WhiteOut

I have been UA Gold for last few years up until 2014. Lost status and starting from scratch with a new job next month. I've studied the plans, redemption etc., and considering a move from UA to AA/US, mainly b/c I do regional travel (NE USA for the most part), and getting pretty tired of RJ 145s, DCs, and Dash 8s...

When I originally started with UA, it was pre merger, and I could also earn on US and CO flights since both were *A partners...now that is gone...
But I don't want to leave for greener grass only to find the mowing is just as bad on the other side of the fence!

What are your thoughts/findings?

FAA1996

There is a post along these lines every few days...

GadgetFreak

Yes. But I will answer from a personal perspective. I was a UA 1K for many years and a 1 MM Flyer. I think I was treated better as a Plat on AA than a 1K on UA. When I decided for a variety of reasons to cut my travel, I was a 1K and AA EXP for about 5 years in a row, I dropped UA entirely and went with AA exclusively. Never looked back on that decision.

tonytifao

If you plan to fly AA metal, it's the best out there. Go with AA! US is still crap!

PHL

Up and down the East coast you may still get a high share of RJs, depending on the routes you fly.

KansasMike

I came from UA about a year ago after 19 years of being Pre. Exec. or higher. I am pleased with American (with the exception of the coach seating on the A319) and do not miss United at all.

With regard to the comment about RJ's on the East Coast, I find I fly much more AA mainline than UA mainline which seems nonexistent these days.

relangford

Likewise, I was 1k for years (and MM) on UA, so I am lifetime Gold but haven't flown them even once since I left. I was EXP last year, but dropped (budget cuts) to PLAT this year on AA. AA is much better (at least until the shoe drops on the "new" AAdvantage program) even at second tier.

tom911

Should you make it back to 50K, AA offers 100% bonus miles at that level, something you won't get at UA. They also have off-peak 40K awards to South America and Europe for good portions of the year (the season for Europe runs mid-October to mid-May). There's been some changes at AA, but for now those perks are still in place.

Mwenenzi

Now days no airline has tall lush grass. Its mass public transport for thousands in a thin metal tube.

Indeed there is. I collect some here in post 3 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html

Penguinmoon

I am an Asia based flyer. I was a 1K with UA for 4 years before accepting a match to AA. Enjoy every aspect of it more, except the routes served by AA metal to Asia. That is changing, slowly, but it is. With DFW-HKG, I will be happy happy happy.

socalduck

Since the merger, I've had a few opportunities to fly US metal, and I've been pleasantly surprised. I much prefer the F seats in the Airbii vs the 738 slim line seats. Cabin crews have also been quite good. Every flight has been on schedule. None of my legs has been long enough for meal service, so no comment there.

The only thing I'm not too thrilled about are the hubs: CLT is very crowded, and PHL seems a bit chaotic and in need of a good cleaning.

As for AA, I've been quite happy. Not thrilled with the recent FFP changes, but overall I'm happy. I fly DL a fair amount, as well. They do a decent job, but overall I still prefer AA.

flyingmusicianlax

Vastly prefer AA over UA. No comparison IMO. Also prefer US over UA. UA has cannibalized itself as an airline.

SOBE ER DOC

So then don't read them.


At one point or another I have been uber-elite with each of the remaining legacies (US included). My sense is that it depends on what you value. If UGs matter and you will not make EXP then avoid AA or you'll be forking over a bit of $...unless this is changed in the merger.

My experience on AA has been very satisfying, most of the time. Flying up and down the east coast can be challenging but this will be made light years better with the addition of the PHL, DCA and CLT hubs. US as an airline is no worse than UA.

If you're doing a lot of east coast travel then DL is another good option. I find their service superior to the other carriers (with the exception of meal service) but their mileage redemption is a joke.

I left UA after being a 1K for a few years and I will never fly them again. Never. Ever. Under any circumstances. I'll drive first.

WhiteOut

Thanks for all of your replies so far. I also understand if I provide a little more detail it might be more helpful to refine the replies to my goals (some might be restated):

--Based out of IND.
--I will likely only achieve mid-tier status on whichever airline I choose.
--If it's within 5 hours, I typically drive, and look like I'll be covering less Northeast and more Midwest, but also possible assisting clients in Southeast...but this is hard to anticipate at this time.
--I don't need to get upgraded to FC, and UA E+ on a RJ170 is fine by me...most of my flights are regional 1-1.5 hr hops anyway...
--most important to me is to collect/maximize points and be able to use for vacation/long weekends, *and be able to redeem*. All domestic.
--boarding priority not as much of an issue as I rarely check luggage. If I am in E+ without paying extra, and group 2 boarding I'll be fine.

Note: I have never really had a problem redeeming UA for decent flight times that fit my plans...and usually only 12.5 or 25k at most per one way...

So it appears from others' replies that for a mid-tier like me, the actual in-flight experience is better on AA/US, but the ability to earn/redeem is still more favorable on UA *if the spend threshold is achieved*. Delta appears to have the least favorable collection/redemption plan.

Have I captured this pretty closely?

XLR26

I think you're close except for the "earn" part . A mid tier (50k) flier on AA earns 100% RDM bonus. UA only earns 50% RDM bonus. And that's the main reason I left UA for AA almost two years ago. My experience on AA since then has been good. There are only three things I miss re UA:

1) SDC policy - UA's is very generous. I used it a lot.
2) PDB service - I like to have a drink on my thurs/fri night flights and the odds of it happening on an AA flight are about 1/10. UA was 9/10.
3). The App. UA's app, even after it's latest update, which was a downgrade in both form and function, absolutely crushes AA's app on all levels. AA's app is horrible. And awful. And it sucks too. And those are all the nice things I have to say about AA's app. .