Easiest *G qualification?
 

Shanghai Air's Gold status requires only 50k KM (that's ~30k miles) to qualify for Gold (their top tier FF), and 45k KM to re-qual. Are we looking at possibly the lowest *G requirements here?

Maybe. It is nominally lower than the 35K that Air Canada requires for Elite (the lower of their two *G tiers) and more than the 38K per year bmi requires for Gold, but depending on the earning rates FM has, it could mean more flying.

Let's say you fly paid F, which earns 300% of distance flown on bmi. That's only about 13K BIS to do requalify as *G (initial qualification requires 57K miles). As far as I'm concerned, that's still the best deal around, especially if you can do it on a Y-UP fare in the US.

In Business (credits with 200% of distance flown), the calculation is similar, though not quite as dramatic.

Oh, and welcome to FlyerTalk, by the way!

Does Shanghai Airlines really not have an English version of its homepage yet? :eek:

:td::td:

It looks like they *had* an English language version of their old website, but don't have one of their new site. Here is where you can look at an older version of their (very basic) English website:
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://...lish/ehome.htm

Thanks for that. According to this page, as far as I can tell, FM gives a 50% mileage bonus for their first class, which I take to mean that they'll probably either go with 100%/125%/150% or 100%/150%/200% for Y/C/F alliance-wide.

In that case, bmi might still be the easier *G card to maintain, depending on your flying pattern.

Shanghai Airlines' current FFP does have the seemingly ridicularsly low qualication for Gold but only FM flights count towards qualification which are basically all short haul flights. Believe me this will change on December 12.

Asiana uses a different scheme that might well be considered lower by some people. You need 100k miles, but can take as long as you want to get them, and it gives you Gold for three years. Once you qualify you only need 40k miles over three years to requalify.

I think the earn rate on Asiana isn't that great if you're flying Business class though, there are better programs for Business flyers in terms of miles earned per flight.

I sent an e-mail request to Shanghai Airlines for English language info on their FF program. I received a handbook, but it doesn't have any *A information. However, if anyone wants the Word doc they sent, let me know.

I guess it makes sense that the info isn't there being that they haven't officially joined yet. Guess we wait till after December 12 and ask again, see if it's been updated then.

They have already launched their new eng website.

http://www.shanghai-air.com/salnewweb-en/index.aspx

But I think the rules, especially for elite rules, will be changed after Dec 12th.