More a "where should I credit" question
Flying out of TPA and probably less than 25000 miles a year, started a new job that has me flying to Tallinn, Estonia from time to time.Flights will be economy and most frequently on Lufthansa, I have no miles in any Star Alliance carrier, so I'm trying to figure out which program I should join?

So I just moved to Stockholm and I'm thinking if I should try and accrue more miles, specifically with credit cards, I am considering either sticking with MM, maybe get their credit card, as I have flown LH and LO a bit, or if it makes sense to invest in SAS eurobonus as their credit cards seem better.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
>>> Reply: in order: upgrades, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, priority services

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
>>> Reply: 40-50k, 20-25 flights

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply: economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: I have done some travel for work but it's mostly pleasure these days

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
>>> Reply: europe/schengen(BUD, AMS, LHR, BER, ARN), 1-2/year TATL(CNF)

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: ARN

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: No status, about ~12k in MM, and about ~9k in FB

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: AF/KL for transatlantic, Norwegian for LCC/leisure, LH for Schengen

I am brand new to the forum and just joined to get some advice.

My wife and I will soon be moving to Oakland. We currently live in Utah and are both loyal to Delta.

Historically, I've flown somewhere between 15-25 segments a year, which is not enough that I've achieved any status. I anticipate that this rate of travel will continue for the next couple years, but after that it will probably jump to the 30-50 segments/year range.

Since Delta's options out of OAK and SFO are basically only to hubs, I anticipate that I'll be wanting to switch to United, Alaska, or Southwest as my dominant carrier. In a year of slightly-above-average flying I could qualify for the first elite tier in one of the programs, but I'm ultimately just trying to make sure all my miles are accruing to the same place so that they build up enough to actually go somewhere with them.

The only destinations I anticipate needing to travel frequently are SLC and Washington, DC. I have a preference for landing at DCA rather than IAD or BWI. I will be doing a fair bit of travelling aside but to random locations.

I pay for my own flights roughly 50% of the time, so I am basically looking to maximize the amount of locations I can easily travel to for a reasonable price, with a specific emphasis on DC and SLC. I can fly out of either OAK or SFO relatively painlessly, with OAK being slightly better.

If it's helpful, I generally travel with a carry-on but without a checked bag in economy.

I know there's no "correct" answer to this question, but anything you think I should consider would be useful. I haven't flown UA, AS, or WN since I was a child.

Both UA and Alaska can get you from SFO to any of the Washington DC area airports nonstop. United will clearly have more flights per day, so I'd start off with looking at the Alaska schedule and see if their service works for you. Using BWI as an example, which always seems to have the cheaper fares than IAD/DCA, there is only one flight per day in the morning and one flight back in early evening. There are morning nonstops to both DCA (8am)and IAD (10am). There's a second service to IAD in the afternoon (3:45pm). Coming back to SFO. the only morning nonstop is from IAD (8:20am) with a second flight in the evening (7:10pm). There are also late afternoon/evening nonstops back from BWI (7:15pm) or DCA (5:20pm).

Alaska has basic economy fares that allow a carryon but not seat assignment or fare changes. They tend to run about $60RT less than their regular main cabin fares. Alaska also has a stellar frequent flyer program that awards miles based on distance and elite status. With 40K a year (Gold) you'd get 100% flight miles and 100% bonus miles on cheap economy fares, so around 10,000 miles RT.

I have friends that regularly fly OAK-BWI nonstop on Southwest (7am departure, 2:30pm return). One of them is top tier with the free companion pass.. Don't know much about how they earn miles/points, though. Plenty of other Southwest flight options with connections (as there would be with Alaska via places like PDX, SEA, LAX, SAN if you really wanted to stick with them).

The only nonstops I see OAK-SLC are on Southwest (3) and Delta (2).

Alaska only has one evening nonstop SFO-SLC. Might want to stick with DL or UA on that route.

Thank you, tom911. That's a wealth of information.

Newbie question for you: Is there a place to see the general schedule for every flight between two airports? All I can find on these airline's sites is a way to look it up for a specific day, but I know a lot of airlines have flights that run 3x or even 1x weekly.

A paid site such as Expert Flyer could do that. They do offer a free trial.

Thanks in advance for the help! I am trying to decide which airline to pledge my soul to as I start a new consulting job traveling each week.
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Reply: Upgrades on travel, good award redemption rates, better award access, free - discounted lounge access (in this order)

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
Reply:>50000 miles, >50 flights

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
Reply: Economy domestically, PE or Business internationally

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: Travel weekly for work, mostly internationally. In the past, I've mostly flown AA/UA but I can choose any airline for work.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
Reply: Mostly to major global cities in Europe and Asia but some US Domestic

(6) What is your home airport?
Reply: Any NYC airport. JFK/LGA are a little more convenient, but EWR is fine also.

(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in an airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
Reply: 300k AA with more on the way. 350k UR.

(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: No strong preference between the 3 legacy US, but leaning away from Delta due to their poor mileage redemptions.

