(1) What is your home airport? IAD.
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? Discount Y.
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 25k-50k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? UA PremierExecutive, 1P.
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Frequent upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, good award redemption rates, free lounge access.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often? Mostly transatlantic (last year).
(7) Preferred Airlines. None.
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Pleasure mostly.

I'm just wondering if I should stay at UA or move to OZ program where *G valid for longer terms or switch to AC where SQ redemption are possible. Or, start with OneWorld.

Funny you should ask, I'm sitting at IAD RCC

If you switch, you can kiss away what you say is most important, which would be "frequent" upgrades. I wouldnt change programs if you want any shot at upgrades. Cheap lounge access would = joining AEGEAN since they have the lowest gold requirements of any *A and you can use USA based RCC's when flying domestic economy. Many people will split their plans. Put enough into something like AEGEAN for domestic coach lounge access and then pile the rest of the miles to you MP program. Dont know if there's much to improve on if you want upgrade ability. As they say, YMMV.

Thanks for the quick reply! :) I don't fly US domestic routs often so RCC access isn't really make me excited. Also, as a UA 1P, I only get upgrades while flying domestically so I'm not really taking advantage of that either. But, I do would like to have an upgrades when flying internationally. Wondering if there are any programs that gives you frequent upgrades on TATL or TPAC for someone who fly 25k-50k miles a year. Also, that program has to have a no star net blocking (even though I haven't really had bad experiences with star blocking for my last two redemptions) when it comes to award flights in premium cabins? I don't even know there's such program tho.

My wife and I will retire in June and begin working in a Kenya orphanage this fall. We will be flying to and from Kenya once a year for as many years (goal is 25) as possible. We are very inexperiences in the frequent flyer world, and would like to stretch our mission dollars as far as possible. Thanks for any help you can give us.

(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.)
Pdx.
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
Coach.
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
18k per person.
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Premier, M&M Senator etc)
No.
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? (Frequent upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, good award redemption rates, free lounge access, etc.)
Legroom, legroom, legroom, however I can get it (I'm 6-7).
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
Pdx to Nairobi for two every year. Also, we must fly out of the East Africa Union and back to Kenya once every year. It could be South Africa, Europe, etc..
(7) Preferred Airlines
None. Whoever's got the most legroom!
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?)
Missions work.

Switching from Delta to ... ???
 

(1) What is your home airport? WAS (IAD/DCA/BWI), currently

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Cheap, back of the bus

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? HIGHLY variable 18K is the minimum as I always go to Asia once a year but after that it is "as needed".

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? None

(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? good award redemption rates AND AVAILABILITY

(6) Which routes do you fly most often Transpacific

(7) Preferred Airlines Not Delta. Other than that, anythng as long as it is safe and on time

(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?) I travel for both work and pleasure. For work I have to fly whatever the TA books, for personal travel I can choose.

I occasionally travel in the USA for work but that is not frequent. I don't travel to Europe as I have no interest there yet. I travel to Asia at least once a year.

With that kind of mileage, you're best off trying A3. You won't get extra legroom, but you'll get star silver (maybe star gold) status, which tends to get you better service, and the occasional upgrade.

(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.)
OTP (Bucharest, Romania)
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
Always Y (charity projects)
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
25-50k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Premier, M&M Senator etc)
CO Silver (narrowly missed Gold), FB still showing up as Platinum (last year's status not updated yet - based on mileage flown last year I should get Silver but hopefully they'll do a soft downgrade to Gold)
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? (Frequent upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline, good award redemption rates, free lounge access, etc.)
Er.. all :) in order of preference: free lounge access, upgrades, good award availability and (as a special) extra baggage allowance on transatlantic flights (US)
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
OTP to US (DEN) and Africa (eg KGL,MPM,LLW,ACC,DAR)
(7) Preferred Airlines
Anything, really, whatever gives more benefits at (5).
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?)
Work. Can only do coach but have some flexibility when choosing the fare (as long as it stays under $2k/trip).

Since most of my trips were to Africa I used to fly ST because of the great connections in "lovely" NBO (been plat with AF/KL for a few years until the dreaded April 1st). I switched to CO when they left ST and am now happy with them, given the good connections to DEN and the use of JNB when going to Africa (which also works better for miles).

