I'm a member of most FF programs, but not premiere or equivalent on any (usually have to opt for time over miles (though I hope you'll still chat with me!) I'm flying NY to Tucson in July, and will end up with a full fare ticket. Which airline is my best bet for an upgrade?

Welcome to the boards Steve . Sorry, don't know the answer to your question, just wanted to say "HI". You are in the right place, we do like to chat.

Steve, I believe TWA has a program that will give you a confirmed F seat for full-fare coach ticket. You might give them a call and check.

Thanks!!! I do do a LOT of traveling (well, for a doc, anyway....maybe 20 domestic and 3 intl RTs a year. Just recently found this place, and need lots of advice.... trying to get to Asia FC this winter, and to Hawaii for a visiting professorship.....

Thanks

S

Alas, TW doesn't fly to Tucson. That was the only predictable UG I knew about as well!

Thanks....

Steve,

Flying that much, if you stuck to one airline, it would put you so close to Gold on segments alone that it would be worth taking another short trip or two just for the status.

Actually, once you start "Going for the Gold," this crazy addiction kicks in and you'll find yourself doing whacky things like flying down to Miami on the weekend to have dinner with an old friend from college, or to Chicago for a FlyerTalk Get Together.

Until this year, my husband was a "fly the most direct route, without regard to status" kind of guy, who had 15,000 miles a year on 5 different airlines. Bad move. Then following the PIP and realizing how much better seats he got when he flew with his clever wife, he decided to try one airline (UAL) for a year. He has just made PremEx for 2001 and is now making "I want to be a 1K" noises. It is well worth it, even if it takes a few extra connections.

That's the best advice I have to offer.

[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 07-02-2000).]

OK, in addition to picking one airline and sticking to it, as soon as you make your choice, get an affinity credit card. Check around and make sure you get the best sign-up bonus possible. Then start putting every charge you can on the card as fast as possible (making certain to pay it off each month, of course, before it becomes due). If you cap out your credit card during the month, you can always pay it off by phone and keep going. They will cap you at $50,000.00 until you hit silver elite (25,000 on you airline of choice), but you should be able to do that before you hit $50,000.00 in charges.

That way you should be able to accumulate enough miles to upgrade for Asia and Hawaii before winter.

NWA has a YUP fare in the LGA-TUS market which will give U the ride up front ur looking for = $1163 each way + PFC's = OUCH!

Yeah, but you have to fly on Northwest

Actually, I'm not a DUMB flyer, just a time pressured one. I have about 300,000 on AMEX and Diner's though finding that, for Dec., it's not so easy to get RT to Asia on the "interesting" airlines with fab service...JAL, SIN, ANA! Don't know about $3K
for a Tucson RT...even when I'm NOT paying, can't waste even drug co. $$ that way.

I've been UA, US, TW premiere in the past. Haven't found that, until you hit the stratispheric levels, it makes much difference. Does it REALLY...I could try to consolidate to 2 airlines, and hit 25K on each, I'd imagine. But the ones that are easy to MIA never seem to be so to CA, etc.

Wow...this IS the chattiest board I'm part of (I guess it IS harder to become passionate about brain biochemistry!!


Steve

Yes, Steve, it REALLY does make a difference when you hit gold (50,000 miles status) on an airline. Of course, it is nicer to be top level, but I have been treated very well by UAL as a PremEx and anticipate it will be better as 1K.

Other than north/south routes on the west coast, UAL has proven to have decent domestic routing and reasonable international routing.

And UA has that all important Employee Class!

Oh yes on that hitting that second tier! I fly mostly on America West, since it is based where I live. Hit silver in one month, gold the next. There is a material improvement in odds of getting bumped to FC, and treatment in general is much better. Here's hoping for platinum, soon.

I concentrate almost all flight miles on Am West, mostly to get the heck out of steerage class. The downside to this is that on the few flights that I pretty much have to take on United (a fine airline); I am somewhat SOL.

My solution to the above is to put all miles from affinity programs such as Visa, long distance phone calls, auto rentals and hotel programs toward United. This way, I am almost invariably comped to FC on Am West, and then just use miles for United upgrades. Works like a charm.

[This message has been edited by Butcher Bird (edited 07-04-2000).]