ShadoWing

Barely just qualified for EXP this year, and with the CC spend cut in half it's going to be an extra push to get to exp for next year. Most of my routes traveled are SFO-JFK-SFO, taking redeyes there and last flights back (8pm), and each time seeing 4-5+ CK's on board.

Wondering if it's any better on Delta for low-tier Diamonds (seeing some decent partner fares that could help me hit that status slightly easier than EXP). Anyone have any thoughts or experiences w/ DL out of SF?

I think most importantly for me is the flat-beds on the redeyes above all else, as I travel on award miles few and far between (once a year). Also considering AS MVP 75K

EDIT: United is out of the question for me, considering GS is so strong there and I couldn't qualify dollars via partner travel (1-2 of my trips on AA per year are on Cathay for the EQD earn. DL has great partner earn on MU too)

3Cforme

Diamond is Diamond. After status, fare class is the next criterion for upgrade availability - not 12-month rolling spend like AA. You'll need to hit the Diamond spend criterion; the spend qualifier waiver with Delta Amex spend is now $250K. (No, I didn't add a digit.)

flyingeph12

I might also see if other Oneworld programs make sense, given your flying patterns and what you value with your status. Oneworld Emerald will give you lounge access when flying AA domestically but won't give you free upgrades or same-day confirmed change. I decided to switch to another Oneworld program this past year, and it has worked for me given my flying patterns (being based in NY, several international trips to Europe/Asia in J, and mostly transcon domestic flying). But it may not work for you.

Alaska doesn't have lie-flats on SFO-JFK, so MVP75K might not be ideal if that's what you value.

JDiver

Jet Blue? People seem to love the Mint product.

carlosdca

Do you usually buy economy or business on those flights?
If hope for better upgrade chances is what you are looking for, keep in mind DLs upgrade priority considers fare class as criteria. Do you usually buy discount economy or last minute tkts?

rbAA

And AA domestic flights earn -0- on AS. It's that time to buy what you want, so jump on the few deals that come along on premium cabin transcons no matter which airline it may be.

Gig103

I do think that the AA seats are nicer, and the Flagship lounges (which you would qualify for on a "Transcon" route) blow away the Skyclubs.

But something to think about is that AA discounted business class fares earn 2.0 EQM per mile, where Delta gives out 1.5 MQM (unless you buy full fare J then it's 2 MQM or 3 EQM). Will your flying patterns get you to Diamond on DL? Are you planning on using their credit cards for the MQM boost?

IADCAflyer

AA's got a bit more service than DL does (45 flights versus 41).

DL serves LAX, SEA, SLC, MSP, ATL, CVG, DTW, JFK, and BOS from SFO but CVG and BOS are 1x daily flights. LAX, SEA, and ATL represent 20 of the 41 daily flights.

AA serves LAX, PHX, DFW, ORD, CLT, PHL, JFK, and MIA. 10 are LAX flights and 9 are DFW flights. They have decent service to JFK, MIA, ORD, and PHX, and somewhat reduced service to PHL and CLT. You -could- add the fact that AA puts its code on 2x daily AS flights to PDX, 6x daily to SEA, 1x daily to SLC and (I believe) 3x daily to SAN. Alaska does not have a club at SFO, but your Admirals club membership gets you into the Alaska clubs in LAX, SEA, and PDX.

Not sure what the widebody service or premium service is for SFO, but I do remember AA does operate 767s between SFO and MIA sometimes and operates the A321T to JFK.

3Cforme

Delta uses fare class after elite status. Diamond with a high fare class is as good as it gets without buying F/J or using a Global/Regional Upgrade Certificate.

PHXflier

Just as a data point: The three times I took the night flight SFO-JFK or the late JFK-SFO flight on Delta, I was upgraded to Delta One twice. Upgrades to Comfort+ are automatic (lots of C+ seats on this route). The 757-200s that typically ply this route have 16 Delta One seats, so relatively few, but they often have 4 seats or so available for upgrade on the day of departure (they do not clear upgrades earlier than that). So, unless you are on a V, X, T or U fare, you have a decent chance of getting upgraded to Delta One.

Eastbay1K

Why yes, but at SFO, there is no Flagship Lounge, and the Skyclub is a lot nicer than the AC. (The AC is pretty nice, with decent staff, but the comp F&B offerings are not very inspiring.)

I'm an AS refugee (still with status, but needed a reliable home for other domestic flying) and am "happy enough" with DL. I'm PM through next year. I don't expect any comp upgrades except along the west coast. I've seen some of those UG lists on the longer flights, and they can top 100. Accordingly, I just hunt out the discounted comfy seats and book those flights.

jordyn

I fly JFK<->SFO pretty frequently as both a Diamond and an EXP, but really try to avoid the redeyes so don't have good advice on those particular flights, but in general I find that complimentary upgrades clear more easily on AA than DL. My DL upgrades almost always clear when I apply RUCs, though, so if you took those as both your Platinum and Diamond Choice benefits, I'd imagine you'd have a strong chance of 12 upgrades a year on these segments. You only get 4 of AA's SWU, and they're generally a bit of a waste to apply to domestic flights, so this is one respect in which Delta may be a bit better suited to OP's travel patterns.

bdhaliwa

In my opinion, there are lot more DMs in Bay Area than EXPs. With DL's buildup in SEA, it has attracted lot more heavy traveller in Bay Area than before, on a recent 630AM SFO-SEA flight, I was 30+ on UG list even with a B class fare as a PM! That tells me that there may have been 25+ DMs on that flight. on SJC-ATL route earlier this year, I was buying B fares but rarely getting upgraded, often 10+ down the list.

DL is lot more aggressive on FC monetization than AA, I see them price SFO-JFK route lot more lower than AA often, something to keep in mind.

golfingboy

I think it was floated somewhere that DL “monetized 70%” of the seats in F systemwide and was feeling confident with a few more ideas in the pipeline they will increase this further. So upgrades generally speaking right now is probably more challenging on DL than AA.

However, AA will start to follow UA/DL down that path so it’s a matter of time before upgrades start becoming more difficult on AA.

For now, if upgrades are your biggest priority besides schedule I would stick with AA for a bit longer.

lds89

I tend to really agree. I'd have to think the easiest upgrades on the big three out of SF are AA, which is probably somewhat better than DL and way, way better than UA. Lots of GS's in the back on SFO flights. Compared to my friends who fly DL, I'm routinely upgraded far more often than them out of the Bay Area - I'm batting about 90% this year. That being said my rolling EQDs are probably a good amount higher (I'm usually in the $23-25k range). The hardest AA route to clear IMO is Dallas, not JFK from SFO.

Agree with bdhaliwa, AA prices the SFO-JFK route higher in Y given the premium configuration which means less Y seats and therefore less lower fare buckets that usually open up. DL just recently went back to allowing free medallion upgrades on the transcons (previously you had to burn a RUC).