Thinking of dropping AA for Delta
 

Hello,

2020 is a year with a lot of travel for me and I'm trying to figure out what airline to focus my travel on. I'm currently an AAdvantage Platinum.

I'm based out of Miami so I fly out of MIA for the most part. MIA is an AA hub airport, so I always fly out of the D terminal and my travel is very convenient. I was doing lots of international travel in 2019 so I took advantage of the Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge access at that airport. Recently I got an AMEX Platinum card so I'm using the Centurion Lounge in MIA, which I prefer.

This year I'll be doing mainly domestic travel but very often. I'm flying between Boston and Miami primarily. On Friday, I did my first BOS-MIA flight with AA and was disappointed. Since I was flying internationally for so long, I took Admirals Club access for granted. I was granted access to the Admirals Club in Boston as a mistake and was then embarrassingly kicked out unless I wanted to put $600 on my card immediately for an annual membership. It was almost boarding time so it wasn't a huge deal, but I noticed that that was my only lounge if I were to fly AA. There are no other lounges in that terminal and the other BOS terminals aren't connected, so I'm SOL even with my PP and AMEX.

I'm flying this route with Delta in February and did the Status Match challenge. I was granted 3 months worth of Gold Medallion status with Delta which I can easily keep if I do 2 round trips between BOS-MIA. I haven't flown with Delta in years, but if the experience is decent I might take up the status match challenge.

I'm very loyal to AA and oneworld. I'm on track to being Executive Platinum with AA if I keep flying with them at the frequency that I am. I feel like having OW elite status is something I value especially when flying BA or LATAM for example, but flying Delta would give me SkyClub access in Boston that I wouldn't otherwise have. I don't think I'd get anything else out of SkyTeam elite status other than priority boarding and the lounge access (not sure if I'd be allowed in just for being Gold Medallion or because of my AMEX).

Not sure what to do. Ideally I'd want to maximize my AA elite status while maintaining status with Delta but that won't work forever. Then with that I guess I'll just book the cheapest flight with either, but giving preference to Delta when leaving Boston. Or flying Delta BOS-MIA oneway and MIA-BOS with AA oneway, but I don't know if that's the most convenient/economic way to go. Thoughts?

On MIA-BOS American offers much greater frequencies than Delta. In addition, they are flying a daily 777-200 starting in the spring, which should be an easy upgrade.

You could consider picking up the Citi Executive AA card. For a $450 annual fee, you get admirals club access + a 50k AA point bonus. For me, the frequency of flights would matter much more than domestic lounge access. For my domestic non-stops, I try to completely minimize the time in the airport and skip lounges all together.

https://creditcards.aa.com/citi-exec...rlines-direct/

I’d base my decision purely on flight convenience, reliability and comfort. Lounge access can be bought

The OP should go with flight convenience first and lounge access second. The issue with splitting flying is would the OP still be able to make EXP by year end? Would flying DL mean a connection, which could be problematic in the summer time when thunderstorms roll in and out of both MIA and ATL.

First, just to clarify... I assume you mean that you prefer the Centurion Lounge in MIA compared to the Admirals Club (not the Flagship Lounge), correct? In my opinion, the MIA Flagship Lounge is far superior to the Centurion Lounge, although I could see the reason one may pick the Centurion over the Admirals Club, except I hate the Centurion Lounge crowds. DL lounges are virtually always crowded, in my experience, by the way.

I also see a fair amount of value in OWE status, and it's certainly far superior to anything with SkyTeam, although if you're not traveling internationally, it probably doesn't make much difference.

I'm somewhat curious exactly what happened to you at the BOS AC -- could you provide further detail about that? You mean they initially admitted you to the club and later hunted you down and made you leave? Did they basically publicly shame you in front of others in the club and escort you out?

Just saw this, wow that flight also takes off at the perfect time for me. Do we know yet if the first class will be the lie flat seats like on the 767? I did PHL-MIA once on that 767 and was great for a domestic flight. Unfortunately I've had pretty bad luck with the upgrade list. I almost cleared from PE to Business on a MIA-LHR flight (first 4 cleared but was 5th in line) and that was the closest. I was #10 on the upgrade list last BOS-MIA flight. Hopefully becoming Plat Pro or EXP would help with that though. I hate that they added Plat Pro to the mix... give me EXP already :mad:

I've thought of this and will look into it, but I already have 2 credit cards in the US and I'm not a US citizen. It was a pain in the neck to get approved for the AMEX Plat because I don't have a SSN, I wonder if it'll be a struggle too with this Citi card. I know 2 cards isn't much but feels like a lot when you have to put in the work to prove your identity since I don't have a SSN to provide them.

