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Star Alliance. Stick with SQ or switch to TK?
Last year I flew to Melbourne on SQ and registered with Kris Flyer. I have just flown TK and am likely to fly them more in future. Does it make a difference which Star Alliance programme I am on - ie should I switch from SQ's Kris to TK's Miles & Smiles? Are the miles I would earn the same whichever programme I am on, and would it make a difference in redeeming them, ie are they equally redeemable across all Star Alliance carriers? Also, TK's blurb in their magazine said you can 'transfer miles' on their programme - does that mean I can transfer my SQ miles across to TK, or is it talking about transferring miles earned on TK to another TK flyer?
Home airport: LON Buy economy <25k miles I have basic Kris Flyer Redemption or upgrade are important Usually fly Europe and Israel (pleasure); occasional Africa/Asia on business No great preference on airline, though Turkish seem good and well networked. |
Home Airport: SCL (Santiago de Chile)
Economy (discount to full fare) MIA-SCL (on AA and LA) Less than 25k... Elite status on OneWorld. Is there an airline like A3 with low elite requirements in OneWorld? |
Originally Posted by dep
(Post 20312623)
I have read the sticky basic info on the *A FF programs and I know that I am borderline for the base <50k recommendations. I also have a slightly odd travel pattern, so I'm hopping some of the FT regulars will have some sage advice. (Apologies in advance if this is long.) First the basics:
(1) What is your home airport? LIS (Lisbon, PT) (2) What types of fares do you usually buy? All economy discount, with some flexibility over the exact class (e.g., I can usually request and get economy tickets with classes that earn miles so long as they price jump isn't too great. However, normally full Y is not available.) (3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? For the last two years I have flown 35k-45k each year. This year I was about 5k short of 50k (*A gold for me on UA). My patterns will likely keep me in the just shy of 50K range for the next few years, but I might cross the boundary. (4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? I have been *A silver on CO/UA for the last three years. (5) What is most important to you in a FFP? I would like to be able to spend miles for TATL or long-haul upgrades and redemption for regional travel in Europe and the East, extra luggage allowances (especially ski/snowboard equip) and lounge access (in that order of importance). (6) Which routes do you fly most often? I fly approximately 2-3 TATL trips a year to the US, 1-2 TPAC trips to china/Japan and a few regional flights around the EU. There is usually one long-haul odd-ball. Most of my miles earned are on the long-haul trips, especially as some of the EU regional flights don't earn miles on any class below Y. (7) Preferred Airlines? I have enjoyed AC, LH, LX in the past (and originally, I found CO reasonable, but the post-merger experience, except for the E+, hasn't impressed me). A good quality economy service is the most important, plus easy flights ex-LIS. UA and TP (and US, with a limited schedule) have the only directs to the US. (8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? I am an academic, and my travel is a combination of work and pleasure. I often dovetail trips to maximize the benefit of a TATL or TPAC flight. However, I travel within the EU for pleasure and am mixing low-cost carriers with my the majors depending on benefits (e.g. luggage allowances) and routes. My three big questions are": Should I abandon UA MP for one of the three recommended FPs for flyers who don't cross 50k a year or a EU program or a different FP? If I should switch, would getting miles on the EU carriers that I'm likely to fly (LH,LX) be better or getting more status on one of the three recommended for <50k. Finally, based on my review of the <50k programs, the Miles&Smiles seemed likely to be the best for my pattern, but I am concerned that I may have missed something regarding either the qualifying miles or redemption availability so any advice would be appreciated. I was told in the past (here) that based on my travel patterns the US carriers benefits and redemption policies might make up for the lower achievable status. However, the reduction in benefits for UA MP silver (especially the TATL bag allowance) has made be reconsider. One last question, which I realize isn't necessarily for this forum, is is there any chance that One World or Skyteam would be better for my flight patterns? This year I think I'm already committed to *A but I could consider changing for next year if the FT community recommended it. Thanks in advance for you time and advice. I am in a somewhat similar position due to also being in Europe. A while ago I spent quite some time comparing programs to come up with what was best for me. What I came up with (and implemented) served me really well, meaning that I traveled mostly on Business, but rarely paid a business fare - I found that with a good strategy