Originally Posted by
tuquee
When I compare Aeroplan and MileagePlus, it seems like it's much easier to earn status on UA? For instance, to get to a tier with *A Gold, I'd need to fly 50,000 miles or 50 segments to get AC 50K, but only 16 segments to get UA Premier Gold.
Earning status with UA is relatively straightforwards if you can meet the PQP (spend) requirements, e.g. $6000 spend for UA gold in addition to 16 segments. Of course, there is some optimization to be done with partner PQPs, but a lot of those sweet spots have disappeared. Especially if you are traveling on other people's money, then UA may make sense for you.