Best option for earning status in Star Alliance?

[Assassin]

I have a similar question. My main FF program is Qantas with Velocity second. Due to high QF prices I’m going to take an Air NZ flight in J to the US in December. My WP Qantas status is in place until June 24 so in the next 10 months i might take one or two other Star alliance flights which would also be in J. All my domestic travel will be QF. Im thinking the Air NZ program might be best and my flights might get me close to Gold status but could join KrisFlyer and transfer the points to Velocity. Any thoughts / other ideas?

 

[SYD]

I have a similar question. My main FF program is Qantas with Velocity second. Due to high QF prices I’m going to take an Air NZ flight in J to the US in December. My WP Qantas status is in place until June 24 so in the next 10 months i might take one or two other Star alliance flights which would also be in J. All my domestic travel will be QF. Im thinking the Air NZ program might be best and my flights might get me close to Gold status but could join KrisFlyer and transfer the points to Velocity. Any thoughts / other ideas?

I’d stay clear of NZ (it’s a cough program). SQ (or UA?) might be better. Really depends on how much more *A flying you expect and where you might want to redeem.

 

[Assassin]

I’d stay clear of NZ (it’s a cough program). SQ (or UA?) might be better. Really depends on how much more *A flying you expect and where you might want to redeem.

I doubt I will meet the flying requirement on UA to get *Gold. WIth Krisflyer I am a bit concerned that the points expire after three years, even if there is activity on the account. I guess I could always trasnfer the points to Velocity?

 

[SYD]

I doubt I will meet the flying requirement on UA to get *Gold. WIth Krisflyer I am a bit concerned that the points expire after three years, even if there is activity on the account. I guess I could always trasnfer the points to Velocity?

Yeah, I meant to mention that SQ weakness is 3 yr hard expiry but usually good redemptions plus the VA <-> SQ pts transfers.

UA has a status match program. If you were to fly J with them, it would be worth doing the math.

 

[Assassin]

Yeah, I meant to mention that SQ weakness is 3 yr hard expiry but usually good redemptions plus the VA <-> SQ pts transfers.

UA has a status match program. If you were to fly J with them, it would be worth doing the math.

Thanks. I need to fly Air NZ not UA due to cost of flights...

 

[Flashback]

I have a mixture of BA / ET flights coming up and trying to work out where to credit. The BA legs is easy, they'll go straight into my BAEC account.

However, for ET their business fares have booked into P and it doesn't look like the options I might have used like TK or A3 are going to be any good:

Where to Credit | Where to Credit Ethiopian Airlines Flights in P Booking Class

Find the best frequent flyer program for Ethiopian Airlines flights in booking class P!

www.wheretocredit.com

Any thoughts from the brains trust, or just dump them in somewhere just as useless i.e., UA that I'll one day have enough for a short hop somewhere in the states?

Is OZ still a reasonable option? 100% earning there too:

https://flyasiana.com/C/US/EN/contents/information-on-earning-star-alliance-miles

P 100%

I guess what needs to be thought about is I rarely travel *A so it's probably not going to be regular enough to get *A Gold status, so maybe just somewhere where they won't expire therefore...... UA?

Any other thoughts?

 

[jase05]

Is OZ still a reasonable option? 100% earning there too:
https://flyasiana.com/C/US/EN/contents/information-on-earning-star-alliance-miles P 100%

The Korean Air takeover of Asiana will most likely be completely this year so I can’t see the program existing after that

 

[Flashback]

The Korean Air takeover of Asiana will most likely be completely this year so I can’t see the program existing after that

I was thinking that. My ST travel largely gets credited to VS so I don't need another ST program.

I really wish a lot of my business travel was to countries serviced by OW! AT coming on board hasn't really helped due to poor schedules or not reaching the parts of Africa I need.

 

[Mattg]

I guess what needs to be thought about is I rarely travel *A so it's probably not going to be regular enough to get *A Gold status, so maybe just somewhere where they won't expire therefore...... UA?

Any other thoughts?

I don't necessarily think UA miles are useless if you're in Europe. You can often book short-haul Y within Europe on LH, LX, OS, SK, LO etc. for 6,000 United miles, even when airfares are in the many hundreds of Euros.

