Originally Posted by
VSLover
the last point is important.
now that i am GGL, and no longer AA ExP or CK, i do not care about AA upgrades because in the US i only purchase biz or f fares now and my 35 AA 500-mile upgrade certs will sit there forever. so if you rely on upgrades domestically i think that would be more important if a majority of flying is domestic--and a reason to stick with a US based carrier.
that said, i am thrilled to fly under by BA number in the US for (1) the US lounge access, (2) AA accommodating me during irrops as a GGL, (3) the BA upgrade certs (4) phone and in person service on BA during irrops or on the plane.
A caveat on (2) - that's great if you are in an airport with Premium Services, are in a lounge, etc. But, in a random outstation, you aren't going to be looked after in the same way and wouldn't have access to the EXP line to sort it out. So its not foolproof.