Originally Posted by MileKing
I'm not aware of much in the way of statistics to prove one airline is better than another in terms of "saver" award availability. However, I would concur that American's AAdvantage program is at the top of the pack and Continental's NonePass is at the bottom.
If you review threads across FlyerTalk on award availability, it seems clear that most people who participate in multiple programs would also put AA at the top. Individually, this is anecdotal information, but taken together I believe it is a compelling endorsement of AAdvantage.
It's all a function of where you live and where you want (or have) to go.... if you're at a major hub (like DTW) you're not going to have that much choice.
We're pretty much locked into one airline (NW) and use our miles to get upgrades on long distance flights (usually vacation trips to the West Coast) -- particularly when we're flying a peak times.
It's kinda like the new TV show "deal or no deal" -- if you upgrade and see an empty seat up front (after they close the door) you know you did the equivalent of selecting the wrong case !
Bob H