I'm not sure you'll get much this year, but next year M&M changes it's program where you get fixed points per segment based on the cabin (I E. P earns as much as J, FRA-IAD earns the same as FRA-SFO).

You should be able to get Senator *G with four biz roundtrips DUB-FRA/MUC/ZRH-USA

Edit: actually not quite, you'd need one more continental round-trip in biz.

Calculator here https://www.miles-and-more.com/de/en...programme.html

M&M 'could' be an option, but quite a long way to get *G with that. P fares ... o.k. but can you buy as UA tickets? Depending on cost UA can be very good to get status and earn a lot more miles. Even w/o it, LH P-class earns 100% on UA and you get Elite bonus based on status. Just harder to get to status when buying 220 LH tickets over 016 UA tickets. UA hasn't released yet what it will take to earn Gold next year, but with your travel pattern I'd say 4 TATL round trips should do it.
Whether redemption rates are good ... that's hard to say. UA doesn't charge fuel surcharges, but partner J is 88k and UA J is 80k TATL one-way ... that's steep ... but it comes with $5 in taxes for say BOS-ZRH.

You can also take a look at SQ. If you really have a ton of LH P fares and not much else ... LH P earns 125% with SQ and getting status shouldn't take that long. SQ redemptions are not bad IMO.

I am contemplating joining A3 frequent flyer program. I will be flying one Turkish airline round-trip MEX-BER in business class later this year. Next yesar, two roundtrips from Europe to U.S. west cost in business class on Turkish airlines. I used to accumulate ANA miles, but I want a better/easier award redemption program (ANA award tickets are becoming very difficult to find) and perhap easier elite status qualifying threshold. What's your suggestions, Turkish, A3, Asiana or Aeroplan?
I am based in U.S. west coast but I rarely fly U.S. domestically.
I am also a ST elite plus with KLM FB (gold). I usually buy business class tickets based on the price(I am all leisure trips, no employer sponsored trips), not based on the airline alliance. I know some airline give free upgrade coupons to top tier elites, but I don't think I can reach that top tier threshold, being just a leisure flyer.

Emigré from SK
 

I am currently SK EBD (lifetime gold) based near ARN who feels the need to remain within *A since that SK is leaving for ST. I have no problems reaching gold status with the amount of flying I do but can't decide whether to continue in *A through LH, NH, SQ.

I am sure there will be status matching offers coming soon, but I prefer to choose and stick with a program asap.

(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.) ARN or BRU
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.) C for long-haul (5-10 return flights on *A per year), Y for intra-EU (20+ returns on *A)
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k,b >50k) 50+
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Silver, M&M Senator etc) SK EBD, SQ KF G, BA EC S
(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.) Redemption/upgrade with miles, priority services
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc), Intra-EU, ARN > TYO, SIN, IAD (in that order)
(7) Preferred Airlines SQ NH but fly mostly LH SN
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you choose your airlines, class of service?) 99% work and free to choose.

LH and NH are not popular programs to maintain *G with. LH charges very high surcharges on award flights. NH only allows round trip award bookings. SQ is a possibility, and with enough spend, you might make PPS.

(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.)
LHR

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
C&F

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
40 - 50k

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Silver, M&M Senator etc)
BA Silver or Gold depending on mileage

(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.)
Priority services, lounge access, first class cabins, an active FFP community with loads of ideas.

(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
UK to Pacifica (Australia, NZ, Fiji) and UK to US, plus occasional European holidays. I am planning a South American expedition (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) late next year, but this will be a one off.

(7) Preferred Airlines
SQ, but not enough experience of other *A airlines to know

(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you choose your airlines, class of service?)
Leisure only now, I only choose C or F. I am 6'4" tall and hate the new European (so called) J offerings of a Y seat pretending to be a J seat just because they leave the seat next to you empty.
Also I like airlines that are signed up to TSA Pre

I posted on the UA forum but the mods have moved it to a new thread here, but I perhaps I should ask here instead:

(1) What is your home airport?
SEA

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
Econ or Premium Econ on US domestic (2-3x/ year)
Premium Econ or Business on trans-Pacific (2x/year)

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
25-40k

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Silver, M&M Senator etc)
Delta Silver

(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.)
Priority services, lounge access, quality of onboard services.

(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
SEA to -California/ Texas/ Illinois/ Florida.

(7) Preferred Airlines
for domestic, no other option but UA (whom I have not flown in >10 years)
for international, would really like to try NH, and also fly the 748 on LH

(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you choose your airlines, class of service?)
Domestics are for work
International for pleasure

Ease of Booking: Aeroplan vs. Miles & More vs. Citi TYP?
 

I'm eyeing these 3 programs (M&M, TYP, Aeroplan), but wondering which is realistically best to book with for rewards flights.

Looking to book mainly with either LOT Polish Airlines or Turkish Airlines.

Will fly these routes often, no dates set yet, just looking to choose a program and start earning points for it.

Any class flight is OK.

Eyeing these routes the most:

• LAX to WAW direct flight with LOT Polish Airlines
  
• MEX - IST - WAW flight with Turkish Airlines
  

My questions:

1. I can't look up rewards availability on either Miles and More (it won't let me without a points balance of 7,000+), nor with Aeroplan (just get's stuck on loading screen, on 3 separate browsers, and safari on my phone as well).
   Is it extremely difficult to find reward availability for LAX to WAW direct flight (LO) with either of these programs? Or relatively doable?
   
