I’ve done my homework, and my annual air travel spending (before taxes) typically runs between £25K and £35K. In the past, that would have qualified me for BAEC Gold. However, because about half of my flights are on oneworld partners (that now award a paltry 12.5% of the actual miles flown) my total Tier Points end up around 15K .
My travel patterns are enough to get me into the top tiers with both AA and AS, but since I’m SEA-based, and given Alaska’s impressive list of non-oneworld partners (like SQ, KE, and LA), I’ve decided to go with them. I just applied (and was approved) for their credit card, and I’m about to book my first trip on their website.
I’ll lose domestic lounge access, but that’s not a huge loss considering the state of most lounges outside of LAX, MIA, ORD, and JFK. Plus, I still have Priority Pass if I ever need a reminder of how busy and basic US lounges are.
Honestly, I’m grateful BA nudged me out of my comfort zone, because I’ve discovered how many more perks I can get elsewhere. For instance, with AS MVP Gold 100K, I get all the usual OWE benefits plus an extra MVP Gold 75K card, mileage rollovers, upgrade certificates, and more - a much better value for my money.