Best frequent flyer programs - Revision history

Editor: /* Your favorite airline */

2021-10-28T03:00:52Z

‎Your favorite airline

Editor: /* Star Alliance (United) */

2021-06-08T20:26:47Z

‎Star Alliance (United)

Editor: /* Best programs for earning and awards */

2021-06-08T20:26:13Z

‎Best programs for earning and awards

Editor: /* Star Alliance (United) */

2021-06-08T20:18:05Z

‎Star Alliance (United)

Editor: /* Your favorite airline */

2021-06-08T20:16:20Z

‎Your favorite airline

Editor: Editor moved page Best Frequent Flyer Programs to Best frequent flyer programs without leaving a redirect

2021-02-19T00:18:46Z

Editor moved page Best Frequent Flyer Programs to Best frequent flyer programs without leaving a redirect

Editor: /* Oneworld (American) */

2021-02-12T21:45:29Z

‎Oneworld (American)

Editor at 21:44, 12 February 2021

2021-02-12T21:44:43Z

Editor at 23:37, 13 January 2021

2021-01-13T23:37:13Z

Editor: /* Star Alliance (United) */

2021-01-13T23:34:59Z

‎Star Alliance (United)

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 <ul class="bulletlist">
-<li>'''If you are likely to be able earn mid-level status on American or United, you need to choose between moderate upgrade benefits OR free airport lounge access on domestic flights'''. If you earn status with a foreign airline, you’ll get free lounge access whenever you fly on American or United within the United States, which is a benefit that is NOT available to mid-level elites in the US airline’s own programs. On the other hand, if you choose American or United, you’ll have a small chance of getting a premium cabin upgrade. Furthermore, United elites get access to preferred economy seats and will frequently get access to enhanced-legroom seating (when flying United), while elites with other Star Alliance programs won't (with Oneworld, all elites get access to American's preferred and enhanced economy seats). </li>
+<li>'''If you are likely to be able earn mid-level status on American / Alaska or United, you need to choose between moderate upgrade benefits OR free airport lounge access on domestic flights'''. If you earn status with a foreign airline, you’ll get free lounge access whenever you fly on American / Alaska or United within the United States, which is a benefit that is NOT available to mid-level elites in the US airline’s own programs. On the other hand, if you choose American / Alaska or United, you’ll have a small chance of getting a premium cabin upgrade. Furthermore, United elites get access to preferred economy seats and will frequently get access to enhanced-legroom seating (when flying United), while elites with other Star Alliance programs won't (with Oneworld, all elites get access to American's and Alaska's preferred and enhanced economy seats). </li>
-We’d rather have the upgrade benefits than the lounge access, partially because we already have at least some lounge access through Priority Pass. But everyone’s choice is going to be different.
+With United, we much rather have routine access to better economy class seats than lounge access, especially because we are already have at least some lounge access through Priority Pass and the Amex Platinum Card. Even with American / Alaska, we'd still rather have the occasional first class upgrade. But everyone’s choice is going to be different.
 With SkyTeam, the lounge access benefit is limited to international flights, so you might as well just choose Delta.
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 If you spend a lot of money with credit cards, it can be easier to earn elite status on American, Delta, and United.
 It is possible to reduce the elite status requirements, by using the airline’s co-branded credit cards.
 <ul class="bulletlist">
-<li>'''American Airlines'''. If you spend $50,000 on the Aviator Silver Card or $25,000 on the Aviator Business Card (issued by Barclays), you can reduce the spending requirement (EQD) by $3,000. For example, you’d only need to spend $3,000 to reach mid-level status, instead of $6,000. In addition, the Aviator Silver card will give you 5,000 EQMs after spending $25,000, and another 5,000 EQMs with another $25,000 in spending (and a companion certificate when you spend $30,000).  The Aviator Business's annual fee is $95 and the Silver’s is $195. </li>
+<li>'''American Airlines'''. Starting in 2022, dollars spent on AA credit cards count as loyalty points towards earning elite status. In addition, you can earn bonus loyalty points with $25,000 or $50,000 of spending with the Aviator Silver Card or $40,000 of spending on the AA Executive Card.
 The $450 annual fee AAdvantage Executive Card earns 10,000 EQMs with $40,000 in spending during the year.
-For 2021, AA will waive their EQD requirement (up to Platinum Pro level) for people who spend $30,000 on any of the American Airlines credit cards.
+<li>'''Delta'''. If you spend at least $25,000 (combined) on your Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta credit cards, Delta will waive the spending requirement (MQD) for all status levels, except Delta Diamond. The $195 annual fee Delta Platinum Card and the $550 annual fee Delta Reserve Card often offer extra MQMs as part of their signup bonus. In addition, you can earn MQMs through spending. The Platinum Card earns 10,000 MQMs with every $25,000 you spend (up to 20,000 MQMs per year). The Reserve Card gives you 15,000 MQMs for every $30,000 (up to 60,000 MQMs). During 2021, each of these mileage boosts will give you 25% extra MQMs. </li>
 You can combine MQM bonuses from both the personal and business versions of both cards. So, it is possible to earn massive quantities of MQMs by spending massive amounts of money on your Delta credit cards. You can also transfer MQMs from the Delta Reserve Card to another member. For example, both adults in a household can contribute their qualifying miles towards one person's higher-level status.

