How do I get the most out of my frequent flyer club?
 

I have done a fair bit of research and the overriding message I keep getting is that it is better to stick with one airline to make the most of your frequent flyer rewards. How accurate is this? Can anyone give me any advice on which UK airlines are best for this? I am a part of Exec club at BA, but would consider switching.

Welcome to FT!

It is generally better to stick with one airline (or one alliance; there are three major global alliances) because, to simplify things, flying 40,000 miles with one carrier will make you one of their elite frequent flyers* with certain benefits, but flying 20,000 miles with each of two carriers will not get you anything from either of them.

That said, if choosing the best flights on the basis of schedule, fare, etc., leads you to one airline some of the time and a different airline the rest of the time, only you can decide if those benefits are worth the sacrifices in other areas. There is no general principle, as the specific sacrifices and benefits vary so much from one person to another. We'd need more specifics about your travel patterns, amount of flying, and what you want from a frequent flyer program to express any opinions here.

Someone who is more familiar with UK airlines than I am can hopefully answer the second part of your question.

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*Most airlines, including BA, have three or four elite levels. The highest level of benefits goes to people who fly a lot more than 40,000 miles per year.

It would help if you told us a bit more, for example how often you fly, where you fly to, what class of service you purchase, etc.

Welcome to FT!

Thanks!

That makes sense - I regularly fly to the US (NY & LA specifically) & France on business from the UK. I usually fly business class. I am just looking for the best return on these miles. Yes, I should think I tot up a lot - probably closer to 80,000 if I'm honest!

I have seen that Emirates offer the opportunity to redeem points when you buy EasyJet flights at 7,500 miles too - this sounds almost too good to be true, as I make frequent trips to Paris and Nice.

Any more advice you can give on this would be great - appreciate your feedback so far!

"I have seen that Emirates offer the opportunity to redeem points when you buy EasyJet flights at 7,500 miles too - this sounds almost too good to be true, as I make frequent trips to Paris and Nice."

Wouldn't BA charge just 4,000-4,500 Avios + 17.5 GBP for an RFS redemption from LON to PAR or NCE?

For longer-haul award redemptions (like LON to the Middle East/Asia/South Pacific), AA miles typically offer better value than BA Avios because AA awards include connecting flights at no additional mileage charge, and AA awards only have surcharges for redemptions on BA and IB. AA miles are also good for award travel to North America, but it can be challenging to find low-tier awards on AA metal between Europe and North America, especially in premium cabins.

If you wanted to amass some AA miles, you could credit some of your paid BA flights to AA, but doing so would impact your ability to reach higher tier status with BAEC.