Any DL comparison should necessarily include a discussion of skypesos. Good luck finding a TATL/TPAC business class ticket for less than 2x the UA saver price. DL doesn't even publish award charts anymore which tells you something. I would gladly take the inferior upgrade % and lounges so long as I can use my miles when I want at a fair price, which is often the case on UA/*A.
Originally Posted by
worldwidedreamer
In a world where my current UA Gold Status does not yield upgrades or significantly better service, the only real benefit of elite status versus my premium UA credit card is E+. That's not enough to earn my business.
In my view E+ at booking is a key benefit for flights > 2hours. Occasional CPUs on vacation travel is a secondary benefit. Neither is an option on WN, so I continue to buy tickets on UA for mid/long haul when the fare is competitive.
On the flip side, the biggest minus for UA is the inability to re-fare when fare drops, forcing the passenger to gamble on the best date to buy a ticket. This is never a problem when using paying cash on WN (or AS).
I, too, have a CP on WN, but the savings is less dramatic for a family of 4, and of course of no value on my paid company travel. WN would probably get more biz from me if it would lower fares from OAK, instead of adopting the fortress hub mentality. If I have the hassle of crossing the bridge to SFO, I'm generally going to fly with UA.