Three years ago i would say qatar - but not now as they have downgraded the levels and rewards. My advice is join the clubs but don't expect anything - and just book the cheapest flights available - that way you know what you are getting - and you don't have to rely on getting an impossible upgrade

Which airline should I try and get status on?
 

Hi All,

In the past I always booked whichever flight made the most economical sense for me, never achieving any type of "status" on any airline. Work and life changes have me looking at a lot more traveling for 2018.

Flights I need to book as of now for 2018

NY to LA 2x
NY to Den 1x
Ny to Vegas 2x
Ny to Miami 2x
Ny to Amsterdam 1x
Ny to London 1x
as well as a few shorter flights.

I am trying to see which airline would be the best option for me.

Importance in terms of what I would get from the airline are.

1) Upgrades
2) Booking with award miles
3) companion upgrade

Any thoughts or ideas would be great!

To be honest I don't think you'd qualify for a level of status that would get you what you want. Looking at those flights you'd be about 30k miles in a year and that is if you book into fares that get full credit. There is also the monetary spending requirement that some airlines have now required to get status.
Status can be nice but when you're the lowest on the tiers you won't be getting upgrades with such popular routes.

I'd go with whomever has the best schedule & price. If you're not paying for all of these you could use that flexibility to focus on one airline. For that I'd probably recommend Delta. DL hits your markets well especially the transatlantic flights as they're both to a partner hub. The redemptions are generally poor but they have treated their elites well.

As post 2 (now 1428) above, with revenue based ffp and flying economy/coach you will not be earning much.

Companion upgrade is a hard ask: just use your miles or your upgrade instruments (SWU, etc) if that works.

In today frequent flyer environment you need to be realistic: expect to sit in the seat you pay $ for.

Look here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html

PRobably just gonna koin aadvantage

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: long (at least 3 years) soft expiry, easy to get short haul economy award

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: <10 k, most probably 2 - 5 k, about 2 to 6 sectors, on all alliances combined

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

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

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: Short-haul routes on Non-Hong Kong based airlines from Hong Kong

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

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, 2763 in delta skymiles, 1238 in ac aeroplan, 626 in AZAL miles (expiring August 2019)

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: any non-HK based airlines. all HK based airlines have poor reputation.

It is relatively hard for me to stick to a certain alliance, because price and time are my only concern when buying air tickets. My experience tells me that I would most likely fly with skyteam, than star alliance, but not oneworld. Skyteam has the most extensive network within greater China, with star alliance the second. Oneworld have only CX as its hub within greater China, which I hate and would never take since its tickets are much more expensive (about 2 times) of its *A and skyteam competitors.

Moreover, my credit card spending is too little (about 2000 HKD per month) to have any meaningful contribution to any FFPs, and a lot of spending in Hong Kong is shamefully cash-only. The use of credit card miles to exchange a Hong Kong to Beijing/Taiwan flight (~1300 HKD, i.e. ~170 USD) is simply not worthwhile, therefore, the only way I can accumulate miles is by taking discount economy flights, which accumulates only 25 - 50% miles, accumulating about 2000 miles per year.

In this case, is Delta Skymiles the best for me since it never expires? or any other suggestion for me?

United vs AA
 

Anyone have a good summary about what is better between United and AA? Number of flights, cost, etc. look to be about the same for me since I'm flying out of ORD. And since I just started traveling for work and have no status whatsoever, I'd like to know how one is better than the other.

(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: No idea here
(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: Short regional trips for work in economy. I'm probably going to have around 90 segments next year.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
(First, Business, Premium economy, Economy, cheapest)
Reply: Almost always economy. I'll buy first for myself on personal trips if it's not too expensive.
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Reply: I can choose the airline, but United and AA are usually the best selection by far in
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
(US Domestic, Transpacific, Kangaroo, in Asia etc)
Reply: US Domestic
(6) What is your home airport?
(SFO, SCL, London LHR, HKG, Singapore SIN etc.)
Reply: ORD
(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 status, and no miles worth mentioning.
(8) Preferred Airlines
Reply:

Hi

thanks in advance for advice in FFP.

1) can upgrade my FFP.

2)25000-50000/yr

3)cheapest economy, though the occasional Premium economy

4)Traveling mainly for pleasure. CX, AC and sometimes Sunwing

5)Transpacific, Caribian

6)YYZ

7)Asian miles, Air Canada

8)CX, AC

If you are flying mostly short-hops in US ex-Chicago, and have someone to take on leisure trips, also consider Southwest from MDW for the Companion Pass.

Southwest also has advantages like free cancellation and refaring.

First post: Which FFP should I credit my miles to?
 

