Aussienarelle

Have booked flights in PE LAX-LHR-LAX for June and LAX-AKL-SYD-AKL-LAX for December. Basically I have given up on the UA GPU lottery and PE on ANZ appears to be a far superior product for the price. However, I need the miles to keep my 1K status with UA for 2018 so using my UA FF# for the flights. I am trying the one up for the June flights. What a great system and you are only charged if successful. UA gives a refund if unsuccessful.

However, in reading this FT forum it looks like you can put in more than one FF# and potentially earn AEDs?

My questions are whether this is possible and whether it would be beneficial for me? Thanks for any insights and thoughts.

MSPeconomist

You can only credit to one program, but you might be able to claim status benefits based on status in a different partner program.

In your case, since you need to credit the miles to UA and have top tier alliance status with UA, IMO getting a NZ number would simple risk having the flights incorrectly credited to NZ rather than UA. This mistake can be difficult or impossible to correct.

libertyuk

I wouldn't join NZ Airpoints for a single trip when you have status with another *A programme and need the points there. The incremental Airpoints dollars you get are abysmal, and you get the *A Gold benefits with UA already.

SeaProf

Actually, when flying PE, as the original poster is, or Business, the Airpoints dollars are not really that abysmal. Based on the two identified trips, the original poster will likely accrue 400+ Airdollars. That will buy a fair number of domestic flights within NZ on grabaseat.

Also, being UA *G does not get you into UA lounges when flying USA domestically, but being NZ *G does get you into UA lounges when flying domestically in the USA. However, I don't think that's a concern for the original poster, as I believe being 1MM gets that benefit as well.

Despite living in the USA, I get more out of Airpoints than I would UA's program. But that is specific to me, of course.

Aussienarelle

I plan on using NZ for my flights to LHR from the West Coast of the USA going forward (well assuming the flight in June goes well) starting in 2018 as I travel to the UK approx. 4 times /year but not planning on domestic NZ flights so grabaseat would not benefit me but it does sound like there may be advantages for oneup.

My 1MM does give me *G benefits when traveling internationally and does not get me access to the UA domestic lounges (unless the flight is part of an international flight).

So *G with NZ would have benefits for oneups and UA domestic lounges so I travel enough that I can meet my PQM with UA and start accruing benefits with NZ. (Think NZ is going to see quite a few West Coast UA members migrating to NZ if UA keeps devaluing their 1K program.)

Thank you SeaProf for your comments.

SeaProf

Flying to the UK from LAX 4 times a year in PE will earn you about 744 status points. You need 900 to make NZ *G (after you attain it, then you only need 810 the following year to retain it). The remainder can very easily be done flying United (eg., flying from Seattle to LAX via SFO in economy gets me 70 points round trip, while doing so in UA P will accrue 180 points round trip). When you attain *G you get 2 recognition upgrades and, as previously mentioned, access to UA lounges even when flying domestically. The Airpoints calculator is a helpful tool.

Given how much you seem to fly and your interest in One Up (which, personally, I have never used), you might see if you can reach NZ Elite, as that's when things get much better. To attain Elite you need 1500 points the first year (900 points on NZ flights), and then 1350 to retain it the following year (810 points on NZ flights). Given how close you will be, it might be worthwhile to purchase Business once to get over 900 points (they do have sales where it is not much more than PE) when you fly to LHR and then use UA to make up the difference. Otherwise, take a week-long trip to Rarotonga - the flights are relatively inexpensive (especially when on sale on Cyber Monday and the first week of the New Year) and accrue a fair number of status points. When you are Elite you once again get 2 recognition upgrades BUT you also can use Elite Upgrades, which are far better than using One Up. Elite Upgrades use Airdollars, and since you will not be using those to travel within NZ, they can be very useful for upgrades. To upgrade from PE to Business is 480 Airdollars each way. This is primarily how I use my Airdollars. Elite Upgrades are near the top of the priority list for upgrades (right after Elite recognition upgrades), whereas One Up is at the bottom.

I can handle sitting in economy on United for a 2 hour flight, so I'd rather credit my United travel to NZ in order to keep Elite. Based on your comments, you might be able to do both. It's worth considering.

Aussienarelle

Thank you for the link, and thank you for the details on the program. Like you I am fine sitting in UA Y+ for a few hours and if I have been upgraded I generally will give my seat to a uniform military person - they seem to enjoy the ability to sleep and I still receive a free drink and snack in Y as a 1K (although most of the time I do not use either).

I am just about sold on the idea of enrolling in the program - but want to try a flight first, and if June goes well suspect my December/January flights will be as a NZ FFer. :-)

One question, is the mileage counted from the time I join or on a calendar basis?

Actually two questions, does NZ status match?

SeaProf

I think you'll find NZ is vastly superior to UA - just my opinion, of course, but I haven't flown UA internationally since 2012 (and go out of my way to take NZ over UA). Based on my experience I would say just dive in and don't even worry about the trial flight. It will be a much better experience (note, I have not flown Polaris). Be aware that the PE SpaceSeat will not exist much longer - people either love it or hate it (I love it). Whether you are in PE or Business, you will have an enjoyable experience, compared to the standards set by the major American airlines (especially in Business). As another anecdotal point, my 76 year old mother is now loyal to NZ and actually has Elite status for a second year running, based solely on 3-4 trips a year (in PE or Business). She refuses to fly internationally on anything American now.

Points are done on a 12-month rotational basis from when your first flight is. If you get 450 points in a 12-month period from that moment, then you will be Silver at the time you cross the threshold (with one Recognition Upgrade). That becomes your anniversary date. It is not based on January 1-December 31 calendar years. However, you will continue to earn based on the 12 months from your first flight, so if you cross 900 points in the next few months, for example, you become Gold, get two Recognition Upgrades and have a new anniversary date. Same goes with Elite, with two new Recognition Upgrades (but keep in mind if you haven't applied the Recognition Upgrade at the time you cross one of the thresholds, you lose it).

For example, let's say your first credited flight is July 14. You cross 450 status points on November 11 (let's say you are at 500 points). You now become Silver, get a Recognition Upgrade into your account and your anniversary becomes November 11 - note, you do not go back to 0 points, you simply have to get 405 (the level to retain Silver) in the next 12 months. In January, you have a flight worth 400 points. Combined with the 500 points you earned in July through November 11, you now have 900 points and qualify for Gold. Your new anniversary date becomes that day in January and you get 2 Recognition Upgrades into your account. If you haven't applied your Silver Recognition Upgrade to an upcoming flight, then you lose it. If you have applied it, you keep it plus get 2 more Recognition Upgrades for being Gold. That same scenario then applies if you cross the Elite threshold.

I've kept track of my upgrade success (but note, I tend to by my tickets well in advance). For Recognition upgrades I have succeeded in 14 out of 15 (1 for 1 with Silver, 2 for 2 with Gold, and 9 for 10 Elite, with 2 for 2 in Short Haul). For Elite upgrades using Airdollars I am 13 for 14 (a little more than half of those are for flights to/from Rarotonga; I'm 3 for 3 on Elite upgrades to/from LHR, and 2 for 2 on Recognition upgrades to/from LHR).

Regarding status match, it's a complete guess, but based on what others have said, given UA and NZ are both *A, they probably won't status match. Others here will know better than I.

kyanar

My memory from previous times this has been asked is that StarAlliance does not permit intra-alliance status matches. And Air NZ in general doesn't often do it anyway.