Go for 150K or a second program
Apr 24, 2017, 2:43 pm
#17
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
Is the ability to redeem miles your primary criteria? I would suggest you might consider Delta, one nice thing about Delta is that as long as you qualify for at least Silver Medallion each year (their lowest tier roughly equivalent to AA Gold) you don't lose any EQM, they rollover each year. In addition, you can earn quite a few EQM on Delta through credit card spend, so you could potentially qualify for a higher elite level on them through flying + credit card spend than you otherwise would. You can get a challenge on Delta (see this page), you would probably want to wait until after July 1 to start it though.
A good strategy may be to do the challenge, seems like maybe you could do Platinum easily that would be good for all next year, then next year you split your travel and if you did credit card spend on Delta you could do pretty well in having two high elite statuses.
A good strategy may be to do the challenge, seems like maybe you could do Platinum easily that would be good for all next year, then next year you split your travel and if you did credit card spend on Delta you could do pretty well in having two high elite statuses.
Apr 24, 2017, 4:38 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Function of where you are based, travel patterns.
In my case, being based in SAN, AS has been receiving more of my business, based on convenient, sometimes cheap nonstops to many of my leisure and some business destinations. For this reason, I make every effort to earn (one way or another) at least MVP status on AS, which results in better seat selection and the occasional upgrade - latter becoming less common with the removal of 25% of first class seats.
In my case, being based in SAN, AS has been receiving more of my business, based on convenient, sometimes cheap nonstops to many of my leisure and some business destinations. For this reason, I make every effort to earn (one way or another) at least MVP status on AS, which results in better seat selection and the occasional upgrade - latter becoming less common with the removal of 25% of first class seats.
Apr 24, 2017, 8:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,791
Disclosure" I was perennially in a trifecta----UA1K DL DM and AA EXP. I gave up on UA 3 yrs ago (never looked back) because of crummy service, even though I mostly am captive at SFO as a flier. In a pinch, I fall back on my UA 2mm status as premier plat. Seems to work for the rare times I need more options to HI (it's usually AS from any Bay Area airport).
I agree with other posters that I would, once reaching EXP, go for other carrier's status, probably on DL. I fly SFO-JFK nearly monthly, and buy discounted business fares all the time. It's impressive to see that there is substantial pricing variability between AA and DL on this route (UA abandoned it in favor of SFO-EWR). I go with the cheaper of the two (AA vs DL) and it can sometimes be as much as $600 or $700 per RT ticket. Nice to have this choice.
Since both AA and DL are awarding miles based on dollars spend, I think many times it's a wash. I'm mainly interested in keeping my DL Medallion total up, and I like DL's willingness to roll over DL miles for future status. Hard to beat that.
Truth be told, I've already qualified for DL Diamond for two years ahead already, because of rollover MQM's. Protects me should something happen to my flying unexpectedly. God knows my wife will put $25K per year on the Delta Amex to keep the thing going. Wife takes DM on DL yearly mainly by hanging around me. The free sky lounge is a really nice perk for making DM. EXP doesn't have that.
So I strongly recommend DL as a backup to EXP once one has achieved EXP status. Would not waste my time with UA until that carrier somehow changes its culture, but an SFO based flyer may have to swallow on UA.
I have really gotten to like DL's reliability and commitment to not screwing their pax. Agree that UA's award program is more generous than DL's---but then you have to keep flying UA.
And DL's SkyClub lounge at SFO is, arguably, the best of the bunch. AA is working to catch up. UA, is lagging, IMHO, but we'll see what their Polaris brings.
Regards
I agree with other posters that I would, once reaching EXP, go for other carrier's status, probably on DL. I fly SFO-JFK nearly monthly, and buy discounted business fares all the time. It's impressive to see that there is substantial pricing variability between AA and DL on this route (UA abandoned it in favor of SFO-EWR). I go with the cheaper of the two (AA vs DL) and it can sometimes be as much as $600 or $700 per RT ticket. Nice to have this choice.
Since both AA and DL are awarding miles based on dollars spend, I think many times it's a wash. I'm mainly interested in keeping my DL Medallion total up, and I like DL's willingness to roll over DL miles for future status. Hard to beat that.
Truth be told, I've already qualified for DL Diamond for two years ahead already, because of rollover MQM's. Protects me should something happen to my flying unexpectedly. God knows my wife will put $25K per year on the Delta Amex to keep the thing going. Wife takes DM on DL yearly mainly by hanging around me. The free sky lounge is a really nice perk for making DM. EXP doesn't have that.
So I strongly recommend DL as a backup to EXP once one has achieved EXP status. Would not waste my time with UA until that carrier somehow changes its culture, but an SFO based flyer may have to swallow on UA.
I have really gotten to like DL's reliability and commitment to not screwing their pax. Agree that UA's award program is more generous than DL's---but then you have to keep flying UA.
And DL's SkyClub lounge at SFO is, arguably, the best of the bunch. AA is working to catch up. UA, is lagging, IMHO, but we'll see what their Polaris brings.
Regards
Apr 24, 2017, 10:26 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Function of where you are based, travel patterns.
In my case, being based in SAN, AS has been receiving more of my business, based on convenient, sometimes cheap nonstops to many of my leisure and some business destinations. For this reason, I make every effort to earn (one way or another) at least MVP status on AS, which results in better seat selection and the occasional upgrade - latter becoming less common with the removal of 25% of first class seats.
