Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 I'm a big fan of airline loyalty schemes, and it's a little hobby of mine to find the ins and outs of how the programmes work and how to get the best value. I mostly collect BA Avios points, and try to get status where I can. Has worked out well this year with a few upgrades to business class and I have a buy one get one free voucher with BA ready to be used too, earned off a credit card. Just wondering if any of you lot also collect airmiles through business or personally? Do you have status with any airlines and any tips, recommendations?
Smudge Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 I'm a big fan of airline loyalty schemes, and it's a little hobby of mine to find the ins and outs of how the programmes work and how to get the best value. I mostly collect BA Avios points, and try to get status where I can. Has worked out well this year with a few upgrades to business class and I have a buy one get one free voucher with BA ready to be used too, earned off a credit card. Just wondering if any of you lot also collect airmiles through business or personally? Do you have status with any airlines and any tips, recommendations? Yep, big time. I'm a million miler with American Airlines and lifetime Gold Member. There's a real benefit to having their credit card as well. I buy all my personal purchases with my IHG credit card (Holiday Inn) and business using my American Airlines card. Invariably I fly for free and stay at a hotel for nothing. I try hard not to pay for anything by cash or check. Over here it's quite accepted to use a card even at McDonalds, you just swipe and go.
Trav Le Bleu Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Yep, big time. I'm a million miler with American Airlines and lifetime Gold Member. There's a real benefit to having their credit card as well. I buy all my personal purchases with my IHG credit card (Holiday Inn) and business using my American Airlines card. Invariably I fly for free and stay at a hotel for nothing. I try hard not to pay for anything by cash or check cheque. Over here it's quite accepted to use a card even at McDonalds, you just swipe and go. You've lived in America too long mate.
Merging Cultures Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 I am with United. Platinum. Lived in the US too long and traveled too much! They are decent, they dont have as many blocked out flights. Also, now I am in Southern Africa I can add SA miles. Although, to keep my mileage i need to fly united at least once a year. So I am probably going to change to SA but stay in Star Alliance. South African airlines also have sports lounges. Essentially a massive tv and theatre seating showing tv. WIN.
Smudge Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 You've lived in America too long mate. You may mock Monsieur Blue but he who dares wins, he who doesn't ermmm don't!!
Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Author Posted 24 September 2013 Yep, big time. I'm a million miler with American Airlines and lifetime Gold Member. There's a real benefit to having their credit card as well. I buy all my personal purchases with my IHG credit card (Holiday Inn) and business using my American Airlines card. Invariably I fly for free and stay at a hotel for nothing. I try hard not to pay for anything by cash or check. Over here it's quite accepted to use a card even at McDonalds, you just swipe and go. The credit cards are SO much more generous in the states it's unreal. How did you get up to a million? On a side note, have you flown the new AA business class and how does it compare to others?
Guest MattP Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Virgin Atlantic. Its worth racking up some points just to be able to use the lounge at the airports, the one at Heathrow is ridiculous now, giant screen sky, all the free booze you can handle and even had sirloin steaks on last time I was there. Always a big help when angling for an upgrade.
Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Author Posted 24 September 2013 I'm BA Bronze, and have about 100k avios in the bank. Most of my flights are bought in premium economy and then upgraded using avios. I wouldn't mind going for status with star alliance, but the options from the UK, apart from Singapore and Turkish are pretty poor. Headforpoints.com is a very good blog on points in the UK
Smudge Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 The credit cards are SO much more generous in the states it's unreal. How did you get up to a million? On a side note, have you flown the new AA business class and how does it compare to others? i actually have about 1.4 million now. When I had a proper job i would be in a plane maybe 3 or four days a week. My patch was from Ottawa to Miami and many of the states in between. i would travel to the UK frequently. The miles are not just flying miles any that are accrued on your account. I would pay for all my expenses, flight, hotel, car on my personal card and then have the company reimburse me. Since I semi retired I haven't needed to travel anything like as much but by having an AA credit card I use it for all business expenses. We are still accruing thousands of miles a month I rarely travel by air these days and so I haven't been on the new business class yet. I'm thinking of going to the UK in February, so I'll get the chance then.
hairy Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Yes. Avios points. Four of us fly to South of France and back every year using them.
Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Author Posted 24 September 2013 Anyone got any UK airline credit cards? I have a BA AMEX and a Lloyds Avios card.
