Been Explat for many years mostly flying international on Oneworld and crediting to AA. With the recent changes to Aadvantage, I'm wondering if this is the best strategy. What I like about Aadvantage is the upgrades on domestic travel. Those look more difficult to get now. Also, I haven't looked, but I'm not sure how my travel will be evaluated based on the new revenue requirements. I guess we have to wait for the new charts. Is there anybody else in my situation? Is it better to credit to British Airways executive club? I think that I can make BA gold in this year. I Always thought that AA was the best choice, but I'm questioning that now.

I say we boycott BA and their ludicrous new policy on no longer interlining bags or protecting passengers on separate oneworld tickets. Screw them.

I am in the same situation though I never valued the domestic upgrades as I rarely fly domestic. In one year AA went from no brainer #1 to not for me ba is not better in my opinion... So I am struggling here between finding a new home in OW or jumping ship back to Star Alliance

All these changes lately from accrual to SWU to baggage limits to now OW changing through checking and bags etc...

For me I have a year to decide as I willeequalifyfor exp by july and ba silver by july as well so I just need to find a decent home in OW for my trips starting Aug 1,2016 AA it is NOT! I would HATE to credit it to ba! AY is a option I am weighing but starting from scratch is a biggie... CX isnt for me...

There just arent that many great options anymore...

One option would be to go non alliance and credit to AS but lounge access would suffer and I would need to limit flying to those airlines... Not impossible

Decisions decisions

Post 3 here has links to other thread by potential AA refugees http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html
When BA changed their fpp there was a small rush of potential BA refugees.

The grass in not always greener on the other side

You will also have to boycott CX, QF and others. Is a oneworld policy.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...un-2016-a.html

The minimum spends for status finishes my loyalty to AA.
I've never been a fan of BAEC but the it has become the least worse option.

The OW policy isn't that airlines shouldn't do it. It's that it's optional.

3 of the major OW airlines are implementing
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...rate-pnrs.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...xceptions.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...e-tickets.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...ts-pnrs-2.html

Exactly this, its a OW thing.Not BA

The other thing to note with BA is to get gold you also need at least 4 BA flights / Codeshare flights so TATL to get the status no matter the amount of miles. The Redemption rates are also better when you hit BA Gold but it's all about what you want from the OW provider. Also you soft land to silver / Sapphire after the gold / Emerald year so you can time it properly and get nearly 3 years of Lounges / Baggage / Checkin benefits.

BA should not be let off the hook so easily. OW said, "You no longer have to interline." BA then chose to stop interlining. The fact that other airlines made the same choice does not mean they (and the others) should be exempt from criticism for it.

I'm making the switch to the BAEC for 2017. In fact, I've decided not to even bother with AA ExPl this year (would've have been a first for me after 10 straight years of PL).

It was a tough decision between AS, UA, BA and sticking with AA.

In the end I felt BAEC is the best program for me.

YMMV.

This is true but AA aren't all rosey either they also decided that their own first class passengers arent allowed in the Admirals Club through status whereas if you have OW Sapphire / Emerald status with any other airline such as BA then you can access the lounge regardless of the ticket class

This is the case for Delta, United and Qantas as well.

To people thinking of going to BAEC, take a good look before you make that jump. Between the 4 BA flight requirement, low RDM earnings on discounted economy flights, low tier points on discounted economy (and no TPs for Alaska Airlines flights), segment based redemptions, etc, the grass may not be greener.

Not true. DL does not treat partner elites any differently than it's own for Sky Club access.

But earning miles on domestic F tickets appears very generous. Am I right that a R/T PHL-LAX will net me 420 Avios? That's 2/3 of the way to OW Sapphire.