good topic.

i'm all about diversifying status right now with the rapidly changing landscape of benefits, RDM earning, and all the other [stuff] that the airlines are doing.

last year i was 1K on UA and dirt on everyone else. this year thanks to that status, i'll end up MVPG on AS (status match and subsequent requal), PM on DL (status match challenge), and either silver or gold on UA (sitting $650 PQD short of gold right now).

all the airlines have bad qualities. i vastly prefer my experiences on AS to what UA has thrown at me...i'm treated as a MVPG on AS like i was treated as a pmUA premier exec (very well) and far better than i'm treated as a 1K at COdbaUA. i'm also very happy with the redemption options on AS and the 100% RDM bonus for the 50K status tier. i also got 6 RPU equivalents this year, and it's very easy to use them with the exception of highly competitive routes (basically SEA-ANC, SEA-EWR are classified as "highly competitive").

DL hasn't Dick Anderson'd me over in ~50K BIS this year, thus my reluctant agreement with myself to do the status match challenge and test the waters of PM status next year. if upgrades are as rare as they are on UA as a 1K, i'll just revert to my AS status and continue to dump DL flights into that account.

by 2016 i'm sure i'll change my strategy again. i wish that B6 would dump their SMF-JFK redeye in favor of a daytime flight, this would really push my business their way for TCON travel.