Originally Posted by
usedtobeimportant
i) All things being equal I book the non-UA flight.
...
For i) I've booked non-UA flights that were hundreds of dollars more expensive and comparable.
That isn't "all things being equal." That's... something else entirely. I'm not sure what.
It's your money, and you can do with it what you wish. Now, to be clear, the new qualification guidelines next year are better for me than this year's, because I'll be able to reach 1K more cheaply than I could this year. However, the primary reason that I (a) accrue status in the first place and (b) continue to fly UA is that, after taking everything into account (luggage fee waivers and E+ in particular), UA costs me less than their competition. (NK / G4 / F9 excluded, because I can't imagine a scenario where I'd fly them, unless it involved someone paying me thousands of dollars to do it).
Have I sometimes paid a slightly higher cost on any given UA flight than their competition might have cost? Probably, on relatively short flights where I might be OK sitting in E- on a competitor. But, overall, investing in a UA flight helps keep my total yearly travel cost lower.
I don't like BE. I hate paying extra -- sometimes an extra 30-40% -- for E+ and a chance at an upgrade... but when I compare it to the price I'd pay with their competition, it still makes sense.
Choosing someone else next year, instead of UA? Sure. But, to resent them to the point where I'd spend
hundreds of dollars more to avoid flying them? I can't fathom that, personally.