Hello Flyertalk experts.

I want to determine the optimal frequent flyer rewards program for my circumstances. Here are quick answers to the suggested questions, with expanded details following.

(1) What is your home airport? I'm somewhat of a global nomad, although most common airports would be MNL/CRK (40%), YVR (10%), SFO (5%).
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? A mix of premium economy and business.
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 25k-50k is typical.
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? None currently, although will be UA Silver very soon.
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Frequent upgrades on travel, priority services when flying the airline and good award redemption rates.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often? Transpacific and around Asia.
(7) Preferred Airlines? None.
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Pleasure; I choose flights and class myself based on price and benefits.


I currently do not have status anywhere. However, I'm in the middle of Star Alliance 'Round The World' trip (CRWSTAR1, ~29000 miles). I chose United Mileage Plus to allocate the miles for this trip because I had some miles there already (I'm otherwise agnostic / naive about the best frequent flyer programs). The CRWSTAR1 will gain me Silver status in 2025/6. In future years, assuming I continue flying a lot, which Star Alliance partner is best to allocate miles?

A requirement of United's rewards program (and some other airline programs also) which could be problematic in future years, is the 4 United flight rule to qualify.

So, in the opinions of savvy Flyertalk experts, which frequent flyer plan would be optimal for me?

I look forward to opinions, suggestions and all questions.

Thanks,
Maple.

A fairly easy way to satisfy the UA four segment requirement might be CEB-NRT-GUM or CEB-NRT-XXX elsewhere in Asia.

Unfortunately, UA does not fly MNL-NRT. There are speculation and rumors that UA may begin serving CRK-NRT, which would simplify those four segments by eliminating Philippine domestic positioning flights.

What should I pick for my 11-year old? The last few flights went uncredited, he used to have a Turkish Account but that is somehow unfindable (Customer Service could not find his registration, and I lost some of the old paperwork of the kid in our move), could maybe escalate it to see if it still somewhere electronically.

(1) What is your home airport? BER
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? cheap
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 1 Transcon/Year
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? No
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Good award redemption, miles dont expire
(6) Which routes do you fly most often
(7) Preferred Airlines Any, so far we did United, LH, Turkish, Quatar
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Pleasure

Hello experts.

I want to determine what is the best program for me. Below are my current situations.

(1) What is your home airport? Somewhat TPE, but common airports would be MNL TPE HKG or SZX.
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? Most in economy if moving between HKG, TPE, and MNL. Sometimes business class if long haul.
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? Around 50k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Currently Turkish Airlines ElitePlus. And I have status protection until 2028 (I believe.)
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? priority services when flying the airline and good award redemption rates.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often? HKG(SZX)-TPE-MNL about 10 times a year and I fly BR on this route. EU once or twice a year from Asia. Middle East once a year from Asia.
(7) Preferred Airlines? Well, I am trying to find out here.
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Work. But work only pays economy

I currently have ElitePlus status from Turkish Airlines, which will give me priority check in and priority luggage which are the most important thing for me. However, the redemption rate is very bad now. Since I have status protection from TK until 2028, I am looking for another FFP that has better redemption rate and also can provide priority service while I am flying economy.
Although my base is in TPE, but I personally had bad experience with CI. I prefer not to fly CI. But I don�t have very good experience with BR anyway. If everyone suggests CI, I can give it a try again.
Regarding BR, I requested for status match for Gold. I flew 80K miles in 2024 and 49K until Oct 2025 in 2025. They declined due to �not meeting the requirements�.
I just finished 2 segments with BR as a BR silver instead of Star Alliance Gold from TK. Not feeling good due to no priority luggage, checkin, and boarding.
My options.
1. Continue to fly BR and earn the gold in the hard way. Is there an easy way?
2. I have 4 segment flights on SQ in February 2026. I am Marriott Elite. I can request for matching to KrisFlyer Elite Silver Status and Accelerate to KrisFlyer Elite Gold Status when I finish those 4 segments. But KrisFlyer only last for 1 year instead of 2 years like TK and BR. It should be no problem, but might be a little nervous if company travel goes down a little bit.
3. Jump ship to CI or other Skyteam program which will give me status match, easier to maintain the status, and better redemption rate than TK.

