US Airways Dividend Miles - Color of the Grass at AA

Hi all,

As a CP who is now AA Plat I just wanted to post a thread letting everyone know what color I see the grass as being at the competition. I have been a CP since 2005, was GP in 2004 and SP in 2003 on US Airways. I am based in St. Croix (STX) and my wife is based at DCA so my flights are mostly between DC and STX. US pulled out of STX seasonally and lost their codeshare flights there when Caribbean Sun went under. As I was accumulating hundreds of thousands of miles on an airline that I couldn't really use them on anymore due to my location I decided to switch to AA. This also gives me a simpler routing (DCA-MIA-STX vs DCA-PHL-SJU-STX) which shortened my travel day.

I signed up for the Plat challenge with AA in July after a horrendous trip on US that involved 11 hours of delays in PHL waiting for a 330 to return from Munich to take us to SJU. This meant 3 round trips with no status on AA. I joined the Admirals club however so that I could use priority security at DCA and had some sort of advocate for Irrops. On these 3 trips I was able to get the exit row by asking at the club or gate on about 75% of flights, not bad. The agents I dealed with were all friendly and mostly everything was on time.

I hadn't flown Y in quite a while and AA's Y is nicer than US's. The planes are cleaner and pitch is slighly larger on the 738's, but Y is still Y and it sucks. Making things worse, my flights are both under 2.5 hours (back to back with a tight connection) so BOB is a snack. AA's BOB is terrible in this situation, with supermarket size portions of 1 item such as a whole thing of Lays Staxx, a 1 pound cookie or a HUGE 3 muskuteers bar for $3. Fortunately I can deal with the trail mix. They also sell bottles of water for $2. All in all AA's Y is fine in an exit row and cramped everywhere else. Thank god I would soon be Plat.

I just finished my first run as an AA Plat. I was travelling with my wife who realized she had to leave a day early. The plat line was excellent, in about 3 minutes they split our res up so she was leaving a day before me and we were done (had to pay $100). Its amazing what a good computer system can do, since the Shares cutover this sort of thing would've taken forever on the CP line with US. I was able to book the exit row in advance, but not having complimentary upgrades is a real downer. It would've cost $300 to upgrade the two of us EACH WAY and my wife wasn't willing to pay it. So basically Plat had very little value to me on the way out.

On the day I was to leave STX to return to DCA I checked in online only to find out that my flight via MIA was cancelled. They never notified me and my new flight was 40 minutes earlier, I would've missed it if I hadn't fortunately tried OLCI. As the new routing (STX-SJU-MIA-DCA) didn't get me in until late and I had to be in PHL for a wedding on Saturday I just asked them if they could book me STX-SJU-PHL instead. The plat line was again fantastic and had this done in minutes. I also shelled out $120 to upgrade (4 500 milers @$30/sticker). I hopped on the hellish ATR to SJU and hit the club when I landed. The SJU Admirals Club is very lively but isn't that nice for a hub club. There also were some fire hazards in the form of "hot" recepticals sticking out of the wall due to broken mounts...one of which had burn residue as it had clearly already started a small fire once. FWIW the clubs in MIA are great though and there are Admiral's clubs in many more locations than US Clubs. Also, I think you are allowed to bring food in the Admirals club which is nice. Oh and there are showers in many of the clubs too for early morning flights and red-eyes! One more thing, free PC's to use...yeah the Admiral's club is just better, although IMO CO and DL clubs take the cake (free booze and internet).

On this route AA's F class is inferior to US F class, but only because US uses the A330 with Envoy seating. I will put that aside though and stick to an apples to apples comparison. It should be known that when US had its Ops together the A330 from PHL-SJU was (and still would be) the NICEST way to get to SJU from the East Coast.

