justshootme

I will be flying CO for the first time next month. By then CO will have joined the star Alliance Network. I am an AA elite member, plt, and will seldom fly a Star Allicance airline. I would have prefered to take AA for my upcoming trip, but CO had much better fares and schedules, and I am travelling with a freind who didn't care which airline we travelled with. I have already qualified for plt from next year so I didn't need the AA miles to requalify.

I have a UA ff account, but I have used up all the miles and do not know of the new programs rules, ie, how long miles are good for, etc.

I have an AC account, again I have used all the miles, I know with AC the account need to have activity every 12 months and the miles I deposit into the account expire 7 years later, as long as there is activity.

I have the option of joining CO's ff program.

Realistically, I won't acculutate alot of miles with Star Alliance airlines over the next few years. I will earn about 4, 000 miles for the trip, and I would like to put them into a ff account, just in case I can use them at a later date. Which of the above three programs, UA, AC or CO are best for an infrequent flyer? So any of these programs have an award that I can claim with 4000 miles?

Also, since I have elite status with AA, will any of the airlines match my status, based on my upcoming trip with CO? If so, that would be the best option.

Thanks.

travelgourmet

Continental will match your status. Send a copy of your statement and card to [email protected]. I would think you could get a match to United too.

Remember that a status match today could prevent you from getting one in the future.

For your purposes, I would probably go with CO, since their miles don't currently expire.

rkkwan

Correct. CO currently doesn't enforce their mileage-expiration rule.

mrwunrfl

I think it is safe to assume that the 18-month expiration rule for United Mileage Plus miles is enforced.

United had a discount on miles required for a domestic US award back in July, requiring 20,000 miles instead of the usual 25,000. UA recently had a 20% discount on awards to Canada, but that promo is over, I think.

It has been a couple of years since UA offered reduced awards for 15,000 miles.

With 4,000 miles you can get a magazine and/or newspaper subscription. Or an FTD bouquet. Or go shopping for things like a passport holder, clock radio, ... Figure that those miles are worth $40 or less. I assume that you could use these miles in the CO program in a similar way.

I would probably just put the miles into the account of the airline I was flying with this time (CO). That is, unless you can't get a status match on CO and can get one on UA (minding travelgourmet's warning).

justshootme

Thanks for the feedback.

Opps, too many typos in my op.

It didn't occur to me that status match could be a one time only thing, and I really don't need elite status with the Star Alliance network. If I do get the status match, I will get lougne access and double miles on my upcoming trip, but that's only an additional 4,000 making my total miles, 8,000 not enough for a free airline ticket. I think the status match may not be the way to go.

I will definitely by flying AA and other One World airlines in the near future.

It's good to know that CO doesn't enforce an expiry date on miles, that looks like to way to go.

Just one question, where is the information about UA's magazine subscriptions, etc? I know Delta had the same, but since I live in Canada I couldn't participate in the offer. Just wondering if it is the same with UA.

yk

<i>where is the information about UA's magazine subscriptions, etc? </i>
http://www.newspaper-miles.com/readermiles.asp

mrwunrfl

My mistake, it looks like it is just newspapers (it was orphan AA miles that I cashed for mags).

justshootme

Thanks for the link. I had looked at UA's website an couldn't find anything.

I can't really do anything with 4000 miles, so I guess, I'll just put them into a CO account and see how long I can keep them.