Suitability of OW for ORD -> DEL, NRT, LON
 

I am trying to choose the best alliance and FF program. (So far, I have been been focusing on AA and thus flying either AA or its partners, One World or otherwise. Even earned 400k+ miles in the program to date, but now reconsidering the whole issue again.)

My home airport is ORD/MDW. Travel interest primarily DEL or BOM; secondarily LON (any airport) and NRT. Interesting stops en route to these are welcome too, but not decisive in themselves.

My main goal in a FF program would also be to earn these international tickets, not domestics or domestic upgrades.

Clarifications: (1) Most travel is economy, except rare ones paid by someone else. :) (2) Lounge access in a hub airport connecting between ORD and DEL, between two 8-9 hour flights, would be a major attraction, on par with free award tickets. Lounge access in ORD, DEL, or nearby airports like DTW or NYC is less useful though always a positive factor. (3) I do fly around within India once there, so participation of a regional Indian carrier in the program would be a secondary attraction.

Question: Is One World better than Skyteam and Star Alliance for my purpose? If so, which airline's FF program would be best to join, and which ones best to actually fly?

Is there some reason why your requirements seem to exclude the direct ORD-DEL flights on AA?

Oneworld has hubs at three of your four destinations and can get you there nonstop for all flights.

IMO, American.

IMO, American.

Your post is a bit ambiguous as to whether your flight pattern will be ORD-LON-DEL-NRT-ORD or to each of the destinations individually at different times. If it's the latter, I would absolutely go with AA, no question. Coach gets extra room and, if you're flying as much as you say, you will get exec plat, which comes with eight upgrades. In addition, AA miles are very useful for doing things like flying F (which Skyteam won't give you for the most part) and for convoluted routings (which Star won't give you for the most part). The only drawback is that you will earn drastically lower amounts on JAL and BA if you are in fact doing a circle type of routing. In that case, I would consider one of the star carriers that gives 100% mileage earning on the intermediate sectors.

I don't exclude it; only wish to consider other options. in fact I just flew it with interesting results

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showpost....76&postcount=1
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showpost....6&postcount=66

and I may fly it again in a few months.

However, as of now, mid-February seats on the nonstop AA292 are $1365, while United has them for $973. Point is, this is just one flight which is sometimes not available or only expensive seats are left. By willing to make one connection, we increase our options greatly.

Then there are trips to London and Tokyo, with or without including Delhi. I just wish to reconsider the whole thing and make right choices.

My apologies for that ambiguity, but there is no clear cut answer. I fly to DEL/BOM most often. Next is London. Then Tokyo.

Sometimes, if my schedule and available fares allow, I do try to combine India with a stop in either London (very easy) or Tokyo (less easy).

Even if my time permitted, it is very difficult to combine all three except on an award ticket, because mixing of Atlantic and Pacific routes turns the fare astronomically expensive.

PS. Unfortunately I am not flying all that much. The 400k miles are total since I joined, including credit cards, MCI, T-Mobile, etc. :)

If your travel is mainly economy, then UA's economy plus might help ease the pain a little. *A opens a lot of additional possibilities for Asia travel too.