Avianca Lifemiles or United Airlines for credit my upcoming trips?
 

I have an upcoming trip on Avianca from JFK - EZE on class D/K (business).

If I credit this trip to UA, I will get around 12000 PQM. However, I don't travel often. So to qualify for 3000$ PQD is almost impossible... That means I will very unlikely to get any status with United.

Now if I credit this trip to AC, I would get 150% miles of this trip, and they do not have PQD requirement for any status. I could at least get a silver status with AV lifemiles... Even though I am pretty sure it won't do much.

I am from Hong Kong base in New York. So I would fly at least once to twice a year from New York to Hong Kong. Do yall think I should focus all my miles on UA for better redeem opportunity or start switching to Avianca Lifemiles to get myself at least a silver status?

Would love to hear from people who have Avianca silver membership (Star Alliance Silver) that how's the benefit and treatment when flying Star Alliance partner flights...

What would Avianca silver status do for you? More so if you do not fly Avianca much.
https://www.wheretocredit.com/avianca/j
https://www.wheretocredit.com/avianca/k

The airline you fly most or an airline of the country you live is the best ffp for many people. Generally you are better earning on your primary airline due to greater recognition, better service when disruptions, ability to upgrade flights, possible operational upgrades and simpler to earn non flying ff miles/points. FF miles from non flying activities is a big earner for many people now.

Star Alliance: Need advice on which Star Alliance FF scheme to join? - please post here

If you're from Hong Kong, put that address on your Mileage Plus account (UA) and you aren't subject to the PQD requirement. If you already have a MP account with the NY address on it, then you'll have to prove your residence in HK first to get it changed, but that shouldn't be terribly difficult. If you have a MP account with zero miles in it, then you can just simply make a new one with the HK address and forget the old one.

UA Silver is worth something if you will fly UA to HKG, so it's probably better to focus on that. You'll get free Economy Plus seating for yourself and others on the same PNR, though you can't select it until 24 hours prior to departure, so good seat may be gone already. AV Silver wouldn't be worth anything unless you fly to Latin America on AV.

If this is your last trip this year, then the PQMs aren't worth anything assuming you won't get to the 25k threshold, but if you travel NYC-HKG twice a year, that's Silver on UA easily.

As for a redemption advantage, Lifemiles are generally just as easy to use as Mileage Plus miles, so both would be roughly equal there, just go with whichever gives you more RDM (redeemable miles) if you won't do the twice yearly trip to HKG or won't have other *A flying next year.