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Should I collect miles on a 2nd airline?

Should I collect miles on a 2nd airline?

Old Mar 27, 2003, 3:19 pm
  #1  
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Location: New York, NY
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Should I collect miles on a 2nd airline?

I have an aadvantage debit card with american airlines but am flying continental next month. I assume it makes sense to open a continental one pass account to hold those miles even though I'm not a member. would you agree?

Also, are there any credit card offers with Continental or partners through which I could open an account and get a mileage bonuse for doing so?... or should I get a credit card that earns American miles and gives me bonus miles since I'm already collecting American miles with my debit card?

I only fly a couple of times a year for leisure purposes in coach.

What's your philosophy?

[This message has been edited by spike74 (edited 03-27-2003).]
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Old Mar 27, 2003, 3:24 pm
  #2  
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Anytime you fly on any airline on a mileage-earning ticket, you should take the frequent flier miles. With Continental, you can earn miles on Continental (obviously) or Northwest (less obvious). I suggest you open either a OnePass account (Continental) or a WorldPerks account (Northwest) or both! Since you live in New York City, I presume that Continental will give you more options for future travel with its Newark hub. So, I'd definitely open a OnePass account and begin accruing miles.

[This message has been edited by cAAl (edited 03-27-2003).]
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Old Mar 28, 2003, 6:29 am
  #3  
 
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I try to accumulate miles on two airlines. This allows me to alternate mile accruing credit cards on an annual basis (and thus get a 5000 mile sign up bonus each year.) It also allows me to dine at my favorite Dining for Miles restaurants twice a month (and receive miles for each airline.)

It also gives me flexibility in deciding how I want to redeem my miles. I like my NW account because of its low redemption amount to Asia (60000). I like my AA account because of the different partner award amounts. (eg - 40000 on Swiss Air to Morocco, because it is categorized as part of Europe).

[This message has been edited by DC_flyer (edited 03-28-2003).]
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Old Mar 28, 2003, 7:23 am
  #4  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by DC_flyer:
I try to accumulate miles on two airlines. This allows me to alternate mile accruing credit cards on an annual basis (and thus get a 5000 mile sign up bonus each year.) It also allows me to dine at my favorite Dining for Miles restaurants twice a month (and receive miles for each airline.)

It also gives me flexibility in deciding how I want to redeem my miles. I like my NW account because of its low redemption amount to Asia (60000). I like my AA account because of the different partner award amounts. (eg - 40000 on Swiss Air to Morocco, because it is categorized as part of Europe).

[This message has been edited by DC_flyer (edited 03-28-2003).]
</font>
how does one get a 5000 sign up bonus each year with mile earning credit cards. do you cancel one each year and sign up again? can you do this? which credit cards?
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Old Mar 28, 2003, 7:50 am
  #5  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by spike74:
What's your philosophy?</font>
AA's my main FF program, but I try to keep 50K in DL for emergency tickets in case I can't get something on AA at the last minute.
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Old Mar 28, 2003, 9:00 am
  #6  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by DC_flyer:
I try to accumulate miles on two airlines. This allows me to dine at my favorite Dining for Miles restaurants twice a month (and receive miles for each airline.)

[This message has been edited by DC_flyer (edited 03-28-2003).]
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Please explain this to me. My experience has been that the third party firm which administers all the mileage dining programs does NOT allow us to accrue dining mileage credit on multiple airlines' FF programs. Once we register our credit card[s], the system will not allow the same card to be used under any other airlines' dining mileage program.

Of course we could register different credit cards under different airlines' dining mileage programs but then we wouldn't be able to double dip and it would become costly as I am not aware of any "no fee" credit cards [other than AMEX which as a special promotion sometimes waives the first year's fee] which allow us to accumulate an airlines' FF miles.

So what's the trick?

Thanks.

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Old Mar 28, 2003, 10:04 am
  #7  
CMW
 
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There are several FF CC that allow you to earn miles w/o paying the annual fee. The problem is that the earning rate is cut in half. I have 2 of these. I have a US Bank Northwest VISA, fee free, 2 miles per $ and a First USA United Mileage Plus VISA w/ same earning. I do not use these very often but they are connected to dining programs for different FF programs. The NW VISA I have going to Worldperks and the Mileage Plus VISA going to UA. Neither of these is my primary program but if I were to eat in my favorite Idine restaurant several times a month I could still earn miles(in some program) by using a different card each time. I have all of my CC connected to a different dining program with the one I use most (and pay an annual fee for) going to my primary program.

This is not a solution for everyone since some people don't want this many CC. There are some fee free mileage earning credit cards out there. You just have to look. I only use them as backup though since the earning ratio is about half of the one with an annual fee.

Edited to add: I would enroll in a program to get FF miles even if you may not fly that airline again or ever. You never know what the future may hold and most points don't expire these days. You might be able to redeem them for something or tranfer them to hotel points etc.

[This message has been edited by CMW (edited 03-28-2003).]
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Old Mar 28, 2003, 12:19 pm
  #8  
 
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As far as the credit cards, I just switch between the WorldPerks and the AA credit cards on an annual basis. Once the annual fee nears for one card, I switch to the other and receive the 5000 bonus that comes with it. I've been doing it for about ten years now and have never had a problem.

As far as Dining for Miles, I register two different credit cards (in addition to my NW or AA credit card, I have a Hilton no annual fee card). One credit card accrues WorldPerks and the other AA Dining for Miles. I receive AA miles for one meal each month and NW miles for a second meal each month at each of my favorite restaurants. Sorry for the confusion.
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Old Mar 29, 2003, 10:18 am
  #9  
 
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Some people like Alaska Airlines program a lot. This is because you can receive credit for American, Continental, Northwest, and Hawaiian Airlines in addition to some foreign carriers.

Those who qualify for elite status on one of these airlines may not want to credit flights on AS because they might not get all of the elite benefits.
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Old Mar 29, 2003, 11:01 am
  #10  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Skylink USA:
Some people like Alaska Airlines program a lot. This is because you can receive credit for American, Continental, Northwest, and Hawaiian Airlines in addition to some foreign carriers.
</font>
Alaska's Mileage Plan is a very useful place to collect miles from lots of airlines, and Amtrak's West Coast routes.

See:
http://www.alaskaair.com/mileageplan...rs_Airline.asp
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Old Mar 29, 2003, 3:27 pm
  #11  
 
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I'm a big advocate of having one or more secondary accounts for "garbage miles."

AA is my primary carrier, too, but I try to put non-flight miles (hotels, car rentals, etc.)into other programs so that I have a useable amount of miles in each program (usually defined as 25,000).

Also- look into sign-up bonuses for other programs- I have 2000 AS miles just for opening my account and signing up for e-mail, thanks to the offers noted on Gleff's webflyer blog.
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Old Mar 31, 2003, 9:33 am
  #12  
 
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If the first frequent flyer rule is to concentrate on one program, then the second rule is to have a diversified mileage portfolio. For example, I maintain Plat and have most miles with AA, but I try to keep at least 80K each in UA, NW, DL, and US. That said, only once did AA not have award seats for when I wanted. Fortunately, as it was a family emergency, I was able to use UA, and for fewer miles!
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