My company has mandated that we choose either United or Delta for 2013 and can no longer use American. I have long-time Gold status on American and I see that both United and Delta have status matching programs, but want to know the best for the Gold Level.

Any advice? I fly almost exactly 30 segments per year, almost exclusively originating at ORD and most flights within 1,000 miles of ORD.

Looking for the best programs that allows for free standby, free bags, priority security line and boarding.

Bummed to be leaving American and need advice!

What's more important to you? How you are treated as a frequent traveler, or how you can use your miles to take trips for yourself or your family?

DL is a perfectly fine domestic carrier, but if you're looking to use your hard-earned miles for travel to exotic locations in business class, then United is a whole let better.

Out of Chicago you'll be connecting almost everywhere on delta. As a silver on delta, priority security is only available at some stations. If your 30 segments become 60 due to connecting all of the time you'd be gold on delta which has some useful advantages over what you would be with UA, but at the coat of a lot more time in planes and airports. This is assuming many more nonstops on ua and aa vs dl.

Exactly as mattsteg says. If you choose UA, you will have mostly direct flights, which is usually significantly more convenient. You would get a lot more segments on Delta, but I don't think many of us would think it's worth it to you.

UA miles are also just plain better than Delta miles.


If I were you, I would go UA without question.

How many total miles do you typically fly?

Delta Pros:
- Rollover (assuming DL continues this, you could have Gold status (50k) after two years of 38k flying)
- Likely better upgrade opportunities out of ORD than UA as it is not a DL hub
- IMO a better in-flight domestic experience than UA

United Pros:
- More direct flights from ORD
- Better irregular ops support from ORD (more options)
- More Economy Plus seats than Delta Economy Comfort (more likely you can get them as a Silver (25k) )
- Much easier to use miles (esp ex-ORD) and a better value. If you don't earn many miles (and Silver status does not), this may be a big deal

Neither airline offers free standby to 25k level, but both do for 50k level.

Both airlines offer credit cards that give you priority boarding and free bags, so that may be another option.

Sad, AA is a good airline out of ORD but then, UA is also very good. DL works as well but you are much more likely to need connections through hubs. If shorter flts without as many connections is important to you, UA is most likely your best choice. However, neither UA or DL will give you all the bennies you would like.

Here is UA....

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx

And here is DL....

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...-benefits.html

That's an easy decision -- unless you want to change planes in DTW or MSP on nearly every trip that you take ....

Same reason I haven't flown United or American in years -- last time I was on United was when they were flying DC8s -- last American flight was during the NW strike.

Bob H

United out of DTW is great! LH lounge makes it worth maintaining Gold. Free access every trip.