Which program should I use for miles from a Swissair flight?

Dear Tim

Dear Robert,



For your upcoming Swissair flight, you can elect to earn miles in either the Qualiflyer program, or in the American AAdvantage program. You must, though, choose before you fly?thereafter, there's no changing your mind.

So, which program should you have your miles credited to?

In general, you're better off joining a program hosted by an

airline based in your home country. That's not just blind nationalism. Rather it reflects the common-sense expectation

that (a) any given program will be designed to meet the needs, first and foremost, of its largest customer segment?in most cases, the "home" market; and (b), you'll have easier access to the program's customer service operation in that program's country of origin.

So if you live in the U.S. (or, more generally, in North

America), the scales tip in favor of AAdvantage. Whereas if

you live in Switzerland (or elsewhere in Europe), Qualiflyer

gets the nod.

Going beyond that conventional (and rather generalized) wisdom, you might want to compare award levels for the two programs. As a point of comparison, here are the miles required for award tickets in various classes of service between the U.S. and Europe:



CONVERSION COST COMPARISON

AAdvantage uses a multi-level scheme, with the lower level

available on a limited basis, subject to capacity controls and

seasonal restrictions, and the higher level available without

restrictions. Qualiflyer imposes capacity controls and

blackout dates on all awards. So assuming that each program's

restrictions are identical (unlikely), the AAdvantage awards

look to be the better deal.

And as a final thought, compare the earning opportunities

associated with both programs. AAdvantage is the industry

leader in this area, offering a longer partner roster

(companies awarding AAdvantage miles when you purchase their

goods or services) than any other program. However, a

significant number of those partners are U.S.-only merchants…

which brings us full circle, back to the "join the local

program" advice.

Hope that helps.



Tim Winship Contributing Editor SmarterTravel.com