I found out I can buy day passes for the ACs. Depending on how often I fly out of Boston it might make more sense to get the annual membership. Just $600 that stings to spend haha

If you move to DL, your regular AmEx Plat charge card gives SC (= DL lounge) access when flying DL the same day, including use as an arrivals lounge in airports where security lets you get to the door.

Your GM status (normally 50,000 status miles and $6000 spend required) also gives access to SCs and SkyTeam partner operated lounges when flying a SkyTeam international itinerary, even in coach or on award tickets. GM also can get you into lounges when flying bilateral partners such as VA and VS, but the rules are more complicated regarding who can use which lounges.

If you try to split your MIA-BOS tickets rather than purchasing RTs, be aware that you will pay two change fees if a trip is cancelled.

I'm flying to Miami on Valentine's Day and had to go Delta because AA didn't have a flight that got me there on time, it either took off too soon or too late. I'm flying first class with Delta on that route since that's the only thing available. AMEX Travel rep did some sorcery to find me the last seat in that flight. Delta has quite a few direct flights but I wouldn't fly with them if it weren't nonstop. And I'm also not a huge fan of getting one way flights, they're usually more expensive in the long run and then I don't think I'd even qualify for EXP.

I wouldn't necessarily think the 777 flight will be an easy upgrade. As a PLT PRO I've haven't cleared the upgrade list on the 777 MIA/DFW flight for the last 3 flights.

I switched from AA to Delta last fall despite AA having a much more frequent schedule out of my home airport, ABQ. The bottom line is that I prefer Delta because the AA response to IRROPS was repeatedly a giant middle finger to me as a PLT. Having frequent flights from DFW to ABQ did me no good at all, if I was sitting in DCA pleading with surly customer facing employees about getting a seat on a flight that had tickets for sale, after a mechanical cancellation.

Having now flown on Delta for about six months, I have to say the ONE thing that I miss from AA, as a former PLT, is MCE access at time of booking. Delta does that wrong, treating Comfort+ as an upgrade for GLD and PLT that might or might not happen after booking.

saunders111

Not sure I agree on this. If its a widebody, a lot of FFs will target that flight as being desirable.

On the other hand, a 772 will have PE. And domestically, PE is sold as Y. Its as good as domestic first. Which means, for the most part, if I don't get upgraded on MIA-BOS on a 772, or DFW-LAX on a 789, its not the end of the world - at all.

The OP is considering buying an AC membership. I've found that the AC staff will be very proactive in helping with re-routes compared to a TA or GA that just wants you to go away and accept whatever you are being told. It's AC staff that will make a telephone call to make something happen. Doing your own research helps them help you. The AC staff can also find out the true story behind a mechanical delay other than the detail less story you get from a GA.

Keep in mind that you must have a same day boarding pass on an AA flight to get access to an AC. In other words, you can’t get into an AC on days when you might be flying Delta even with an AC membership.

For international travel down the road, keep in mind that LATAM is set to leave OW in October, 2020. Indicators are that it will be for a bilateral partnership with Delta rather than SkyTeam membership. So for broader Americas travel in 2021, GM status could gain value

I'm actually under 21 so I'm not allowed into the Flagship lounges. It's the most annoying thing ever. When I was flying a lot on the MIA-LHR route, I was going to AC often since I didn't have my Platinum AMEX. What they would do is have an employee escort me into the Flagship lounge and watch me pick food and what not, but then escort me into the Admirals Club. I'm not allowed into Flagship because of the open bar, which is really annoying because I wouldn't even drink.

I do travel internationally reasonably often, so I do value being a oneworld member.

As for the BOS AC, it wasn't horrible but definitely annoying. They scanned my boarding pass and said there was an error and that something was "processing" on my account. The lady asked if I had just qualified recently and I said no I'm a member for all of 2019, I didn't understand why an error was showing up. She asked if I was the primary on the account and I said yes because I thought she was just new in the job and didn't know what she was talking about (later I realized that she was referring to the credit card). Eventually she saw my elite status and said that I was all set but that she was going to call AA to find out what's going on. Later, I was getting some water and getting ready to leave for my flight and the same lady at the check in desk finds me and pulls me aside. She explained that there's no payment method on file for a membership and that if I wanted to stay I would have to purchase the AC membership for $600 (no mention of a day pass). I told her I didn't know I couldn't enter on a domestic itinerary and apologized as I was traveling mainly internationally so I didn't know any better. My flight was about to board so I had no issue with leaving. She said that I could stay for today if I wanted to, but she said that after I told her my flight was boarding. I guess she said that only to take some guilt off her shoulders, but it was really a bluff. I was courteous to her and the other staff I interacted with because it's not their fault (apart from erroneously letting me in, but I'm not complaining) and plus if I get a membership I want to be in good terms with the staff there. She also mentioned that my account with AC is flagged, whatever that means. Oh well...

