Originally Posted by
jk88usa
Not sure how you manage to do so well as an MVP, but congrats you’re doing far better than me
anyways between the 2 I do far better on DL upgrades as a silver than AS upgrades as an MVP. I fly a ton between DEN and SEA and only get upgraded on Saturdays on AS, it’s fairly spread out on DL (though if I clear it’s always at the gate...never at the window).
That being said it really depends on the routes you’re flying to. If it’s transcon or midcon, your odds are pretty abysmal either way but I’d recommend AS, I’ve gotten a few surprise upgrades as MVP before but on DL anywhere mid or transcon out of SEA I’m usually 20th+ on the list. Even as Gold on DL unless you’re doing West Coast flying it’ll be rough out of the hubs
Friday evening and Saturday flights help a lot--I'm with mostly other leisure travelers and just not competing against too many Golds and 75Ks, and on one E75 PDX-BUR the plane went out with empty F seats--and early bookings help keep me ahead of the other MVPs on cheap fares. I've even managed to get upgraded on a Friday SEA-BNA and Monday morning DTW-SEA, so I have my fingers crossed I'll still get the odd upgrade before I move over.
As much as I like AS, though, sticking with them just isn't an option if I want to consistently maintain status. MVP has gotten me more perks than DL Silver will, but 25-50% EQM earnings on most cheap partner fares aren't terribly helpful: I flew almost 45k miles last year on AS and partners but only got about 30k in EQMs, and that was with an AA international trip while we still earned 100% on all paid coach fares! I've done the math, and given my travel plans next year it'll be hard to requalify unless I make my trips revolve around DE's SEA schedule
and go on a mileage run. Y+, J, or domestic F fares would definitely help, but I'm mostly hesitant to buy those until I have my student loans fully squared away.
Originally Posted by
jiburi
Personally, I wouldn't waste your effort on a SM match, as the benefit gain is too little. DL AMEX will provide you with one additional free baggage and priority boarding. You can only get a lifetime match to DL program once, why would you want to waste it for a SM status?
As I said in the OP, I'm not matching with the intent of staying at Silver; my 2019 travel plans should get me to GM without even going very far out of my way to fly DL, and between rollover MQMs and the (hopefully not disappearing) AmEx MQD waiver and bonus MQMs, I shouldn't have any trouble staying there even when I decide to burn some of my AS miles or fly somewhere not well-served by SkyTeam. Good point on saving the match for the future, though; I might wind up going without status for the six months or so it'd take me to qualify for FO organically.