My first post here.
I've got 27000 points with US Airways (Dividend Miles) and 27000 points with Emirates (Skyward).
Any way that I can merge them?

Another thing:
Why isn't it possible to redeem airmiles for a one-way trip?
It would cost 25000 points for a one-way trip from London to Philadelphia with US Airways, but I have to buy a return trip (which then would cost me 50000 points).

i don't think you'll be able to combine them in any meaningful way. they don't participate in the same alliance

Hmmm, thanks for your answer anyway.
I just remembered that I've got around 25000 points with Malaysian Airlines (Enrich) too.
Too bad that I can't use any of these airmiles for anything good

And this is why when one is choosing an FFP they should spend some time considering how they want to use the miles after they get them.

Yep, you're absolutely right
Is it also true that I can't use my Malaysian Airlines points for free hotel stays?
My girlfriend used her Japan Airlines points (return flight between London and Auckland) for a free night at a hotel.
But it doesn't look like this is possible with Malaysian Airlines.

Stick with BA (for OneWorld) and BMI (for StarAlliance) flights - both allow one-way redemptions, and both have UK credit cards you can get. The BMI card is exceptionally generous - 20,000 miles for signing up, which is enough for a one-way business class ticket to the US. See the BMI board.

But would I be able to use my US Airways Dividend Miles with BMI? After all, they are both part of StarAlliance.

yea, you'd be able to use the divend miles for BMI flights - but you can't combine the miles from two different accounts to get a better reward.

Ok, I see.

You generally can't combine miles from two programs even if they are in the same alliance. freeloader mentioned this with regard to two specific programs, but it goes beyond those two. If A and B are in an alliance (or are partners in some other way) you can often use A's miles for an award on B, but the miles have to be all A's to begin with.

dockerslund, firstly, welcome to FT!

There IS a way to do it but it takes some time, creativity and desire...


Mostly it will be administrative time on your part and then you need trusting counterparts...

Here's what I would do if I were in the same situation as you:

1) I figure if a ticket could cost me over $300, I should use 25,000 miles to fly domestic. You have about $600 in flight value for yourself right now.

2) note this important rule in mile land: One cannot legally barter --and should not get caught if one does do it, but friends often help one another out-- even if for reduced $ at times, or for other flight bookings, or for like-valued gifts, etc. OR, just to be good friends...

3) find some friends or family who wish to fly on US and Emirates or one of their partners and see about helping THEM fly using your miles. For example, your friend wants to take United from NYC to LAX and needs 25k miles to go there, so you book it for him with those 25k US Air miles. This can be done but in return, he kinda sorta should and probably would "hook you up" somehow... someday... in some way. As well, some other friend has needs for a flight that that other carrier or one of its affiliates is with. You help him too. Or maybe it's the same friend... maybe that friend has tons of miles on say, American, which flies from London to the US RT for 50k miles.

Maybe you help that friend out with 2 domestic tickets and in return he helps you out with one 50k ticket! Again, don't like TELL the airlines this is how it is going to be, but hey, if my own mother needed to fly from one place to another on a carrier of her choice and I happened to have miles in that carrier, I would certainly send her. Maybe some day down the line, mom has some miles on a carrier that I use and she can book one for me! I don't necessarily advocate making EVERYTHING into a business deal but surely you can see where I am going here. Someone out there has what YOU need and you have what they need! In our case, we use credit cards or have activity involving airlines we plan to fly, but there are always stray miles here and there. (BTW - just don't try this stuff on Ebay cuz you will get busted--the airlines watch for that)

In the end, if you find such people--work friends, family, etc, then as long as everyone is upfront and honest, thorough and communicative, this should work fine. I once booked a ticket for a co-worker who I only had contact to over email because of the fact he was in a different office in another city. We worked extensively on projects over the phone and online all the time but I never met the guy in person for the 2 years I was with that company. He used the award I gave him and later set me up with one on an airline I use more often so I could fly with someone else who had miles on it too. I just printed out everything and made sure to cross the T's and dot the I's. If one of you screws it up, you both suffer and so do all other miles holders because that's when airlines crack down. They hear complaints from customers and the result is more security, which often makes things less convenient even if you ARE doing everything above board.

be smart and good luck.
Again, this is merely one creative possibilty. No one is guilty of THINKING of something... yet

MM

Wow!
Great post!
Thanks Marathon Man.