Hi there, I have some of upcoming travel in J class and would like to ask whether I should set up a new account with Qantas, or credit to my existing Asia Miles or Emirates accounts.

Upcoming trip:
SIN-SYD-AKL (Qantas)
AKL-SCL-AKL (LATAM)
AKL-SYD-SIN (Qantas)

All flight legs in J class. I did some calculations using the Qantas calculator and am looking at 38-40k Qantas points, and 675 status credits.

Current FFPs:
Cathay's Asia Miles: 49k
Singapore Airlines Krisflyer: 11k
Emirates: 7k

Should I park my points in a new Qantas account or dump them into Asia Miles or Emirates?

(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: good award redemption rates, extra baggage, access to lounge

(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: >50000 miles, 25-50

(3) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
Business on long haul, economy for short haul work, economy on personal
Reply:
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Airline most flown? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?

Reply: Business - no, Airlines flown so far have been a mixed bag, I travel for both but tend to go for cheapest when travelling for pleasure. I intend to redeem biz class flight tickets with miles in the future

(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often
Reply: Mixed. I will travel globally for work

(6) What is your home airport?
Reply: SIN - Singapore

(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: Listed above

(8) Preferred Airlines
Singapore Airlines, Cathay, Emirates

Do not join the QF ffp. Its a poor ffp compared to many others. Most QF awards have high cash surcharges.

Having multiple ffp's is generally not good, as often the miles/points/avios expire before you get enough to use. Always be mindful of expiry https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mile...-t-expire.html (Click to open the wiki)

The QF flights could be credited to Asia Miles or EK (or QF)
The LA flights could be credited to Asia Miles (or QF) [LA or QF flght numbers?]
http://www.wheretocredit.com/qf
http://www.wheretocredit.com/la

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. I fly economy, mostly to developing countries, for a non-profit

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: 50000+ miles in 2017

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: sometimes but not always – for work mostly

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply: transatlantic, ultimate destination in Africa (East and West, occasionally Southern); occasionally transpacific

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: WAS – DCA, IAD or BWI all fine

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply: just made DL Gold but most of my flights are actually AF or KLM – have had trouble using my DL miles to get upgrades on AF or KLM, although have had "spontaneous" upgrades on KLM, AF and DL in the last 3 months. 140k miles
KE – Morning Calm, 67k miles because I couldn’t earn towards status on DL so just banked them there, ended up with status!
AA – 45k
UA – 27k
Turkish Air – 11k


8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply: DL just because I have status, but it’s not as useful to me in upgrading as I had hoped so considering lateral switch to KLM…or whatever great idea you have!
I used to fly exclusively to Asia, and Thai was my airline then. I still like them, Singapore Air and Cathay Pacific, but only have about one transpacific flight per year.

Moved from USA to UK
 

Hello, thank you for helping. I've been mostly purchasing cheaper tickets previously. I now fly London to US routes every other month and would like to build an elite status that can give me upgrades, with good award redemption rates. I do not need lounge access as I have PP, and I usually travel with carry on. My focus is on upgrades to a premium cabin with regular economy fare purchase. I'm mostly interested in US airlines (AA, Delta, United) as I will move back to the US in a few years.

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, then award redemption

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: 50k miles, 4-6 international flights + 2-5 domestic

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: For pleasure

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

6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply: ORD, LHR, LGW

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

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

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, then award redemption, baggage, priority services.

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 25,000 miles, but could be changing. Potentially looking to travel somewhere new every month or so.

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: For pleasure, but potentially for work.

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
Reply: Primarily Domestic USA, looking to maybe go transatlantic if desired.

6. What is your home airport?
Reply: STL, MCI, COU

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 about 8,600 miles in from a trip to Ireland this past summer with AA, along with getting some miles through shopping and dining clubs. Just don't know if it's worth it with AAdvantage as it could be with another FFP.

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
Reply: AA, Southwest, Alaska, United, Delta

FTL with LH M&M, should I go for OZ ?
 

Hi All, I just requalified FTL with LH for 2018-2019. I am thinking of using my dead year to go for *G (which is impossible right now with LH). I would like your opinion on going for OZ diamond - even though 90% of my flights are inside Europe... Thanks for any hints and suggestions!

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
Reply: Lounge access, extra luggage (in that order)

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
25k-30km with 10 round trips (half of them with a connection)

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 and/or pleasure?
Almost all for business, but I can choose my flights within budget

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
European, inside Schengen mostly

6. What is your home airport?
Luxembourg

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
M&M FTL, about 70k stashed in there

8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
I like Lufthansa, but for some flights Luxair is more convenient