First and foremost, I am retired so I have flexibility in making my travel plans. I have LT PP on UA (until they decide to change that &#128518. No other LT status.

I find the Amex Aspire card a good value despite the fee. I get full benefit so that it pays for itself. I also use CSR mainly for HY points which I find a good value.

I am not married to any airline now. I take what’s convenient and decided to just pay the extra cost to ride upfront. The game of upgrading is just too much time wasted for little return.

I try to buy tickets strategically. Two years ago I purchased a one way mileage ticket to Europe. For the return I booked a round trip paid ticket in business back to the US with a return date fixed several months ahead back to Europe. I’ve been buying roundtrips Eu-US-EU ever since. I make sure I can change the return, even with a fee. The cost savings, I find, are great. I pick whichever airline has the best value for money. Yes, I plan well in advance but that’s just me.

For this year, without trying I stumbled into gold status on AA. Last year I was shy about $1500 from UA 1k. But what benefit does each give me when I travel if I’m paying for business class? Nada.