Considering Moving from AS to UA

Old Jun 7, 2014, 7:34 pm
  #1  
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Considering Moving from AS to UA

I am a high mileage flyer on AS and with the street fight going on with DL and more than likely the disengagement of DL and it's network especially for award seats I am looking at UA or AA. each will easily status match.

The issue I have with AA is their hubs are not as convenient as UA's in SFO.

Any thoughts ?
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 7:40 pm
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I'm not sure where you're based (Pacific NW is a big vague), but assuming you're SEA-based, UA's recently switched their SEA-SFO service to all-mainline. Plus, they tend to use Airbus aircraft on this route, all of which have been retrofitted with Wi-Fi.

Are your common destinations served by VX? If you have to connect through SFO anyway, have you considered VX?
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 7:46 pm
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united GAINING a high value client? You're a rarity in these parts, thats for sure.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 7:50 pm
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Originally Posted by unavaca
I'm not sure where you're based (Pacific NW is a big vague), but assuming you're SEA-based, UA's recently switched their SEA-SFO service to all-mainline. Plus, they tend to use Airbus aircraft on this route, all of which have been retrofitted with Wi-Fi.

Are your common destinations served by VX? If you have to connect through SFO anyway, have you considered VX?
currently PDX there is a possibility of moving to SEA next year.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 7:56 pm
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AS has a nice tie-up w/ AA, and may grow stronger with the DL fight. And with AS, you can fly virtually any intl airline and credit back to AS for status.

UA isn't offering all that much these days, quality wise.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 7:59 pm
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Originally Posted by edgewood49
currently PDX there is a possibility of moving to SEA next year.
PDX coverage is a bit thinner than SEA, but I think you'll do fine with UA. I look at UA's upgrade program the same as VX's -- elites gets E+ for free and have the opportunity to buy up to First. UA's got a nice bonus for 75k and 100k fliers by way of confirmed domestic and international upgrades.

That said, coming from AS, you'll be sitting up front a whole lot less.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 8:02 pm
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Originally Posted by UA-NYC
AS has a nice tie-up w/ AA, and may grow stronger with the DL fight. And with AS, you can fly virtually any intl airline and credit back to AS for status.

UA isn't offering all that much these days, quality wise.
And you have a good point to which I have looked at. I have flown UA a couple of times this year and frankly have liked what I have seen so far. From what I have been told AA is set to make AirPass operable with both airlines and then changes to their program. Am looking at a switch in early fall, have been offered PLT with UA and AA Delta by the way only offered me Gold even thought i have been AS75 since it's inception !! you would think they would honor equal thats how bad I think it's gotten.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 8:10 pm
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Well, I just went the other way this year (UA to AS) and AS isn't that convenient for me to fly. That should tell you what I'd say about UA. PDX is getting several express routes dropped soon including LAX and IIRC much of the SFO service is regional. Upgrades are much less frequent on UA than AS particularly exSFO is bad with tons of GS members. Service in flight on UA is worse than AS as is on time reliability.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 8:26 pm
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Originally Posted by PV_Premier
Well, I just went the other way this year (UA to AS) and AS isn't that convenient for me to fly. That should tell you what I'd say about UA. PDX is getting several express routes dropped soon including LAX and IIRC much of the SFO service is regional. Upgrades are much less frequent on UA than AS particularly exSFO is bad with tons of GS members. Service in flight on UA is worse than AS as is on time reliability.
well that takes a little wind out of my sails on UA!. I typically purchase on AS 75k upgrade fare into FC. And would do much the same on whomever I move to.

On UA I really don't mind the stop over in SFO on my way to SAN which I do once month. I also do the Bay Area many times a year.

So why did you go to AS ?
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 8:52 pm
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Originally Posted by edgewood49
well that takes a little wind out of my sails on UA!. I typically purchase on AS 75k upgrade fare into FC. And would do much the same on whomever I move to.

On UA I really don't mind the stop over in SFO on my way to SAN which I do once month. I also do the Bay Area many times a year.

So why did you go to AS ?
reasons i went to AS (in no particular order) that are attributable to negative experiences at UA:

1) operational problems on several trips in late 2013 and difficulty of recovering from them
2) devaluations to the mileage plus program particularly award redemptions on partner airlines
3) fewer upgrades as a 1K post merger than a gold level flyer pre-merger
4) downgrades in onboard product and service quality especially in F, the food is terrible and the menus have not rotated in at least 18 months, maybe longer
5) a chronically broken upgrade system, and also the reservation system (SHARES) sucks
6) lower quality of service on the ground and on the phone

to be fair, i have flown about 20 segments on UA in 2014. in 2013 i flew 95% UA or partners, in 2014 i'm down to about 30%...with the remaining 70% being 60% AS partners and 10% AS metal. some of the reasons i went to AS are also for the positive aspects of the AS program (earning miles on many different airlines in a single program, for instance).

if you are buying instant upgrade fares on UA and are purchasing at least 7 days in advance you'll do fine on UA and ride up front most of the time. just keep in mind that there are fewer instant UP buckets on UA (YB for plat and below elites, YBM for 1K and GS elites). Y and B especially tend to be expensive, I flew a transcon M fare last week and it was >$750 one way. UA aggressively prices F through what are known as UPDI fares (they are coach fares that give an instant UP to F but typically have 7 or 14 day AP restrictions and book into P), so those are an option to get into F, but they come with caveats (that's a topic in another thread).

