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: Most importantly status (skipping line, lounge and extra baggage for free). Second, spending the miles to get flight tickets.

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: Less than 25000 miles. Between Canada and Europe.

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: pleasure

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

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

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: I don't have status. I have 5000 avios and 10000 M&M. I can start from 0 if it means I can get into status faster at another program, can't do much with the points I already have anyways.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: Doesn't matter as long as it gives me the status faster.


I was going to sign up for Aeroplan to get Altitude Prestige (25k) once I sign up for AMEX Gold sign up bonus and they have a 1:1 transfer so instant status; but then I found out that to get Altitude, you need 50% of your points to come from flying AC... So I didn't sign up for the card.

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: Good award redemption. I want to be able to actually get a free flight :)

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: <25,000 miles. My sister just moved to Norway -- so this may be changing. I probably average 2-3 domestic flights and 1 international a year.

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 travel for pleasure. I am lucky to live near an airport with many options of airlines (CVG).

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: Domestic USA, however may change to 1-2 international flights a year.

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

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: I have ~15,000 miles at Delta.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: Right now I prefer Delta because their points don't expire and that is a concern of mine since I don't fly that often. I want to be able to build up for a free flight to visit my sister!



~~

I am gearing up to buy my first ticket to Norway in the next week or so so need some advice ASAP. I would like to pick an airline and stick with them moving forward. I am pretty easygoing about perks, just want to gain enough miles to get a free ticket every once in awhile. I just received my Capital One Venture One Card which I plan to use to buy my ticket to make the min spend and get my 20,000 bonus points.

Any advice much appreciated!! Total newbie here :) .

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.
Upgrades/Good Redemption Rates

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.
50K + miles, plus I want to open a program specific credit card for a bonus and to do manufactured spend on to max my miles.

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

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

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
European/Transatlantic

6. What is your home airport?
N/A I'm a digital nomad who will be basing myself out of Europe

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
I have miles on norwegian, ibearia and avianca. no status.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
Doesn't matter. Best price is generally more important.

I have two upcoming trips. One I have booked, the other I haven't booked yet.

1 - Medellin, Colombia -> Madrid, Spain. Can be on Avianca or Iberia
2 - BCA -> BKK -> PKG -> LHR booked on Air China

I do have an Avianca credit card to earn miles but since I'm going to be based out of Europe might not make sense to get a lot of those miles but rather use a different Star Alliance card/program to earn miles for my flights above.

Appreciate any feedback!

Questions
For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Reply: In order: good award redemption rates, good point accumulation through spending, travel upgrades, free/discounted lounge access.
(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: <25,000 miles currently. Unsure about flights/sectors
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: Typically cheapest
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: I used to fly Delta economy often when I was in school, but that was 8 years ago. So open to any airline. As of now, I travel mostly for work 1-2x/year. I would like to travel more for pleasure.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: US Domestic now. Want to do more international in the future (all continents).
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: LAX
(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: No FFP status anywhere. Minimal miles, if any, at Delta and American
(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: Open

Questionnaire: Copy and paste into your post
Provide the requested information.

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: good award redemption rates, specifically cheapest possible international travel from SF bay area

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:less than 25k, ~10-12 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:pleasure, I have no specific allegiance to any carrier, but alaska is the only option out of the nearby regional airport so I tend to use that when possible (its much shorter drive to the airport) otherwise whatever is cheapest

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: domestic most often (usually up and down the west coast, rarely head east), trans-pacific hopefully for travel in the future

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: SFO/OAK, I am indifferent but all else equal OAK is easier

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: I have minimal points (a few thousand) in the Alaska FFP)

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: alaska as stated above, but simply due to convenience

My ultimate goal is to find a card that will allow me to accumulate points for a future trip to Asia (working out specifically where). I can use this as my daily spending card, though currently I am using the Cap1 Venture. I ideally would like the points to cover 2 RT economy seats, but would also be open to paying cash for the seats and points for upgrade. I dont know if its better to use the Alaska FFP to go int'l or if i would be better off with a different option. Thanks!!!

Hi All,

Brand new to this forum and hobby so I'm really green and just trying to gather as much info as possible.

I was just approved for a CSP and would like some input as to how best to use the card and the rewards that come with it. I plan on adding some more cards as I have some big purchases coming up that I can split to meet multiple minimum spends and reap bonuses, but I'll have to strategically plan my apps. I already belong to AAdvantage and Sprit's ffp but I hate spirit so would like to avoid them at all costs.

Questions
For members asking for information, to help people to assist you, can you please provide:
(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: upgrades, good award redemption rate

(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: slightly less than 25k as of now, will probably go up as business travel increases and potential international trips. Always economy probably <25 flights


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

(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: 90% pleasure (can choose airline) 10% work (American always) the work portion may go up

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: US Domestic, MIA to BOS American

(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: MIA or FLL

(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: No

(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply: Love Virgin and Jet Blue. American has been decent so far. Hate Spririt

What went wrong?
 

