[TRAVEL] Update to Airline Alliances (updated May 11, 2014)

We previously wrote a posting about flying with airline alliances. I continue to believe that you should always consider all the options that airline alliances have to offer.

If you collect Aeroplan points because you are based in Canada and that is the only airline that is a member of any of the three airline alliances, your Aeroplan points are actually very flexible. First off, you can earn points through credit card sign up bonuses, credit card spending, as well as flying on partner airlines. If you fly on United Airlines, the money you spend on that flight can bank you Aeroplan points. Then, you can use those Aeroplan points on a flight with Lufthansa. Using this method, you can actually completely avoid ever flying on an Air Canada flight, which taking advantage of the Aeroplan points that you earned from credit card spending and sign up bonuses.

I would like to point out that there has been a lot of Air Canada bashing, mostly due to their high fees, however, I generally find Air Canada an enjoyable flight regardless. The airline has a lot to offer. If they can lower the fuel surcharges, they might actually rank higher on people’s preferred choice of airline to fly on.

Below are updates to the memberships within three major airline alliances: