I think building on the silver status on SQ would be useful to access redemptions in premium SQ cabins, however IIRC miles on SQ have limited validity.

OP appears to be American, so UA status also requires minimum spend which might or might not be easy to attain.

Hi, all

Am new here and just want to get some advice for FFP. I thought over a lot but cant do decision.
(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.)
TXL/SXF
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
Economy in europe and Biz for travel to Asia
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
25k-50k, maximal can do 50k for LH
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Premier, M&M Senator etc)
MM, MileSmile
(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.)
As a priority i may prefer
Frequent upgrades on travel>priority services when flying the airline>free lounge access>good award redemption rates
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
Europe over all 6(travel)+6(work) times in 1 year + at least 1 to China or sometime plus Japan
(7) Preferred Airlines
TK, A3, LH group, NH, SK for *A and OW with AB, JL
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure?
both

I d rather to choose *A as my priority, however i base in Berlin so to be honest AB is the best choice for short flight, and can be + EY or JL to Asia. As a possiblity.
To keep TK as Elite isnt so diffcult for me but it is still a little bit difficult if i choose LH and keep as Senator, not unpossible but better not.
Actually NH and JL is one of my choice because of my work. But if i do not live in Japan, its doesnt make sense to join and keep...think it.

Can someone give me advice?

It's not fully clear from your message, but what status do you have at the moment?

Assuming you have TK*G, what I would do, considering that you do not fly that much, is to request a status match from AB and focus my short haul there, and then maintain TK*G by flying to Asia.

It appears that LH has switched their OpUp priority from fare paid to status (or at least status is more important than it was before), so you'd still have reasonable chances.

Thanks in advance.
Only one thing about to keep TK is, TK have no more comfort class in future or? And sometimes compare SK and TK I will take SK or the other to Asia but not TK, and get the miles into TK. Even though the seat in biz of SK is really old but I read that they will refurbish the seat. So its a point that I worried is it worthy to still keep status in TK or maybe I should change like to A3? 1 year 4 flights with it is not hard and sometimes it is more convenience for me to travel as a pleasure. Well...not so different but.

Additionally I have a question is, sometimes I think it over that, should I take all mile to OZ just for that life time gold. Although the credit in OZ is really poor it seems if I do I should only go with full price in economy..of course if it's possible I wanna get one lifetime but I don't know if it is worthy for me.

Indeed TK's comfort class is disappearing, however a number of other airlines towards asia have introduced premium economy (LH, SQ, NH).

I hope you realize that you can credit all *A flights to TK! You don't need to fly TK to accrue miles on TK. Enormous caveat: do not fly TK if you intend to credit to LH, since Miles and More only gives 25% status miles.

I have written it before: you can start chasing lifetime gold on OZ, however 10 years is a long long time in the aviation industry and in the history of FFPs. You might bank 9 years and OZ might go belly up, or the target for lifetime gold be moved to 15 years... you can try, but you might (or indeed might not) get burned!

Ye, sure. I was just thinking over that, if it is possible i will or normally go with the airline that i get benefit from. So that was the point. According to that, like for me is TXL-IST-PEK. But because of the less time and same fare with low price i may sometime choose SK. And if it happens frequently i just began to think it over. So this reason cause me to think again with LH because of the Base, i may always take LH/AB from there, although LH is difficult for me to maintain Senator but from that point maybe worthy...however the fare in Biz what i find is always P and E, CDJ is always over 3k. with that price i would prefer flying with NH...so still another airline.



Agree. That is also the point i worried. The lifetime is a important "option" for me. But in my mind,
OZ, maybe the easiest but the fares are really disappoint. With all airlines.
CA, not possible for ppl who stay outside and the service is horrible to gain one.
NH, same situation as CA but really worthy for the great service, for ppl who lived in japan....
UA, havent exp and dont stay in USA so...maybe someone help me to get some knowledge.
Lh...wow still need 30/40 years for me.
AF/KL, not hard but am not for ST. Only as the 3rd choice.
JL, worthy to try but i prefer now still *A
Is it right?

Flying from Europe to New Zealand a couple of times a year in economy with Star Alliance (LH, Air NZ).
Which FF to join?

Depends what you are trying to achieve. Most economy booking classes on NZ pay nothing in other FFPs. If you are going for gold, a r/t pays about 23k miles, so you could easily maintain OZ or TK. But you have to be careful on what you book.

Achieve: collecting FF points for free trips, upgrades, etc.
With 2 very long trips a year (and maybe few short ones in NZ or Australia), I just would like to choose a good FF program. Is best to choose the program of the country where ones live? Or any other program? I would like not to be restricted to fly at least once a year with a specific airline to keep points and status.

