I am considering doing some mileage running this year to reach top tier on AA. I have already re-qualified for PLT on AA and will not be able to sustain much on UA this year, but after having mid-level status on both I am curious about the benfits of top tier on one. If I discover that one is not treated that much better, I dont think I will go to the trouble again and just stick to mid-tier for which I can qualify without any mileage running.

If I decide to go ahead I will be looking at at least 25-30K in MR's, my necessary travel,albeit all leisure, will stop at around 70K.

The 100% mileage benefit,elite check-in and international lounge access are the biggest benefits in my opinion.
The incentive to go for the next tier, would be VIPOW's,upgrade list priority, and better lounge access when travelling internationally....

I do agree with the other poster above, op-upgrades ae extremely rare...maybe as a top tier flyer its more frequent, I woudnt know, but as a mid-level elite, fuggedaboutit...

In summary, having got used to the benefits of status, I think I will do anything possible to maintain it in general, the only question for me is really whether top-tier is worth the extra effort over mid-tier.

[This message has been edited by JohnG (edited 08-27-2003).]