Originally Posted by
FlyingBeanCounter
F with no status is just about as bad as coach with no status. And access to the lounge doesn't make that better. If a top tier elite and I both have F with him on an upgrade and me on a full fare the top tier elite still gets preferential treatment. They also get the better CSR's in the call centers... But it is not the same as traveling with top tier status.
Originally Posted by
FlyingBeanCounter
Paid F is great, but even with that the status still matters more. The airlines are just nicer to people with status.
Based on what you wrote, you should just get AA EXP, because the perceived preferential treatment matters to you with status. Like the other poster mentioned, look into BAEC as part of the one-world program, and if the tier points will work better for you than AA EXP.
I believe there are couple of threads on the pros/cons of doing BAEC vs AA EXP.