Using AC * Gold benefits while accruing to another program
 

I expect this question has been answered before but I'm not able to bring the answer up in a search. I do recall SH posting some time ago about accruing miles to various Star airlines while flying on another and still doing things like upgrading, but I can't find his posts on that.

I am looking to accrue miles to another Star airline's program but I still want to benefit from the current year's E benefits. If I want to, say, use my eupgrade credits on an AC flight but I use another airlines ff number, will there be an issue with that? For some things (like using the lounge) I can see that it will be easy to simply show my AE card, but in cases where the E status could be noted on the BP I wonder if showing the card will be sufficient (e.g., using a premium security line)?

Am I right that if I do OLCI with my AE number I can print a BP with my E status on it I can go back and reprint with the other ff number on it?

Always the best in cases like this is do your booking and checkin with the AE number.
Then , at the gate, just prior to boarding, ask the gate agent to change the
number to the one you wish to accumulate with.

yup just change your FF # at the gate....

Some agents can also put BOTH FF # into the itinerary??

Given the new eUpgrades we can't be sure what's been done in the past will be possible after March 1st. The new system may kick back the upgrade if you remove or try to put another STAR account onto the file for crediting. Some brave soul will have to give it a try in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks all for the replies. I haven't got a revenue flight on a Star carrier until early March, and won't have an upgrade opportunity until likely early April, so will have to wait a bit to see what happens. I'm still wavering on which program to post to as I want to try to get Star Gold for next, but I am also burning through miles for flights and using whichever carrier is cheapest so I will likely be short of 35k on AC this year. I'm still pondering Aegean as the latest reports on the Aegean threads say that Star Gold status is good for 3 years and is only 19K miles. I am still a little uncomfortable with the thought of losing that status for next year, though I am unwilling to give AC extra revenue (over cheapest fare, whether Y of J) as I have in the past. There should be some interesting times ahead for quite a few of us!

SH makes a very good point re: the eupgrades. I expect that the system roll-out in March will cough up a number of different problems, AC's IT being what it is.

United Status Match Progam
 

I decided that since much of my travel is Canada - USA that I would jump over to the Mileage Plus. So far, I have been able to convince them to match status to Premier Exec for 90 days. During this time, I have to fly 17,500 status miles on United / Continental metal.

This will provide me with domestic upgrade from now till end of May on UA and those Economy Plus seats, which includes exit and bulkheads.

I will keep flying AC on international as it is easier for me from YVR.

I guess in a way, I am splitting a potential AC * SE to keep an AC * E and a UA *PE.

Does this sound like a fairly logical solution?

Would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions, especially from other FT members who are doing similar.