Hi guys, FFP newbie here. I just wanted to get some advice on what the best strategy is for me to acquire (and retain in the future) Star Alliance Gold status.

I currently get Priority Pass lounge access via my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, but access to Star Alliance lounges and priority boarding would be a nice perk. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

(1) What is your home airport? LAX
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Economy
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? Between 60k-80k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Copa ConnectMiles Silver
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Lounge access and priority boarding
(6) Which routes do you fly most often USA to Philippines/Asia, or USA to Colombia
(7) Preferred Airlines Asiana, EVA, Copa
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Pleasure only

Hoping that the forum wizards can advise. Short version is that I fly BOS-HKG a lot for work and have been allowed to take the direct Cathay flight in premium economy but they've increased in price a lot in the last couple of months and I may have to start taking the cheaper United flight via Newark.

(1) What is your home airport? BOS
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Premium Econ for business, Econ for personal
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 100k-150k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? AA Plat Pro
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? useful redemption, baggage benefits
(6) Which routes do you fly most often transpacific for work, transatlantic and domestic for personal
(7) Preferred Airlines normally OneWorld due to status
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? both, for work can choose airline but have to stick to a vague and variable budget. totally flexible for personal

Thank you

go for ASIANA Status

ASIANA Status

Miles & More OR Aeroplan
 

Hi,

I am travelling economy from Canada to India (&return). Entire itinerary has Air Canada (domestic part in Canada), Lufthansa (international part) & Air India (domestic part in India) - ticket number starts with 014. Which frequent flyer program should I register with - Miles & More (since major part is in Lufthansa flight) or Air Canada (since I am residing in Canada)?

My future flights will be either similar or with Air Canada.

Thanks

As you live in Canada AC would be better than LH
You are better to join the ffp in the county you live or the airline you fly most.
Note some low cost are fares can earn nil or little with any ffp

The reason I was confused is because I will only get 50% points when flying to India if I use AC, since it is T class. While returning it is H class & will thus get 100%.

i think better to go with AC as this will be the airline you are using most and earn rate is about same

One flight is not a good basis to select a ffp. One trip will not get you many ff miles with any ffp.
Anyway earn is only part of the equation. Burn is the the other. Earn to burn, over the medium term, is what matters. FFP's are now not for the long term.

Adding frequent miles in a ff program that you can use, are worth more than ff miles in an orphan ffp that you will never use, even if the earning rate is nominally better. FFP’s are for the medium term.

Far easier to get ff miles from non flying activities in the country you live.

Be mindful of expiry Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.
LH have a 3 hard expiry: use them or loose them
AC can be kept alive with eligible activity

(1) What is your home airport? London (all)
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? Economy if buying myself, and Business if a company buys my tickets (50/50 in terms of the frequency)
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? Around 40K on Star Alliance and 20K Avios on BA's OneWorld
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? BA Silver
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Free lounge access, frequent upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline
(6) Which routes do you fly most often Really mixed bag! This year:
StarAlliance: Air N Zealand LAX - LHR, Air N Zealand LHR - LAX, LOT WAW - LHR, LOT ODS - WAW, Turkish Air IST - ODS, Turkish Air LHR - IST, Lufthansa FRA - PEK, Lufthansa LHR - FRA OneWorld: SAN FRANCISCO - SEATTLE, NEW YORK-JOHN F KENNEDY - LONDON HEATHROW , LOS ANGELES - NEW YORK-JOHN F KENNEDY , LONDON HEATHROW - LOS ANGELES , MOSCOW - SHEREMETYEVO - LONDON HEATHROW LONDON HEATHROW - MOSCOW - DOMODEDEVO , LONDON CITY AIRPORT - PRAGUE RUZYNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT , LONDON HEATHROW - HOUSTON GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL , HOUSTON GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL - PHOENIX , FREDERIC CHOPIN - LONDON HEATHROW
(7) Preferred Airlines This one's tricky... had 2x Turkish flights, 2x Lufthansa
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? 80% work, can choose airlines to an extent if prices are similar - otherwise, the company chooses the cheapest.

Additional info:
I fly a lot due to work (I work in film), but mainly have flown BA/OneWorld (Silver level there). But this year it has changed and I've actually amassed 28K miles on my United account (which was my airline of choice to collect the Star Alliance miles). I genuinely don't know why I went with United while I don't even fly that much to US, and definitely, don't fly much internally US. So... I ran into an issue where I have 28K of miles (giving me silver level), but no silver level - as I have zero United flights (and need 4).

My question is - what would you do, continue collecting miles on the United in hope to get them 4 flights (might take like 2 years), or switch mid-year to something like Miles&More?.. Seeing that United's PQMs will reset on Jan 01, there's probably zero benefit for me to continue with them? I will probably get to around 50K if stay with United. My plan was to switch to a different airline, as I really need a silver level, as the access to lounges and priority check-in/boarding is of a higher importance to me, and with United I won't be able to get that, even with my high miles count, it seems.

Thanks!

Not sure if that's the best place to ask, but which *A airline would match a gold AS status? With low requirements if possible.
SQ flat denied any sort of match. BR perhaps?

Since your travel patterns tend to change, I would consider Asiana. Asiana will give you 2 years to hit 40k to get diamond status (StarAlliance gold status). Asiana Diamond would give you Star Alliance Gold benefits (lounge access, free bag and priority check-in/boarding).

PS Your status is good for 2 years. Once you qualify for diamond status, you should evaluate if you should continue to use Asiana to accrue miles.

M&M, Aeroplan or another one ?
 

M&M is a difficult option to obtain *G (Senator) status. Aeroplan would be a nice option for you as you're based in Canada but that won't give you lounge access on domestic flights.
I would have gone for TAP Miles&Go as discount Business Class fares mostly earn %200 regardless of airline, but you would have to do 70.000 miles in your first year and 50.000 miles on your next year. If you want an easier option Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is also one of the easiest ways to achieve *G but there are some very important points that might not fit you such as discounted tickets on most airlines is a straight zero, in addition, Lufthansa P class is also a straight zero but 40.000 miles would be enough for *G status for two years and it's easier to requalify.

I'm sorry but if you're living in the North American continent, it would be difficult to get upgrades on AC or UA without their own FFP but any *G status work for upgrades on the LH group, TK, A3, etc...

Aeroplan (Altitude) status above 35K has domestic lounge access. Above 50k (which is also *G) has access to all Maple Leaf Lounges (other than the LHR arrival lounge).

UA does not grant United Club access on domestic itineraries.