Best airline for leisure traveler?
Jun 7, 2013, 3:38 pm
#32
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That's my opinion. I'd grab the benefits of Star Gold, knowing that "native" upgrade probability as a DL Silver or UA Silver on DTW-EWR would probably be rather low.
Again, basing this on the assumption that your travels will take you into that 25,000-mile range, not the 50k, 75k, 100k, etc. range.
Disclaimer: I've never been a DL elite. I base my opinion on flying Delta on how hard it is to use Skymiles and how life is as a nonelite. If someone here wants to make a strong counter-argument that DL Silver plus access to a PEK nonstop is better than a partner Star Gold status, I suppose you should listen to it. I just don't see people rushing to make that argument.
Again, basing this on the assumption that your travels will take you into that 25,000-mile range, not the 50k, 75k, 100k, etc. range.
Disclaimer: I've never been a DL elite. I base my opinion on flying Delta on how hard it is to use Skymiles and how life is as a nonelite. If someone here wants to make a strong counter-argument that DL Silver plus access to a PEK nonstop is better than a partner Star Gold status, I suppose you should listen to it. I just don't see people rushing to make that argument.
Jun 7, 2013, 3:59 pm
#34
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Jun 7, 2013, 6:18 pm
#36
Join Date: Oct 2010
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If you want cheapest, I will suggest sticking with Southwest Airlines. Having been UA elite, getting sick of it and becoming CO elite...just to get borged back into UA elite, and getting sick of it once again... Like the other legacy airlines, they charge ridiculous amounts for changes or changeable fares. And then they nickel and dime you to death with dumb fees.
Southwest makes beautiful sense to me.
Southwest makes beautiful sense to me.
As other have stated, AA, UA waive most fees for those with a credit card, and as the OP will fly just about enough to earn at least first tier status, there will be additional bennies that are simply not available on WN, such as first class upgrades, international club access. For me, free same day upgrades are important; WN requires the purchase of a new ticket to catch an earlier flight, when can be expensive.
Jun 7, 2013, 7:52 pm
#37
Join Date: Dec 2009
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If we're really advising OP on low fare carriers from DTW-NYC, there's NK of course. Not that I like flying them but if you don't need to check a bag and have a small carry-on and are OK with going to LGA...
Not that it helps with status to PEK
Not that it helps with status to PEK
Jun 10, 2013, 7:48 am
#38
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The Aegean award chart is *similar* to United's, but not identical. It has its own sweet spots and bad spots.
What you get by doing this:
- Quickly hit low-tier elite (just need 4,000 tier miles instead of 25,000 if you were a native United elite).
- Quickly hit mid-tier elite (just need 20,000 tier miles instead of 50,000 as native United)
- Lounge access at mid-tier on any Star Alliance itin. United's and US Air's native elites have to fly long-haul international to get this.
What you give up by doing this, vs. achieving United Premier Silver (the "native" status):
- The possibility of an upgrade, not that Silvers really get many. Partner elites aren't even on the gate upgrade queue.
- Automatic, online free access to Economy Plus at T-24 hours. The system doesn't allow partner elites to select E+, but gate agents sometimes will a few minutes before boarding.
- Elite phone support on United in the event of irrops. You'd be able to use the F counter agent and (once you're Gold) the United Club. But if you're sitting on a plane trying to get ahold of someone to change a connecting flight, it's the non-elite line.
- United.com online award booking engine, which has become pretty good in recent years. As an Aegean member, you'd end up using either the UA site or some other tool like Award Nexus, find the award flights you want, and then call Aegean to redeem your miles. I've only called them once to date, I had no hold time, and it was a pretty decent call. I used Skype to do it.
Flying as a partner elite is always a bit of a quasi-elite experience. IMHO, you get the essentials - priority access, at least one checked bag, some level of preferred coach seating on *some* airlines, and eventually in this case lounge access. But the main value (for me, anyway) is that I couldn't otherwise become a high elite with United natively.
Jun 10, 2013, 8:23 am
#39
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You would book at United.com, enter your A3 number there, and you would earn Aegean miles. Both your miles and status would accrue with Aegean. You would never earn United miles by doing this. You would never be treated as a "native" United flier...you'd always be a partner elite.
The Aegean award chart is *similar* to United's, but not identical. It has its own sweet spots and bad spots.
What you get by doing this:
- Quickly hit low-tier elite (just need 4,000 tier miles instead of 25,000 if you were a native United elite).
- Quickly hit mid-tier elite (just need 20,000 tier miles instead of 50,000 as native United)
- Lounge access at mid-tier on any Star Alliance itin. United's and US Air's native elites have to fly long-haul international to get this.
What you give up by doing this, vs. achieving United Premier Silver (the "native" status):
- The possibility of an upgrade, not that Silvers really get many. Partner elites aren't even on the gate upgrade queue.
- Automatic, online free access to Economy Plus at T-24 hours. The system doesn't allow partner elites to select E+, but gate agents sometimes will a few minutes before boarding.
- Elite phone support on United in the event of irrops. You'd be able to use the F counter agent and (once you're Gold) the United Club. But if you're sitting on a plane trying to get ahold of someone to change a connecting flight, it's the non-elite line.
- United.com online award booking engine, which has become pretty good in recent years. As an Aegean member, you'd end up using either the UA site or some other tool like Award Nexus, find the award flights you want, and then call Aegean to redeem your miles. I've only called them once to date, I had no hold time, and it was a pretty decent call. I used Skype to do it.
Flying as a partner elite is always a bit of a quasi-elite experience. IMHO, you get the essentials - priority access, at least one checked bag, some level of preferred coach seating on *some* airlines, and eventually in this case lounge access. But the main value (for me, anyway) is that I couldn't otherwise become a high elite with United natively.
The Aegean award chart is *similar* to United's, but not identical. It has its own sweet spots and bad spots.
What you get by doing this:
- Quickly hit low-tier elite (just need 4,000 tier miles instead of 25,000 if you were a native United elite).
- Quickly hit mid-tier elite (just need 20,000 tier miles instead of 50,000 as native United)
- Lounge access at mid-tier on any Star Alliance itin. United's and US Air's native elites have to fly long-haul international to get this.
What you give up by doing this, vs. achieving United Premier Silver (the "native" status):
- The possibility of an upgrade, not that Silvers really get many. Partner elites aren't even on the gate upgrade queue.
- Automatic, online free access to Economy Plus at T-24 hours. The system doesn't allow partner elites to select E+, but gate agents sometimes will a few minutes before boarding.
- Elite phone support on United in the event of irrops. You'd be able to use the F counter agent and (once you're Gold) the United Club. But if you're sitting on a plane trying to get ahold of someone to change a connecting flight, it's the non-elite line.
- United.com online award booking engine, which has become pretty good in recent years. As an Aegean member, you'd end up using either the UA site or some other tool like Award Nexus, find the award flights you want, and then call Aegean to redeem your miles. I've only called them once to date, I had no hold time, and it was a pretty decent call. I used Skype to do it.
Flying as a partner elite is always a bit of a quasi-elite experience. IMHO, you get the essentials - priority access, at least one checked bag, some level of preferred coach seating on *some* airlines, and eventually in this case lounge access. But the main value (for me, anyway) is that I couldn't otherwise become a high elite with United natively.