If your local airport is a "hub" airport for one of the major carriers, join the FFP of that carrier.

For example, if you live in Minneapolis, you will be flying mostly on Northwest... no matter what your final destination may be, and for that matter, no matter what your opinion of Northwest. Why? Because Northwest operates almost 80% of the flights into/out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

The same with Delta at Atlanta, United at Denver, US Airways at Pittsburgh, and so on.

In the case of Los Angeles or New York, for example, which are each served by several airports and many airlines, the choice is more difficult. But the same principle applies: join the FFP of the airline which flies most often to the cities you visit most often.

If your local airport is served by two or more major carriers, with more or less equal shares of the local market, join the FFP of the carrier with the most service (= the most convenience) to those cities you fly to most often as a paying passenger.

If the carriers serving your local airport offer more or less the same number of flights to those cities you fly to most often as a paying passenger, join the FFP of the carrier that offers the most flights to cities you want to visit using free award tickets.

TIE-BREAKERS

In cases where there is no clear market-share leader, the following considerations may be applied.

The "Best"

As discussed above, "best" is relative to (a) where you live, and (b) your travel patterns. After short-listing FFPs according to (a) and (b), you may want to consult surveys which rank programs according to their total worth -- mileage opportunities, customer service, etc. A good starting point would be the Freddies (after Freddy Laker), InsideFlyer's annual FFP awards.

Also, check in periodically with the travel newsgroups. You'll get a real-time sense of members' feelings about various FFPs.

Partners

The big picture, where mileage earning is concerned, includes not only the host airline but the complete roster of partner airlines, hotels, rental car companies, etc., etc. Consider your travel and other purchasing patterns, and whether there's a good fit with the partners participating in the FFPs you're considering.

Mileage Levels

Mileage levels for awards are increasingly uniform. For example, a free ticket between New York and Los Angeles will cost 25,000 miles in pretty much all major programs.

Where differences persist, and may be useful in breaking ties where everything else is equal, is in the area of elite qualification and benefits. Some programs have two elite levels, some have more. Some programs count only those miles earned on the host airline toward elite qualification. Others will also count miles earned on "preferred" partners--typically other airlines with which they have close marketing relationships, including the global airline alliances.

Mileage Expiration

With the announcements in August 1999 that American, Delta and United had liberalized their mileage expiration policies, the concern over expiring miles has largely dissipated. At least for those considering U.S.-airline programs.

If you're looking to join a non-U.S. program, a more generous policy might be a tie-breaker between otherwise comparable programs, especially if you don't travel often and need as much time as possible to reach an award threshhold.

Customer Service

Publications like OAG Frequent Flyer, InsideFlyer and WebFlyer regularly publish feedback from readers regarding their experiences with various FFPs, and periodically rate FFPs on dimensions including customer service.

Charitable Opportunity

For many frequent flyers, another trip (even a first-class freebie to Honolulu) is what they want least from their FFP. Consider donating some of those miles to charity. The larger FFPs now accept such donations, and in turn make the equivalent free tickets available to various charitable organizations. In most cases, the participating airline will match your contribution according to some preset formula.

A sample option:

Airline	Charity Program	Charities Supported	Details
American Airlines	Miles for Kids in Need	Various organizations and individuals	Miles may be donated in increments of 5,000. AA adds 1 mile to every 3 miles donated.
Continental Airlines	OnePass	AmeriCares, The Brass Ring Society, CAREFORCE	Contact OnePass for details.
Delta Airlines	SkyWish	CARE, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The United Way	Miles may be donated in increments of 5,000. DL adds 1 mile to every 5 miles donated.
Midwest Express	Miracle Miles	Extensive list - see the Midwest Express website.	For single donations of 5,000 miles or more, Midwest Express will add 1 mile for every 3 donated. For donations of 15,000 miles or more, member may specify the organization to which miles will be donated.
United Airlines	Mileage Plus Charitable Contributions	Salvation Army, Make-A-Wish, Red Cross, Children's Hospital, Special Olympics, etc.	If donation is more than 10,000 miles, member may choose recipient from list of supported charities.
Virgin Atlantic	Virgin Freeway Charity	Adam Walsh Children's Fund, CJ Sids Foundation	Miles may be donated in increments of 5,000.