Originally Posted by
frmnj
Hello, I am NYC based 1K on UA and am thinking of switching to AS in 2020 after UA’s recent elite status qualification changes and the impending move to dynamic award pricing. I’ve never flown AS, never had their credit card, and don’t have a MP account. So I have lots of newbie questions:
1. My flying nowadays is just 3 business class round trips per year to DEL or BOM and perhaps 1 business class round trip to Europe. Total spend this year around $18-19K. Will travel on AS partners get me to the 75K status?
2. Do I need to fly AS metal to achieve or maintain status? I have no need for lounges (available via Priority Pass from CSR) or bag allowances (via J tickets or BofA Preferred reimbursements when traveling Y), and upgrades are not a factor (zero success in last couple of years out of EWR in the few economy flights I have taken). So I seek status primarily for RDM multiplier.
3. For DEL / BOM trips, is there a difference between CX and EK in terms of RDM and EQM? I’d much rather avoid BA (didn’t like the cabins or service during my AA EXP days)
4. Is CSR the best way to ticket for Mileage Plan or should I get a BofA AS card? Would you ticket CX / EK via AS or directly? Currently I spend the $18K or so on my CSR, primarily for UA (Europe, Asia) or BA (US, Caribbean) redemptions. But I have about 500K UA miles that will be difficult to burn following their move to dynamic pricing. I have plenty of Avios and UR too.
5. In terms of redemptions, if I switch ideally I’d like to be able to take my family of four to Alaska in business class in summer of 2021 or 2022. Is that kind of availability realistic in AS metal?
Thanks!
Welcome to our forum! Here are some possible answers to your questions:
1. Maybe... You'd be close. JFK-HKG-BOM x3 in CX Biz should come out to around 80K EQM (there is a 25% COS bonus on CX Biz). You'd have to do that Europe trip as well or find another way to earn the full 90K EQMs for MVP 75K (ie 2 trips to SEA, PDX, SFO, SAN, or LAX? - or 1 trip to Hawaii!?)
2. Nope. No spend requirement, no minimum segment limit.
3. Both CX and EK have 125% EQM and 225% RDM in all Biz class fare buckets (plus any elite bonus RDMs if you status matched - 125% as a 75K)
4. Amex Platinum or Citi Prestige are the two most common 5x earners that are superior to the CSR in earnings. But, the travel insurance is less robust if you need it. AS cannot (yet) ticket EK or CX revenue tickets.
5. I'd recommend getting 2 BofA AS cards and booking companion fares for that trip. Although the trip could potentially cost 60K per person r/t on saver F tickets (A fare bucket), availability would be the difficult part. Once you get familiar with the GGU process, you can book economy tickets with the companion fares (K or higher) and upgrade with GGUs. There maybe some other creative ways to get to Alaska as well - AS MP is very flexible and can include a stopover. You could also burn some of those UA miles to get to Alaska.