AA's F product is definitely, but only marginally nicer than US's. The 757 we were on was a bit older (not TWA though) but had 24 F seats the way they should. There were crumbs on my armrest and pen markings on the back of the seat in front of me. The F cabin only had 9 PX in it so there was plenty of room. Seat pitch is 39" and that makes a huge difference, I can actually work on my laptop if someone reclines which cannot be done anymore on US in domestic F (I have a large laptop). To me this is the biggest perk of AA's F that US has just killed themselves on, the horrible seat pitch in F makes it impossible to get work done. Also, boarding was done through the front unlike US 75's so we were first off. There were no closets for coats but hooks behind the last row of F. Service began with warm nuts in a Ramikin and a predeparture drink in plastic. One thing to note, it looks like AA serves Champagne (or sparkling wine) in domestic F which I think makes sense. Next up was hot towels and a round of drinks in real glasses. We were given a choice of Chicken Breast with asparagus or Tortellini. I had The chicken. Real silverware (fork and knife) was used but my tray didn't come with a knife. The F FA was very nice but forgot about me twice (and apologized profusely each time). By the time I got my knife my meal was only luke warm. A salad accompanied the chicken and it was not as good as the salad that accompanies the meals on US (I prefer the dressing on US). Bread was also served from a basket with a choice of Focacia or Wheat. Desert, which was plated on the same tray, was a piece of cheesecake that was very similar (but not as good IMO) as the cheesecake on US. There was also a wineglass on the tray and I had mine filled with a Rosemont Red. It was nice, but I don't think this is a particularly high end wine (I'm not a wine snob though). After dinner the FA kept serving drinks, but that was it, no snack basket. I think I'd take the snackbasket over the warm nuts that started the service any day. All in all the meal on AA F was about the same as the meal in US F, but the real glasware does make quite a difference.

IMO after comparing the two, there are 2 things that US needs to do to their F product. First, the seat pitch has to be increased so that people can use their laptops in F. As a business man I would NEVER pay for US F simply because I can't even justify it as a sound business move if I have to get work done. It was a huge mistake for US to reduce the seat pitch in the F cabins. Second, real glassware is a must to give the elusion of an elegant experience in F. If they would put this back in the East their product would instantly be twice as nice as it is today.

Now the big question, IF US went to STX regularly still who would I choose. The answer is simple. If I had to choose between AA's EXP and CP I would take AA hands down. The 8 SWU's and the nicer F product would make all the difference in the world and both programs give unlimited UG's. However, at the lower tiers (PP and GP vs Plat and SP vs AA Gold) I'd take US's program. The simple reason is cost. $150 each way to upgrade on AA adds up quick. Basically I have to budget an extra $3000 per year into my travel budget to fly AA vs US in F. Most companies are not going to reiumburse you for stickers and you only get 4 stickers free for every 10k miles flown so this would be out of pocket for most of us. I rarely sat in Y on US, even as a GP (I fly this leisure route), and the value was just tremendous compared to being a PLT on AA.

Of course US's ops this summer were atrocious so that would have to factor into things. I'd rather hang out in PHL than MIA (nicer facility, shopping, food, bars etc) which is a good thing because I did a lot more hanging out in PHL due to US delays then in MIA with AA. Landing in PHL on Friday was just a nasty reminder of my days travelling US, there were 37 planes lined up to take off (in the past I'd have been on one of them) and the line was so long we had to wait to get to our gate. I had a chat with the FA about that and told him how much US pads their schedules due to this sort of thing. He was surprised. US needs to fix their problem at PHL. Removing more options such as killing Pit seems to be the antithesis of this.

I hope this LONG post helps those who are thinking about jumping ship and provides a realistic picture of the competition without a ton of hyperbole (ok maybe its a little boring).

Sean

I would agree on most points, with the exception being that EXP makes it a no brainer. Also, note that the 757's at AA are being redone on the inside to match the rest of the fleet, so the current 757 product isn't a great represenation.

Nice you enjoy AA but here are a couple of situations that I am sure if you experience them, you wouldnt be feeling so good about AA:

1) Trying flying on AA via ORD or DFW during poor weather. Especially via DFW during thunderstorms. You'll be thinking differently.

2) Fly on one of their "oh so lovely" MD80s. Yes I know they are phasing them out but plenty of them will still be flying for years to come.

1) Trying flying on AA via ORD or DFW during poor weather. Especially via DFW during thunderstorms. You'll be thinking differently.


... vs PHL just about any time? Or EWR? Or ATL during thunderstorms? I've honestly had very little bad luck (knock on wood) with this. I was also VERY, VERY lucky this summer on a couple of occasions.


2) Fly on one of their "oh so lovely" MD80s. Yes I know they are phasing them out but plenty of them will still be flying for years to come.

