I am very happy that CX has the new route ORD-HKG because that means I have one more choice to go to TPE to visit family. I have been UA member (Premier) for a long long time because they were the cheaper/est airline to go this route, and the MileagePlus program has gotten me quite a few free tickets. I am also an AA general member but I travel mainly on UA or *A partner airlines.

I would like to take CX to visit my family, usually once a year. I started thinking about switching to OW family, but cannot decide whether to join the MPC or stick with AAdvantage. What bothers me is not all CX flights earn 100% Club miles(in fact, so far what I have seen on this ORD-HKG route are earning 0% Club miles for cheapest fare), and joining MPC is US50.

Here are the things that I would like to get when I travel:
- good food (UA sucks, I heard CX is great)
- cheap fare (CX has cheaper fare now than UA)
- mileage & status (UA's program seems easier to get miles & get status)

I would like to hear your advice...should I make the switch?

Did you consider crediting your CX miles to AA? This could be your best option.

Also don't count on CX remaining the cheapest airline ORD-Asia. Friends of mine travel LAX-Vietnam a lot and CX is most of the time more expensive than UA. They dislike the CX seat (the can get E+ on UA), but they believe everything else (food, service) is significantly better on CX.

Hope this helps.

To the OP:
It sounds like you won't fly enough to really benefit from CX's elite status system (which regardless is harder to earn than US carriers), so I think you should definitely credit your CX flights to your AAdvantage program.

It also sounds like you might be flying Y more often than J or F - if that's the case, be aware that CX uses a shell-type seat in Y (it can't recline into the person behind you, instead it slides forward). Read some reviews here on FT (there have been countless threads about the "new economy class" or "new y class"), and maybe check out CX's website. It sounds like a lot of people complain about them, although a few (short) friends of mine like them more than traditional seats.

Re fares, haven't checked lately, but I suspect UA is going to match CX for fares now that ORD is coming online...I have to imagine UA fares are going to come down on that route.

If you want to go with AA FFP, make sure you're buying CX Y tickets in classes Y, B, H only. Otherwise you will get no miles. And those tickets are not going to be cheap (relative to what you usually can get them for at M and L class rates)

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Is there AA codeshare on ORD flights? If yes OP should use AAdvantage under AA codeshare to earn miles on lower booking class