I can get an upgrade for the majority of my trips, while also having lounge access almost all of the time + the other goodies. If you want to go with *A, I would recommend US Airways. Why? - They sell their miles like crazy - every year I've been with them they would have like a dozen mile sales, often with 100% extra (the last one in Feb this year), so it is very easy to get award tickets and upgrades at half price - and not only on US Air, but also LH, etc. For example, before I switched to OW, I usually flew LH Business to the US all the time by buying 50k miles from US Airways, getting another 50k as a bonus, so a Business ticket on LH would cost me 50k miles = about $1800 + a few hundred bucks in taxes. There is no other way you can buy a LH TATL Biz ticket for that price. The same "50% off" goes for upgrades. With the AA merger, this may change (haven't seen a mile sale since the merger announcement) but until then, I hope to see a few more and if I do, I will stack up on Dividend miles, because they are still good (especially at half price) if I need an upgrade or award ticket on any *A airline, and after the merger, they will be most likely converted to AA miles 1:1 (which, in my opinion, are more valuable). - If you are close to a level, you can "buy up" with US Airways. If you barely miss it, you can spend a few hundred bucks and get your *Gold for a few hundred bucks. If you also consider OW, I found AA to be the best program in OW (for my purposes anyway). - If you are new to AA, you can do a Platinum Challenge with AA, fly just 10k miles (DO read the small letters, because not everything counts, and even miles that count may not count 1:1 for the challenge) and enjoy the AA PLT benefits for a year. If you make it to the 50k line, you will continue as a PLT. - you can use your miles for award tickets or upgrades on some really good airlines (better than AA in my opinion) e.g. British, Cathay Pacific, Quantas. You also get OW Sapphire status, which is roughly the same as *Gold. Hope this helps. |
United status match
Hey - not much life here as of late - anybody reading this? ;)
I just submitted my status match request to United (while I was still AA PLT). How much does it usually take to get a reply? |
anybody here?
Originally Posted by EU-US
(Post 20343396)
Hey - not much life here as of late - anybody reading this? ;)
I just submitted my status match request to United (while I was still AA PLT). How much does it usually take to get a reply? I was wondering similar questions. Seems like everyone was quick to submit their data, but not many offering suggestions. I submitted a status match request from United silver to both Turkish and to KLM and have not received replies from either one in 6 weeks. I have 48k miles, so silver with UA but enough for gold on Turkish or KLM--didn't have time for a mileage run but should have done it before the end of the year. So I'm sticking with United and hoping to cross the 50k this year. I am miffed that I did not receive even the courtesy of a reply from TA or KLM. I succumbed to the United Club card offers so I can access lounges until I can hopefully get back above 50k this year. I may not keep it but will enjoy the access during this years travels. It's free the first year but a whopping yearly fee after. Hope you get some answers to your status match request. |
(1) What is your home airport?
YHZ (2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Y - usually discount economy (e.g. Flex/T+ on AC) (3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? ~25k/yr (4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? A3*G (5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Award redemption rates (6) Which routes do you fly most often Transborder Canada/US and domestic Canada. I'm about to start looking into Europe/Asia, but not for the next 1-2 years. (7) Preferred Airlines I fly on AC or UA mainly because of their proximity. (8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? I travel mainly for pleasure; however, my work may cause me to start travelling more soon, in which case, I can still choose the airline; however, they would require me to fly discount economy. |
Originally Posted by pewpew
(Post 20414203)
(1) What is your home airport?
YHZ (2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Y - usually discount economy (e.g. Flex/T+ on AC) (3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? ~25k/yr (4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? A3*G (5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Award redemption rates (6) Which routes do you fly most often Transborder Canada/US and domestic Canada. I'm about to start looking into Europe/Asia, but not for the next 1-2 years. (7) Preferred Airlines I fly on AC or UA mainly because of their proximity. (8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? I travel mainly for pleasure; however, my work may cause me to start travelling more soon, in which case, I can still choose the airline; however, they would require me to fly discount economy. |
Loss of BD, what other options?