The "Subpar"80s are, IMHO, VASTLY superior to the US 7dirty7's. While they're old, the seats are generally new, with adjustable headrests even in coach. They're also clean and the lavs don't reek of urine. Personally, I could live without Cranium trivia and the endless ads that show up on US's IFE. The S80s also have 16F. As do the 738s. The 757s are 24 going to 26F. Plus loads of domestic widebodies, including 3 class sold as 2 class (ie J seats confirmable by elites at time of booking) on the domestic 777. When you compare the domestic fleets and their condition there is NO WAY US comes out on top in any objective assessment in pretty much any category. US 3 years ago was competitive. US today ain't even in the same league.

... vs PHL just about any time? Or EWR? Or ATL during thunderstorms? I've honestly had very little bad luck (knock on wood) with this. I was also VERY, VERY lucky this summer on a couple of occasions.



The "Subpar"80s are, IMHO, VASTLY superior to the US 7dirty7's. While they're old, the seats are generally new, with adjustable headrests even in coach. They're also clean and the lavs don't reek of urine. Personally, I could live without Cranium trivia and the endless ads that show up on US's IFE. The S80s also have 16F. As do the 738s. The 757s are 24 going to 26F. Plus loads of domestic widebodies, including 3 class sold as 2 class (ie J seats confirmable by elites at time of booking) on the domestic 777. When you compare the domestic fleets and their condition there is NO WAY US comes out on top in any objective assessment in pretty much any category. US 3 years ago was competitive. US today ain't even in the same league.

I was just trying to point out that AA isnt so perfect or as great as some make them out to be. Not really trying to compare them to AA.

... vs PHL just about any time? Or EWR? Or ATL during thunderstorms? I've honestly had very little bad luck (knock on wood) with this. I was also VERY, VERY lucky this summer on a couple of occasions.



The "Subpar"80s are, IMHO, VASTLY superior to the US 7dirty7's. While they're old, the seats are generally new, with adjustable headrests even in coach. They're also clean and the lavs don't reek of urine. Personally, I could live without Cranium trivia and the endless ads that show up on US's IFE. The S80s also have 16F. As do the 738s. The 757s are 24 going to 26F. Plus loads of domestic widebodies, including 3 class sold as 2 class (ie J seats confirmable by elites at time of booking) on the domestic 777. When you compare the domestic fleets and their condition there is NO WAY US comes out on top in any objective assessment in pretty much any category. US 3 years ago was competitive. US today ain't even in the same league.

Here in Boston I see mostly Airbi and 757s with a sprinkling of 734s. I moved from AA for most of my flying to US. Why? I could rarely see the upfront on AA (which is mostly not-so-super-80s or Ecky Jungle Jets anyway.) The certs for flying 10K miles have to be spent very judiciously and they won't automatically upgrade people because, in their own words, they don't want to devalue their F product by just putting people up front. And, frankly, I found the AA Mad Dogs to be in worse shape than the NW DC-9's - and they're half the age! I find them to be dirty, old, noisy and not very comfortable.

OK, US F isn't the worlds greatest, but it's STILL better than Y on any other carrier (EXCEPT for what they've done to the 321s.) If you accept it for what it is, be happy that you get for free what AA wants to charge you for, and that makes US a good choice. One caveat, I don't know enough about the benefits of Ex Plat to know if that's better than CP and if so in what way.

I also still think a lot of it depends where you fly from and where you fly to. From my perspective, US and UA cover 90% of my non-stop flying, AA or DL would be more like 40% and B6 is only half an airline at best. For all the people here who disrespect US with every breath, there must be a reason you fly them?

Nice you enjoy AA but here are a couple of situations that I am sure if you experience them, you wouldnt be feeling so good about AA:

1) Trying flying on AA via ORD or DFW during poor weather. Especially via DFW during thunderstorms. You'll be thinking differently.

2) Fly on one of their "oh so lovely" MD80s. Yes I know they are phasing them out but plenty of them will still be flying for years to come.

Fortunately it will be very rare that I have this experience. As I said I fly the same route repeatedly (DCA-STX) which is on 738's via MIA. I imagine the experiences you've mentioned are simlilar to flying a 737-300 via PHL in thunderstorms on US, which is something I've often had to do to get to STX but will avoid on AA.

I don't feel great about AA, as I said, I'd likely stay with US (at least until 1/1 when I had to decide between EXP or CP) if they still serviced my destination but they've dropped it so I am basically forced to go AA.

