I am a UA 1K (100,000), was UGS (high rev) until this year, and have flown on most of the*A carriers. While they recognize my status and treat me well I don't feel like I am anyone special. I think the number one rule is that all of the airlines within all the alliances still take care of their own customers first, than those of the alliance - nothing wrong with that at all. Your customers fly you all the time, those from the alliance less so. Being a BD member you would likely never recieve an upgrade on UA/LH/SQ unless it was a very rare op up, also BD is one of the smaller members of *A and are not the happest according to some articles I have read - I wouldn't want to pick an airline that might consider leaving *A. If you are going to be doing flying in the US on UA I think joining Mileage Plus is a no brainer. As you fly UA you will earn 500 upgrade certs and have the ablity to upgrade on UA - something that would not happen if you were a BD member flying UA. UA and LH are pretty tight so my experience has shown LH treats people in this maner LH members, UA members, * Gold, *Silver. SQ is associated with * but I have never had the feeling that they have their whole heart in the alliance (for example I still don't think UA and SQ codeshare). Plus SQ has so many paying F and J customers that those are the people they focus on.

On UA all fare classes atleast earn 100% credit and 100% eliete qualification.