Thanks a lot ^

Thing is I really hesitate between M&M and Krys Flyer. I will fly Beijing, Mumbai, Seoul, and Europe in C until end of January.
On Jan 1st, M&M will reset my status miles to zero, whereas KF, I will be not far from Gold by the end of January and still have 8 months to achieve it.

Also, I search but I could not find... do the miles earn on KF Amex count as status miles or just award miles ?

Thanks

BL

Generally, all miles you don't "fly" will only earn for award miles. There used (?) to be some us-american programs where you simply could shop yourself for *G lifetime if budget allowed, but afaik they changed those conditions.

You're correct about M&M resetting your status miles at the end of the year.

I assume you know how to calculate your milage earnings, and you've some idea if you'll be earning miles or not on those Y tickets (they're on SQ, right?)

I would calculate the following:

Will whatever you've left flying in 2011 be enough to make FTL? (17.800 miles)

If not, how much will it be? Yes, you could make KrisFlyer *G probably easier than SEN, but besides lounge access, it won't give you much additional benefits, especially when flying LX or LH, a cheap A3 *G would bring you exactly the same. And the redemption rates on SQ are a joke. There is a reason not many apparently choose their program, even if they got many flights on them ;)

Only their "premium" customers flying heavily SQ's own C and F products get something serious back, with their PPS program.. and even that one isn't THAT good. LH's HON status is usually easier to make, and offers more benefits. But back to your case..

And for putting C flights into KrisFlyer, that would NOT be a good idea - unless you think 125% milage earning instead of 225% (once you hit FTL, 200% before) is good ;)

So, to make things short:

If you can make FTL (17.8k) this year on M&M, do it. You'll get the Exec. Bonus from January on, making SEN quicker that way. And you'll have lounge access in Europe, and some priority there. Also some advantages on SQ's flights - while it's not *G, FTL definitely isn't "no status" either.

If you can't make FTL this year (The next C flight is January to Europe?) then either make a quick 'n dirty A3 *G for 19k, and once you got it, make FTL, then SEN on LH in 2012 - might be a bit hard to make it to SEN, but with 3 C flights to Europe, and some connections there, and some flights in Y in Asia in 100% Y, should be still possible - and you always get *G benefits, even if you put the miles then in your M&M account.

Thanks a lot (again :D)

Actually, if I stay M&M I should make FTL, as I will fly ICN and PEK on SQ business class before the end of the year.

Next year, I will for sure do 2 RT to Europe in C (either SQ/LX/LH) and I am not so sure about the rest. That's why I can't be sure to hit SEN in 2012.

Anyway, you confirm that redeem miles is easier with M&M than KF ? Also what I took into account is that I have citipremier credit card here and can redeem on KF, where I can't on M&M.

BL

Hello to all of you,

Ok, first, I should say I don't know a lot about Star Alliance FF programs. I've been a quiet and static researcher before making a big turn in my life towards business. Now, I work in the Boston subsidary for a french company with headquarters in Paris. So I will have to do multiple back and forth trips between BOS and PAR, but may be also BOS-LAX.

(1) What is your home airport? BOS
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Y
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? >50k
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Nothing
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? I'm mainly looking for free tickets for personal vacation, then I guess access to lounge and upgrades
(6) Which routes do you fly most often BOS-PAR then BOS-LAX
(7) No preferences, which one would you recommend me ?
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Mainly work. My company pay only for economic rates, I can select any airlines...

That's it.
I hope I gave you enough details. Feel free if you have extra questions... And thank you very much to help me entering this new world :)

Shymere

I don't know about KF (I only fly on SQ, don't participate in their program) but I know that M&M is one of the programs with highest award availability. Not ultra-cheap, you've to pay for taxes/fuel on awards as well, but availability is higher. Also, M&M seems (not really officially, but you can find some reports on FT) to get some seats on SQ's premium classes that other *A members don't get. And given your main earning of miles will be flying C, there is absolutely no sense in putting them to KrisFlyer rather than M&M, as you simply gain almost double on the later. Even if KF is somehow a bit better at getting awards on SQ metal, you'll have much less miles to eventually get those flights. So I would definitely go towards M&M, making FTL this year, then SEN next year. But if other posters would think otherwise, I'm more than glad to be correct on this.