McFlyPHL, any reason why you don't see EXP as a no brainer over CP? As a CP for a few years I find it to be rather frustrating, mainly because of the useless and insulting TA certs. EXP's get 8 SWU's...seems like a great deal vs CP to me.

Sean

Nice you enjoy AA but here are a couple of situations that I am sure if you experience them, you wouldnt be feeling so good about AA:

1) Trying flying on AA via ORD or DFW during poor weather. Especially via DFW during thunderstorms. You'll be thinking differently.

2) Fly on one of their "oh so lovely" MD80s. Yes I know they are phasing them out but plenty of them will still be flying for years to come.

I have and it would not, does not, change my mind. If the choice is AA EXP or US CP, I was a CP for many years, I would call it an absolute no-brainer to chose EXP. I would even chose AA Platinum over CP.

McFlyPHL, any reason why you don't see EXP as a no brainer over CP? As a CP for a few years I find it to be rather frustrating, mainly because of the useless and insulting TA certs. EXP's get 8 SWU's...seems like a great deal vs CP to me.


Sean - I do see it as a complete no brainer that EXP is LEAGUES better than CP. 100/100/100 qualfication, 8 systemwides good on any fare, comp'd upgrades to a nicer F, better desk. (EXP agents make the CP desk look like nincompoops from my experiences).

The only real down side is companion upgrades. As an EXP, you no longer earn 500 milers so when you want to bring the SO into F with you, you have to buy 500's, use the ones you earned and kept on your way to EXP, or burn VIPs. I tend to use mine on one trip to Europe with the SO, then the rest to UG the SO domestically where needed. For MIA, I just paid the 4x$30 for the r/t. (What can I say... the warm cookies make her happy! :D)

This year I'll barely make EXP (depending on a couple of things) and barely make US Silver, though I also got a shiny Amtrak Select Plus card to go with them.

I would agree on most points, with the exception being that EXP makes it a no brainer. Also, note that the 757's at AA are being redone on the inside to match the rest of the fleet, so the current 757 product isn't a great represenation.

The reason there are 2 different 757 configs is because AA never reconfigured the TWA 757's they acquired in the 2002 merger. I thought the plan was to phase out the last of the TWA 757's as they continue to take delivery of the 738's.

AA's operations are a mess, their fleet is old and dirty, and their alliance is filled with hidden gotchas -- try and get AAdvantage credit on a BA transatlantic flight, for instance. Or fly discount economy on BA from London to Tokyo and be amazed when you get only 25% mileage credit from AA.

AA's hubs are also a mess. DFW and especially ORD are zoos at the best of times.

The old dirty planes don't help. Try one of AA's 767s from JFK to SFO sometime. They're the very definition of antique. Heck, even NWA would have retired those things years ago.

Not to mention that the AAdvantage mileage plan is rather stinky. A lack of alliance partners, especially on this continent, means you can never get a seat where and when you want without spending 50,000 miles or more -- except on domestic itineraries with heavy lift and lots of competition like JFK-SFO.

Wow, you must be flying a different AA than I am. I switched from US to AA last spring and have nothing but positive things to say. Planes are much cleaner, no broken seats, good availability on award flights, easy to navigate website, generally lower airfares, great on-time departure rates (I had 1 MX in 40 or so segments this year, and lucky w/ the weather) very helpful and accomodating phone agents.. Not as many upgrades using AA 500 mi stickers as I used to score during the old HP days, but the last year with US as a gold I was running a dismal 10% or so. A fairly professionally run organization IMHO.

As far as their hubs are concerned, while MIA is pretty shoddy, DFW #4 + International Arrivals, is probably the nicest terminal in the entire US and I don't have a problem with ORD either, other than it gets pretty crowded. Plus I get to avoid all the madness at PHX T4 when departing from my home airport.

AA's hubs are also a mess. DFW and especially ORD are zoos at the best of times.

The old dirty planes don't help. Try one of AA's 767s from JFK to SFO sometime. They're the very definition of antique.


So true about the Hubs!! DFW while great in terms of a nice selection of stores and restaurant, plus their train system makes connections fairly easy. Everything else stinks. Lets not forget how poorly staffed AA is at DFW. More than once I've seen flights waiting at a gate to deplane or board with no gate agents around. Poor scheduling and not enough staff. Plus when you do get an agent, they arent exactly known for the friendliness and warmth!! I've found that the AE agents at DFW are about the only friendly and helpful agents you'd find. ORD is just a mess regardless of the airline you are flying on.

