20kmls).

Lastly, if you call A3 you redeem A3 miles and pay as per A3 mileage redemption chart (25K in Y btw. Japan & SIN for example). If you want to redeem at the 20K level you need to call AC Aeroplan and use AC miles.

And when you use UA miles, you must follow the UA award charts and other UA rules.

Confusion is so easy, given the ever-changing alliances and charts.

I had never looked at the AC chart, and didn't know there would be such a discrepancy in amounts. Recently *A seems to have more consistency than before, hence my surprise. I know UA use to offer cheaper rates on UA metal out of Japan, but now it has been standardized.

I usually fly 15-25,000 a year, and earn the rest of my miles through credit cards. Once I get the credit on A3 I may not have much left for AC.

I am reluctant to join yet another program, given all the advice to stick to just one. On the other hand, I can see how each has its own benefits, and with a fair bit of planning I might get the best of all worlds.

The real question is whether AC keeps the lower requirement long enough for me to take advantage of it.

Wouldn't US be better?

Yes I think so, but I wasn't trying to suggest to the OP which program to pick. I just wanted to clarify the point he was confused about.