It's crazy, there can't be that many EXP and CKs in a given flight! I absolutely hate Plat Pro. I was so excited to be EXP from Plat a while back and then I checked and saw that they added this extra step in the way. Sucks, but I guess they're trying to make EXP as exclusive as possible. Although clearly doesn't look like it's working too well, it's impossible to clear these upgrades

How much better is C+ on Delta flights? My round trip for Delta was outbound first class and return in economy, but I was being offered to upgrade to C+ for $69 and to first for $184. I upgraded to first because I wasn't sure how much better C+ is, and I'm assuming that I'd earn more MQMs by flying first class if the Delta system is anything like the AA system. But yes, MCE is great and I love how we get it for free having elite status.

Given that you already know that your travel behavior this year will be largely domestic (and even the route at that), there's no better time to try!

The calculus might be more complicated if you were still flying significant international trips.

You're forgetting that there is going to be a not insignificant number of paid F class passengers as well. As long as the market/economy is healthy, people will spring for a lay-flat seat.

Yes, I was flying economy with AA BOS-MIA this weekend for the outbound and when I was putting my luggage on the overhead bin, I saw that the person next to me had put their suitcase and it had an EXP luggage tag. That's when I knew I was SOL for an upgrade haha

Yes of course, but when I'm in a domestic flight and I see 15 names on the upgrade list screen and I'm in 10th place, that's when I realize there's a lot of frequent fliers on the routes that I take especially.

As I said, people on certain trip planning sets see a wide body and gravitate to it. My SO, flew PHL-LAS last night for work on the A-330-200. There were 37 people on the upgrade list. The flight was F0 24 hours out. I've flown LAX-DFW three times on the 789 and those upgrade lists have been 40+.

That's it, assuming you book early enough for PE seats to be still available. Because that's where all these 40 elites on the upgrade list sit, lol...

That's good to know, I never thought that the AC staff would help with issues like that. For the most part I've been happy with calling in the 1-800 number for the Platinum members, I've almost always been addressed with no wait and by competent reps. Not as fancy as the EXP or CK line, I'm sure, but it's still nice to have. I'll definitely take that into consideration with buying the AC membership. Thanks for that

Delta status is much harder to achieve than AA due to the multipliers received for cabin classes. Delta maxes out at 1.5x MQM (unless you pay FULL fare) for business/first, whereas AA and Oneworld partners it is much more common to get 2x EQM (or more) for business/first. If you just fly economy a lot, then this is of no concern to you. However, if you fly internationally a lot via business class like me, AA status comes much more quickly. JAT.

Perhaps this is a case where the OP should consider trying to go for status on another OneWorld airline, and then crediting AA flights to that? If s/he can reach mid tier, wouldn't that get him lounge access in the US on domestic flights?

I think that this would be the most logical approach to your problem, although I recognize the issue with obtaining it. (Age and citizenship)

However, besides the two benefits already mentioned, the one I value is the access to help when there are irregular operations. Furthermore, by getting the CC, you get a discount of $150 (25%) over the regular price of admission. That is a nice deal, IMO.

Just wait.

Soon you will be annoyed with decaying body parts, skin wrinkles and dentures. Enjoy being under 21 while you can.

AA is getting more aggressive at monetizing F although doesn't appear they are giving the kinds of F fares DL is giving. Upgrade odds are still better on AA. Also, remember that mileage/copay mileage/ trump sticker upgrades. For me I think going forward on transcons (particularly if it's a widebody flight) that might be my strategy. Saturday flying SFO/MIA I was number 5. The first 4 cleared because of no shows/misconnects. I was in 12J next to a girl with a baby. After takeoff the FAs get out the bassinet and attach it. Suddenly I have a bassinet with baby literally almost in my lap. The FA says to me "sir will you need to get out of your seat during the flight." I say considering its 5.5 hours flight time certainly yes. Luckily there was an open exit row seat for me to take.

On the greek letter side, you can make up a good amount of that with the two AmEx Delta co-branded cards that give Medallion Qualifying Miles spending bonuses. I got 20K non-flight MQMs last year by running a bunch of home improvement spend through the AmEx Skymiles platinum card.