Hi
So, I used to be with BD (partly because I lived in the UK and had the cc FFP). Now looking for another *A option. Thanks in advance for suggestions. (1) What is your home airport? HKG (2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Econ / Discounted J (3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? <25K but sometimes within the 25-50k mark depending on year. (4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it? No status (5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Probably at my level, just decent reward redemption and decent miles claiming, status would be good, but I know that is a tough one. Also would like miles not to expire. (6) Which routes do you fly most often? Mainly Asia, will do one flight to UK and one flight to Canada a year as well. (7) Preferred Airlines? No preference (8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? All pleasure! I should add, based on a quick read here I'm guessing A3 is the best option for me? I do have about 1,500 miles with AC, but I am presuming unless I live in Canada, AC wouldn't be the best for me? I do have one long-haul HKG-YVR-YYC coming up this summer and a few HKG-BKKs trips with TG as well (all in Y). |
(1) What is your home airport: SFO
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy: Economy B, Y, K (and economy plus O) (3) How many miles do you usually fly each year: 50k+ (4) Do you have any kind of status at present? What is it: AAdvantage platinum (5) What is most important to you in a FFP: upgrades on travel (incl on partner/alliance metal), good reward availability (including alliance airlines). Would be nice to be able to xfer Starwood points, but United ratio is poor (2:1) (6) Which routes do you fly most often: SFO-ARN (7) Preferred Airlines: Lufthansa, SAS (really don't like United!) (8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? (Can you chooose your airlines, class of service?): Work, travel policies mandate economy or economy + fares with some price restrictions (full fare sometimes too high) |
(1) What is your home airport? LAX
(2) What types of fares do you usually buy ? Y (3) How many miles do you usually fly each year? 25k-50k (4) Do you have any kind of status at present? AA Gold/OW Ruby (5) What is most important to you in a FFP? Ease of travel (6) Which routes do you fly most often? Transpac, US Domestic (7) Preferred Airlines: AA, JL, AS, CX (8) Do you travel for work or pleasure? Pleasure; ex-heavy MRer This might go against all logic, but I may be taking a flight between city pairs that a OW carrier does not serve. Besides UA, it's unlikely that I'll ever fly a *A carrier, so I don't mind burning a status-match just to get the small creature comforts of *S. Are there any *A carriers currently matching to OW Rubies, and can do it in the next 3 weeks? Thanks. |
If you're looking for status, why don't you credit to A3? *S for 3 years, just for flying 3k miles :)
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Originally Posted by PVDtoDEL
(Post 20465724)
If you're looking for status, why don't you credit to A3? *S for 3 years, just for flying 3k miles :)
I'm looking for insta-status for that one flight, and I'm not taking any random *A flights before then. If nothing comes of it, I'll just sign up and credit those flights on the 0.001% chance I flight *A again in the next 3 years. Thanks. |
Need advice: Which FF program
Hi
I am hoping you all can suggest what program would be best for this. Here is the goal, I am trying to get enough miles to sample the first class in SQ/LH through award tickets for the Mrs and I. Initially I was planning on racking up the miles in United MilagePlus, however I was reading that it is near impossible to get award flights between N. America and SIN unless one is using KrisFlyer points. So perhaps I should send all miles on AC/UA flights to my KrisFlyer acct. I am based in Canada (YWG) so most of the miles will come from long haul mileage runs on UA/AC or other *A flights. Currently LAX->SIN SQ first is ~$13K so for two people the total cost would be $26K. Another goals is EK first class with AS points (that is a topic for a different board). Is this a workable plan? or are there better options? |
Need advice: Which FF program
you can devote your efforts to MR points then transfer them to krisflyer. maybe you can rack up points with those cards. but if you're Canadian that might be a bit harder
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Need advice: Which FF program
How many points you need in kris flyer for a business class and first class ticket
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