Thanks again!

passrider.com/reservations/advanced-search/

Questions

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
(upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, extra baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, free - discounted lounge access, etc.)
Reply:free - discounted lounge access, upgrades on travel, good award redemption rates
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
(<25000, 25000-50000, >50000 miles - <25, 25-50, >50 flights?)
Reply:<25000 - <25
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: Discounted Economy
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply:Yes, Pleasure
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: Europe, North Asia, Australia / New Zealand
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: Singapore SIN
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in an airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
(AA Executive Platinum, UA 1K, LAN Comodoro, etc)
Reply: Malaysia Airlines Enrich Blue & Delta Skymiles Blue.
(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: No preference

I'm reevaluating my FFP cause both programs have its faults mainly in earning potential (the airline itself and its partners) and redemption due to where i'm based.

feel a bit weird that you have both MH Enrich and Delta Skymiles, but no Krisflyer or AsiaMiles, based in SIN.

You should try Krisflyer. It is not bad for redemption.

Thanks for your reply. Singapore Airlines mostly have "for-two" offers; i.e. offers for two persons or more. Fares for single persons are a lot higher, around SGD$300 and above the sale fares. Malaysia Airlines had cheaper fares compared to Singapore Airlines by 20-30%.

The thing is Garuda Indonesia, Delta partner, only have VERY expensive fares EX-SIN southward bound to Australia. e.g. SIN - PER SGD$840. The same route on Qantas or Malaysia Airlines costs around $600.

Hi There - love the information here. Am a little stuck and my travel schedule is picking up so hoping to sense check and get ahead of the game with your help. Free flights and accounts will be going to Canadians if that makes a difference.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: Upgrades, priority services, arrival showers - anything to make the trip faster/easier (ie. security/self serve, sleep on the plane, showers on arrival)

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply:
LGW-YYJ Return - once every 4-6 weeks
LON - MEL Return - once every quarter 50% via YYJ/YVR (I like the YVR-MEL direct by AC)
LONDON - Miami - once a year
LONDON - SEA (Singapore/HK) - 2x a year

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply:
TATL - economy, premium economy
TPAC - premium economy, business

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply:
Mostly, yes
Work and Pleasure

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply:
TATL - LGW - YYJ
TPAC - YVR - MEL


6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply:
LGW - or any London


7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply:
AC Altitude: AQM: 28,780 AQS: 8 AQD: 10,160
Westjet: Platinum

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply:
Anyone flying the DreamLiners... the humidity and cabin pressure seems to make a nice difference.

LH M&M Program
Planning a bucket list trip for Spring 2021, and it looks like my best option for a F trip on the return (balancing total flight duration with airline options) is LH's PEK-FRA-ORD for a PEK-xxx-xxx-ORD return in F (limiting my choices to 2 stops at most). However my miles are concentrated in UA MP and Chase SR, and Chase does not partner with LH. Any recommendations for best partners for accumulating M&M points. Or does anyone have any ideas for executing a multi-airline transfer that would eventually give me M&M points... I currently have approximately 400K in both UA and Chase SR.... I expect to also have up to the same in AMEX by early 2020... which is my cutoff in order to lock in my desired flights for the 2021 trip. My trip is outbound ORD -- xxx's-DPS and PEK--xxx's-ORD return.

Not sure what to do with this scenario. I am starting to fly Air Newzealand more frequently. LAX to LHR in Business Class. In December 2020 I want to take the family to New Zealand for vacation, but fly business class - ideally paying with miles. I have 250,000 miles at United Airlines. I have about 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward Points. My wife has 40,000 United Miles which I plan to transfer to me. My son (14) has 70,000 United Miles which I will transfer as well. I have 125,000 Avios. I will have at least 10 transatlantic trips until next summer.

Should I stick to the native Air Newzealand points program or rather use my United Airlines account number when flying Air Newzealand? I do not care if I buy 2 business class round-trip tickers via United miles, 1 via Air NEw Zealand or if I should aim to use Avios (not sure how much 200,000 AVIOS can take a family of 3).

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: Upgrades and Lounge Access

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply:
80,000 with British Airways
15,000 with Delta
30,000 with Air Newzealand
3,000 with others (Alaska or United)

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply:

British Airways: Premium Economy + one-way paid upgrade to business at airport
Air New Zealand: Business
Delta: Premium Economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply:

I travel for work. I can fly business class (both legs) on Air Newzealand. Usually LAX to LHR and back. I fly premium economy with BA and pay for east-bound when flying SAN to LHR. Premium economy on Delta.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply:

transatlantic - US West Coast to London (LHR)

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply:

SAN or LAX

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply:

Silver on British Airways
Silver on Delta
Nothing on Air Newzealand yet - just started flying with them. One trip completed, second one starting in a few days and 2 more scheduled for rest of year. All transatlantic.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply:

I used to be on United, but due to bad connections out of SAN I switched to Delta (domestic) and BA (international). Just added Air Newzealand and they are great. Will maintain Silver with BA and upon completion each year continue with Air Newzealand.