Katsurio

I'm wondering which flyer program I should sign up with.

I'm from the US, but I live in Taipei. Taking a trip to Europe this summer from Taipei and back on KLM/Air France. The wife's family is in Taiwan, and mine is on the west coast of the US. Flights to and from Taiwan are usually with China Airlines/Delta.

So my traveling is predominantly Western US/East Asia. Which program will have the greatest benefit for me?

Thanks!

garydpdx

For SkyTeam, I picked KLM Flying Blue because I end up on a KLM flight once a year while I was on a Delta flight on Good Friday for the first time in a decade (and the previous flight was once my only time on DL). That choice was originally made to evade a creeping rental car tax for FF points (first to US carriers, then added Canadian ones, now all) but Flying Blue is also practical for point collecting opportunities in Europe - Accor Hotels and some boutique hotels, and once a pharmacy in Amsterdam, where I could not use United, American nor Air Canada (my Star Alliance backup for trips to Canada, and Delta Hotels).

tris06

As your based in Taiwan and hence taking flights almost always from Taiwan to those destinations.

Your obvious choice is China Airlines of course the only penalty when flying China airlines from its home base is prices wont always be as competitive as other airlines who would like to take the business for transiting passengers.

The positive benefits if you go with CI is that as gold member (Skyteam Elite) you will be able to use lounges when flying CI coded flights. Some other airline memberships have no or limited lounge use at elite level or discounted lounge access.

Also have lounge access on mainland China flights coming back to and from Taiwan on China Southern, China Eastern and Xiamen airlines. I was even able to use the first class lounge out of Taipei even though flying CZ to Guangzhou (As an emerald member).

If your able to reach Emerald at a pretty simple 50,000 miles. You can access the first class lounges operated by CI and all Skyteam lounges as an Elite plus member.

Also in addition you can use the lounges in mainland China for domestic flights which does not need to be within 24hrs of a connecting international flight. Again that's the 3 carriers listed above. Very handy even if most mainland Chinese lounges are nothing great to talk about.

And one of the strengths of CI is a pretty strong list of short haul destinations in East and Southeast Asia (Especially East Asia).

I could see the main reason not to go with them is if you intend to move after a few years back to US or elsewhere. Or lowest price was very important.

ft4lyf

Similar question: which skyteam airline?

Living in the USA (TX).

Took a couple of DL flights (domestic US; approx total 1100 miles flown) few days ago. (P class).
Have a couple of similar P-class flights coming up on DL.
A couple of intra-Indonesia flights on Garuda (Discount business) coming up. These are extremely short flights.
Expect to fly 10-20K miles in the next 18 months.

Thought of banking DL flights with Alaska. However, then I need to find a program for the Garuda flights.

Any thoughts? Just stick to DL?

Goal is to redeem the miles for a US domestic one-way / roundtrip (depending on number of miles banked).

Goldorak

I would definitely stick to DL in your case.

ft4lyf

^

Thank you for the suggestion. This is what I have been thinking.