Originally Posted by
UAschoolflyer
Idk if this is the right place to ask this question but I am a current UA gold and with UA raising the status qualification requirements for 2026 thinking about switching to AS and have a few questions.
1. How often do MVP golds clear their first class upgrades? (UA I'm 4/14 this year but those are all 1.5 hour early morning or late night flights).
2. How often do MVP golds clear their premium class upgrades? (UA economy plus is at booking but I know AS on some cheaper fares it is not automatic).
3. How good is AS customer service/rebooking due to cancellations & delays?
4. How good are the benefits with specifically AA and Oneworld sapphire at large?
5. For any SFO based flyers how good is the connectivity with AS/AA? (that is my biggest concern as UA has a lot more flights at SFO)
6. How easy is it to redeem AS miles for good value?
As in any case, YMMV. A lot of this really depends on availability at your airport.
1. Out of SFO you won't have to contend with quite so many elite above you, but still don't expect substantially better upgrade ratios. This year as a 75K I've experienced around your UG rates. My 100K wife has seen substantially more UGs.
2. Premium is pretty easy to come by, not that I take it. I'll take row 17 in the B738 or B739 over premium. I believe the Premium UG will always be available if you're traveling solo.
3. CS is pretty good. I've yet to experience any significant issues, but they're not immune to requiring HUACA.
4. AA benefits aren't exceptionally great. Just adequate. OWS status on int'l travel is where the benefits really come in handy.
5. I can't speak as a SFO flier, but you aren't going to see a massive number of flights like UA at their hub.
6. If you're looking for int'l awards to Asia and the Pacific rim, you might be in excellent position. Those of us in SEA often have to position to SFO for award flights. The one thing you will see over time is the difficulty getting from your home airport to an int'l gateway, but SFO is a pretty good gateway airport for AS so maybe not to worry too much. T award fare class seats can be hard to come by, especially on short notice. I've found advanced planning and booking at t-330 is almost a necessity for long haul. Don't hesitate to select flights that require a paid positioning flight. If the preferred award seat on the positioning flight opens up later on, you can get it added to the PNR. Value? It'll depend on what you're aiming for. We tend to go with low cost Y awards (because my wife will rarely let me book J awards!) and we often have plenty of availability. If you're unencumbered by things like school schedules, you'll have no problem. The positives vs. negatives of any FF plan comparison is way beyond a brief response. You'll need to do your own comparison to see which best serves your needs. But I hope this is helpful.