Both American (the new Loyalty Points program) and Delta (via the co-branded American Express Skymiles Platinum and Reserve cards) let you spend your way to status with non-flight activity so you can get a status boost from either with the right card strategy and such.

would appreciate any advice
 

My general question is this: which airline's FFP is best suited for a high utilizer frequent flyer? Currently using delta primarily, but their extensions on MQM rollovers are going to seriously devalue having status with their program. If everyone has status, no one has status.

Essentially, which US based program is the hardest to get and maintain status on? Hopefully this would result in more frequent upgrades, which is my main goal in obtaining status.

(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?

upgrades/status. I do a decent amount of MS and have had most of the major personal/business credit cards. earning miles is relatively easy, but would like to have upgrades/status perks.

(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?

Planning to do travel work as a physician. I will be reimbursed for all travel, likely in economy or econ+.
Probably upwards of 30 rt flights a year, likely >50k mi

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)

econ/econ+

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?

can choose airline, likely not class. I plan to move to chicago after residency, which is a united hub, but has flights with other airlines.
I would have a lot of time off for pleasure travel, which I plan to take advantage of.

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)

US domestic

(6) What is your home airport?

Considering a few cities for home base. ORD, AUS, SEA

(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)

I am banned from AAdvantage due to the Citi debacle with mailer offers.
Will hit Delta Gold next year. I have a decent number of Chase UR, Amex MR and ways to accumulate a lot more of each.
Also amex delta cardmember. Currently fly out of DTW, so made sense to use delta primarily.

(8) Preferred Airlines

Not american airlines lol.

If you're willing to fly AA -- even though you cannot be an AAdvantage member -- you might consider seeking status in Alaska's FFP. Not only is Alaska now a oneworld member, but AA affords Alaska elites some special benefits:

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...elite-benefits

You would have to investigate Alaska's MVP program to determine what level of elite status you are likely to achieve.

AS, of course, is very strong in SEA. ORD is an AA hub, and AA recently added new nonstops from AUS.

​​​​​​Wouldn't this require an aadvantage number?
​​​​​​

No. You put the AS freq flyer number in the AA reservation.That is what the alliances & ff partners are all about.

Hi - looking for a *A FFP recommendation...

Used to fly a lot, but nothing at all during last 2 years - starting to travel again. I can see from a quick look that my info is outdated and the programs changed too.

I have 2 flights already booked (but I haven't added a FF#). One is an AMS-LAX return in biz leaving on 31 Dec, 2021 (I know... is there a program that will give me credit for 2022 status for a Dec 31 flight?) + 4 family members on the same flights on Economy, so any program that has family pooling would be a plus. Then I have an Etihad biz return trip AMS-BOM coming up in January.

(1) What is your home airport? AMS
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? Usually the cheapest biz ticket on any airline that has a decent long haul biz product
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 50-100k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Nope - zero flights for the last 2 years
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP?Upgrades on long haul flights is my absolute top priority, so I want to switch to the program that will give me the most milage or voucher upgrades on long haul flights per $ spent on tickets
(6) Which routes do you fly most often Between EU and US and EU and Asia
(7) Preferred Airlines No particular airline (although I like United's Polaris suites on the 787). I will fly with the airline that has a great seat and gives me a decent price. So I'm not looking for the best price, I am willing to pay more to get a better seat, within reason.
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Both, but it's my own company so I have complete freedom of choice.

My main goal is to go with the FFP that would get me the best chance of flying biz most of the time at the lowest cost and with the best perks, so what I value the most are good mile redemption opportunities for long haul biz tickets and/or *A upgrades, SWUs (if any FFP still has them - I know United kind of does, but with their spend requirements for higher elite levels they are quite hard to reach those levels unless you fly a lot on United metal). *A Gold is also nice to have for lounge access. I noticed that Asiana had a 24 month qualification period which means I would be able to credit my Dec 31 flights, but I just learned that their *A upgrades are almost exclusively for Y/B which makes them a bad deal. I don't know if that applies to all *A upgrades regardless of the FFP. If it does, then award tickets may be my best value redemption, in which case Asiana still seems like a good option - is there a better one though?

Thank you!

Also look here-->https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star...post-here.html

I did - 11 days ago, but it's pretty quiet there :) i.e. not a single recommendation since then.

If you expect to fly 50-100K miles a year for the next several years -- primarily in Business -- but you are looking for a Star Alliance program just because your next few flights are booked with Star Alliance carriers, I think you are cheating yourself. Since your prospective flying will be EU-Asia/U.S. primarily, you would have a lot of options with oneworld from AMS, with either nonstops (PHL, DFW on AA; HKG on CX) or single-connection routings (on AA, AY, BA, CX, IB, QR). You can even earn redeemable miles -- but not status points -- in AAdvantage when flying EY.

