Originally Posted by
AAExPlat
So to summarize...can't get an ug out of or into AUS, can't same day change, tickets are very expensive.
I've been debating for some time whether I would shoot to requalify for Plat or Gold this year. This morning, I got my answer. It'll be Gold for me. After all, I am not getting upgraded anyway, so the difference between Gold and Plat is negligible. To requal for Gold, I think I need to book one or two more roundtrips through the end of year, and I'll be done.
It's unfortunate...I like flying CO, and I like award redemption on Star partners, but the benefits just are not good enough to give them enough business to be Plat in the future.
I face the same challenges as you: I really like Continental, but AA is a much better choice for me. I think that CO is doing things right and filling the front cabin with paying customers is the way to go. I have discovered that it changes my behavior and perception in ways that I don't think I could have predicted.
When I fly CO, I'm one of those people that, for the most part, fly on Y, B or M fares. I wouldn't do that if CO made it easy to upgrade like AA. Clearly, CO is doing the right thing with these fares. I was glad to see CO create the elite-for-life program; strangely, once you hit Gold, I have to ask if there's any genuine benefit to sticking with CO? As Gold, one can buy upgrades and get the exit row by booking early. I don't expect to get upgraded if I don't buy a full fare, so I try not to fly CO on discounted coach fares. M-UPs for PE's isn't enough, not now that I have lived the EXP life on AA!
My relationship with CO is now purely transactional. The downside for CO is that, with elite for life, it tips the balance in my favor: I have to be loyal to AA to get into the front cabin; CO has to be loyal to me if they want me to pay a premium. If I'm not happy with CO--and because the relationship is now transactional, I tend to be more sensitized to problems--I fly elsewhere. I have a strong affinity for Continental, but it's no longer loyalty. CO is now number 3 after AA and DL.