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 '''United'''.  United never passes through fuel surcharges, making it a great choice for travel to Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, it requires a much higher-than-normal number of miles to fly in business or first class (on those airlines). So it is a good program for economy award tickets, but less useful for premium seats. United participates in the Ultimate Rewards program, so you can easily combine your points and miles to book an award ticket.
-{{ImgLabel|LogoAirCanaada.jpg}}
+{{ImgLabel|LogoAirCanada.jpg}}
 '''Air Canada''' (Aeroplan) is the probably the best alternative choice for Star Alliance. Ignoring United's elite status benefits, they are a better program. Like United, they don't pass through fuel surcharges and have a potentially valuable stopover benefit, but they have generally lower award costs. Mileage accrues based on distance, rather than cost, so you'll do better with longer cheaper flights and worse with shorter more-expensive flights (within the same class of service). They offer family pooling, will soon have a US credit card, and have some other innovative program features. You can transfer points from Membership Rewards, Ultimate Rewards (soon), and Capital One to top off your account.

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 '''United'''.  United never passes through fuel surcharges, making it a great choice for travel to Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, it requires a much higher-than-normal number of miles to fly in business or first class (on those airlines). So it is a good program for economy award tickets, but less useful for premium seats. United participates in the Ultimate Rewards program, so you can easily combine your points and miles to book an award ticket.
-{{ImgLabel|LogoAeroplan.jpg}}
+{{ImgLabel|LogoAirCanaada.jpg}}
 {{ImgLabel|LogoSingapore.png}}

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 {{ImgLabel|LogoUnited.png}}
 '''United'''.  United never passes through fuel surcharges, making it a great choice for travel to Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, it requires a much higher-than-normal number of miles to fly in business or first class (on those airlines). So it is a good program for economy award tickets, but less useful for premium seats. United participates in the Ultimate Rewards program, so you can easily combine your points and miles to book an award ticket.
 {{ImgLabel|LogoSingapore.png}}

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 <ul class="bulletlist">
-<li>'''If you are likely to be able earn mid-level status on American or United, you need to choose between moderate upgrade benefits OR free airport lounge access on domestic flights'''. If you earn status with a foreign airline, you’ll get free lounge access whenever you fly on American or United within the United States, which is a benefit that is NOT available to mid-level elites in the US airline’s own programs. On the other hand, if you choose American or United, you’ll almost always be able to upgrade to enhanced economy seats and you have a small chance of getting a premium upgrade.  We’d rather have the upgrade benefits than the lounge access, partially because we already have at least some lounge access through Priority Pass. But everyone’s choice is going to be different.</li>
+<li>'''If you are likely to be able earn mid-level status on American or United, you need to choose between moderate upgrade benefits OR free airport lounge access on domestic flights'''. If you earn status with a foreign airline, you’ll get free lounge access whenever you fly on American or United within the United States, which is a benefit that is NOT available to mid-level elites in the US airline’s own programs. On the other hand, if you choose American or United, you’ll have a small chance of getting a premium cabin upgrade. Furthermore, United elites get access to preferred economy seats and will frequently get access to enhanced-legroom seating (when flying United), while elites with other Star Alliance programs won't (with Oneworld, all elites get access to American's preferred and enhanced economy seats). </li>
 With SkyTeam, the lounge access benefit is limited to international flights, so you might as well just choose Delta.

← Older revision	Revision as of 00:18, 19 February 2021
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 A big downside is that they don't participate with any of three big credit card points programs. However, there are two different families of American Airline credit cards that you can use to augment your account balance.
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 *[[#Your favorite airline|Your favorite airline]]
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-*[[#Programs that make it easier to earn mid-level status|Programs that make it easier to earn mid-level status]]
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 There is a large opportunity cost of putting this amount of spending on these cards, instead of your credit cards that have better reward rates, so make sure that you actually need the reduction in status requirements and highly value the difference in status.
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