(1) What is your home airport? SEA
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy? Usually Y on ST for work
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 100k+ for work but none on *A
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? Delta DM
(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Earn/Burn for First and Business Award Redemption on *A
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc) US Domestic on ST, but looking to travel transpacific to SE Asia and South Pacific on *A
(7) Preferred Airlines: who ever offers good hard product on *A
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? pleasure

I am looking to credit my hotel, car and credit card miles to a *A FF program and trying to figure out which one is better. I have about 50K points in CO onepass and 100K in US DM currently. Thanks for your help in advance.

+1
This is not just about free bags as *A silver and lounge as *A gold.
A3 has a 50% penalty on award cancellations when I read the rules!
ANA is good but has real restrictions
OZ is great for US residents with the BofA credit card (2 miles per dollar) and for short trips.
I also think US is undervalued - you can always buy miles to top up and they do not charge YQ as yet. So for non us residents, it is easy to top up and a lot of fares get 100% RDM credit.
UA/CO is good for the US flyer near any hub as the network is now among the biggest / best.

Either UA/CO or US would do.
I would give the nod to UA for Chase and the Sapphire Ultimate Rewards cards (as the points can go tot hotel rooms as well).
US will leave *A if it ever gets the money to buy AA (?never)

If you're flying in 100k+ miles a year in full Y or business, Miles And More (LH/LX/OS) is the program for you. SEN status is hugely beneficial when flying on Lufthansa Group airlines, with shots at op-ups, etc.

DM is better than Onepass from a redemption perspective, and since it seems like that is all you're looking for, I'd stick with US.

Thanks for your comment. What differentiates DM from Onepass from a redemption perspective?

1)Rules are more flexible
2)Less fees charged for redemption
3)Easy and cheap to buy miles in order to top off your account for a redemption
4)In some cases, like USA-India, US used to be cheaper - not sure about now...

Hi all,

Currently a DL PM looking at 200K miles in 2012 with the pace accelerating. Considering other programs. May I please ask your thoughts on switching to one of the other alliances?

(1) What is your home airport? ABQ - but that should not impact this decision

(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? YBM on TATL & SLUT on Domestic with very high percentage of upgrades on Delta for my domestic routes

(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 100K in 2011 looking at 200K in 2012

(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? DL PM

(5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Frequent upgrades on travel & priority services when flying the airline would be my top two!

(6) Which routes do you fly most often ABQ to most major U.S. cities domestically + 3 or so E.U. trips + 2 South Africa + Occasional Japan

(7) Preferred Airlines I was very loyal to Delta but they don't like their customers very much. Since we don't want to impose on them, we are looking at alternatives.

(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? 98% of flights are for work. I am senior management and can set policy for the firm including preferred carrier status.

Wouldn't it be easier to say that, for all those flying less than 20k per year, the best bet is A3? Luggage allowance (seriously, who really takes THAT much luggage when flying? ), priority check-in, boarding and lounge access are good enough for, let's say "<20k flyers".

When it comes to redeeming, of course, it's another question. But if your fav airlines are in *A and you don't fly that much a year, then A3 is a good bet (for the moment).

A bit simplistic approach I know...

IMHO Star Gold is worth it -I usually travel with 2 or 3 x32 kg bags after shopping in NYC to/from USA transatlantic/transpacific -
If you are interested in redemptions and free upgrades then UA *G is good - if u travel to/from/intra USA - also UA have good LH redemptions with low taxes bookable online (cf SQ and their massive taxes and massive points required for Y Saver Awards -i wouldnt even bother) LH is good so u can use lounges intra-USA when flying *A intra USA LH Senator is nice for seat blocking and lasts longer then Mileage Plus status - just be prepared to fight for your rightful baggage allowance as Star Gold esp at MUC!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess for just lounge access and an extra 20KG when flying weight concept via ASIA/Europe then A3 would be good for lounge access, extra baggage - here u have to be weary if travelling from ATH as you may have to fight for your rightful baggage allowance (from personal experience ever since A3 joined Star, last year and this year with flights domestic and international on A3) - as for redemptions Im not A3 Gold so can't comment

Have you considered US Airways?

Their new TATL Business product is fantastic, you basically have a guaranteed upgrade on domestic flights if you have PLT status or higher, and they haven't been "enhancing" like UA and DL have been recently...

Redemption is really good - no fuel surcharges, easy to buy extra miles to top off your account.

When flying internationally, *G is well received by most European and Asian carriers.

However, one downside is that I think they only service ABQ from PHX, meaning that you will need to double connect to get to some cities...

Hey guys, I am with AirNZ Airpoints. V hard so switching. Two scenarios.

My mother; would Air Canada be better because the reward tickets are among the least required with SIA, ANA etc .. but AC has a 7yr expiry. BMI has less points for rewards but uncertainty with the Diamond Club.
(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.)
Wellington, New Zealand
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
Generally W fares or T fares.
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
<25k. Once yearly return NZ - HK which is 12K or return to Vancouver from NZ. Not too sure much much miles that is. 24k return?? Occasionally maybe double to that.
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Premier, M&M Senator etc)
No, not interested in status.
(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.)
Free reward tickets - international tickets to HKG or Canada from NZ.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
NZ - HKG or Canada return.
(7) Preferred Airlines
N/A
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?)
Pleasure, can fully choose.


Now for me:
(1) What is your home airport? (SFO, LAX, MCO, etc.)
Wellington, New Zealand
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? (C, F, Y, etc.)
W or T fares international. Much of the time I go with lower cost carriers like Air Asia.
(3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? (<25K, 25k-50k, >50k)
<25k. Maybe 12 - 30k a year.
(4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? (UA Premier, M&M Senator etc)
No as AirNZ is too hard to get.
(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.)
A mixture but maybe more with Gold Star Alliance perhaps.
(6) Which routes do you fly most often (US Domestic, Transpacific etc)
International to Asia maybe.
(7) Preferred Airlines
N/A maybe Star Alliance.
(8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?)
Pleasure, economy class etc ... much of the time low cost carriers now and then the normal W or T economy fares which gets points with a Star Alliance carrier.

Would I be best to go with Asiana? I can get Gold easier spread over two years. Once I got Gold with fire sale tickets which with a NZ or Asian FF programme I get no points, but I can still access lounges etc .. And they require 78,000M for reward ticket (NZ - Asia return). Versus AC, ANA, SIA they need 60,000M. Not that huge of a difference. That's like an extra economy fare NZ - Asia that I need to do. Plus Asiana has a v long expiry date.

I should add that on both instances; we fly out of Auckland or Christchurch, NZ. Wellington does not cater much to intl flights other than using AirNZ or Qantas to Australia.
SIA, ANA getting Gold is more harder per year. And their points expire faster.

Perhaps Aegean is better? They have 3 year validity instead of 2...

2yr? From where?

Asiana has a 10yr or 12yr for Elite members right. Air Canada has a 7yr expiry if you keep it active each yr or do a donation.

Asiana lets you accrue the elite points over 2yrs of 40,000M to get gold.
Aegean is 16,000M every year. But Aegean only gives 0.70pt per mile flown. So more/less the same but Asiana may give more flexibility over the 2yrs? It's not certain that I always may make 16,000M on Aegean or 70% accrued of that is about 20,000M per year. Asiana just gives me a bit more flexibility. Like from New Zealand to Asia is generally only 12,000-14,000M distance wise (return). Asiana gives up to 14,000pt while Aegean gives 0.7 * 14,000 = 9800.

No no, not mileage expiry. Status expiry. Mileage doesn't expire with Aegean.
If you take 2 trips to Asia, 11 months from each other, then you will get *G for 3 years.