rehoult

Miles are determined based on agreements between the operating carrier and each of the FF programs. So AC & UA negotiate and agree upon what fares will post at what rate, in both directions.

agjil

It looks like Star Alliance is getting worse and worse overall.
Carriers blocking award seats on other ff programs, partner mile accumulation worsening every year, free baggage allowance getting reduced on partner airlines, etc.
I wonder if other alliances are going through the same deterioration (sky team and one world).
Is earning partner miles any better on the other alliances?

ProudEdmontonian

Well, I went and took a look at my MP account to try to figure out what random nonsense applies to Flex fares and see that my trip last week to YUL was in G so 100% but that my trip in September to YYZ in Flex was T and L.

Probably time to think about going to MVP with AS as I have their MasterCard anyway.

emcampbe

Partner mileage accumulation s a bit of a mess everywhere these days, though a bit more confusing within * because of the base is determined based on operating carrier fare class, rather then marketing carrier for codeshares. As for blocking awards, I don't know how much there is of this really going on anymore. Pre-merger UA used to do it, for sure, but not anymore. Some carriers only open some award space to their own members, though that is different then blocking.

With respect to the alliances, they each have different ways of handling certain things, but in general, its not necessarily better vs. worse, but just different.

For example, with *, operating carrier determines mileage, but at Oneworld, its marketing carrier (i.e. booking an AA codeshare operated by CX, and you know you're mileage is going to post based on the AA table/fare class). That makes things more transparent, as there's none of this I booked a flex fare on SQ metal, but that fare doesn't earn miles thing you get in *. But its not necessarily more rewarding. Because someone booking a CX flight in a class that earns 50% mileage flying on AA metal still earns 50%.

Skyteam, at least DL, can be a bit of mess with partner carriers altogether. They have groups of partner airlines, with different earning levels within each group. When flying on some of them, you get reduced status miles, or even 0 status miles, even on full Y/premium cabin fares.

rjforacv

I am looking at alternatives to AC Altitude....I will take a second trip on UNITED before the rewards change (1 April 14). I will have Gold Status by the end of March which will get me through Feb 16.

I would like to say its adios AC and AE for me, I am debating the merits of this at this time. I will fly AC enough though to use the bulk of my e-upgrade points...but beyond that...not looking good for AC where my family is concerned.

PMs appreciated on the best Star Alliance FF program to keep gold status....or is a move away from Star Alliance the better plan altogether?

I have been with AE since 95...never cared much about FF stuff before that...even to the point of losing 200,000 Canadian miles on the switch-over. I have over a million Aeroplan miles..that will be burnt through as quick as I can.

Jumping through moving hoops seems pretty drastic....but hey.

jarusoba

Awesome news!

Cut out the bottom feeders!

Dorian

1000%

canadiancow

But is that what's happening? I'm sure I could fly AC Flex for under 10cpm.

My average last year was definitely above that. This year will be even higher.

But my little mini-vacations are going to stop earning full miles. I'll still be spending more than enough money to meet United's PQD requirements, were I to credit to UA, (which I assume means, to them, I'm not a bottom feeder), but I'd no longer earn enough miles to reach the status.

yyzsfoflyer

cc, do you mean you can fly flex non stop or through your (albeit ingenious) mileage runs?

looking at the available prices over the next two months, I'm calculating 15cpm

canadiancow

Okay, let's go with 15. I'm still going to be well above that this year. If I fly non-stop, I'll probably be sitting around 35cpm.

YYZZZZZZ

The water temperature has been rising little by little and this frog is jumping out before the water boils. Death by a thousand cuts. Adiós AC, UA, AP and *A.

Acnyyz

If we're so concerned about so-called "bottom feeders" perhaps AC/Aeroplan should move to a purely revenue-based reward program e.g. Spend at least X, get Y status. Could be a more fair approach. I'm not sure how that would work with partner flights though.

Dorian

Works for me.

rankourabu

They should, and the spend should go to the entities that actually pay for the ticket, not the flyer - now that would cut out even more bottom feeders! Wishful thinking though, will never happen.

As for partners, UA and DL have done it - partner flights dont count for the spend requirements for the most part.
Matter of time before AA/US does it.

canadiancow

Me too. But I agree that it becomes challenging for partner flights. It would probably work the same way as UA PQD. AC operated or 014 ticket.

Edit: However, that starts to kill the benefits of the alliance. If I need to fly SFO-NYC, can I book that as a UA non-stop on an AC ticket?