Am wondering though if there's a better choice, particularly for achieving/retaining *A Gold (for less than 50k). I was considering TK but after reading some reviews I'm seriously doubting this would be a good choice, after also going through my own nightmare with them last year (IST and CAI).

Since I reside in Eastern Europe I'm also considering connecting through the Middle East, if there are any decent options (like DXB).

Any help please?

(1) JKT
(2) Regularly F, Occasionally J
(3) 25k - 50k
(4) Singapore Airlines PPS Club
(5) Frequent Upgrades, Good Award Redemption Rates
(6) Transpacific and Within Asia
(7) Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Lufthansa
(8) Pleasure

FFP advise needed
 

1) What is your home airport? SIN, Singapore
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? full Y
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? depends on assignment from 10 to 25K
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? No
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? redemption and status
(6) Which routes do you fly most often? Asia, SE asia and australia
(7) Preferred Airlines
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? work

Krisflyer is the last option as points expire in three years

(1) DUB
(2) Y, except on very rare occasions where I go J/C
(3) 25k - 50k
(4) No.
(5) Redemption and upgrades.
(6) DUB - NYC (JFK or EWR); DUB - LHR - SFO
(7) None.
(8) Work; can choose airlines and COS, but limited budget.

I should add that I'll be making around 50k miles in the coming two months in *A, so I'm looking for which program to join to take advantage of this. It might be hard to maintain this sort of mileage in future years, though, as I usually do between 25k and 50k.

What to do with my LH SEN (*A G) in US?
 

Hi,

I am trying to find a new FFP in *A that will let me do the most with my LH SEN status and my new travel routes. I really like having the status and booking award tickets, and in my previous job where I commuted on NY-Germany routes LH was great. Now I will be doing mainly domestic travel, maybe some Caribbean as well, and think I need a new FFP.

here are the details:

(1) What is your home airport? -- NYC, either JFK, EWR or LGA
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? -- Y and lower coach
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 50 - 100K (varies depending on my client)
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? LH SEN / *A Gold
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? good award redemption, lounge and upgrades secondary
(6) Which routes do you fly most often US domestic (SFO), UK, continental Europe
(7) Preferred Airlines -- could care less who I travel, like LH and CO
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?) -- travel for both work (consulting) and pleasure, do have some flexibility with fare, could squeeze a Y fare but not business.

I am thinking of going the route of matching my status in CO as I think their rewards program is very good. Then I would merge and carry over the status to UA (as they have that PS service to SFO and i do think you get a better chance at an updgrade with native FFP, also higher per flight miles rewards). Is there a flaw in my thinking here?
I am totally open to another idea, LH has a good reward program, in my opinion, so could also stay there.

thank you

I think you have a good idea.

The only possible flaw in your thinking that comes to mind is that NYC has a very high concentration of elites, so it's hard to score an upgrade.

That means that if you're willing to fly with a stop, you're probably better off with US or DL

What about Brussels
 

Hi, great post, thank you
(1) BRU
(2) Y or lower coach
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? just over 100K
(4) M&M Senator/Star alliance Gold
(5) Frequent upgrades on travel, good award redemption rates then priority services when flying the airline
(6) across EMEA, but mostly in Continental Europe
(7) LH, brussels airlines,
(8) mostly for work.

What i am looking for is an easy way to get evouchers, and upgrades, as LH only offers 2 M&M evouchers per 2 year :rolleyes: ...

thank you

I currently have AAdvantage and Krisflyer FFP. Most of my points is in Krisflyer, which comes from a credit card points redemption so I'm not eligible for FFP status. I can choose between Krisflyer and Asia miles for credit card redemption but I chose Krisflyer at that time since I used to fly a lot with Star Alliance carriers for my business trip (BKK - Europe), but that's no longer apply not any more so I'm looking for a new FFP.

Here's my details.
(1) What is your home airport?
BKK
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Y
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year?
<25k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present?
None.
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Good award redemption rates
(6) Which routes do you fly most often?
Intercontinental
(7) Preferred Airlines.
None
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure?
Pleasure

Turns out that CO will not match a status from an in-alliance airline. Spoke with several people in there, all they would offer me is a challenge program to get a Silver status. a real bummer.
am going to call UA but expect a similar response.
Delta might be the next step.