SFO as a hub is fine, except that it does have some weather issues that you are probably accustomed to flying right over. in addition, UA does not serve OAK and barely serves SJC, so you really are locked into SFO for your bay area trips...which can be a disadvantage depending on where you need to end up.

personally i would rate the quality of major US airlines right now as:
DL>AA>AS~B6~US>UA>WN>Spirit~Allegiant~Frontier

YMMV I guess.
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 8:55 pm
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Are you 100% sure AA will status match? Or do what they normally do an offer the Gold/Plat challenge

A similar thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...-platinum.html
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Old Jun 7, 2014, 9:35 pm
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Originally Posted by edgewood49
The issue I have with AA is their hubs are not as convenient as UA's in SFO.
As an AA passenger originating outside a hub, you'll be higher on the upgrade list, though right now comped domestic upgrades only come into play at the EXP/100K level. With UA comping you at Platinum/75K level, you'll get 75% bonus miles. At AA, Platinum/50K comes with 100% bonus miles.

I'd be curious how both UA and AA flyers in Portland are doing with domestic upgrades. Could be the reason to pick one over the other if the prices for instant upgrade fares are too high.
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Old Jun 8, 2014, 12:40 am
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Originally Posted by unavaca
I'm not sure where you're based (Pacific NW is a big vague), but assuming you're SEA-based, UA's recently switched their SEA-SFO service to all-mainline. Plus, they tend to use Airbus aircraft on this route, all of which have been retrofitted with Wi-Fi.

Are your common destinations served by VX? If you have to connect through SFO anyway, have you considered VX?
They are all retrofitted with wi-fi stickers. The wi-fi often doesn't work or hasn't ever been activated in a lot of them. Then you look on United's wifi status it says its something like 98-99% done, but that only means the equipment is installed not that its actually usable.
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Old Jun 8, 2014, 10:45 pm
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I'm a 2.5+ MM BIS with AA and when I moved from AUS to PDX I switched to UA as AA service out of the PNW was poor; I don't want to go through DFW to connect from PDX to LAX (Ok a stretch but....).

Fast forward 4 years and the situation is very different. I will be moving my business back to AA+US/AS in FY (Flying Year) 2015 as the combination of those 3 for me gives me many more options with more direct flights on mainline aircraft. UA is in full retreat from PDX and I would seriously advise against choosing UA based on recent announcements.

My flying is primarily domestic, west of the Rockies and all in Y. F & Long-Haul fliers might have a different perspective. UA upgrades are about as rare as a blue moon (for a Plat) and generally, the cabin and ground staff can be pretty abrasive, with a few notable exceptions. Connecting through SFO is really painful due to climatological and capacity issues. I consistently leave 3+ hours for an SFO connection and regularly mis-connect even with that kind of buffer.

Last edited by timfountain; Jun 8, 2014 at 10:52 pm
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Old Jun 9, 2014, 6:52 am
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Originally Posted by timfountain
I'm a 2.5+ MM BIS with AA and when I moved from AUS to PDX I switched to UA as AA service out of the PNW was poor; I don't want to go through DFW to connect from PDX to LAX (Ok a stretch but....).

Fast forward 4 years and the situation is very different. I will be moving my business back to AA+US/AS in FY (Flying Year) 2015 as the combination of those 3 for me gives me many more options with more direct flights on mainline aircraft. UA is in full retreat from PDX and I would seriously advise against choosing UA based on recent announcements.

My flying is primarily domestic, west of the Rockies and all in Y. F & Long-Haul fliers might have a different perspective. UA upgrades are about as rare as a blue moon (for a Plat) and generally, the cabin and ground staff can be pretty abrasive, with a few notable exceptions. Connecting through SFO is really painful due to climatological and capacity issues. I consistently leave 3+ hours for an SFO connection and regularly mis-connect even with that kind of buffer.

Thank you for the time and information. I think that my decision will wait until later this summer when AA unveils it's consolidated Air Pass along with it's FF.

And yes I am also hearing that UA is pulling back from here ( PDX).

Question is AA or AS your program of "record" for 2015
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