Hi Shymere, welcome :D

Well, the thing is, Paris is NOT a *A hub, as France is Skyteam-country.

So I've to first assume you really want to fly with *A rather than Skyteam? Because in your case, Skyteam MIGHT be the better option, especially when you can choose full-earning economy fares.

But anyway, if you would go with *A, for the transatlantic flights you definitely want to stay on any European *A, as their product is quite a bit ahead of that from North American airliners. You might even route yourself over New York->FRA on SQ - for that segment, their Y costs aren't that huge, and if you can buy full fare anyway, it won't be too much of a detour, as you would have to fly over FRA or ZRH anyway. So, it's either LH or LX via their hubs or SQ via New York/FRA. Other options will be quite a massive detour as much I know. Of course you could also choose any US-based-carrier, but from all I heard around, their international Y product isn't much to write home about (neither so is LH or LX, but comparing, they're probably better - otherwise, SQ will be the only choice for semi-comfortable transport)

Anyway, it doesn't really matter which metal you select, but this is about which program you'll put your miles into. Here, the US carriers are probably better - as you're going to have some transcontinental flights, where US carriers still give out some free domestic upgrades (I'll never understand the concept behind this, but that's apparently how things work in the US) - for their own elite customers. So you might want to become a top tier in the program of your prefered domestic carrier. Now, while you get free upgrades with this on your domestic lounges, the US carriers WILL NOT let you into their lounges, even as super duper elite. Another weird US-anomily, but things are as they're. So, you simply need a *G non-US card, and you're allowed in. Don't expect too much, lounges in the US are generally crap, and I mean crap compared with FRA C lounges ;)

As you won't have THAT much of flying, I suggest you make an easy *G on A3, where it needs only 19k miles, then you barely have to put miles into their program, but can enjoy full *G advantages including lounge access when flying US domestic. And it's the quickest way to *G anyway. After you've achieved it there, try to get Elite Status on any US-program. After all you're located in the US, so signing up for all those credit card stuff and getting tons of free award miles will be easy as pie ;)

To cut it short:
A3 *G first
Whatever US program you think their metal you'll be flying for those long transcontinental flights (United?)

But I guess some other posters located in the US might know much more regarding US-domestic issues..

@YuropFlyer

Thanks a lot YuropFlyer... For the time you spent and the details you provided in your reply...

Yeah.. I know that... I'd love to find a alliance with companies like JetBLues and AerLingus, because most of the time, those are the flights I booked. But unfortunately, they don't belong to an alliance as most of the lowcost companies...
Until now, I never used AirFrance, always more expensive than other airlines. Am I wrong ?
I could use AirIberia for transatlantic flights... but I had too many pbs with them :( So I thought LH would be a good compromise...

And yeah, everyone talk about the A3 program where Gold status seems very easy to acquire... seems like a good trick... but it feels weird to me to go with them when I never book any of their flights... but may be it's the good way to go !


Which one would you recommend ?


Did not get that part. Right now, I plan to do a USA-FRA back and forth trip every month. Even if I do it only 7 times in a year, I'm already above 50k. What's wrong with my arithmetic ?


Last Question for this post... if I get a first G card with for instance A3, then a second one for transcontinental flight, will my miles be accumulated on the same account ?


Thanks in advance for your reply,
Best,

Shymere

As a BOS based flyer (well PVD, but close enough ;)), I would suggest USairways for your profile. They are consistently the cheapest (legacy) airline ex-BOS (and ex- PVD/MHT as well), and their FFP offers some very good deals, both for mileage earning and redemption (they've got a great frequent flyer mall which you can use for earning and redemption, and they have some good deals for partner awards that you can use on international *A airlines)
US *G is reasonable to get, and once you get it, you will get decent benifits on LH/LX/AC/COUA as well.

BA/IB/AA are really scaling down their BOS operations, so I wouldn't suggest them. AF is also on the expensive side, you are correct.

Don't go for A3. A3 is good for someone who flies less than 50k miles per year. You fly more than that, so you are better off going with a FFP that gives better benifits.

Yuropflier was probably comparing your flying to the requirements of Miles and More (LH/LX FFP), which has some of the highest mileage tiers in the world...


