Newbie needs airline strategy
Jul 26, 2010, 7:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Boise, ID
Programs: Virtuoso
Posts: 617
Newbie needs airline strategy
I have a love of international travel and was recently turned onto travel hack and flyertalk. Thanks everyone for all you do!
My question: I would like to fly at least BC from BOI to ARN next summer with my husband. I currently have around 38K Alaska miles and 20K US Dividend miles (and am Silver status). I have seen lots of ways to generate miles, but don't know which plan to focus on - One World or Star Alliance. Or, should I drop those two plans and switch to AA and UA?
My question: I would like to fly at least BC from BOI to ARN next summer with my husband. I currently have around 38K Alaska miles and 20K US Dividend miles (and am Silver status). I have seen lots of ways to generate miles, but don't know which plan to focus on - One World or Star Alliance. Or, should I drop those two plans and switch to AA and UA?
Jul 26, 2010, 7:39 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452
Welcome to FT!
For starters, AA is part of OW and UA is part of Star Alliance.
I would suggest you wander over to the thread on SPG credit cards here in the Milesbuzz section. Between your husband and yourself you can rack up some serious points that will transfer over to several airlines with a nice bonus.
It wouldn't be hard to rack up 40K SPG points per person, transfer that to 50K AA miles and each of you would have 1/2 of a Biz class ticket.
For starters, AA is part of OW and UA is part of Star Alliance.
I would suggest you wander over to the thread on SPG credit cards here in the Milesbuzz section. Between your husband and yourself you can rack up some serious points that will transfer over to several airlines with a nice bonus.
It wouldn't be hard to rack up 40K SPG points per person, transfer that to 50K AA miles and each of you would have 1/2 of a Biz class ticket.
I have a love of international travel and was recently turned onto travel hack and flyertalk. Thanks everyone for all you do!
My question: I would like to fly at least BC from BOI to ARN next summer with my husband. I currently have around 38K Alaska miles and 20K US Dividend miles (and am Silver status). I have seen lots of ways to generate miles, but don't know which plan to focus on - One World or Star Alliance. Or, should I drop those two plans and switch to AA and UA?
My question: I would like to fly at least BC from BOI to ARN next summer with my husband. I currently have around 38K Alaska miles and 20K US Dividend miles (and am Silver status). I have seen lots of ways to generate miles, but don't know which plan to focus on - One World or Star Alliance. Or, should I drop those two plans and switch to AA and UA?
Jul 26, 2010, 8:09 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Boise, ID
Programs: Virtuoso
Posts: 617
Thanks for the suggestion. I realize I wasn't clear in how I wrote that...I knew they belonged to different alliances, I was trying to figure out if I should go OW or SA and if so, switch to AA/UA instead of Alaska/US like I have now. Are there more opportunities to earn miles with American instead of Alaska? I don't want to have 50K miles in two different programs (not that the situation would be horrible, just not the goal).
Jul 26, 2010, 9:46 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,173
listed by program
this site list earning opportunities by airline among other ways like milemaven it makes it easier to see which airline program is offering what.
check it out: http://www.frequentflyerbonuses.com/
check it out: http://www.frequentflyerbonuses.com/
Last edited by wise2u; Jul 26, 2010 at 9:46 pm Reason: spelling
Jul 27, 2010, 6:30 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Wenatchee, WA
Programs: Lifetime AA Gold-1MM
Posts: 4,909
You can put both American and Delta miles into your Alaska Mileage Plan account, so no need to give up on AS if you want to keep it. Both AA and DL are talking about expanding their reciprocal agreements for AS elite members, so there may be an advantage in keeping your miles in one program.
Jul 28, 2010, 8:59 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: IAD
Programs: UA Gold + 1MM; HHonors Gold; Marriott Plat
Posts: 747
Alaska is a great option if you do not want to lock yourself into one alliance. The problem with Alaska is that not all airlines it partners with will earn you Elite status miles and all will not recognize Alaska's Elite status. More details on Alaska and it FFP are here in my blog post: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/unroad...lier-programs/
Jul 30, 2010, 3:48 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: "all" airlines and hotels
Posts: 94
Other posters have it right - you should probably concentrate on Alaska.
Also, their airport clubs are one of the great bargains (over AA, UA) - only $30, a day pass (not a club pass, if connecting), and free drinks.
Best clubs I know of.
Also, their airport clubs are one of the great bargains (over AA, UA) - only $30, a day pass (not a club pass, if connecting), and free drinks.
Best clubs I know of.