 

[Flashback]

I don't necessarily think UA miles are useless if you're in Europe. You can often book short-haul Y within Europe on LH, LX, OS, SK, LO etc. for 6,000 United miles, even when airfares are in the many hundreds of Euros.

Sounds like UA is probably my best option then. Whenever I flew *A it's always in J anyway so in theory lounge etc. isn't an issue so don't need the *A Gold status. With UA the miles don't expire so will just continue to accumulate...... I have 11k miles sitting in there already, so useful to know on the short haul in Y within Europe.

 

[Flashback]

Actually ........ that's a scratch. Earns 0 on UA as it's not a 016 eTicket number.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/earn-miles/airline-partners/ethiopian-airlines.html

 

[SYD]

Actually ........ that's a scratch. Earns 0 on UA as it's not a 016 eTicket number.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/earn-miles/airline-partners/ethiopian-airlines.html

Can you invert that caveat? If it’s 016 ticket, then it’s pts per dollar, other wise some base earn rate?

I’d check the UA website.

 

[Flashback]

Can you invert that caveat? If it’s 016 ticket, then it’s pts per dollar, other wise some base earn rate?

I’d check the UA website.

That is the UA website for tickets on ET.


P says no mileage credit.

 

[Flashback]

So now I need to decide...... spin up an account on ET, or spin one up on OZ. Both I'll likely end up with redeemable miles I probably won't have a use for / will expire at some point. OZ would get me status quicker (4x round trips in J should do it), so I'm undecided! I'm not sure I'll be doing that in the next 12 months, but in 24 months then perhaps. Although the preferred option getting down there is AF which I credit to VS.

Both earn at 100% in P (no status multiplier).... 40k to get *A Gold on OZ (may have changed to its new program by the time that 24 months hits) vs 50k to get *A Gold on ET.

Just some interesting notes on the T&C's for ShebaMiles (ET) - bolding is mine.

• If seat is upgraded to Business class with last minute upgrade surcharge payment, Business Class miles will be credited based on the accrual rate of ‘J’ Booking Class provided that the original economy class ticket was a normal revenue ticket. If the original economy class ticket was an award ticket issued against miles redemption, miles will not be credited both for the original award ticket and for the paid upgrade.
• If seat is upgraded to Business class with Plusgrade, miles will be accrued based on the original (paid) booking class.
• If a seat is downgraded, miles are accrued for the boarded class.

Tough luck for you if you get bumped down a class!

 

[Flashback]

Signed up with ET ShebaMiles, didn't tell me anything (that I saw anyway) but it's credited 1,000 miles on account opening. Also of interest is the miles expire 30/12/2026 - so 4 year expiry potentially after each activity? That helps a bit if travel is irregular.

 

[jmacpher]

Hoping the hive mind can help me out... current QF gold.
I have a few United points but no status. Recently joined Kris but no earn yet. VA gold will expire soon due to recent focus on QF earn.
My current role is APAC with travel to Singapore, India, Korea, Japan in future -
Company policy is to book economy, and fly lowest logical fare.
I need options, but still focus earn.
Vistara, Air NZ are giving me little value
Status and upgrade options is my goal.
I have an upcoming trip to Thailand on Thai airways - which program link will be my best option to get me on track to status with Star alliance?

Thanks for your help!

 

[anyonebutqantas]

Take a look at Aeroplan.

 

[jmacpher]

Take a look at Aeroplan.

thanks, will look but Canada (North America) is not a current destination. The earn/redeem rate would need to be substantially better on carrier other than United or Kris.

 

[SYD]

If you were travelling UA, you could do a status match from QF Gold (instant Gold) and aim for the Fastrack to retain. Unfortunately UA program keeps getting “enhanced” in bad ways.

There‘s some other discussion here that Aeroplan has come in from the cold and is a lot better now.

 

[sqrt()]

I'm planning on trying to go with Aegean but they recently changed requirements so that you need 4 A3/OA legs to get a reduced mileage requirement for Star Alliance Gold (24 000), otherwise it's 70 000.

Avoiding UA because there's no domestic lounge access for elites (though I have gotten in domestic lounges with VA Gold).