I'm currently an E and will make the 50,000 E for next year.
My travel pattern changed and i will mostly travel to the US or via the US to international destinations. All in economy.
The only benefits that are important to me are:
*Gold benefits
Upgrades
My understanding is that:
1. *Gold benefits are the same between UA & AC
2. However, I understand that with UA, I will not be able to get into the lounges in the States without purchasing passes (?)
3. Upgrades - My eUpgrade success this year with AC was < 20%.
Can anyone provide some information on how Upgrades withUA work for the same E level ?
I would like to ask someone who has switched from AC to UA what they learned? What they would have done differently? Was it worth it? and any Advice they could offer really.
Programs: Aeroplan SE Hilton Honors Diamond. Priority Club Platinum. Hertz Presidents
Posts: 295
If you are traveling from Canada to the US, it is regarded as an International flight. You will have lounge access for your ORD, IAD etc connection points. Be sure to keep your BP showing origination from Canada. The lounge agents will probably want to see this as proof of International component.
If you are traveling from point A in the US to point B in the US, with no International component, you won't have access to the lounges, unless you stick with AE or buy the lounge access.
My understanding is that:
1. *Gold benefits are the same between UA & AC
2. However, I understand that with UA, I will not be able to get into the lounges in the States without purchasing passes (?)
3. Upgrades - My eUpgrade success this year with AC was < 20%.
Can anyone provide some information on how Upgrades withUA work for the same E level ?
Many Thanks,
Jerry
1. pretty much
2. only if you are purely domestic - if your journey at any point involves Canada (coming or going) - you have access everywhere with your intl boarding pass
3. Expect near 100% clearance on Canada-USA routes (although this may change with an influx of new UA elites ditching Aeroplan). Expect other random ones at non-busy times. Expect zero upgrades for hub-hub flights in the states. At least you'll always have an exit row, bulkhead or economy plus for free.
3. Expect near 100% clearance on Canada-USA routes (although this may change with an influx of new UA elites ditching Aeroplan). Expect other random ones at non-busy times. Expect zero upgrades for hub-hub flights in the states. At least you'll always have an exit row, bulkhead or economy plus for free.
Can you tell me how it works internationally? SFO-SYD would be my usual route.
Unlike AC - if there is R, you clear immediately, no waiting until closer to the flight. R space is also not a secret - you just look for it on united.com before buying the flight.
SFO-SYD - you need to buy a W fare o higher to use your Global Premier Upgrades (1k+)
Otherwise - you can always upgrade for 20000 miles + $600 no matter what fare you buy provided there is R space.
Unlike AC - if there is R, you clear immediately, no waiting until closer to the flight. R space is also not a secret - you just look for it on united.com before buying the flight.
If you're worried about domestic lounge access with UA, there's two things to do:
Shorter-term: right now, use your AC status to match to TK*G (which will give you global *A lounge access for 2 years)
Longer-term: Rack up 19,000 miles with A3 to get what's basically lifetime *G (you only have to credit one flight to the account every 36 months).
Thanks for all the info as I am considering doing the same to take advantage of economy plus on international flights via the US and transborder upgrades.
With respect to the above suggestions on TK and A3, I guess you can then use the *G status for lounge access, but I suppose other *G benefits wouldn't apply unless you use that FF program with the actual ticket in question unless you also have *G with UA at the same time? This would be an issue for me since I wouldn't be able to make status on both carriers.
Or get a Plat Amex - Cdn lounge access and UA clubs via PP
PP? Is that priority pass. And do you have to pay to get into the UA clubs with that? In my limited experience with the UA lounge it would hardly be worth paying to get in.
Programs: A3 Gold, CC Gold, MPC Gold, Fairmont Plat
Posts: 677
Quote:
Originally Posted by smarsh102
PP? Is that priority pass. And do you have to pay to get into the UA clubs with that? In my limited experience with the UA lounge it would hardly be worth paying to get in.
Platinum Amex is in the mail.
Yes, you get Priority Pass (not US's SELECT version) with AMEX Plat ($699/year fee), then you get UA club access on top of many others. but UA clubs suck anyway, so you don't really gain much
Programs: Formerly over-entitled UA 1K, now under-entitled UA PP.
Posts: 2,921
Quote:
Originally Posted by smarsh102
Can you tell me how it works internationally? SFO-SYD would be my usual route.
To clarify, you expect to be at the 50,000 mile level with UA, after you switch?
As has been noted, you can use miles/$ to UG into R space but, if you're only flying 50,000 miles a year (and I'm assuming miles, here, not kilometers), then you won't have enough miles to do that UG all the time, and, you will be behind others who are GS, 1K, and at the 75K level, as well as those who paid for J/C seats at various discount levels. Bottom line, flying SFO-SYD with this profile, you should be planning to suffer through a lot of misery and consider yourself lucky if you ever get upgraded.
To clarify, you expect to be at the 50,000 mile level with UA, after you switch?
As has been noted, you can use miles/$ to UG into R space but, if you're only flying 50,000 miles a year (and I'm assuming miles, here, not kilometers), then you won't have enough miles to do that UG all the time, and, you will be behind others who are GS, 1K, and at the 75K level, as well as those who paid for J/C seats at various discount levels. Bottom line, flying SFO-SYD with this profile, you should be planning to suffer through a lot of misery and consider yourself lucky if you ever get upgraded.
This year If I switch completely over to UA I won't have any status unless I can convince them to match. I fly about 140000 miles a year right now mostly AC and the rest to Qantas.
I am all ready planning on a year of misery (Travel wise) compared to the past 4.