2. I hear booking with Turkish Airlines is a nightmare. I currently often book with AA and Alaska and am used to calling in to book. Is booking with Turkish Airlines pretty much the same (ie. relatively doable)?
   
3. And is Turkish rewards availability for MEX - IST - WAW also relatively reasonable to find? (I tried searching on their site but it's not letting me log in).
   

What class of service are you looking to book? What season?

Preferably first or business, but I'm open to economy as well.

I usually fly there for summer, from about May/June and returning Aug/Sep.

Hi guys - looking some advice on star alliance FFPs based out of Auckland.

(1) What is your home airport?

AKL

(Actually out of a NZ regional airport nearby about 30 min domestic twin-prop flight on AirNZ)

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)

For work flights listed below by flight sector.

Personal flights, I only buy Y

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)

I'm sorry I don't know the mileage, but I've listed the precise routes and frequencies below.

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Premier, M&M Senator etc)

BA Silver (Sapphire)
Cathay Silver (Ruby)
[Don't ask why two separate OW mid-level statuses - I was stupid and ill-informed at the time...)

(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.)

The only thing that really matters to me is status for flight benefits other than redemptions. I don't perceive any value whatsoever in mileage accrual/redemption flights for myself to use personally as I have a large, young family and we travel together. So what I care about are the things like - upgrades, priority services, lounge access etc.

(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)

Flights paid for by work:
6 times a year - trans-tasman AKL>SYD (Y)
8 times a year - trans-pacific AKL>HKG and AKL>SIN (J)
1-2 times a year - US East Coast AKL>PHL (J)
1 time a year - EMEA (J)

(7) Preferred Airlines

AirNZ
Singapore
Qantas
Cathay

(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?)

All work flights and classes listed above.

(1) What is your home airport? BRU
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Discount Economy with SN (Europe), Premium Economy (to US / Asia)
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? Approx 30k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? 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.)
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc) Europe (typically BRU-PRG)
(7) Preferred Airlines SN (Europe), UA (US), LH/LX (Asia)
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you choose your airlines, class of service?) Work, typically need to book discount economy in Europe but am allowed Premium Economy for further afield

Have been Star Gold with Aegean for several years, but struggling to maintain it owing to the need to get in the four segments on Aegean. Looking for a recommendation for my alternatives in case I don't manage to squeeze in a four segment trip to Greece before the end of my qualification year

If you're struggling to maintain *G with Aegean, I'm afraid it's highly unlikely you can reach Gold with another carrier. SAS will leave Star Alliance next year, while Turkish and TAP would give you virtually nothing for SN Discount Economy... If I were you, I'd do my best to get the four Aegean segments in.

An alternative might be switching to Miles & More and going for the Frequent Traveller status. That will give you many perks of Gold when flying SN without actually being Gold.

You will definitely make *G with these, but you may need to decide what you want (most). Lounge access with *G is +1 only ... if you want access for the entire family then you need to look for a program that offers that, e.g. NZ. Where are you traveling w/ your family? Upgrades ... to where? Again, NZ seems the obvious one, unless you want to go for UA and you make 1K and you want to use your +Ps to upgrade TPAC flights. Not sure what you mean by 'priority services' ...
Also, check wheretocredit.com and also enter the booking classes ... there are often huge differences between cheap business fares and (near) full fare in terms of the speed of accruing miles and status.

I posted this also in the oneworld thread, also seeking Star Alliance experts opinions (I know less about Star Alliance than oneworld, which is very little as I've been SkyTeam exclusive).
Due to forthcoming capping of AFKL Flying Blue surplus XP coming over the next few years, in 2024 I can push to accelerate getting FB Platinum for Life two years early. Then will have SkyTeam Elite Plus without re qualification considerations and can consider others (non SkyTeam) if prices/schedules suit better but still fly SkyTeam when suits and get the perks.
Do not expect to attain top tier in another FFP, so aim for mid-tier. As *A only has 2 tiers is there even a mid-tier?
In terms of redeemable FB Miles, what I have accumulated I have used for family (not my) flights, so I wanted to earn on my flights.

1) What is most important to you in a FFP?
Dedicated phone support, free seat selection at time of booking, priority queues/boarding/baggage, lounge. Cross earning at a hotel brand is nice (eg AFKL & Accor)
(2) How many miles do you usually fly each year & in what class? How many flights/sectors?
3 or 4 long haul holidays each year on average. Occasional intra-Europe long weekend trip.
(3) What types of fares do you usually buy?
Cheapest business fare I can find. Economy fares if status benefits can get me perks.
(4) Can you choose your airlines and/or class of service? Do you travel for work and/or pleasure?
Fully my choice as all leisure. Business class if I can afford it. Only fly economy class if status benefits can get me perks.
(5) Which routes and airlines do you fly most often?
Mostly to South East Asia, occasionally to Japan/South Korea. Often position into mainland Europe to start a long haul due to high UK fares and taxes.
(6) What is your home airport?
Ideally LGW (nearest to home but practically useless) so it is LHR.
(7) Do you have FFP status of any kind in OW or other airline? What is it? Do you have any miles banked in a FFP?
SQ Krisflyer but only credited a 2014 LHR-SIN-SYD economy return to it that's probably closed now. AFKL Platinum (which is SkyTeam Elite Plus), will make Platinum for Life on January 2025, ~300k FB Miles and climbing.
(8) Preferred Airlines? Most common Airlines flown on?
Any SkyTeam (flown mostly AFKL, but also some on KE, MU/FM, MF, CI, VN, GA, SV)