Merging Cultures Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Virgin Atlantic. Its worth racking up some points just to be able to use the lounge at the airports, the one at Heathrow is ridiculous now, giant screen sky, all the free booze you can handle and even had sirloin steaks on last time I was there. Always a big help when angling for an upgrade. I got upgraded from Amsterdam to Washington last time. Fantastic. Only thing that ruined it was being sat next to an ugly guy.
Smudge Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Anyone got any UK airline credit cards? I have a BA AMEX and a Lloyds Avios card. American Express Rewards is very good as you can allocate you miles to several partners they have including Virgin and BA
Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Author Posted 24 September 2013 American Express Rewards is very good as you can allocate you miles to several partners they have including Virgin and BA Yep I have the small business gold card for my business, nice little earner and there are periodic bonuses for transfers. The platinum card is a pretty sweet deal, but a bit steep at £450.
Smudge Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Yep I have the small business gold card for my business, nice little earner and there are periodic bonuses for transfers. The platinum card is a pretty sweet deal, but a bit steep at £450. I had a Platinum for a while as I could get a companion ticket for my wife for free. We would have to fly with Swiss Air, Lufthansa or Alitalia. Which meant going the long way round but we spent a nice long weekend in Rome, Zurich or Frankfurt. It was about $300 in those days which was pretty cheap for an extra business class ticket to Europe.
Merging Cultures Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Forgot to say.... I've been able to get tickets to Cape Town for my Mother In-Law and my Mum... for the birth of our second. Star Alliance all the way. Mind you... you don't want to travel to the places I go...
Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Author Posted 24 September 2013 Is Virgin Upper Class actually any good? I've done club world & club europe with BA a few times now and pretty happy with it.
Guest MattP Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Is Virgin Upper Class actually any good? I've done club world & club europe with BA a few times now and pretty happy with it. It's fairly good, nowhere near as good as upper on Singapore Airlines or Emirates but value for money compared to them and getting an upgrade is ten times easier.
Rincewind Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Why travel with the riff raff if you can afford the extra?
Guest MattP Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Why travel with the riff raff if you can afford the extra? Think you have misunderstood. You get riff raff in first, I've got so drunk I had to be restrained, accidently knocked out a child and stripped naked once on a flight after too much champagne in first. It's the comfort, you can stretch out, watch a bigger tv, turn your seat into a bed, use the wifi, send texts, on Singapore you can even take a shower. It's not as black and white as "they pay more to go first so they obviously hate the riff raff".
Matt Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 I tend to go Australia every 2 or 3 years I always fly with Emirates, I get a fair few thousands of miles out of them, but never get to use them because they only last for so long usually not in sync with when I would want to use them, I've tried explaining this to them and see if I can do deals with them but they won't have it, spose I could threaten to not use them and fly with another airline, it might work. My next trip to Australia I might look at booking next year sometime and might be actually able to use the points i've got, hopefully. I've even looked at using my point on buying stuff from the 'Emirates High Street' but when looking into it, you have to pay P&P (Acceptable I suppose, albeit very expensive and OTT) and on some things (Most things I think) you have to pay import charges, so in reality although you aren't paying for the item you end up paying alot for it anyway.
Guest ttfn Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 Virgin Atlantic. Its worth racking up some points just to be able to use the lounge at the airports, the one at Heathrow is ridiculous now, giant screen sky, all the free booze you can handle and even had sirloin steaks on last time I was there. Always a big help when angling for an upgrade. I've got the VA black card, it's a waste of money unless you're only going to fly business, which frankly I can't afford. The taxes are such a spectacularly high percentage of the flight ticket that when the mrs and I flew to Dubai on a BOGOF flight I'd "earned" through my spending a few years ago, it worked out more expensive to go economy with Virgin ton the BOGOF than with Emirates without the reward seat. Plus you get no flexibility.
separator Posted 24 September 2013 Posted 24 September 2013 I did a round the world backpacking jolly about 13 years ago. 10 months away, 30,000 miles on a star alliance rtw ticket. I signed up with Lufthansa's points scheme, knowing you could collect points from any SA airline. After all that travelling I had enough points for a CD (it was a double album though, went for Bob Marley)
Monk Posted 24 September 2013 Author Posted 24 September 2013 I've got the VA black card, it's a waste of money unless you're only going to fly business, which frankly I can't afford. The taxes are such a spectacularly high percentage of the flight ticket that when the mrs and I flew to Dubai on a BOGOF flight I'd "earned" through my spending a few years ago, it worked out more expensive to go economy with Virgin ton the BOGOF than with Emirates without the reward seat. Plus you get no flexibility. I really don't value virgin points at all. The 2-4-1 can only be redeemed in economy which is poor.
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