Originally Posted by
chrisl137
My experience on UA is similar - it's a flight and the service is fine, but if you're a primarily domestic flyer, AS MVP is arguably better than UA gold, and definitely better than silver. On AS as an MVP the upgrade to PC at T-48 reduces your seat risk by a lot more than the silver Y+ at check-in benefit, and an MVP has a much better chance of getting upgrades than a UA Gold (except maybe if you're SEA based). And AS also lets you check a bicycle for the cost of a regular bag, which is $0 if you're MVP or have the credit card.
Agreed that AS status is far more valuable at the lower tiers for domestic fliers, especially if you're based outside of their strongholds. I'm on track to hit 75K next week, and I was already getting upgraded to F on a majority of my flights as a Gold, so I anticipate getting much closer to 100% on upgrades in 2020.
UA Silver isn't anything to sneeze at, as long as you aren't expecting any upgrades. I usually managed to nab E+ aisle seats at check-in in rows 7 to 10 on my flights to IAH in particular. OP would likely be able to manage Silver buying last minute fares despite the changes to earning status beyond 2020. I plan on keeping an eye out for PE or J deals on UA and their "preferred partners" to earn PQPs at a higher rate and try to stretch for Gold again.