<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by paulnagy:
Can anyone tell me how many upgrades would I get as a mid tier with AA. maybe I could do my short routes in coach and longer flights use upgrades? Thanks.</font>
You earn four 500-mile upgrade credits for every 10,000 miles flown on AA. AA also recently reduced the cost to buy the upgrades to $25 per credit.
IME as an AA Plat, I usually got the seats when I wanted them. AA recently relaxed the rules about how EXP's get upgraded, so we have yet to see how those rules will impact Plat/Gold upgrade availability.
The only downside to staying where you are with NW is that your Gold status won't translate to upgrades on America West to PHX (although you *can* buy them, when available), and the CO flights to Newark are all regional jets (not sure if they've even put an F cabin in those).
If you switched to AA and did a Gold or Platinum Challenge, you'd be back in Upgradeville on mainline jets fairly quickly, and your period of suffering in coach wouldn't be that bad thanks to More Room Throughout Coach.