You are quite right about the dirty, old planes. Some of their 767s look beyond their prime. The MD80s (need I say more!!). Plus lets not forget to oh so lovely, A300. What a dumpy plane!! The dirtiest, most run down cabin even in F on US looks like luxury compared to this plane.

Note that the 762's (the 3 class domestic transcon planes) are being refitted with new interiors. They're still superior to US's 762's by a mile.

Re: 757's, the TWA variety is Pratt powered and headed to DL in relatively short order. The remaining AA variety, which are Rolls powered, are being refitted with new cabins. All AA757's are config'd the same way, so it's not a standardization move to upgrade them as the TWA odd balls are moving out.

I've had exactly one time I needed the "sAAver awards" and not found them to be readily available. Like any program there are hidden gotchas (like alliance flights) that make it a black art to navigate. Also, when things do go south, "magic" bonus miles tend to post to your account.

try and get AAdvantage credit on a BA transatlantic flight, for instance. Or fly discount economy on BA from London to Tokyo and be amazed when you get only 25% mileage credit from AA.

And all that is spelled out on the AA website. When I jumped from UA to AA I knew exactly what I was getting into, and have no regrets. Some of the partners (Cathay comes to mind) will not offer any miles on cheap tickets, but it is clearly spelled out on the AA website.

Try one of AA's 767s from JFK to SFO sometime. They're the very definition of antique. Heck, even NWA would have retired those things years ago.

I flew on a 767-300 today from DFW-SFO with the new business class seats. The conversion on that model is almost complete (maybe 80-90% by now). I think they're pretty nice, particularly being that my upgrades are comped. Have you been on one?

Not to mention that the AAdvantage mileage plan is rather stinky.

Guess it depends where you want to go. I have award tickets to the Olympics in Beijing using AA miles in business class, while I've seen some UA posters can only get as far as Shanghai. I also have a One World award next year to Asia/Australia (One World awards are the hidden jewel in AA's program) using AA/CX/QF on the exact dates I wanted with multiple stops. I also have a domestic award ticket booked for Olympic Trials in Omaha next year. I've had similar success this year and in prior years. From the redemption point, I just can't complain.

Another hidden feature of AA is lifetime status based on all miles in your account (flight, bonuses, credit card) at the 1MM or 2MM level. Don't overlook that.

I also still think a lot of it depends where you fly from and where you fly to. From my perspective, US and UA cover 90% of my non-stop flying, AA or DL would be more like 40% and B6 is only half an airline at best. For all the people here who disrespect US with every breath, there must be a reason you fly them?

Great point Boston Mark! I live in Fort Lauderdale, and I am truly challanged about what airline to switch/status match/status challenge to! I fly US because I am kind of locked into them because of where I live and where I fly most often, and also where I fly the rest of the time too. Also, I get upgraded most of the time, so I can't really complain, though the seat pitch is a P.I.T.A!

I am originally from the DC/Baltimore area, and I fly FLL-DCA a lot and FLL-BWI occasionally both locations for biz/fam/pleasure, and also FLL-LGA a few times per year (b/p) too. I also fly to PHX (4 times in 2007 b/f), LAS (b), various locations in California (b/p), MGM (b), a few other spots around the US and Canada, and once or twice per year to Europa (b/p). My alternatives are WN, which does not work, since there is no F, they do not fly everywhere I go (no Canada, no MGM, no Europe); DL, but I will not subject myself to flying through ATL Hartsfield, which I hate with a passion, life is just too short; B6, does not go nearly enough places, no F, no Europa; AA, with hubs in MIA, ORD, DFW, really makes no sense to get me to any of the places that I go on the east coast; UA, hubs in ORD, DEN, SFO, similar east coast problem to AA; NW, hubs in MEM, MSP, DET, same problem as AA and UA; CO, with hubs in CLE, EWR, IAH seems to be the lesser of the evils for me, as the hubs are the least badly placed.

Or does anyone else have any better ideas for me? (Never mind that I will be giving up the *A, which is the best out there, I am going to cry just from losing access to SQ!)

