Originally Posted by
djc0
I'm moving to Melbourne in a couple of months from California and am looking for advice on whether to stick with my UA *G or go for a status match with AA to take advantage of QF locally and other OW carriers out of Australia.
My circumstances:
I'm in academia, meaning i have a pot of money each year from which to draw my travel budget. When it's gone its gone, so i tend to be slightly conservative with prices. Meaning that i usually fly the cheaper fares and then use my miles/coupons + status to upgrade. It works well for me in the US. I almost always fly UA business (using coupons) within the US (once a month) regardless of the initial economy ticket i've purchased. And i have lots of miles from my domestic flights (using the 100% bonus from being premier exec.) that i can upgrade on international trips (2-4 times per year).
What i value most is a reasonable fare, a seat with at least the equivalent of economy+ legroom (which i think is standard for most non-US airlines), and most importantly a pain free experience at the airport (priority lines, boarding, etc). Maintaing *G would get me this last one, but would be at the cost of losing a local carrier (no domestic *A in Australia - i'll probably just fly with the cheapest airline, with or without a FF program).
If i moved to OW i would benefit from local QF flights and lounges (with status match). But i'm unsure about how AA/QF view their economy FF's, how hard it is to upgrade, priority treatment, maintain your status, etc. Especially when compared with UA, with whom i'm very happy (even though their aircraft are somewhat sub-standard by comparison).
In other words, once in Australia is it worth shifting loyalties or simply sicking with UA *G? I saw a thread showing a UA/QF comparison but this was rather dated.
Opinions welcome!
What will your travel be. Will it be predominantly domestic Au or will there be flights to USA?
With AU domestic, you will not get priority security nor priority boarding since they are not offered however there is a lot less need to rush to be the 1st on the plane in Australia
You are unlikely to get a status match to Qantas unless your company/organisation has a special arrangement with Qantas to do so
If you collect to Qantas, you will be able to earn miles to upgrade but there is no upgrade giveaway frenzy as there is in the US. To go business class, you will normally have to pay for business class or use the miles needed to upgrade ( which , for example, on SYD-MEL is 8000 miles oneway in a cheap economy ticket )
UA Economy plus has 34-36" pitch with 31" in regular economy. On Qantas you are likely to find a pitch of 31-32" unless you take seats such as those in exit rows
It would seem to me that given that there is no Star Carrier domestically that you collect miles either to Virgin if planning to use Virgin Blue or to AA or QF if planning to use Qantas domestically
For international flights you might well be better served using Star flights and crediting to UA since you already have status
Alternatively, collect to AA and when you next do a US trip, undertake a Platinum Challenge and attain Platinum with AA ( OW Sapphire ) and so have lounge access when travelling on OW airlines
Be aware that if you use Jetstar in a cheap ticket you will earn no miles
Dave