Is it better to create a frequent flyer program with every airline or to use one from one of the alliances?

4/27/2023 4:38:09 AM

Generally, it is best to join one airline per alliance unless you travel extremely frequently. Some airlines within an alliance will have advantages over others, depending on your travel habits. Since you already have accounts in each alliance, you probably shouldn’t change any that have points in them.

There are several significant advantages to having one program per alliance:

  • The opportunity to accrue points on most flights.
  • Avoid fragmenting points between many accounts which makes it difficult to reach status.
  • Reduced chances of points expiring in most programs other than Delta.

Unless you fly very frequently, it is difficult to maintain a balance on many accounts yet it is good to have a way to get points for flights taken. So, in addition to one program per alliance, you can open loyalty accounts with airlines that you fly with which are not part of an alliance.

While loyalty programs are similar in concept, there are advantages to some. So, it is possible that adding an extra program would be advantageous but remember to maintain you have to balance those with opportunity lost from accumulating points at a slower rate. Programs tend to have some home-advantages, so it could be worth considering switching a low-balance account for one from an airline you are flying more frequently with. Another big deal is redemption ease and flexibility. Some programs make it much harder to book award travel than others.

Credit:stackoverflow.com

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

Search Posts