yoginijenn

Used to travel a lot for work, and didn't travel much at all in 2014.

I'm going crazy without any status!! Trying to figure out the best way to get my status back, either on AA or United, as quickly as possible. I was AA plat in 2012/2013 and Gold before, but my platinum expired Feb of last year.

Have already flown 2x RT from ORD-SFO on United this year and was unhappy with my back, middle seat and boarding group 4.

A few questions: 1- Can I do an AA plat challenge if I don't have status on any other airlines? and 2- Given that ORD-SFO only flies 5x/day as opposed to United's 12x/day, is it worth it to fly AA vs. United?

I'm leaning for AA this year since United will status match and United Silver doesn't even give you Economy Plus until check-in. Any thoughts on the best strategy to re-qualify for AA elite and if it's worth it vs. United on the ORD-SFO route?

taxicabnumber

Is ORD-SFO your main route or will you have a significant amount of travel on other routes? How flexible are you with timings?

You state that United doesn't give you E+ until checkin, but as you probably know AA is the same way with MCE -- so that's sort of a push (unless you're willing to pay for discounted MCE ahead of time; I don't believe UA lets silvers buy it at a discount ahead of time, but I could be wrong).

Does earning miles matter? If so, unless you're flying on last minute tickets you'd probably do better with AA. The ORD-SFO route has also been really cheap this year, so keep that in mind with miles-earning for the short term (advance purchase ~260 RT; thanks Spirit for starting ORD-OAK!)

Hotel_junkie

I fly all over the country and ORD-SFO is a flight I take at least 5-6 times a year. I suggest United if ORD-SFO is a constant flight for you because UA has so many more choices which are direct nonstop flights...with bigger planes. AA's terminal at SFO is awesome and new so that might be important to you. But trust me..getting stuck in a middle seat on a full 737 to SFO is no fun on AA.

rjque

I fly this once a month or so, and it's AA for the terminal at SFO. United has a better schedule, but that nice terminal in SFO makes a huge difference in the experience. ORD is a bit better on the AA side, too, since the Admiral's Club employees are not bad and the United Club employees are some of the worst dragons in the system.

smorris76

I recently switched from UA to AA and fly ORD-SFO frequently. I ended up flying UA late last year for one reason, the ~1900 SFO-ORD NS. This is a great flight because I can do business the whole day in the south Bay and still make it home (late) that night. Beats the hell out of taking the red-eye or 6AM flight the next day.

On AA you **might** have a chance at coupon upgrades. On UA, even when I was 1k, I don't think I ever managed a complimentary upgrade on that route.

smilinganddialing

I did ORD - SFO/SJC 4x last year with 1x on UA during the Radar Facility Fire as AA cancelled all its flights but UA still ran them.

I still had Silver on UA and E+ wasn't hard to snag. UA is totally fine and does offer much better schedule flexibility. That being said, only AA flies ORD - SJC and that's nice for the outbound from ORD - return timings from SJC are pretty awful though.

I'd go with whatever is best for your schedule and do keep in mind the ORD - SJC route if you are in the South Bay a lot.

ffflllyyyeeerrr

If OP does a challenge to Platinum on AA, he will get MCE at time of booking for free.

AA will let a non-status elite do a Platinum challenge. Current cost is $200 and you must fly 10,000 EQP in 90 days. They can backdate the start of the challenge up to two weeks prior to the time you call in to start it. The status will last for the remainder of the year. Also, it's common for them to extend a complimentary Gold status while you are trying for Platinum.

rjque

One more thing to consider: AA is flying 738s on this route, and they are being converted to only have three rows of MCS. It's becoming much more difficult to get those rows, though exit rows are usually still available. United has aircraft with much larger E+ cabins, so UA might be better if you are booking close-in.

rikramer

I did ORD-SFO every week for over a year on AA. Even as EXP, the chance of an upgrade were practically 0. The flights are over 3 hours which means many companies allow employees to book into F. I am guessing that upgrade chances on United would be better just due to a function of the much denser schedule on this route. If this is your primary route, my recommendation is to go with UA. If there are other considerations not mentioned here, this equation could change.

yoginijenn

I anticipate ORD-SFO every 4-6 weeks and flying elsewhere around the country ~1x/month (mostly ORD-East Coast). Will all be for work, so taking the most convenient flight with regards to timing.

I was under the impression I could book Exit Row on AA with Gold - is that no longer the case?

Earning miles is great, but I care most about flying in comfort when possible

yoginijenn

A lot of my work is in Palo Alto area, so I assume SJC and SFO are equally convenient. Does that change things?

SFOPhD

AA is the only one that flies SJC-ORD non-stop, but it's only one flight a day and you'll have to check if the timing works for you.

SFOPhD

I would argue that both of these generalizations about upgrade chances are false when considered outside of your personal experience. I get upgraded as an AA EXP SFO-ORD more often than not; my success rate as a UA 1K was lower on the same route.

In the end, upgrade chances really really depend on days/times. Everyone's personal rates will depend on details. So the OP will have to take that into consideration.

gengar

Doubt that very much - you have to consider that SFO-ORD is hub-to-hub on UA. Post-merger, the only time I ever cleared this route as a 1K is when the planned narrowbody was subbed with a 3-class 763.

yoginijenn

Thanks everybody.

Fortunately (or unfortunately however you look at it), I don't think I will be flying enough to make EXP or 1K. So I'm trying to understand what will be a better experience for me as a Gold/Platinum or equivalent and how to get there as quickly as possible. I like the idea of AA platinum challenge but don't know my schedule far enough in advance to know if I'll get 10,000 EQPs in 90 days, esp. if I book in low-class fares.

I'm open to any strategies people have in terms of route selection, timing, etc. to get exit row/MCE/upgrades - I just won't take red-eyes! Firm will be paying for flights (a decent amount last-minute I'm sure), but discount fares.