Frequent Flyer Programs
 

I thought it might be nice to have a thread that actually dealt with a lifestyle issue in this forum, instead of an advertisement.

Offer your insight on FF programs here. I am currently a NWA, soon to be Delta customer, putting me with Skyteam.

I have never liked Delta, and furthermore, my NW miles will be worth much less once the programs are combined, since Delta values their miles less and gives them out much more freely than NW.

I originally joined NW because I liked KLM very much for flying to Europe, Amsterdam airport was perhaps my favorite hub to fly through, and the Dutch were always very pleasant.

I have an old United membership that I have not used in years. My question is, more directed to United status customers, how are the benefits in regards to upgrades and otherwise? I have status on NW/Delta, so I would assume that I would soon have it on United. Also, does Star Alliance offer inter-airline upgrades? Skyteam just started doing that from what I can tell...

Feel free to use this for any airline or flying related discussion, whether or not it directly answers my questions.

I have a FF membership with Delta, United, American and Airtran currently. The majority of my flying has been with Delta. I can't stand them but when you grow up in Cincinnati you don't have much other choice, @ssholes.

lol. he got suspended.

I have FF miles with Delta, United, and AA, although I haven't used the Delta and United is some time. I typically fly AA when I can, which is pretty easy with Dallas being a hub for them. I also have a credit card which earns me 1-2 miles for every dollar I spend which helps build the miles (most of my business air travel is private: = no miles earned :()

I see that, but I'm curious as to why.

You get no sympathy there. Having flown private a handful of times I would trade that over frequent flier miles any day.

I was a Platinum on Continental until yesterday. Now I'm Gold due to lack of flights in '08 (first time in 9 years). I am also Star Alliance Gold, United super duper shlong, NWA Gold, US Scare swinging peter, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, National Executive, Starwood Preferred, Moonbeam Alpha Exec, and god knows what else.

Skyteam upgrades are terrible. Skyteam reward options are not bad. CO sucks, but Delta is much more reasonable. For example, I have the fam going to Disney via Delta First class. 50k per person with a stop in Atlanta versus 100k per person on CO metal direct.

I'm in full redemption mode right now. All plans are eroding like mad. I'm sending my parents on an around the world flight in Singapore Air First class. All miles must go. It's a full burn.

While it's nice not to have to deal with security, check in, and waiting for a departure, it does turn the entire flight into a work session. For example, a typical day goes something like this: Arrive at the hanger at 7am. Board the plane at 7:02. In the air by 7:10. Tables come out, reports and laptops come out, meetings go on, etc. Plane lands, step off plane take two steps to rental car or van, and then drive to meeting. Attend 4 hour meeting, and repeat the process to the next city. Arrive at overnight destination at 9pm. Go to hotel, check in, maybe grab a drink, and then start over at 6am. After a few days of travel, you start to feel like you have very little time to unwind. Then, when you do travel commercial, and you go with someone who travels less then you, but almost always commercial, they get the Gold or Platinum member who gets to board first, and gets the automatic upgrade while you have to wait to board, there's little room for your carry on, your coach seat stinks, and its right next to a (pick one) kid, fat woman, someone with bad BO, etc. :p:

I won't lie and say that I would rather travel commercial all the time, but it does loose its novelty after awhile.

[quote=revstriker;3387443]While it's nice not to have to deal with security, check in, and waiting for a departure, it does turn the entire flight into a work session. For example, a typical day goes something like this: Arrive at the hanger at 7am. Board the plane at 7:02. In the air by 7:10. Tables come out, reports and laptops come out, meetings go on, etc. Plane lands, step off plane take two steps to rental car or van, and then drive to meeting. Attend 4 hour meeting, and repeat the process to the next city. Arrive at overnight destination at 9pm. Go to hotel, check in, maybe grab a drink, and then start over at 6am. After a few days of travel, you start to feel like you have very little time to unwind. Then, when you do travel commercial, and you go with someone who travels less then you, but almost always commercial, they get the Gold or Platinum member who gets to board first, and gets the automatic upgrade while you have to wait to board, there's little room for your carry on, your coach seat stinks, and its right next to a (pick one) kid, fat woman, someone with bad BO, etc. :p:

I won't lie and say that I would rather travel commercial all the time, but it does loose its novelty after awhile.[/quote


The grass is always greener.