.... AA, with hubs in MIA, ORD, DFW, really makes no sense to get me to any of the places that I go on the east coast; UA, hubs in ORD, DEN, SFO, similar east coast problem to AA;...


UA hubs in IAD which provides fairly decent coverage to East coast destinations in their network...

Great point Boston Mark! I live in Fort Lauderdale, and I am truly challanged about what airline to switch/status match/status challenge to! I fly US because I am kind of locked into them because of where I live and where I fly most often, and also where I fly the rest of the time too. Also, I get upgraded most of the time, so I can't really complain, though the seat pitch is a P.I.T.A!

I am originally from the DC/Baltimore area, and I fly FLL-DCA a lot and FLL-BWI occasionally both locations for biz/fam/pleasure, and also FLL-LGA a few times per year (b/p) too. I also fly to PHX (4 times in 2007 b/f), LAS (b), various locations in California (b/p), MGM (b), a few other spots around the US and Canada, and once or twice per year to Europa (b/p). My alternatives are WN, which does not work, since there is no F, they do not fly everywhere I go (no Canada, no MGM, no Europe); DL, but I will not subject myself to flying through ATL Hartsfield, which I hate with a passion, life is just too short; B6, does not go nearly enough places, no F, no Europa; AA, with hubs in MIA, ORD, DFW, really makes no sense to get me to any of the places that I go on the east coast; UA, hubs in ORD, DEN, SFO, similar east coast problem to AA; NW, hubs in MEM, MSP, DET, same problem as AA and UA; CO, with hubs in CLE, EWR, IAH seems to be the lesser of the evils for me, as the hubs are the least badly placed.

Or does anyone else have any better ideas for me? (Never mind that I will be giving up the *A, which is the best out there, I am going to cry just from losing access to SQ!)

For Canada you can fly AC - they're pretty good and they fly FLL to YYZ and on from there. For Europe you can fly UA through IAD or AC through YYZ. US would cover DCA, PHX, LAS, LGA pretty well and CA through PHX. That way you can keep *A and minimize US flying except where you need/want to :) Of course, the biggest problem is I imagine UA is a lot of "Ted".

UA hubs in IAD which provides fairly decent coverage to East coast destinations in their network...

I will ignore the fact that I dislike IAD as an airport for this conversation. In a lot of ways IAD is only an international hub for UA, but even if they were not, trying to fly from my home in Fort Lauderdale to either DCA or BWI means either routing through ORD or code share with US, which defeats the purpose, and actually, if I was going to start flying exclusively UA, it would make me worse off, because I could not upgrade after next year on US codeshares because I would not have elite status anymore. Yes, there is ONE DIRECT flight round trip per day between IAD and FLL, but they are all United by Ted flights, and for a budget airline, damn, they are expensive! They are at least $50 bucks more than US with 14 day advance purchase, and I do 10-12 of those round turns per year. It gets worse for me, since my mother lives in Baltimore, so if I rent a car, it is 1 hour 45 minutes drive to Baltimore from IAD, so that is a real drag, while I could do DCA to Baltimore in usually less than one hour. If I was staying in DC and no car, taxi for $12, but taxi from IAD, must be at least $45. All the connections and codeshares are even more expensive, but make no sense anyway. One of the great things about US, and believe me lately there are FEW, is that there are still low fares sometimes just a few days before traveling, but not true for UA. But I realize that I will be giving that up when I switch, I know that!!!! Complicated, huh?

Wow, you must be flying a different AA than I am. I switched from US to AA last spring and have nothing but positive things to say. Planes are much cleaner, no broken seats, good availability on award flights, easy to navigate website, generally lower airfares, great on-time departure rates (I had 1 MX in 40 or so segments this year, and lucky w/ the weather) very helpful and accomodating phone agents.

I'm glad it's worked for you, but I've had extensive AA experience ever since they bought TWA (and my regularly traveled routes to the west coast and Europe), and it's always been horrible for me.

Every time I've decided to give them another go, I've regretted it. And I still have tens of thousands of AAdvantage miles that I simply haven't been able to use.

As far as their hubs are concerned, while MIA is pretty shoddy, DFW #4 + International Arrivals, is probably the nicest terminal in the entire US

Surely you jest! There are so many "weather" events there that it's becoming PHL-in-Texas.

and I don't have a problem with ORD either, other than it gets pretty crowded. Plus I get to avoid all the madness at PHX T4 when departing from my home airport.

