Originally Posted by
LarkSFO
Don't do it! If you do, the flamers win...
Seriously though, do the 6 GPU's from UA factor in to your decision? I don't believe that the Middle Eastern carriers have an equivalent, although I could be wrong.
Do you fly primarily in Economy? Or Business / First? I would look hard at the Y offerings of the ME carriers before making a decision as well, if this is the class you are in mostly.
Is DL through SEA (or MSP / DTW) an option? Another connection is not that attractive, but may be worth considering.
Like I said I am probably a one off, and there are lots of considerations. But nonetheless I fly 100,000+ a year and will spend more than my $10 K PQD but obviously not a HVF in UA's eyes.
First, it's not because of the flamers, but a decision based on my own disgusted position with UA, but I am willing to put my money where my mouth is rather than simply making idle complaints. But I really hate the snarky comments about moving if you don't like UA.
I fly totally on my own dime and yes I fly mainly Y but play the UA lottery by buying a W, H or Q tickets in hopes of getting a GPU upgrade--sometimes win and sometimes lose.
So in the long run I am always prepared to tough it out in E+. With EK or QR the pitch on their 772' and 773's from ORD are the same pitch as E+, and after a few long hauls I should have enough miles to get a few upgrades--probably much like UA.
In addition right now I fly ORD-->NRT-->SIN with an overnight and use award miles on TG to BKK. So I have the hotel overnights R/T and spend 35,000 miles on the award (vs about $400 cash for the 2 hour flight), and it takes an extra day each way. Now with award miles based on ticket price even with a Q fare I will get only about 22,000 miles--a net deficit on my 35,000 mile award to BKK of 13,000 miles.
Last flight UA could not make interlining my bags work at SIN, so I had to go through immigration and baby sit them all night because I could not get back airside to the hotel or lounge w/o a boarding pass which I had to get from TG when they opened a 0600.
DL is a terrible option from ORD and that was the first one I looked at. There is no direct flight from ORD--SEA, so it involves a whole bunch of connections MSP or JFK or DTW etc to SEA and forward. About 28 hours
EK or QR fly directly to BKK via their hubs so I have a short connection in DXB or DOH or a stopover if I chose and I suspect that their soft product is far superior to UA's.
In the long run, it simply may not work the way I expect and I won't leave UA, but at least I'm going to give it a try.