Arrive at the terminal at 7am for a 9am flight. Endure 30 minutes of line while the TSA greeters cannot figure out what "elite access only" means. Endure Ma and Pa Kettle comprehending what 'take shoes off, put liquids in bin, take coat off, remove laptop, etc" means. Ma has house keys in pocket. Re-do X-ray.

Get past security. Pay $9.25 for juice.

Boarding delayed 90 minutes due to excess sunshine.

Boarding finally ensues. Ma and Pa Kettle clog the entryway despite urgent pleas to wait for your goddamn row to be called. Wait in the aisle while Ma and pa Kettle discover that a 50" carry-on will not fit in the overhead. Boarding agent ignored oversize carry-on. Pa Kettle decides he'd rather sit at the window, despite a middle seat reservation. Argument ensues.

Kettle disembarks and decides to pause in the jetway to put on his coat. People pile up like bowling pins.

Try this:

I would drive 33 miles to get to work on a monday at 5:30AM, work until 12:30PM then hitch a ride to SFO to catch a 2PM flight to Singapore. Shuffled through long lines at check in and security. Then stuffing my 6'+ frame into a 31" seat pitch economy seat to HKG or NRT, change planes and do the same thing to Singapore. Get there at midnight Tuesday night, get to a hotel, check in and finally get into my room and in bed by roughly 2AM Wednesday morning. Only to have meetings starting at 8AM. Then Thursday have meetings at 8AM, go into Malaysia in the PM, then turn around and go to the airport to take a 6PM flight back to SFO. In 31" seat pitch coach again for 23 hours. Get into SFO at 10AM friday, then go back into the office and work until 7PM. 33 miles back home.

Doing that once every other month for almost 5 years will age you fast.

Are you Bono? I've had my suspicioness for a while now :)

Damn you!

Where were you when I was booking my trip to Trinidad. I would've gladly sent you 5 custom tailored shirts for 2 round trip 1st class tickets.

It's official. I hate you.

I posted my *A give-away in OT 2 months ago. Where were you?

I thought you were giving away free *flights* on your stupid imaginary airline mogul airline. :D

I'm still open to 200,000 miles on *A rewards. Make an offer before I foolishly give away the goods to dear old Dad.

I'm a BA Executive Club Gold (oneworld Emerald) and bmi Diamond Club Gold (Star Alliance Gold) and so is my wife. With family back in the UK, a brother-in-law in San Francisco, a smattering of longhaul holidays per year and a fear of flying economy the status comes around pretty quickly.

Have a couple of frequent flyer mile earning credit cards (Starwood Amex and BA Chase Visa) that we channel all our spend through too....

Every other month? That's not so bad! Although I'd loathe any employer that would send me on that length of flight in economy.

My father did LHR-LAX-LHR every other week for most of the 90s, along with plenty of other Africa, Middle East and intra-European travel in between times. He wasn't in economy though...

FF with AA

PM on Delta

Gold Elite on Etihad. After using a tad over 300,000 FF miles this year for vacations I still have 600,000 left over... I fly 2 to 6 times a week, every week - been doing it pretty much since I moved to Dubai back in '06.

Executive Platinum on AA.....Just invited into Concierge Key Program. 6MM lifetime and over 250K air miles last year.

"A list Plus" on Southwest (I hate Southwest)

Diamond with Hilton and Platinum with Marriott.

President's Circle with Hertz

Needless to say I get treated pretty well when I travel but then again my dream is to not sleep anywhere but my own bed for more than a year one of these days!!!

Cheers!