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
all of the above, but if I were to pick one, that would be buying tickets with awards points.

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
since the past four to five years, the average has been, departing from the UK, a minimum of
-two rtn trips/year to Japan
-two rtn trips/year to S. America
-few rtn trips to other countries (the U.S. and other countries in Europe)
-some domestic trips in S. America
There are some variations every year, such as more journeys to Japan (four times/year), no travel to the U.S., etc.

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
-economy for long haul
-sometime budget airline within the EU, or domestic flights in S. America.

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
-not always
-work

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
-UK-JAPAN (via, Seul, Amsterdan, Bangok, Dubai, etc)
-UK-Brazil (via Madrid, Amsterdan, Lisboa, Washington, etc)

6. What is your home airport?
-LHR

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
-I don't know about which status
-Miles & More: I currently have 28.190 Award miles, but Status miles only 1.662 (this is my oldest FFP, more then 10 years)
-every year I manage to accumulate with Miles & More around 30.000 Award miles.
-Oneworld: I currently have 10.740 points Award points
-both just expire within one year, sometimes I even don't realise that.
-never used any of these miles points

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
no preferred airline

What am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for the advice.

marc_uk Welcome to FT

There is no such thing as OneWorld miles/points.
Each airline FFP is different and have different rules.
FFP's have partner airlines that you can earn & burn.
What FFP are the 10740 with?
The miles/points in many FFP's expire in 18 months (or 36 months) if no eligible activity. Eligible activity keeps these alive.
The miles/points in some FFP's have a hard expiry. That is they expire a set after you earn them (tyically 3 years)

help me choose another airline as UA is leaving JFK
 

Im new to this board so I figured to post this question on here..I see that UA is leaving JFK. However I have flown with them for over 20 +. years, now I have to change airlines because i traveled on united to get to long island..I hate to change airlines, but flying to newark is too much of a pain. So I am trying to figure what airline to switch too, either american or delta. I live in hawaii so we don't have jetblue. I was hoping to find a star alliance, but it doesnt seem any fly between hawaii and nyc. I was hoping to find another airline with good mileage program i.e one easier to earn miles ( if it exists!).. any suggestions..

Some additional information would help.

- You live in Hawaii (where -- HNL?) and need to get to Long Island. What other travel do you do?
- Is the most important thing earning miles? Or convenience/schedule/cost more important?

If you've been flying to JFK on UA, I assume you've been connecting in SFO and LAX, in which case you've got lots of options.

Doesn't Hawaiian Airlines operate HNL-JFK nonstop?

Also, LGA is technically on Long Island, so you could keep flying United and terminate there.

Alaska Airlines will be flying to JFK from SEA in a couple of months, and you can use AS miles for redemptions on American and Delta as well as Alaska. Alaska has good service to Hawaii from several west coast cities.

American is partners with Hawaiian so you could use the HA HNL-JFK flight with AA miles. Since the merger with US, you can also travel from Hawaii via PHX on AA rather than just via LAX or DFW.

Good questions in the replies above.

As for the question of which airline has a better mileage program, it's certainly American over Delta. You asked specifically about which is easier to earn miles on - the answer to that I'm unsure of. But AA is far better than DL in terms of being able to use miles, as well as other perks.

Now, AA's program will almost surely deteriorate as it consolidates its merger with US Airways over the coming year. But it's very unlikely that it will fall nearly as far as DL's program has.

One can earn redeemable AA miles on HA, but not any miles on Hawai'i - mainland flights.

AA and AS have an enhanced relationship, recognizing each others' elite passengers, etc.

AA offers Business seat beds between HNL and DFW, handy when doing red-eyes and flying up front.

HA has newer aircraft flying HNL-JFK, and though the seats in F are not beds, they're decent.

Belonging to Hawaiian's frequent flyer program can be beneficial flying Interisland, and they've expanded their mainland and Asia-Pacific routes as well. Link to HA route map.

If I were the OP, I'd be thinking of joining HA's FFP and flying HA, if most of the flying is Hawai'i - New York.

Hi everyone!

I'm new to Flyertalk and everything it pertains. Also, considering I've been living in China the past 3 years, I'm extra curious about it all and want to learn as much as I can.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
Award reception rates, specifically cheapest international flights from Shanghai, Ningbo & Hangzhou area.

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
25,000 miles, but would fly more often given the opportunity.

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
Economy

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work
Yes I can select & I travel for both work and pleasure.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
intra-asia & domestic USA

6. What is your home airport?
My home airport(s) from where I live in the US are O'hare & Midway in Chicago.

But the majority of the year when I'm working in China, some nearby major airports include:
Shanghai hongqiao international airport
Shanghai Pudong international airport
Ningbo lishe international airport
Hangzhou Xiaoshan international airport

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
N/A

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
None are preferred