And then because Delta also rolls over MQMs in excess of hitting a status threshold, I also started the year with 18K MQMs already in hand before heading out to the airport for the first time in 2020..

Even though you apparently weren't entitled to be there, I feel it would have still been a tacky business move for AA to have insisted on you leaving after they had initially welcomed you in. I'm glad she eventually offered to let you stay, even if it didn't really matter in the end since you were boarding anyway.

A bit related... Perhaps 4-5 years ago now, I was flying JFK-LAX-SAN, with JFK-LAX in three-class F, and I was in the old JFK FL lounge. I had used miles for the ticket and suddenly noticed they were selling last minute fares on the same route in Y for something like $150, with surprising availability for comp upgrades to J, so I approached Frances P. (a lovely AC agent at JFK, by the way) at the old FL entry desk and asked her if she would cancel my award ticket and allow me to purchase the cheapo coach fare and put me on the upgrade list, as it was within 2 hours of departure. She had it all done, along with the mountain of ticket coupons and receipts on AA ticket stock, all within a few minutes. Once I did that, I technically had no right to be in the FL anymore and should have been banished to the AC just outside the door, based on the entry rules at that time.

Bottom line... I still remember that experience. She even seemed to give me a sort of knowing look that I didn't really belong there anymore, but rather than saying anything negative, she actually said she couldn't believe I found such a good deal and actually congratulated me (I didn't mind flying in J vs. F, by the way, as I saved so many miles and got EQMs).

AA needs to understand that these interactions with employees that might seem minor in the grand scheme of things can really make a difference in the long run, and sometimes people remember even the smallest gestures for years to come. Then again, that's just simple business 101.

That's true, every time I fly business/first with AA I'm surprised with how many EQMs and award miles are put into the account. It's also nice that similar rules apply for partner airlines, so I got quite a few EQMs flying PE MIA-LHR with British Airways. It's definitely worth flying first just for that. I upgraded to first class MIA-BOS for only $110 with AA so it was a no brainer.

A friend of mine told me the same thing, that I should get status with British Airways and that way I'll have access to ACs even flying domestic. It feels like now would be the time to get started on that since it's just the beginning of the year and I only have around 6,000 EQMs in my AAdvantage account. However, I did a quick search and it looks like BA Executive Club Silver and Gold requires you to fly British Airways at least 4x per year. I could get away with flying with them 2x a year if I know I'm going to Europe, but I don't want to feel forced to fly to Europe just to maintain status each year. I travel often enough to Europe but it's never something that's programmed each year. Also, I am told that if you're oneworld emerald through AA you'd get better treatment/higher priority when flying AA in terms of upgrades and IRROPS than if you became oneworld emerald through BA and flew AA.

C+ upgrades for Delta Plats and Diamonds opens at time of booking and is pretty much automatic. It's DL Gold and Silver status where the window opens at 3 days and 1 day, respectively, where you can often have challenges getting upgraded. The main difference between AA if you are a DL Plat or Diamond is that you can only upgrade one companion to C+. So if you frequently travel with family or more than one business companion with low or no status, you'll have to decide who gets stuck in the back and the one companion you want to upgrade to C+ with you.

That is true. There are so, so many passengers that stick to a single airline and sometimes bend over backwards against convenience to remain loyal. I have to fly to Miami for Valentine's Day and have an errand in Boston until 11:30am that day. I was going to get on a 1:00pm flight with AA but I would arrive to the airport far too late, risking missing the flight. My other option was to get a later flight and then risk being late to my valentine's day dinner that I had to pay a security deposit for. Normally I would make the leap and run this risk to stay with AA, but I decided to book with Delta because of the gravity of the consequences I'd have to deal with if something happened and I missed the flight or arrived too late. But when I do run these risks or just stick with AA even though the flight is cheaper with another airline, AA needs to understand that I value their business and they should acknowledge that beyond just elite status. I've had amazing service from flight attendants in transcontinental first and business class but I've also received awful treatment. The times that I receive awful treatment, it's utterly disappointing. But I guess in the grand scheme of things, the airline you stick with is the one that gives you the most satisfaction in the long run.

If you're under 21, DL won't let you enter SCs having self service bars without a parent or guardian, regardless of whatever credit cards, lounge memberships, or premium cabin tickets you might have.

You lead quite the life for still being < 21 yo! I was too busy stuck at school with minimal funds at that age to enjoy myself so much, but whatever way you manage to do it, congrats, and I can't fault you for enjoying yourself.

Despite what I said above, it's also tough to disagree what has now become QueenOfCoach's signature advice! ;)