Originally Posted by
sbm12
Upgrades will be the same, and you will get a PC membership with the UK address as a CO Gold. It is NOT SkyTeam lounge access - it is a PC membership. Subtle differences, but worth being clear about it.
I think the differences are more than subtle. If you will be doing most of your travel ex-US, then the PC membership is significantly less valuable. Fewer clubs (including no clubs at many CO destinations) and fewer/no guests at most clubs stand out. If you mostly travel LGW-US, with some connecting travel in the US, or are a Euro-cheat (to borrow from BA parlance), then this can be a gold mine of a perk, since you get the EK lounge at one end and all the benefits on the US end. For our OP, it sounds like he falls in the latter and will benefit greatly.
Originally Posted by
Trinners
Your address as registered with OnePass has to be non-US for at least 12 months before you get PC membership.
This is not true in my experience. When my wife switched in December 2006, she received the PC card with her normal Plat materials in early 2007. My understanding, though, is that they only send them out with the yearly mailings, and so our OP may have missed the boat for this year.
One additional benefit for Euros is the 200% RDMs/EQMs for TATL BF. There is nothing I can find that requires these to originate in Europe, but I can't guarantee anything.