Infrequent flyer
 

My wife doesn't fly very often, and when she does it's usually on discount economy tix. At the moment she is in Thai's ROP (just got to silver), but I don't rate it much. Is there a better Star programme for her? Main requirements are all fares qualify and no mileage expiry. Getting Status isn't so important since she is usually travels with me.

Please have a look at BlondeBombers's StarAlliance frequent-flier-programs comparison sheet.

http://members.shaw.ca/deercroft/download.html

And then don't hesitate to ask additional questions about the details of a program or two that make it to the final evaluation.

Thanks. I was aware of BB's website, but thought this just covered the benefits of different *G's. However, having looked again it does contain enough info. To my surprise, it's probably worth her staying with TG. We'll just have to live with the 3-year miles expiry.

Have you thought about AC's Aeroplan? (I can't believe I'm doing this)

-all fares count
-miles don't expire
-get *S with only 18,000 miles

Or UA's M+?

-all fares count
-miles don't expire
-can upgrade using points

I'd sort of ruled out UA due to the risk of the airline expiring before the miles.

Aeroplan looks promising. I guess the 50% rule on LH flights won't be an issue in practice. But is this really true (from https://www.aeroplan.com/en/collect/...idland.jsp)...

"Not eligible: ... code-share flights operated by any bmi british midland code-share partner other than Air Canada".

Does this mean UA-coded flights on BD metal don't count?

[This message has been edited by small em (edited 10-15-2002).]

Never noticed that although I seriously doubt it. What I suspect they mean are the wide range of non *A airlines that have codesharing agreements with BD for feeder traffic. (Like SA, VS, etc)

The 50% credit for non-transatlantic flights on LH is indeed a drawback which bugs me more and more. Unless (you and) your wife plan to do a great deal of longhaul travel on LH it shouldn't really be an issue.

I'm not so sure. If you compare it with Aeroplan's page for earning on SQ (for example), this says "Not eligible: charter flights and code-share flights operated by any Singapore Airlines code-share partner other than Star Alliance airlines."

I'll check it out with my contact at AC and report back

Slightly off topic, but when I had a look at the above link, I noticed that e.g. LH SEN get "100% Thai econo" additional bonus. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean that for all Thai Y class flights, I'll get 25% bonus Status miles plus another 100% bonus (or even Status???) miles? Sounds too good to be true...

Any ideas?

------------------
May Your Senator Status Always Be With You!!! :-)

Every M&M member earns 100% flown miles (minimum 500 miles) on any published fare. 25% Executive Bonus for Senators and Frequent Travellers.

Sorry, I don't get it either. Don't you get 100% flown miles on any fare for any Star carrier?

(Edited for incorrect bolding!)

[This message has been edited by small em (edited 10-23-2002).]

any miles&more member gets (members with Frequent Flier or Senator status get), whoever they fly from the StarAlliance partners:
100% (125%)mileage credits in eco
200% (250%)mileage credits in business
300% (375%)mileage credits in first

and the following minimum miles apply 125% in eco if you have status, 200/250% in business, 300%/375% in first:UA: 1000 minimum miles
SK: 500 minimum miles for flights within Scandinavia (excl. Finland), all other flights 1000 minimum miles ("The Norwegian antitrust authority’s most recent decision has further restricted options for earning miles on SAS domestic flights in Norway. Effective August 1, 2002, Miles & More members will no longer be able to earn miles for flights on these routes. However, this restriction does not apply to award flights: you can continue to redeem miles for flights on these routes.")
OS, VO, NG: 1000 minimum miles
SQ: 500 minimum miles
AC: 1000 minimum miles for international flights, 1000 minimum miles for flights within Canada when booked in Y or M, 500
minimum miles otherwise
NZ: 500 minimum miles
AN: 500 minimum miles
BD: 1000 minimum miles
MX: 500 minimum miles within Mexico, 1000 minimum miles for international flights
TG: 500 minimum miles
RG: 1000 minimum miles
NH: 1000 minimum miles only for international flights
© by curt http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

And all of the above miles (including class and status boni) count as status miles.

Indeed. So why is TG singled out for special mention in BlondeBomber's table?

small em asked: So why is TG singled out for special mention in BlondeBomber's table?

My knowledge about *A FFPs other than M&M is very poor. As I answered your question this morning I had ANAs Mileage Club in mind. But I looked it up now and the 50% or 70% flown mileage “discount” on cheap coach class fares goes for all *A carriers and not only for TG. So this could not be the reason.

But if you look at the chart, BlondeBomber singled out TG in ACs, LHs, NZs & UAs FFP. Maybe BlondeBomber can help us here.

No, unfortunately not. For example, AC gives you only 50% of miles flown on LH Y class non-transatlantic routes, and 70% on ANA in Y.

Doesn't UA still give only 50% for nontranstlantic LH flights too ?

Obviously didn't myself clear. Maybe I should have said "Don't M&M members get 100% flown miles for any fare for any Star carriers?"

[This message has been edited by small em (edited 10-25-2002).]

From my experience the first point is not entirely true: I couldn't put the miles of my flight from Europe to SYD on OS in booking class Q in M+ but had to use LH M&M instead. So I guess, UA does not honor all booking classes on all carriers...

small em

Spoke to AC about this and they admitted that the website was pretty poor. In the BD section, take out the words 'Air Canada' and replace with 'Star Alliance airlines'.

So LH/UA/etc codeshares on BD do count

I'm very surprised to hear that UA does not accept OS Q miles...have you tried to take it up with them?

I asked them beforehand and since I'm also using LH M&M, I just decided that I would put the miles there. You are probably right that I should have taken it up with them, because it would have given me Premier Status (together with another flight I took in January this year). Too late http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Anyway, the reply I got looked very decicive to me. That's probably why I just took it as is. See for yourself:
Hello yogimh49,

Thank you for contacting us.

There are only certain classes of service that you can purchase and
receive miles on Austrian Air: J, C, Y, D, M, H, B, W, V, G, or S. Any
other classes are not eligible for Mileage Plus credit.

I appreciate this opportunity to be of assistance and look forward to
serving you again.