Originally Posted by moosek

I'll try to be terse - I need help with my new travel scenario.

I am a long time American customer from when I lived overseas but my status has lapsed.

I am taking a new job where I will be flying US Airways roundtrip weekly from the midwest to Boston.

I am not sure what the best thing to do between now and the merger is. I want will be on US Air Flights but am really set up for American with my CC and historical stuff.

I have a tidy pile of American Miles and an AAdvantage CITI card. I don't really want to cancel get a new card but could if I absolutely had to.

My belief is that I can sign up for Dividend miles and pay for the "trial chairmens" level at $600. Begin traveling on US Air and accumulating Dividend miles and segments to maintain the status. If I understand correctly the trail status level on US Air requires 40 segments to maintain after the first 90 days which I assume I will meet as every flight I will make to Boston will have 1 stop usually in Detroit.

If I pay for these tickets with the Advantage Citi card I know those points will end up in the American program and the actual miles will end up in the Dividend program. I'm not too worried about that because I will be able to use the miles regardless.

My main goals in order are:

1: Maintain Status at Chairmen after 90 days.
2. Maximize benefits on the US Airside while I am actively flying this route (possibly 2+ years)
3. Accumulate milse to use to have my spouse join me occasionally on the comment but also for family vacations.

Am I missing something big?

I do realize it may be smarter to use a Dividend Miles card to book the tickets and my switch at some point once I am comfortable with the flights.