How the Major Non-Alliance Airlines Rate for the Person Who Has Few or No Miles, But Wants to Get In the Upgrade Game Overnight

No Miles? No Points? No Problem. – June 2015 Edition

This is part four of FCF’s five-part series grading mileage programs of the three major alliances and non-alliances, based on how easy they make it for the novice, or the person with no or few miles, to get into the game through mileage-purchase or mileage-transfer opportunities. (You mileage vets will also find this useful.) In short, we’re grading carriers on the ease of getting miles, which FCF calls the Rapid Miles Accumulation Rating.

In January, FCF rated SkyTeam and in April Star Alliance airlines. This month Non-Alliance airlines are up; next, we’ll do a recap of the carriers that are best at offering easy mileage access—the A-list.

The grades awarded—again, just like in grammar school are A through F— and are based on the breadth of Mileage Purchase Opportunities an airline offers. There are two criteria:

1. The airline’s annual mileage-purchase limit and the price when miles go on sale, and
2. The number of points that can be purchased annually from their carrier’s credit-card transfer partners.

The more ways to purchase miles (or transfer), either through the airline or credit card partners, and the higher the purchase limit, the better the grade.

And the better the grade, the more opportunities for those who have few or no miles and want to pursue aggressive, low-cost upgrade strategies which are otherwise not possible if you don’t have or can’t get the miles quickly.

Also included in the chart below is the Transaction Completion Time, meaning the time between initiating a mileage purchase or transfer and receipt of the miles in your account. This ranges from instantly, which means low or zero risk of losing a seat, to nine or more days.

Why is the Transaction Completion Time a factor?

Because most airlines won’t hold a seat unless the miles are in your account, and that mileage seat may vanish during the transaction period. While this is a detail to keep in mind, it is not part of the grade, as it is a separate issue from the number of miles you can accumulate easily through credit-card purchases. On many routes, there are so many sweet redeems that this is not an issue. Transaction time matters little also to the flexible traveler.

The Grades

Alaska / Mileage Plan: A+

No purchase limit, but maximum 40,000 miles per transaction and only four transactions per credit card, per month. Only one transfer partner, Star wood (20,000- point purchase limit, plus a 25% bonus when 20,000 are transferred).

Emirates / Skywards: A-

Mileage purchase limited to 30,000 annually. Emirates has two credit-card transfer partners, both of which sell points: Amex Rewards (500,000-point limit) and Star wood (20,000-point limit).

Etihad / Etihad Guest: C

Only sells miles to corporations. Two transfer partners: Citi Thank You (100,000 purchase limit), and Star wood (20,000 limit).

Virgin Atlantic / Flying Club: A

Good purchase limit (100,000 miles), plus four credit-card transfer partners, three of which sell points: Amex Rewards (500,000 purchase limit), Chase, Citi Thank You (100,000-point limit), and Star wood (20,000-point limit).

Rapid Miles Accumulation Ratings > Non-Alliance Carriers

[table_opt id="1780" style="blue-header" width="wide" alignment="center" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="all"]