Posted on Friday, 29 August 2014

If you fly a lot as part of your working life, frequent flyer programs make a great deal of sense. There's simply no reason not to take advantage of points or miles that can be redeemed against future air travel, other goods or services – or simply an upgrade to a first or business class seat.

But with so many frequent flyer programs out there, it can be hard to choose the right airline or partner network.

Here at starttravel.co.uk we've aimed to make the decision a little easier for our business travel insurance customers – by listing five of our favourite programs.

American Airlines AAdvantage

For those who do a lot of trans-Atlantic or internal US flying, American Airlines will already be a tempting carrier. But with its much-lauded AAdvantage frequent flyer program, it's something of a no-brainer. Lots of ways to earn miles, high redemption availability, a great partner network and superb chances to bag an upgrade…you have to wonder: why aren't all airline programs this good?

British Airways Executive Club

Another well-loved airline for hopping across the pond – and indeed for flying to many UK and global destinations – is British Airways. They run a popular reward program called Avios, which offers awards based on distance – and is excellent for redeeming against short haul flights, such as between London and other EU cities.

Most partner airlines allow for online award booking through Avios, while points earned on American Express and Chase can be transferred to Executive Club accounts with ease. When used wisely, this program can offer some truly great rewards – and cut the cost of business travel significantly.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

The tie-up of the French and Dutch national carriers has made for a truly impressive European and international route network – one made all the more attractive by the airline's impressive Flying Blue program. Availability for premium cabins is reportedly excellent, plus the innovative monthly 50% off Promo@ Awards promotion means Air France-KLM members – but notably not SkyTeam members – can fly to selected global cities for up to half the usual number of points. Promo cities change every two months.

One downside to Flying Blue is that it charges large taxes on Promo@ Awards – to the extent that you might find another ticket offering better value elsewhere, one which would also give you additional miles (you don't accrue miles on promo flights).

A good tip is to find Promo@ Awards on costly routes – saving you money and using fewer miles.

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles

It hasn't been around for long, but Miles & Smiles has been getting plenty of attention from business travellers. It offers Star Alliance Gold status for no less than two years – and members can re-qualify with ease; they only need to fly 37,500 or more miles in that time. This popular airline has big ambitions - and already runs an expansive route network – so it's certainly one to watch for the frequent international business traveller. Two minor downsides are that one-way awards are not permitted, plus rates for partner airline award tickets are higher than average.

Lufthansa Miles & More

The German carrier's Star Alliance-affiliated program may not be one for the frequent, cost-conscious business traveller, but with high mileage earning rates for its Business and First tickets, as well as its super-elite HON Circle tier, it's great for the high-end business traveller. The Lufthansa Group also offers an impressive route network, having bought out a number of European carriers in recent years. Downside: high fuel surcharges ensure economy ticket redemptions make little economic sense. This program is really just for high flyers.

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