Comparison of Miles earned in 3 star programs
 

I have been keeping track all year of miles earned and what would have been earned in other Star Alliance programs. I have been watching for bonus promotions on the routes that I fly in all programs.

Here is my summary to end of August. (Note that this year I have earned miles about equally from Transatlantic and North American travel. North American travel is largely in Canada).

My total miles is about 3X on AC compared to either UA or LH! Status miles on AC are about equal to LH but double UA's! Would be interested if others do similar tracking (watching for bonuses and other promos) and what there results are.

AC (as SuperElite)
Total miles including bonuses: 194,121
Total status miles: 63,266

LH (as Senator)
Total miles including bonuses 64,519
Total status miles: 64,519

UA (as 1K)
- see final post for correction

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 07-01-2003).]

Is it the SE Threshold bonuses that do it?

Will you make SE again this year?!

Dorian

It's a combination of threshold bonuses (35000 miles for 25K, 50K and 60K miles flown plus another 10000 miles for 5 flights and 10 flights in another promo--the one where Calgary residents got extra:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum5/HTML/000158.html )
plus I got 50000 miles in that 199mine promo this last winter/spring plus they were giving out double miles on the base miles for all the flights from January to March.

I should have no problem making SE again even though I haven't been in a plane for 3 months (until yesterday). In this week and a half I will be doing 4 return short trips and then I have several transcontinental and Europe flights to do later in the year.

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 08-29-1999).]

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 06-01-2000).]

So BlondeBomber, does this mean I should quit UA's program and join AC's instead? Would this actually benefit me given that I would travel on UA 99% of the time rather than AC?

Let's say AC comped me to the equivalent of UA's Premier Exec. Would I still have the same upgrade potential on UA flights? Does it matter if the flights are not AC code-shares? Would UA flight miles count as AC status miles? Would my mileage earnings still be 2-3 times UA's overall?

No MileKing it wouldn't benefit you unless you were looking at trying to only earn more miles or if you do a lot of international flying that you could substitute AC for your UA flights by routing through Canada. If your goal is to earn upgrades and you fly mostly in the continental US, then UA will fit you better. Also, UA lets you purchase upgrades with miles--AC does not.

Some of the AC promos gave you bonus miles on any Star Alliance carrier while others were only good on AC planes.

As a SuperElite AC flyer, I get lots of free upgrades on AC flights (including international ones) at any fare and have had 100% success. Who knows if they will continue that in 2000?

I keep checking each program though to make sure I am getting what I want. In my case it works out to more miles and all of the upgrades I want on the carrier I fly the most (AC).

I can do a similar comparison with my 4'ish programmes - AC, UA, LH and AN too. Well, maybe not UA as I accumulate miles from hotel stays and creditcards on them only. My AC accumulation has been pretty low this year (mostly because I am not a resident of Canada at the moment, and hence have missed out on several promotions). AN is okay - they calculate their miles in kilometers, and award status miles on ALL their air partners which include STAR alliance and other airline partners. Not too many promotions there this year either.

Now Lufthansa seem to have all these unpublished promotions that I came across only by accident. One , for flying on a daytime flight between Frankfurt and Singapore in First Class, offered a 15K bonus - IF you registered by filling in a card and submitting it at the Singapore ticket office. I have never seen the promo anywhere and it was by accident I was at the ticket office that day , and submitted by registration. That is the problem with LH's programme actually. They want members to participate in promos but yet do not advertise them. Another promo I came across was on the internet. There again, it required one to fill in a registration form on-line before one is 'qualified' to earn up to 6 times the mileage on certain routes by flying in First Class. (4x promo for flying in Biz). While in the lounge in Frankfurt after the qualilfying flight, one irate passenger learned from Miles & More that he will not be getting the promo miles because he did not register before the flight. Not good. Because M&M Service Centre will not budge in giving this guy a reprieve and awarding him the miles he just took!

Anyway, I got my 6x miles in First for flying KUL-FRA and then next week 4x in Biz for FRA-MNL. SO I guess I can't complain.

MileKing: to directly answer:

Would I still have the same upgrade potential on UA flights? -- no upgrade potential on UA flights with AC SuperElite.

Does it matter if the flights are not AC code-shares? Cannot even upgrade AC codeshares on UA planes.

Would UA flight miles count as AC status miles? Yes plus you would get status on class of service bonuses (and that adds up).

Would my mileage earnings still be 2-3 times UA's overall? My guess would be in the 2+ times range given the types of promos AC had this year. However, I only check promos on the routes I fly. If United had double miles on the routes you fly regularly then you might only have done 1.5 times as well on AC compared to United.

The biggest bonus is the ability to access Red Carpet Clubs for free as an Elite or SuperElite member in AC (provided you are flying on a Star Alliance carrier, including UA, that day).

Thanks for the assist, BlondeBomber! http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I'm surprised that an AC elite cannot upgrade on UA. Isn't this what the Star Alliance was supposed to be about - giving members reciprocal benefits by using carriers in the alliance? What good is the alliance if you can't upgrade?

Well there was some debate a couple of months back and I think we agreed we would not want to get flooded by other carrier's flyers taking away "our" upgrades (i.e. advance confirmation). However, Rudi and I came to a truce on this and decided it would be OK to give them out as last minute standby at the gate. Don't want the front cabin seats going empty if we have Star Gold fliers with a Star carrier's upgrade certificates! . . . but make sure you give your customers every opportunity first.

AC treats UA flyers the same way so I guess we are even. Some other Star carriers don't even get the luxury of upgrades!

BB, I think they should make a level about *Gold. Maybe Platinum or something which would include 100k flyers from each *A partner. This level should be able to upgrade on eachothers airlines say with 48 hours notice or something like that.

Dorian

It is something to consider but I am a tad nervous about getting swamped by the larger hordes of UA etc.

I am relatively happy now but would like opportunity for everyone to get standby gate upgrades (maybe 2 hr before flight?). 48 hr before might be a bit much? One never knows until they start. With all the upgrades around in the spring, it was tight getting upgrades for some flights (although all were successful for me on AC), now it does not seem to be a problem. If UA 1Ks could get as well, we might have a continuing problem?

I agree with your revision to @ the gate.....

I also have had 100% success....actually more than 100% as I booked some upgrades I never flew!

Dorian

Hey BB - I got a few more system wide upgrades coupons with AC. I'll send them your way if you like.

The problem with a "Star Platinum" level is that Thai, for one, doesn't have a 100K mile level in their program. I don't know about the newer members, but this would obviously be a problem. The other thing I found interesting, perhaps even unfair, about the Star Silver level was that Thai gives you that level for only 15K miles, compared to 25K in UA and others. Hmmm...

Jet,

They definitely should harmonize all programs to the exact same levels. What is the point of advertising that everything is seemless when some of the seems do not match up!!!?????

Dorian