Originally Posted by
Antonio007
I travel coach 12 times a year from Manchester England (MAN) to Panama (PTY) usually via Newark. I get Platinum by mid year and get upgraded to nearly always from Newark to Panama. I can travel any day of the week and by any route and do not mind stopovers. I would love to get transatlantic upgrades without using airmiles and co-pay. I have had this twice in 3 years when coach was full with continental but here other airlines do it more often.
The questions are.
1. Could I get a better deal from another airline?
2. Should I try to use 2 different airlines and get elite status on both?
3. Are there other routes that would get me a better deal?
All help greatly appreciated.
It sounds like you will fly more than enough to reach Executive Platinum (EXP) status on American. Since you don't mind connecting cities, the trip would run MAN-ORD-MIA-PTY or MAN-CDG-MIA-PTY. In my experience, as an EXP, your chance of an upgrade on an AA domestic flight is much greater than on CO as a Plat. AA also awards eight eVIPs (system wide upgrades) annually to EXPs; these electronic certificates may be used to upgrade on international flights. The fare basis has to be L or higher, IIRC. AA also prioritizes Op-Ups based on status.
I'd suggest making AA your primary carrier and using CO as a backup. At twelve times a year, with the right fares, you might be able to make top status on both.