No, which is why you should consolidate on one FFP per alliance. As I said earlier, for an ex-BOS flier who flies more than 50k a year, US air is a very strong option.

Just a few comments from my side - I'm glad you could help him with the questions regarding the flights Ex-BOS, especially US domestic.

Yes, I was comparing his flying pattern with those from real "heavy" flyers - I wouldn't call myself a heavy flyer, and yet I'm doing much more than 50k "b... in miles" - some flights to asia and back will easily do this trick :D

When he flies transatlantic on, say LH, A3 *G will bring him exactly the same benefits as flying it with US air's *G status.

And if he holds A3 *G, he will (even if using his US program to collect the miles on this flight) have lounge access when flying domestic, by simple presenting his card. Status is valid for 3 years without any further miles into the program, and it's super quick to get, for full *G advantages. Sure, having AFTERWARDS a go at a US-carrier *G status will be my idea as well, but making A3 *G first won't be bad. Quicker *G benefits, lounge access for domestic flights within the US (as well as in Europe.. when he gets no lounge in Paris AND FRA/ZRH for quite a while till he gets US *G, it will hurt him quite a bit!), in my eyes certainly not too bad.

But it's to everyone's own liking, of course :D

Yeah, I'm going to second the vote for Aegean as well, their qualification tiers are low so that there is little risk of losing your status. Also their redemption rates are pretty reasonable, especially 90K from US to Europe and North Africa in business.

Their redemption rates seem OK to me unless you are travelling through more than one region in which case they seem pretty high. Am I reading it right?

http://en.aegeanair.com/milesandbonu...n/spend-miles/

Miles & Bonus program is sector oriented. The passenger redeems for every flight number the miles corresponding to such flight.

Australia to UK in F, for example...
Far East - Oceania redemption @ 150K return
+
Far East - Europe redemption @ 200K return

So 350K for a SYD-LHR F class? UA want 200K.

However, they also have a Oceania - Europe award level @200K F class. I just don't understand how you'd get between the two regions on one *A sector.

If that's correct, it's a major reason that's keeping me away from M&B. Status to me is less important than reasonable redemption.

Hoping to be corrected...

Mark

Of course. My suggestion of US was based on a couple assumptions:
1)The OP cares about price ex-BOS (judging by their comments on EI and B6)
2)The OP is willing to fly US TATL (and US is often cheapest, and if not, usually very competitive)
3)The OP cares about RDM accumulation and redemption

Also, all the suggestions of A3 have a massive catch - many people are abusing their status by changing their program at the gate so it credits to a different program instead. If this keeps up, A3 will have no choice but to raise the tier levels.

The thing with Aegean is that people only (generally) earn elite status on A3 because they don't fly very often- like I said, 19K for 3-year status is very generous. If they fly enough to hit US Chairmans or LH HON then they will obviously not be crediting to A3*. Hence A3's lounge bills will be limited.

*except for the lounge access, but the number UA 1K/US CP who also credit to A3 for free lounge access is probably limited, and more expensive than a RCC/US Club pass.

Thanks a lot guys for all your comments ! That's terrific !

After reading all you said, I think I will go for one of the US program.
Prefer to get all my miles on one card rather than splitting them.

I love to go simple... mind serenity is no price :)

Any other advice concerning US programs from *A for a guy living in BOS and booking flights for Paris, England, and CA ?

Extra information : Seems in 2012, OnePass (Continental) and MilesAge+ (United) will merge, so it seems a good program to join... is it a dumb idea ?

Thanks in advance !

Shymere

No, DO NOT JOIN OnePass or MileagePlus. Since they are merging, the airline has more elites than they know what to do with, so they are severely slashing benifits. Also, more people to compete with on UDU - 1Ks/Plats take most...

As for booking to Paris, England, and CA, an important thing to keep in mind (especially if flying US, UA, CO, or AC) is that PVD is a great alternative airport - the connection between MBTA (Providence/Stoughton Line departing from South Station/Back Bay) is very convenient to get to the airport, although since it is a new stop, the scheduling is weird and at times very inconvenient. Often, PVD is cheaper than BOS.

A3 program is segment based for redemptions on A3. For redemptions on partners it is same as all other airlines - your ultimate destination is what matters