Originally Posted by
elCheapoDeluxe
I usually only hit MVPG with the occasional 75K possibility. I fly less than I was when I racked up 1.5MM on UA with a decade as 1K. I only moved to the PNW 5 years ago and only have concentrated on AS since they joined OW - so only 161K toward MM here so far.
I can easily divert $200k of my business spend to the credit card of my choice. Why should I not just get an AA credit card and go Exec Plat? I understand and agree with the frustrations of spend based status. I've put in a lot of BIS miles over the years. But... if you can't beat em join em. What would I possibly lose by going from MVPG/75K on AS to a spend-assisted ExecPlat on AA? I'd just switch the spend now and switch which program I credit once my AA status catches up with my AS status. I also have 200K in MM progress on my AA account from 1999-2002, so I wouldn't even be behind in the MM hunt from the switch.
If AA serves your flying needs it's a no brainer IMO. Divert $200k spend to AA (preferably $250k to get the loyalty choice award) and buy all your flights with the miles that you earn. AA has a lot of very cheap domestic awards, and you will be upgraded frequently as EXP. You will have status and never pay for a flight.
This is what I do, except that I don't have the CC spend so I'm mostly getting the LP from partners. But the vast majority of my flights are award flights. I've payed money for exactly one flight so far this year.
Also MM is kind of worthless IMO. You won't make any more progress towards it with this method (no MM credit for awards) but you'll be flying for free, usually in F, so I think it's a good trade-off.