As to which FFP to credit oneworld flights to, I would look at AA (but be aware of the changes coming to AA's elite-qualification program in 2022), Iberia Plus, and BA Executive Club. Of the three, only BA requires that you fly some BA- or IB-coded flights to attain status; neither AAdvantage nor IB Plus has such a requirement. AAdvantage is notable for not collecting carrier surcharges on award tickets, unless you are flying on BA or IB.

For someone based at AMS, KLM(FB) /SkyTeam would seem to be the obvious choice.

Thank you but it's not like I'm pledging my allegiance to anyone LOL. I already have these tickets booked and they are on the airlines they are on (I am not loyal to any airline since unlike in the past, most "loyalty" programs today are close to worthless), I'm just looking for a program to credit these specific flights to. I have over 500k lifetime miles on AA, and I used to be very happy with their program (got tons of upgrades in the last 10+ years) but while better than most, like every other FFP, AA is also circling the drain. I will keep flying the airline that gives me the best deal and have points in multiple programs, one in each alliance. It has become expensive to be loyal to any airline unless your life is about routine i.e. you take the same flights over and over, or someone else is paying for your tickets.

Not if you look at my original question, which is where to credit those tickets that are already booked and they are on United. United biz on this route was $3k, KLM $7k.... there is nothing obvious about paying more than double for a ticket which gets you about the same level of service (United Polaris on 787 is pretty good, KLM may be marginally better, but not 4k better). Loyalty programs have become pretty much a joke, I don't see any that's worth my loyalty, so I search for the best deal and use the miles I get the best way I can.

Should I switch back to DL?
 

Looks like I'm going to be starting a new job near DTW, so it would probably make a lot of sense to switch back to DL, but not sure if this is a good idea as I'm at more or less a clean slate with all the airlines. These days, business travel has been pretty limited, but I imagine it to start back up in a few months. With so many DL elites out of DTW do I even stand a chance with upgrades if I'm buying cheapo tickets?

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
Upgrades and awards

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
Probably 50k-75k

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
Cheap, cheap, cheap

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

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
All over the place. mostly US

6. What is your home airport?
Will be DTW

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
No status with anyone since covid travel was pretty limited. FWIW about 850K lifetime DL miles. I used to be DL PM for many years after NW merger, but that was so long ago!

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
That's what I'm trying to figure out. I like AS service, but I'm not going anywhere from DTW on AS without a west coast connection (which won't be happening much).

I am a physician. I travel a lot with patients for repatriations. Mainly first/business. Based in YUL (Montreal). Already 1K United. I tend to fly a lot with Air Canada... I fly with all alliances but mainly AC. I've been crediting everything to United. Should I credit to Air Canada? Really looking for some advice. Thank you so much!

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, GOOD AWARD REDEMPTION RATES, 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: 50,000+ miles. 50+ flights.

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

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: BUSINESS. NOT ABLE TO CHOOSE AIRLINE OR CLASS OF SERVICE.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: TRANSATLANIC OR TRANSBORDER (CANADA-USA) OR CANADA-MEXICO

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: YUL (MONTREAL)

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: PREMIER 1K UNITED

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: UNITED BECAUSE I AM PREMIER 1K

Moving to Europe - starting again
 

Summary! Was platinum pro pre pandemic and it was ok ( I did it as I travelled with my boss and he was concierge key). My status got wiped with no travel and I’m relocating to Europe . Trying to ‘pick’


What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?

>>> Reply: priority service , ease of travel

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
le
>>> Reply:not sure in new role , expect 2-3 European trips a month , US twice a year at least

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply: economy unless 8+ hours then business

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply: both but focused on work , can pick any approved ( most ) airlines. Under 8 hrs has to be economy , over 8 business

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: moving fwd mostly within Europe , 2-4 transatlantic a year

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

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: not anymore

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: don’t really have any , like the ba lounges at heathrow but not tied to it

What European routes our of LON do you expect to fly? It will be to your advantage to credit all or most of your flights to a single program; that does not necessarily mean that you have to fly the same airline each time. For example, AF and KL are both in SkyTeam; LH, LX, OS, and SN are all in Star Alliance; AY, BA, and IB are all in oneworld.

Be aware that seat pitch in intra-European Economy on many carriers is pretty dire: 29-30" on BA, for example.