cabrits

i've been reading several threads to try to discern more about this topic. there's a great interest for many here to achieve Gold/1MM. i'm aware of the benefits: not having to pay a luggage fee, a 25% bonus on flghts, elite checkin lines, and a one-time (8) x 500 mile upgrades (if earned via 1MM). the (8) x 500 mile upgrades will basically cover a single long-haul roundtrip, but then once that's used up, there's really nothing left. AA Gold via 1MM used to have systemwide-upgrades (a VERY nice benefit), that they've since done away with (unless you live in europe).

so, unless i'm missing something, what are the real significant benefits of being of AA Gold (including 1MM), that would compel one to direct their $$$ to AA for future travel, as opposed to other programs that have UNLIMITED upgrades for even their lowest-tier elite levels as well (in addition to the comparable program benefits of elite checkin, mileage bonuses, and luggage fee exemptions).

thanks, and happy holidays!

GoBears

You fly the airline because you like it. If the benefits and service aren't good enough, you go to another airline.

AA serves the cities I fly to; the service is about as good as it gets in these post-9/11 days; and I "understand" the airline enough to know how to fly, how to check in, how to act at the gate.

The lifetime GLD guarantees me elite treatment no matter how my flight habits change. I think it is a great benefit. If you like AA, then lifetime GLD is clearly worth it. If AA isn't your kind of airline, then it won't be worth anything to you.

Thanks, AA. I like your benefits!

captaink

The option to select exit row seats at booking and being able to purchase and use 500 mile upgrades on any fare class come to mind.

Those two perks alone make us non-elites foam at the mouth a bit...

freeupgrade

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays to all ....

All I can say is that I really love having Lifetime Platinum - it was a long, long haul to get it, yet it was definitely worth it - as I know I won't always fly a lot every year.

My advice in this era of cutbacks is to get Lifetime Gold (at least)....

I sincerely wish you the very best in your efforts...

jpmcdonough

Well, I'm LT Gold, but it's not my fault! The program started when I was in heavy travel mode and I got a whole lot of miles that way, and then a lot more through the Citibank affinity card. My LT Gold is really more LT than Gold, if you know what I mean. And living here, you almost have to fly American in order to go anywhere. We take maybe 5 or 6 trips a year, either to one coast or the other, or to Europe, and all of it on AA.

You do get some perks for Gold. You can book the nicer seats when you reserve, and you can board ahead of the non-elite pax, which helps with storing your carry-on. I noticed the difference in how you can book things when my wife was traveling a lot and I was not - she could reserve any seat in coach, but I could not, until I hit the 1 MM threshold.

ESpen36

Don't forget that GLDs also get second-highest priority in the AAdvantage Reservations phone queue. Only PLTs have higher priority. Being GLD will diminish wait times considerably.

jpmcdonough

Really? You learn something every day!

DCAstudent

I agree with GoBears. I fly AA (and OW) mainly because it has always been the most convenient in terms of being able to get me from where I am to where I want to go (I lived in DFW, MAD and GRU before moving to DCA). Now, UA and US obviously have more flights from the DC airports, but they don't do as good of a job at taking me to my main destinations: DFW and Latin America. So, I stick with AA.

Is it as easy to upgrade on other airlines would be another quesion worth considering. Some may offer the "unlimited" upgrades of which you speak but may not have as many seats in the F cabin to begin with (and that's assuming they go where I want to go).

clacko

its life gold....very valuable for less ffer's....my bw has it, i have life plt....just sorry that i didn't vector all discretionary mi's her way after i reached 2mm....

gold isnt very good for ug's, but better than nothing....

we don't fly very much anymore, only have about 8k each this year....but the status helps on bag charges, mi bonus....

so [as a lot of people start off with], i think it's worth having, especially in dallas/fortworth.....good luck to all..

Thumper

well said.

American takes of me, and I'm well on the way to lifetime Plat - regardless of how much I am flying 10 or 20 or 30 years from now.

kidpachinko

We have LT Gold, and with reduced flying these days it will take me some years to get my remaining 200K for LT Plat, which I would definitely like to have... That would let us burn miles in JAL and still check in as Plat/Sapph and use Lounges int'lly, etc.
KP

daggett24

Lifetime gold = first class check in at the airport regardless of cabin being flown, and first class security line at many airports.

Yup, I'd like to have that for the rest of my life..

shadesofgrey1x

No Airline in the US offers "UNLIMITED Upgrades for their lowest-tier elite members"

PHL

USAirways does. But they have FOUR tiers of elite status, so the lowest (Silver) usually are left sitting in coach anyway. But the point is - no US Elite customer has to pay or earn upgrades. They are "unlimited" as long as the seats are not purchased by full fare passengers - and the higher elites don't snap them up. Also, any elite on US can upgrade to F on a full Y/B fare at time of ticketing. Frankly, it's a crappy program and US' F product royally sux compared to any of the other "legacy" airlines in the U.S.

As for lifetime Gold, I'm almost there. But let's all remember that "lifetime" means the life of the AAdvantage PROGRAM. If AA is gobbled up by someone else in the future, all bets are off. OR, if AA totally revamps the program and renames it (which they are legally entitled to do by the T&C), all the lifers are S.O.L.

shadesofgrey1x

Those are UNLIMITED UPGRADE REQUESTS a very different thing. And since everyone has them for the asking the competition is fierce. By controlling the flow the way AA does with stickers, you can actually get upgraded as a GOLD quiet often.