Originally Posted by
TKMAXX
Don't forget to factor in that AA status doesn't grant domestic flight lounge access. If you fly business / first domestically, then BA Gold is probably better for you. If you fly economy and have Priority Pass, then you get lounges already and might be upgraded through Executive Platinum.
I personally fly JFK LHR as get upgraded by BA a lot. So I stuck with BA.
Haven't heard anything concrete about tier points for spend. I would imagine they'll evaluate the results of the UK Amex and then make a decision in 2026
A bit of delayed support for this point of view regarding AA/BA status. Except for this year as a Gold, I've been Silver for years with BA, and I'll slip back to Silver in 2026. Even with Silver, however, I can access AA's lounges on domestic USA flights, get assigned slightly higher boarding priority, and select some better seats in economy by paying coach fares and crediting the flight to my BAC status. At one point, AA's main advantage was theoretical upgrades based on AA status, but for years, there had been many more passengers with status than there were available seats, and now, generally, AA gives higher priority to selling those upgrades for bargain prices over providing them to status passengers. I've been very happy with my BA status while flying AA. You could also consider applying for an AA Executive credit card for domestic lounge access and higher priority boarding--cheaper than an Admiral's Club membership although it provides no seat choice benefits.