exLHRnowSFO

I am a BAEC Gold member, my flying is a mix of domestic AA, long haul to Europe/LHR on BA, and trips around Europe on BA. So this isn't comparing to United, but AA to another international program.

I picked BA over AA's elite club for the following reasons:
- Biz and first lounge access, including Flagship, even when flying AA domestic in economy
- Flagship first check in where available (I am a UK citizen and do not have global entry or TSA pre, being escorted to the front of the security line at JFK during rush hour is invaluable to me)
- Onboard service, when flying economy, is elevated as you are recognised as a OWE
- Easy to earn bonus Avios, and the tier points you collect when flying AA domestic rack up real fast making it easy to requalify
- BA blocks seats in economy next to Gold members where possible (again, invaluable)
- Operational upgrades still happen from time to time when flying AA domestic
& whatever else Oneworld has to offer, plus some stuff I may have missed.

But...
- I do not get the same upgrades as AA elites, which isn't a big deal as I book the cabin I'm happy flying in. I often upgrade flights using Avios.

Maybe I'll change to AA's program, but honestly having BA Gold with the majority of travel within the US just feels like cheating.