If you are casual traveler, you might only travel a few times a year. With expiration dates of 18-24 months of most programs, flying an airline every two years will accrue points. It makes sense to focus point earning on one airline. Since the amount for free travel continues to go up each year focusing your effort on one airline will most likely pay off.
Here are factors that can help you in choosing your primary airline:
- Service from your home airport
- Destinations served
- Perks
- Alliance with other airlines you frequent
- In the past three years what airline have you traveled on the most?
Now I will go over each factor
Service from your home airport
Where you live is REALLY important!
If you live in the city where the airline is the hub, the hub airline makes the most sense. If you live in Dallas American makes the most since, just as Delta in Atlanta. However if you are based in Chicago where both United and American have a hub the choice is more difficult. In Washington and New York, where multiple airports mean one carrier is more dominate at one than the other, the ease of convenience to your home and work should play a role. Lets say you live in Northern New Jersey, meaning Newark is the most convenient airport, it makes since for this reason to lean towards United.
If you do not live in a hub city, other factors will be important, unless one airline has significantly more flights than others from your home airport.
Destinations served
The networks matter. While most major airlines serve most good size cities, no airline covers the United States completely.Let's look at the 6 largest airlines: United, Delta, American, Southwest, US Airways, JetBlue.
Traveler A is in Oil & Gas Business. Traveler B has family in Idaho. Traveler C has business in Rochester NY.
Traveler A
For example lets say you are in the energy business which means you need to need to fly to cities where oil and gas production occurs.
Some major centers of the oil and gas industry are Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Denver and Midland.
Houston, Dallas and Denver are served by all 6. However Oklahoma City is not served by either JetBlue or US Airways. Worse yet Midland is not served by JetBlue, US Airways or Delta. For this traveler they should have
American, Southwest or United as their primary program.
Traveler B
For this Traveler its pretty simple if they are going to Boise a lot, an airline who doesn't fly there will not be helpful. This flyer can eliminate American and JetBlue and choose their primary program on other factors.
Traveler C
For flights into Rochester Delta, US Airways and United are the only way to go. If this is their most common destination they should look at flights that are most common, so they can have more choices.
Perks
Does the airlines program allow you to earn points and redeem points in a manner that best works for you?
Alliance with other airlines you frequent
Lets say you fly Germany for work every few years, a Star Alliance program should be at the top of your list.
In the past three years what airline have you traveled on the most?
This should above all give you the best answer.
In addition to the above factors remember both Delta and JetBlue never let miles expire, thus even if you are an infrequent user, you can still accumulate miles, however it might take a while to ever achieve the free travel awards if not your primary account.
Here is the basic overview. Each program has online shopping portal that directs you to a merchants website. In order to receive credit for your purchases to sign up with each program. Here is why you should sign up for every program: it can allow you to keep every program active. So if its been a year since you last traveled lets say, United, spending $5 on the shopping portal and earning points means you'll push back expiration by another 18 months.
