Does status on two *A partners make sense?
 

What other *A partner would you earn miles on if you had to fly mostly United Airlines?

I am a US-based, mostly Y flier with about 20% International travel. I have achieved PremEx, but I see little point in trying for 1K because 1) I likely won't achieve it in time and 2) It does not provide significantly more benefits to me than does PremEx. Nonetheless, I am frequently required to travel United by my workplace policies. As a result, I am tempted to apply my United miles to another Star partner for status there as well.

For example, I might fly another 25K miles before the end of the year. I could apply those miles to Lufthansa M&M, add another 10K miles in 2003 and get their mid-tier status. I would still have enough time in 2003 to get PremEx again on United, and I would have some miles and status to burn on Lufthansa as well.

Of course, I realize that I would lose my 100% mileage bonus while applying flights to the other status. Furthermore, I'm not sure what advantage there is to having status on two different Star partners. Of course, the whole calculus could change if United goes bankrupt.

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions on which partner you would choose and also whether this whole concept makes sense.

Many thanks.

LH miles&more changes to calendar year status earning periods per jan-1-2003!

If getting status is very important to you, then 10K miles will get you silver on Thai ROP. But the programme hasn't got much else to recommend it.

I'd probably go for LH M&M for my 'second programme', even if you won't get status this year.

The sole advantge of having *A Gold status in another carier, based on your profile, would be to get to RCC without paying any fee whenever flying UA domestic.

Varig allows you to accrue status based on your best 12 months in a row. Moreover if you accrue the 50K any month next year you'll have it till 31.March.2005.

Varig won't offer you any bonuses unless flying RG or RG subs.

Check Varig's website if you want to enroll.

If you're only going to do 25-35K more, go for AC *G, which only requires 35K to qualify, and would get you into the RCC's..

Surely though if you have status on UA and start using you LH card you'll show up on the system as a flyer without status rather than as an exulted (?!?!) Star Gold flyer.

Unless I'm missing something......

Stephen

Not if you change your FF number to (say) LH at the gate, once upgrades have cleared. There is a risk to this (gate agent not knowing how to change the number) but this is usually remedied by having the number deleted entirely and then seeking retroactive credit.

and if the gate is a zoo of unrully passengers staffed by prison matrons?

and if the gate is a zoo of unrully passengers staffed by prison matrons?

4 possibilities:
* change at check-in, after the upgrade question has been solved
* change in the Lounge
* change at the gate
* change by calling your travel agent (before boarding)

Most of you have probably encountered this problem:
Your LH M&M number/status does not print on the UA BP.
I had an angel at the SNA RCC find out what the problem is.
UA uses two systems for check-in/reservations....APOLLO and FAST-AIR.
Most UA CSR's use Apollo, as it has been around longer, but
THE NUMBER WILL ONLY SHOW IF IT IS ENTERED IN FAST-AIR.0649
© by Pacha http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks for all the suggestions. The point about the RCCs is interesting - I hadn't thought of that. But, according to my calculations, to do the 10K Thai status level (the lowest *G level available), I would have to give up 20K miles on UA (10K status + 10K bonus), which at $0.02 per mile is $400, about the cost of a year's membership to the RCC. OTOH, I would still have 10K miles on Thai to use for... uh... for... something...

Given that, I'm hard pressed to see a reason for a 2nd *A membership. Would I possibly receive better treatment on an intenrational flight if I were a "native" FF rather than a *A FF? Better upgrade/award seat availability? A nicer wink from a pretty stewardess, maybe?

(edited to eliminate a question to which I found the answer)

[This message has been edited by IFlySJC (edited 10-08-2002).]

The Thai status you are talking about is not *Gold, but *Silver, which wouldn't be worth anything to you (imo).

The best way to get around the missed bonus miles, is to start off with LH status (SEN *G) and then have UA comp you 1P. I did it this way, and thus never missed out on any status bonus miles, and have since requalified....