AA is looking more like an attractive proposition especially as a move to the US is on the cards for me for a couple of years. My plan was to keep BA for lifetime tier points as I’m about halfway there and early enough on in my career. But now, that’s been gutted I’m not so sure. Maybe AA will open up a card here or do a deal with Amex but I suspect it will be the pesky interchange fees that make it less attractive.

I will probably hit the spend thresholds to renew Gold but it’s the uncertainty and our corporate policy is we have to take the cheapest fare in the cheapest airline. BA rarely was so it was my own cash that went to them on holidays and paid upgrades.

I’m sure BA have done the math but the spend programmes in AA are simpler and have tangible benefits with upgrades. This is just convoluted and not easy to work out with certainty. Takes away the fun when you now have to consult a table to work out % for partner airlines or deduct various bits from the Ba fare.