Award trips are never free. All have real taxes and with some ffp's/itineraries/routes have savage cash surcharges. Upgrades are but a distance hope. Not a realistic expectation in this part of the (frequent flyer) world.

Many ffp's require you to have 4 (or 3-2) flights on the ffp's own airline to get or maintain status. Other(very few?) ffp's do not have this requirement for status. Rules vary between ffp's.

With most ffp's an eligible activity with the ffp airline, partner airline or some mile earning activity will keep a ffp account alive. But ffp's do not all have the same rules. With some ffp's miles expire after a fixed X years:-use them or lose them.

As above with Air NZ many economy flights will be nil or very low earning.

USA based airline ffp's tend to be more generous (status benefits/earn/burn/upgrades/award cost/award cash surcharges/expiry/affiliated credit cards/promotions) compared to non USA based airline ffp’s (even after the recently announced changes to some USA ffp’s)

The airline you fly most or an airline of the country you live is the best ffp for many people. Generally however you are better earning on your primary airline due to greater recognition, better service when disruptions, ability to upgrade flights and possible operation upgrades.

The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit those flights to does not need to be the same. Frequent flyer miles are not equal to earn or burn.

If you are based in NZ, then joining Airpoints might actually be your best bet.

*A "regular" award space in and out of NZ is extremely rare, but with NZ's program you can basically book whatever flight with APDs. If you also get a credit card, you might be able to accumulate a fair amount of APDs and actually get "free" flights.

If you are based in Europe, Airpoints is totally useless. I also travel to NZ once a year and I find that SQ/NZ are my best bets. LH could be OK pricewise, but the codeshares on CX are a dealbreaker. I credit to TK since I have *G with them, but if I have a NZ segment I have to be careful about the booking class in Y. Lately I have booked PE so I always earned 100%, and it's enough to maintain status for me.

I tried to understand Airpoints, but it seems to run on its own, and not clear info about points from other airlines.

Maybe going for UA?

A criteria should be choose a program with miles and status that do not expire soon. As he will based in NZ for a couple of years, but later who knows?

Air NZ is sort of a revenue ffp system. You use airpoints dollars to pay for normal flights.
Air NZ is in Star Alliance so can get NZ points from flying eligible flights with other Star airlines.
Air NZ is in Star Alliance so can get other ffp miles (like UA) from flying eligible Air NZ flights.
However as above and your other posts many Air NZ flights earn nil or very low few miles to any ffp. Some flights only earn to the NZ Airpoints ffp, so joining another ffp will get nothing for those flights.
http://www.wheretocredit.com/air-new-zealand

Flying AirNZ he/she will not get status on only a few economy flights.
Expiry of ff miles in normal http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-t-expire.html

If living in NZ for 2 years select flights based on price & schedule

Guys,

I used to be bmi *Alliance, and now BAEC (OneWorld) but given my flights are for work, BA/AA are expensive and I have to make a choice between *Alliance (and who) or maybe virgin?

I currently have BAEC with lots of points, VirginAtlantic with 20k and Asiana with 2k points.

1. What is most important to you in a frequent flyer program (FFP)?
upgrades, priority services, baggage allowance, good award redemption rates, better award access, lounge access, etc.
>>> Reply: award redemption rates

2. How many miles do you usually fly each year? How many flights/sectors?
less than 25000 miles, 50000+ miles and 20-25 flights, etc.
>>> Reply:
- ~30k miles per year, mostly european flights but a couple of times a year to San Francisco

3. What fare class do you usually buy?
first, business, premium economy, economy
>>> Reply:Europe = Economy, >7hrs = Business

4. Are you able to choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
>>> Reply:
Yes but based on price

5. Which routes do you fly most often?
transatlantic, domestic USA, intra-Asia, etc.
>>> Reply:
LHR->SFO, LHR->Europe


6. What is your home airport?
>>> Reply:
LHR

7. Do you have status in any FFP? What is it? How miles do you have banked in each FFP, if any?
>>> Reply:
BAEC : Silver, ~ 200k points
Virgin : Red, ,maybe Silver ~ 20k points
Asiana : Silver, 2k



8. What are your preferred airlines, if any?
>>> Reply:
no preferences


Any thoughts I like virgin, can use the points for holidays etc, but I'll only collect virgin on transatlantic flights... not the european flights..
Gut feeling is Asiana is the right one to start banking my future miles

I need to find the best program to get upgrades to US routes from Europe
 

1) What is your home airport?
OTP

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ?
Y full fare

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year?
300K

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it?
TP *GOLD, FB PLATINUM FOR LIFE, TAM BLACK (1W EMERALD), TK ELITE

(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.)
Upgrades

(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
Europe to US
(7) Preferred Airlines
Any with good business class
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?)
Work