In my case, being based in SAN, AS has been receiving more of my business, based on convenient, sometimes cheap nonstops to many of my leisure and some business destinations. For this reason, I make every effort to earn (one way or another) at least MVP status on AS, which results in better seat selection and the occasional upgrade - latter becoming less common with the removal of 25% of first class seats.
Are there routes restricting this now with the Virgin merger?
I usually fly SNA-SEA or TPA-SEA on AS, depending on whether I want to visit family before or after a trip to our company HQ
Apr 24, 2017, 10:28 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Apr 24, 2017, 10:45 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: BNA
Programs: AA CK, SPG Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 273
Disclosure" I was perennially in a trifecta----UA1K DL DM and AA EXP. I gave up on UA 3 yrs ago (never looked back) because of crummy service, even though I mostly am captive at SFO as a flier. In a pinch, I fall back on my UA 2mm status as premier plat. Seems to work for the rare times I need more options to HI (it's usually AS from any Bay Area airport).
I agree with other posters that I would, once reaching EXP, go for other carrier's status, probably on DL. I fly SFO-JFK nearly monthly, and buy discounted business fares all the time. It's impressive to see that there is substantial pricing variability between AA and DL on this route (UA abandoned it in favor of SFO-EWR). I go with the cheaper of the two (AA vs DL) and it can sometimes be as much as $600 or $700 per RT ticket. Nice to have this choice.
Since both AA and DL are awarding miles based on dollars spend, I think many times it's a wash. I'm mainly interested in keeping my DL Medallion total up, and I like DL's willingness to roll over DL miles for future status. Hard to beat that.
Truth be told, I've already qualified for DL Diamond for two years ahead already, because of rollover MQM's. Protects me should something happen to my flying unexpectedly. God knows my wife will put $25K per year on the Delta Amex to keep the thing going. Wife takes DM on DL yearly mainly by hanging around me. The free sky lounge is a really nice perk for making DM. EXP doesn't have that.
So I strongly recommend DL as a backup to EXP once one has achieved EXP status. Would not waste my time with UA until that carrier somehow changes its culture, but an SFO based flyer may have to swallow on UA.
I have really gotten to like DL's reliability and commitment to not screwing their pax. Agree that UA's award program is more generous than DL's---but then you have to keep flying UA.
And DL's SkyClub lounge at SFO is, arguably, the best of the bunch. AA is working to catch up. UA, is lagging, IMHO, but we'll see what their Polaris brings.
Regards
I agree with other posters that I would, once reaching EXP, go for other carrier's status, probably on DL. I fly SFO-JFK nearly monthly, and buy discounted business fares all the time. It's impressive to see that there is substantial pricing variability between AA and DL on this route (UA abandoned it in favor of SFO-EWR). I go with the cheaper of the two (AA vs DL) and it can sometimes be as much as $600 or $700 per RT ticket. Nice to have this choice.
Since both AA and DL are awarding miles based on dollars spend, I think many times it's a wash. I'm mainly interested in keeping my DL Medallion total up, and I like DL's willingness to roll over DL miles for future status. Hard to beat that.
Truth be told, I've already qualified for DL Diamond for two years ahead already, because of rollover MQM's. Protects me should something happen to my flying unexpectedly. God knows my wife will put $25K per year on the Delta Amex to keep the thing going. Wife takes DM on DL yearly mainly by hanging around me. The free sky lounge is a really nice perk for making DM. EXP doesn't have that.
So I strongly recommend DL as a backup to EXP once one has achieved EXP status. Would not waste my time with UA until that carrier somehow changes its culture, but an SFO based flyer may have to swallow on UA.
I have really gotten to like DL's reliability and commitment to not screwing their pax. Agree that UA's award program is more generous than DL's---but then you have to keep flying UA.
And DL's SkyClub lounge at SFO is, arguably, the best of the bunch. AA is working to catch up. UA, is lagging, IMHO, but we'll see what their Polaris brings.
Regards
Apr 24, 2017, 11:21 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver, AA Gold, A3 Gold, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,251
If you are happy flying AA and are in Premium Cabins, the BA Executive Club is a good option and relatively easy to secure BA Silver (OW Sapphire) which gives lounge access on domestic itineraries in the USA. Could save you the cost of an Admirals Club membership and you could use the BA status to access AA lounges when crediting to AA too (I do this often by showing my BA card whilst crediting to AAdvantage and have never had an issue).
Apr 24, 2017, 11:21 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
Not sure about your flying patterns, but if you do a reasonable amount of domestic, and some of that in J, then I would suggest getting BA Silver (OWS), as it will get you lounge access+drinks domestically.
Apr 24, 2017, 11:22 pm
#29
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
If you are happy flying AA and are in Premium Cabins, the BA Executive Club is a good option and relatively easy to secure BA Silver (OW Sapphire) which gives lounge access on domestic itineraries in the USA. Could save you the cost of an Admirals Club membership and you could use the BA status to access AA lounges when crediting to AA too (I do this often by showing my BA card whilst crediting to AAdvantage and have never had an issue).
.
Apr 24, 2017, 11:34 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
If you are happy flying AA and are in Premium Cabins, the BA Executive Club is a good option and relatively easy to secure BA Silver (OW Sapphire) which gives lounge access on domestic itineraries in the USA. Could save you the cost of an Admirals Club membership and you could use the BA status to access AA lounges when crediting to AA too (I do this often by showing my BA card whilst crediting to AAdvantage and have never had an issue).
