redtop43

Unfortunately, you will also have a very difficult time upgrading by miles. Those programs that allow business class upgrades with miles usually require you to purchase a fare much higher than the lowest available coach fare.

You might consider getting credit cards for the signup bonuses, and using those miles to book business class award tickets when you have enough miles. If you have good credit and the patience to apply for, meet the minimum spend requirement on, and cancel credit cards, it's not hard to pick up 100,000-200,000 miles a year.

1KHI

From your post, it seems that you're based in nyc. If you stick to UA, you will be about 10K shy of Gold at 50K, which give you lounge access on the two international trips, 50% more miles and economy plus. I would consider a couple of mileage run for that purpose.

That said, upgrades will have to be with miles on the international trips, which is expensive. The best way would be to use your miles for a reward tkt. Domestic upgrades as gold are not good either, unless you have a lot of flexibility to fly on not very convenient times.

If you're not Considering mileage running, then don't go for united.

watermen

At the moment I am focusing on Delta Skymiles, trying my best to use only Delta so I can rack up as many points as possible.

I am new, and recently joined this forum and realized that many people think that Delta Skymiles is not that good as it can be difficult to use your miles.

Please tell me what is your experience with both?

The reason why I started using Delta is because the Miles never expire. United one will expire after 3 years from the day you gained.



**Addendum: Questions readers asked me
1. My main focus is domestic and international elite upgrade, be it free or using miles to pay for it.
2. As I have to travel from NYC to SIN a few times per year, I really wish to be able to sit in business class at a much cheaper rate.
3. Between Delta and United, which one is easier to rack up more points and get to elite status faster.
4. Using which ever NYC airports make no different to me.
5. I am worried that in 2014, Delta will start to implement MQD, that will force customers to spent at least $12,500 to reach Diamond level, that means I will never reach that, since I don't spent so much on tickets.
6. I have already accumulated 35,000 skymiles and currently at silver medallion, I haven't have any at United yet. Should I con't to focus on Delta or switch now?

LetsGoToo

A lot depends on where you are located and where you usually will fly. Can you give us an idea of those?

bitachu

United

benzemalyonnais

United probably has the easiest website to use ever and makes it easy for any novice to find flights.

Delta is a lot harder to find flights, but at the same time it's easier to rack up miles. It's not impossible to find flights, nor even that difficult, but a noobie will have no success at all. It is still way way way more difficult than UA.

If you plan on redeeming domestically, it is a no brainer - United. DL never has domestic availability.
If you plan on redeeming internationally, it is still an edge to United because of the sheer number of *A partners available for redemption. DL also rarely has availability, but does have a superb Asian network.

DL makes sense if you have to fly DL, but usually people only fly DL because they think DL is better to fly on than UA. Now with all the recent additions to the DL program......I say UA. I myself will probably give them a shot come July 1st.

chollie

Depends on your goals and flying habits.

If you just want to accumulate miles and not risk losing them, don't worry about it. It's pretty easy (number of ways) to keep a mileage account alive these days.

If you hope to get elite status, be aware that Delta has changed the rules, starting in 2014. No matter how many miles you fly (or acquire through cc's, etc.), you're going to have to spend quite a bit. IIRC, for Platinum, I think you have to spend $7500 on Delta tickets (not partners!), and that doesn't include taxes and fees - or spend $25K on the right credit card, I think.

United doesn't have any such restrictions.

If you really like Delta (I do, but the minimum spend is going to put status juuust out of reach for me), then you might look into flying Delta but accruing miles on AS. There are some reciprocal benefits for elites (I've gotten upgraded on AS flights as a DL elite, for example).

Also...Delta has consistently ranked at or very near the bottom in the industry in terms of award availability, and there is absolutely no indication, unfortunately, that Delta sees that as an issue that needs to be addressed.

gil123

Nobody on this forum who earns and burns miles on a regular basis worries about them expiring. Bad criterion on which to base your decision. Award availability, price and flexibility are much more important. And for those Delta for the most part stinks.

watermen

Ops, sorry, never thought it matter.

I am located in NYC. I have to go to Singapore few times per year. I also frequently travel around the 48 states.

I love to get upgraded with either Elite status or points. Therefore, I want to focus on just one of them so I can achieve the highest possible elite status and get upgraded easily. I am not sure which one of the two give you more chance to upgrade?

I am also worry that next year, Delta Skymile start to implement Medallion dollars where I have to spent at least $12500 to achieve a Diamond status, if that is the case, what is the point accumulating so many Delta sky miles?

mr_rogers

If you are in a Delta hub, fly Delta (and vice versa)

watermen

Does United points expire and can never be used in the future again?

For example, if I got 10,000 miles from United today, if I do not use United for the next 3 years, it will expire, this is understandable. However, if I continue to use United every year and make 20,000 miles per years, do I get to keep all of the miles after 5 years? Or the miles earned in the first 2 year expire?

chollie

You keep all the miles as long as you keep the account active. You'd have to see the UA website to see the current rules, but as others have posted, keeping miles active just isn't a concern.

If you are interested in upgrades, you really need to research carefully. No matter what your status (even Diamond), Delta only allows international upgrades from the highest priced economy fares, which are sometimes more expensive than the discounted business fares. Domestic upgrades are unlimited, but on some routes even Diamonds can't get upgraded.

United also has unlimited domestic upgrades + free upgrade instruments (2 for 75K, more for higher statuses) each year - those can be used (if seats are available) to lock in an upgrade on a domestic flight. Higher (100K, IIRC) status levels also get international upgrade instruments. The availability of seats these can be used on is much better than Delta and they can be used on much more reasonably priced economy fares.

centrifuge41

Any activity (earn & burn) in your United account account once per 18 months keeps all miles alive. So in the above example, if you earn 10,000 miles now, earn another 10,000 miles in the summer of 2014, yet more miles in the fall of 2015, etc, all of your 30k miles would still be alive.

Thus, keeping your united miles alive is as easy as doing some small promotion once every say, 16 or 17 months (to buffer for safety). This could be a small donation, buying some magazines, doing MileagePlus shopping or dining, etc.

ekwang

Or, simply get the United Explorer or Club card from Chase. So long as you keep your account active and current, your MP miles will stay good too.

jeremylives

I focus on United becasuse you have a wider vaierty of spending options