Oneworld Vs. *Alliance
Jan 28, 2016, 10:00 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 3
Oneworld Vs. *Alliance
I am undecided between them. I am in San Francisco and would choose *Alliance, except that singapore airlines suites can't be bought with miles and also united devaluations make me want to have AA and also has first class lounges. So as both are good, which ones do you think, I should join. If you have questions, reply and I'll answer them to aid you in helping me find a good alliance
Jan 28, 2016, 10:22 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
Have you looked at the upcoming AAdvantage devaluations? What are your intended award-travel destinations?
SFO is a UA hub, and all redemptions are free of cash surcharges. Star also has more TPAC and TATL partners than oneworld has.
And welcome to FT!
Have you looked at the upcoming AAdvantage devaluations? What are your intended award-travel destinations?
SFO is a UA hub, and all redemptions are free of cash surcharges. Star also has more TPAC and TATL partners than oneworld has.
And welcome to FT!
Last edited by guv1976; Jan 28, 2016 at 10:23 am
Jan 28, 2016, 11:55 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,024
Adam Gawlowski Welcome to FP
Living SFO UA have more flights
The airline you fly most or an airline of the country you live is the best ffp for many people.
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit those flights to does not need to be the same.
Freq flyer miles are not equal to earn or burn.
With like the majority of ffp's benefits are reducing and costs are going up. AA, DL, UA, CX, BA, QF and other ffp's have done this in the last 12 months
Adam Gawlowski post in Star which ffp: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-...l#post26095308
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html
Living SFO UA have more flights
The airline you fly most or an airline of the country you live is the best ffp for many people.
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit those flights to does not need to be the same.
Freq flyer miles are not equal to earn or burn.
With like the majority of ffp's benefits are reducing and costs are going up. AA, DL, UA, CX, BA, QF and other ffp's have done this in the last 12 months
Adam Gawlowski post in Star which ffp: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-...l#post26095308
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html
Jan 31, 2016, 2:29 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 487
I am undecided between them. I am in San Francisco and would choose *Alliance, except that singapore airlines suites can't be bought with miles and also united devaluations make me want to have AA and also has first class lounges. So as both are good, which ones do you think, I should join. If you have questions, reply and I'll answer them to aid you in helping me find a good alliance
If you're really set on Singapore Airlines, you could just fly United and credit to Singapore's program?
Feb 2, 2016, 3:56 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
The OP's decision isn't just between *A versus oneworld but also which specify airline to use as the primary program.
Going with *A but not UA has some advantages, including getting access to UA lounges for all *A flights, including UA domestic, at the *Gold level. Obvious disadvantages are no free Y+ and no free elite upgrades on UA (and probably extremely low priority for OPUPs on UA), no UA upgrade instruments, etc. if high enough elite status is obtained.
Going with *A but not UA has some advantages, including getting access to UA lounges for all *A flights, including UA domestic, at the *Gold level. Obvious disadvantages are no free Y+ and no free elite upgrades on UA (and probably extremely low priority for OPUPs on UA), no UA upgrade instruments, etc. if high enough elite status is obtained.
Feb 4, 2016, 12:03 pm
#6
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Welcome to Flyer Talk Adam Gawlowski 
With non-US based FFPs there are generally less (or none) affiliated credit cards, less promotions, worse earn/burn rates. This is a generalisation not universal.
To the OP consider what you want from your airline (where do you fly, how often, what classes, etc.) and from your FFP (are status benefits important, award redemptions, upgrades, non-flying earning, etc.)?
The OP's decision isn't just between *A versus oneworld but also which specify airline to use as the primary program.
Going with *A but not UA has some advantages, including getting access to UA lounges for all *A flights, including UA domestic, at the *Gold level. Obvious disadvantages are no free Y+ and no free elite upgrades on UA (and probably extremely low priority for OPUPs on UA), no UA upgrade instruments, etc. if high enough elite status is obtained.
Going with *A but not UA has some advantages, including getting access to UA lounges for all *A flights, including UA domestic, at the *Gold level. Obvious disadvantages are no free Y+ and no free elite upgrades on UA (and probably extremely low priority for OPUPs on UA), no UA upgrade instruments, etc. if high enough elite status is obtained.
To the OP consider what you want from your airline (where do you fly, how often, what classes, etc.) and from your FFP (are status benefits important, award redemptions, upgrades, non-flying earning, etc.)?
Feb 4, 2016, 1:17 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
I am undecided between them. I am in San Francisco and would choose *Alliance, except that singapore airlines suites can't be bought with miles and also united devaluations make me want to have AA and also has first class lounges. So as both are good, which ones do you think, I should join. If you have questions, reply and I'll answer them to aid you in helping me find a good alliance
If you want SQ, you can just credit SQ. SQ Suites can in fact be bought with miles if you are using SQ miles and SQ credits at 100% on every UA fare bucket. However crediting to SQ means you give up access to E+ if you reach elite levels.
SQ is also a 1:1 transfer partner of AMEX MR, Chase UR, Citi TYP, and SPG (which is 20k:25k or 1:1 if less than 20k transferred) so if you have credit cards that collect any of those (or stay in SPG properties) you can supplement your UA flying for your SQ mileage account and work towards the miles needed for SQ Suites.