I refuse to fly ANY carrier through ORD -- UA or AA. It's a horrible, congested, poorly-laid-out, crowded and rude facility.

AA's teardown of the TWA hub in New York, nuking the TWA hub in STL (which was a joy to connect in) and pulldown of the TWA/AA hub in San Juan has vaporized much of that airline's value to me.

Some of the partners (Cathay comes to mind) will not offer any miles on cheap tickets, but it is clearly spelled out on the AA website.

Well, if you feel like searching around on fine print 9 clicks from the front page to look for "gotchas," that's your choice.

I prefer to fly a carrier (and an alliance) that actually gives me the miles that I fly them for. Lord knows that one doesn't fly Cathay or British -- even on "cheap" fares -- due to a price advantage on their part.

Star Alliance, even through US, manages to give me miles for every segment that I fly. No gotchas or wasted hours reading through six-point type on the web site to figure out whether I'll get fewer miles flying from London to Tokyo than I will get flying from Phoenix to New York City.

I value that, big-time. While a trouble-free travel experience is indeed paramount, I also don't like the feeling of getting ripped off, and OneWorld is a gigantic rip-off in my view. That's been an ongoing theme since the beginning, when they tried to leverage a Heathrow supremacy to create a transatlantic behemoth protected by competition laws, was carried through when AA bought TWA and then told all the club-pass holders that their life memberships were going to be cancelled (but they REALLY want our business!), and on to the hidden rules where you only get 10% mileage or 25% mileage or 33.67543213% mileage based on this fare rule on this date on this carrier on this route during a partial solar eclipse.

No thanks.

For all its foibles (and varying quality of some of its carriers), Star is still THE alliance (in my view) and SkyTeam is also vastly superior to OneWorld.

For Canada you can fly AC - they're pretty good and they fly FLL to YYZ and on from there. For Europe you can fly UA through IAD or AC through YYZ. US would cover DCA, PHX, LAS, LGA pretty well and CA through PHX. That way you can keep *A and minimize US flying except where you need/want to :) Of course, the biggest problem is I imagine UA is a lot of "Ted".

Yes, and another problem with United by TED, and also with your very interesting and admirable solution is there is almost no way for F upgrades. Even if I gave my miles all to UA, I would end up on TED most of the time, which does not have F. If I flew AC, I would not fly in F, because UA elites can't upgrade on AC flights. The only *A good out of that would be full mileage purchases, which I only had a mind to do for Pacific travel or other very, very long trips. Unless I misunderstood somehow the way F would work for me, but thank you for your suggestion.

For all its foibles (and varying quality of some of its carriers), Star is still THE alliance (in my view) and SkyTeam is also vastly superior to OneWorld.

I agree with FrequentHopper, and always have, which is one of the few things, along with where I live and where I am from that keeps me with US. As far as I know, *A is best reviewed among the airline networks, and "The Star Alliance, launched on May 14, 1997, is the oldest, largest and most awarded airline alliance in the world." According to Travel & Leisure Magazine.

There is an interesting thread elsewhere about someone buying an A class ticket on US and getting bumped from first because of irregular ops. I am traveling on a similar fared ticket today. Original routing was LGA-ORD-SAN on AA. The LGA-ORD segment canceled this morning. I got an email about it. I called the EXP desk and told them what happened. They asked if I could make a much earlier flight, I said I couldnt. They then asked if I could make a later non-stop JFK-SAN that got me in 5 minutes earlier than scheduled. I said sure. They said they were booking me on that. I asked if there was any possibility of getting in first. The response was, "Sir, that is the only inventory I am checking for you". Time and again, AA staff have made exceptions, cleared things, upgraded me for free, more or less read my mind even to make my traveling easier. I just didnt see that anymore on US. When I was a CP in 1999, yea, but not by the time I left them. AA staff by and large really look out for frequent flyers, especially Plat and EXP.

That wasn't my experience with AA when I was "gold" with them after they bought TWA.

In fact, at one point one of their reps told me that I should "feel lucky" that AA matched my TWA status at all.

I've since kept residual status through an old Citibank AA credit card that I never use anymore, and while US's service for FFs isn't stunning, I never felt "looked after" by AA as a FF either.

Reps make all the difference, and I've had good and bad ones on both AA and US.