Any suggestions, feedbacks, and tips are more than welcome.
Thanks

UA does not expire and has reasonable redemptions. Cheap fares earn very little, but there are few airlines where they earn zero with UA.

Hi FlyerTalk experts. I'm on a recent sabbatical and I'd like to shoot for *A Gold next year for lounges. Deciding between United (where I'd have a 2k PQP head-start from branded credit card SUB) and an easier mileage-based program like TK.

(1) What is your home airport? JFK closest, but LGA/EWR also fine.
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? cheap
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? planning to fly a lot this year (Central/South America in Jan) and willing to make mileage runs, but will probably fly less in future years.
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? No status, but recently got a United Business card with 2k PQP SUB, and have $1.5k in United ETC from a cancelled flight.
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Lounge access, award redemption a relatively distant second.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc): Any
(7) Preferred Airlines: Any
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Pleasure

So glad I found this thread! As we'll be based in Ireland we've no local credit card option for *A (and evening the EI one sucks, like EI's AerClub sucks)
(1) What is your home airport? DUB (moving there this month from NZ)
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Y for short haul; PE or J for long haul
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? whilst working 40-70k; getting close to retirement
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Airpoints Gold Elite (* Gold) with NZ. Previously Elite with AC Aeroplan before moving to NZ)
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? upgrades, lounge, express security and checkin-in
(6) Which routes do you fly most often DUB YVR; DUB AKL, various cities in Europe
(7) Preferred Airlines have enjoyed all the LH group, TG, SQ (of course), NZ, TP
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? 50/50

You need to be more specific. Other than a single trip to South America, where else do you routinely fly? Getting credit for cheap fares is not easy and you are looking to obtain *G, so you will need to be extremely strategic to accomplish this. UA is not easy to get to Gold on cheap fares, so using the PQP head start isn�t making things easier.

what kind of upgrades? That�s a difficult one sort out. Lounge/check-in/security is all SAG benefit, so that�s comparatively easy

Having Airpoints Gold Elite means 2 long haul and 1 short haul upgrade certificate for a one class jump (Y to PE or PE to J), plus I can use very good value preset points to upgrade similarly. Have been able to squeeze between $10-25k in value each year in Elite, since my spouse can also use these from my account. Might be a unicorn request.

Thanks for replying!

Upgrades are generally available on the airline of your ffp.
Star Alliance has a cross airline upgrade scheme, but useless for most people as requires a high priced base fare. Even then is far from guaranteed.

If short haul is DUB Europe these are short flights and often cheap so little earnings to a ffp. And the best fights for price and schedule may not be on your airline~alliance.

For lounge access need top status or by class of service (business - first)

How long will you be in Ireland for? Months~ multiple years ~ for ever?
What is wrong with AC Aeroplan? Any balance of ff miles?
Air NZ airpoints is a poor ffp unless flying Air NZ and have no other choice for a ffp.

NZ upgrades won't help you much in Ireland, unless you plan on using them frequently to fly back to AKL. As the other poster mentioned, most airlines have upgrades only for their own flights. The SAUA program can be useful, but very few airlines offer meaningful booking classes to upgrade from. So unless you have OPM travel where you can book Y or B fares it will be of little help.
TK has a good program and offers upgrade options, but might not be ideal with your flight pattern. Their SAG status is not that hard to get though and depending on airlines and fares purchased, this could be an option to look into

I realise that, and am trying to burn my current set of upgrade certs before I leave for Ireland. TK is definitely one I'm considering.
It's a permanent move. Problem with AC is challenging to get back to gold unless I'm flying to Canada 2x a year or more. Even then it's a stretch. I still have my account and platinum visa with AC.

Are there *A programs that have no mileage expiry?
If not, who has the most lenient rules?

I know that A3 has no expiry as long as the account stays active, without explaining when an account becomes active. So far, I think A3 miles do not expire in practice.

Is there a propram that has special protection for underage members in terms of expiry?

UA miles do not expire
For others look here. It may not be up to date.--> Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire
With some airlines easier to keep active compared to others. Rules vary