I'm looking for a program to consolidate all my star alliance (ua/lh/sk/thai/sq/...) miles in. Since I'm in the U-S, UNITED would seem the most obvious, but, quite frankly, I dislike the airline. Which other STAR program is best? I care mostly about recognition rather than awards. Expecting to hit top-tier on selected airline in 2001.

thanks! peter!

So much depends on your travel patterns and goals, but since UA is not being considered, I'd have to say that LH is the next best thing.

Can you provide more detail re: your situation? home airport, class of service, destinations, goals & objectives, to name just a few?

I have only flown LH in Europe, but I agree they are good.



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I fly therefore I am!

LH with a US address is a good program.

35k miles will get status (the miles pile up quickly in F (300% with a 3000 mile minimum credit per segment) or C (200% with a 2000 mile minimum credit per segment).

International one class upgrades cost 20k miles.

Status gets you into the lounges (no membership fees), 25% milage bonus, wait list priority.

SEN (100k miles) gets 1st class baggage allowance on all flights, guarenteed booking on LH, access to star gold lounges.

There has been a good discussion on several threads. Go here first:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum82/HTML/000220.html

and check out the comparison chart:

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BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2000: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm

Sorry to ask... but:
What is "LH"?



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Goldlust

LH=Lufthansa
AC=Air Canada
UA=United Airlines
SK=Scandinavian (SAS)
NZ=New Zealand
NH=All Nippon (ANA)
AN=Ansett Australia
RG=Varig
MX=Mexicana
etc.

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BlondeBomber's Star Alliance Gold Comparison Chart 2000: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
flyers'places - restaurant, bar & hotel recommendations: http://www.flyersplaces.com

Quick Question for all the LH gurus regarding lounge access. If i am a Frequent Traveller can I use the RCC? My guess would be no and if I am UA 2P /Star Silver can I use LH C class lounges?
(Note: I am only 2P, not Frequent Traveler, but of my 35,000 YTD miles on star about 28,000 have been in LH C class, thus I am considering switching programs in O1, just wondering which ones had better lounge options.

Nope, neither. Both LH FQTV and UA Premier are * Silver which give you no reciprocal lounge access.

With only 35K, your best bet is probably going to be AC. Doesn't look like you will fly enough to get SEN on LH (needs 100K, and even with 200% in C, you still need to fly 50K). Without SEN, no lounge access on other * carriers.

However, 35K gets you AC �lite, which will suffice for * Gold, which gives you lounge access across *.

if you fly only paid business, then, once you have achieved 35'000 status miles with LH you become frequent flyer and then yowill be creditet 250% on paid business flights.

So in total, only flying paid business with LH, to become Senator for at least 2 years (!), you have to fly:

(35'000 : 2 =) 17'500 flights miles to become Frequent Flier
(65'000 : 2,5 =) 26'000 flight miles to become Senator

= a total of 43'500 flight miles in paid business to become Senator for two years, which looks better to me than the AC minimum miles which qualify 'just' for one year.

If you fly paid eco, than AC is probably your best bet.

On a similar theme, a friend asked me about swtiching to AC from UA. They're both UA PremEx, fly USA/HKG about 2 or 3 times a year (discounted economy) and 5 or 6 E/W coast returns.

This year the bonuses they've got make UA well worhtwhile, but after reading through the posts, seems like might be worth them considering switching to AC next year.

Important considerations for them are (in order of importance) (A) cheap fare (B) bonus miles (C) availabilty of WAS-LAX reward tickets on UA with AC miles (for last minute travel) (D) access to the lounges.

(A) is a definite plus (WAS-HKG consisently cheap on AC thru TISS) (C) I've never had a problem, but have only done this a couple of times, (D) obviously a plus...what about B ??

While, as both BlondeBomber and Rudi stated, neither LH FTL nor UA 2P will give you any reciprocal lounge privileges, LH FTL does give you lounge access to all LH Business and FTL lounges plus all OS Business Lounges plus contracted third party lounges.

CTANK, what are the airports you use most?

In the membership guide I received with my first FTL-Card it clearly states that a FTL may use the RCC!

My membership guide says that I may use the RCC's when flying international Business Class. It is new to me that LH FTL can use any RCC when not flying FC or BC although I would like that very much. Do you have any URL for this or can you please post the exact wording?


[This message has been edited by curt (edited 11-30-2000).]