Xeno

I know you are asked variations of this question all the time, but there might be one small difference in my case.

18 months ago DVTs in my left leg sent blood clots to my lungs (PEs) that kept me in ICU for three days being told the outcome was uncertain. The end result is that until last month. I had not flown after logging over one million real miles (not credit card points) with Delta on my way to 50 countries. I had settled into a routine of about one domestic flight a month and 2 to 3 international trips a year.

Now 2 years later Delta has made a lot of changes that penalize me because the DVTs are not completely gone and they fly only RJs out of OKC. Even though I take Coumadin and have a vena cava filter, I must kept my left elevated when stationary and move around at least once an hour. RJs are not helpful in meeting those conditions.

I took a flight on Delta from OKC to LAX last month and survived the CRJ 700 (OKC-SLC-OKC) because I was in 14C. Then I did the same 10 days ago and this time on the outbound the RJ clotted a surface vein in my right leg. I knew what was happening, called my specialist and we managed to keep a regular clot from forming.

But I had to spend a lot of money to fly AA back to OKC because AA was the only major carrier that had regular jets all the way to OKC. The only plus was that the fares were so high that I got a first class ticket which helped since I had no status for getting preferred seating.

So if I transfer to AA from Delta, my guess is that they would give me some kind of temporary elite status that requires x number of miles to remain an AA elite. That is a challenge for me because I am going slow about flying again which the last trips seems to justify. Being a Delta MM, for now, at least, I am at least silver for "life". That gives me space to work my way back to a normal flying routine.

On the other hand, if I start to improve faster than expected then I would fly next year to Indonesia, South Africa, and a third trip to either Asia, Latin America or Africa. This makes my Delta points important since I use them for upgrading tickets - the only way our non-profit organize will let us upgrade - and of course it is impossible to transfer points from Delta to AA.

So what advice can you give me since I need the jets that AA flies in and out of OKC but my case, at least from my perspective, is not simple.

BTW, I am flying OKC-SDF-OKC May 17-23 on NW RJs and was willing to pay the difference to get first class AA jets for the trip but most schedules had first in only 3 of 4 segments and the flights were late at night which is a medical challenge for me.

Vaze

Do a search on the forum about completing either a gold or platinum "challenge" doing so will give you elite status for far less miles flown that one normally would. If you take the challenge in the second half of the year your elite statue will be good for all of next year during which you may be able to retain status for the following year given the international trips you have planned. Good luck ^

RachelG

Xeno,
Sorry about your DVT problems.
I too switched from Delta to AA almost exclusively because of Delta's doing away with the big planes to TUL. (and I don't even have problems with blood clots-just like to sit in F.) Prior to switching, I was Silver on Delta and Gold on AA with no real special effort on my part. Now, I am PLT on AA--definitely a big step up. You need to do a Gold or PLT challenge to get status on AA. They won't comp you anything otherwise, but even a PLT challenge isn't that hard. As previous poster stated, do it in July so it will be good till 2/08.

ricktoronto

Also you may want to pay for the minor cost of $205 a year (no pre-existing condition exceptions) to www.medjetassistance.com to get out of Dodge when /if it happens again. Medical evac home is priceless.

I have the same PE experience and fly J/F only on AA and have not been able to fly CO on my route for the same reason - they fly RJ's YYZ-IAH , and my hematologist has said - no RJ's , no regular coach longer than 60 minutes total. DL flies my regular route but I cannot be sure they offer J at all times, plus they are a little pricey.

Still for 3rd world countries (and they will even do evacs domestically as well over 150 miles from home) I wouldn't leave home without this air evac card. For the pennies a day it costs.

gemac

AA does not normally comp status - they provide "challenges" instead. You have no temporary status while completing the challenge. The only exceptions to this reported here involve corporate travel departments that move a ton of business to AA.

The best advice I can give you is to put your health first. And second, and third. Do whatever is likely to give you the best health. If that involves buying three tickets in coach, so you can put up the arm rests and elevate your foot, then do that.

Take good of yourself, and best of luck with your recovery.

Xeno

Thanks for the tip. I did not know about them, but will investigate closely.

In terms of what you fly, did your physician put this in a letter to help persuade your employer or did your employer not contest this?