Originally Posted by
gooduser
you're all very helpful. good stuff here.
so, i'm a little worried about going AS simply because i'm not deeply rooted in the pacific northwest. i like the area a good deal, but i do have plans to move around/move back to the east and new york before settling down for good, be it here again or somewhere else on the west coast/rockies.
so what's the benefit of going AS outside of the access to PDX/SEA and a good program if i have the possibility of moving out of the area? is there one?
Going with AS doesn't restrict you to the PNW. AS is partners with DL and AA, so if you move elsewhere, you'll still get benefits on those airlines--in fact, AS status is the only way you can get benefits on both AA and DL (as AA and DL are not partners with each other). I'm less familiar with AA and its entry-level GLD status, but from what I understand, you really don't get many more benefits as a DL FO flying on DL than you do as an AS MVP flying on DL. I know many people who are AS elites who live nowhere near the core of AS's route network. That said, few of those who live on the east coast maintain AS as their primary program--they treat it as more of a backup program. Still, it's not something to automatically throw out.
As for UA vs. DL vs. AA...well, I'll have to leave that for others to analyze. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now that UA has decided it doesn't like flyers like me. Note that both UA and DL require a minimum spend to hit their status levels now. AA doesn't (for now).