Been away (with AA) for 18 years ...but I'm back
Jul 4, 2019, 4:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Redding, CT
Posts: 604
Been away (with AA) for 18 years ...but I'm back
So I finally had it with "going for (not so) great" AA after 18 years of flying nearly exclusively with them (achieving EXP status in all but 3 of those years). I left DL in 2002 as we moved to Buenos Aires and AA was the best option for me out of EZE.
My profile is that we now live in southern Connecticut and I am almost equidistant from LGA and BDL (with HPN being much closer of course). Mix of travel for me, domestic business trips to ORD several times a year (I know), but also a lot of personal trips (say 10 a year) to MCO and MYR primarily. 4 international trips a year on average with 3 to Europe (typically multi countries including UK, France Italy and the Netherlands) as well as one Japan trip a year.
So wanted to say hello and get others opinions/tips/what to watch out for--how many of you will tell me the grass is not greener :-).
Also, assuming its relevant, DL has status matched me for the short term to Plat medallion. BTW, I swear that used to be the highest level when I had it in 2001 --is my memory correct? Also sky club as opposed to crown room club? What's up with that--I like the name crown room better.
I did have a specific question--I'm getting ready to fly DL on my return to JFK from LAS next week but will be leaving via the dreaded other airline. Is there a way to figure out if I should expect a T2 versus T4 return to determine best strategic place to park?
Thanks in advance.
My profile is that we now live in southern Connecticut and I am almost equidistant from LGA and BDL (with HPN being much closer of course). Mix of travel for me, domestic business trips to ORD several times a year (I know), but also a lot of personal trips (say 10 a year) to MCO and MYR primarily. 4 international trips a year on average with 3 to Europe (typically multi countries including UK, France Italy and the Netherlands) as well as one Japan trip a year.
So wanted to say hello and get others opinions/tips/what to watch out for--how many of you will tell me the grass is not greener :-).
Also, assuming its relevant, DL has status matched me for the short term to Plat medallion. BTW, I swear that used to be the highest level when I had it in 2001 --is my memory correct? Also sky club as opposed to crown room club? What's up with that--I like the name crown room better.
I did have a specific question--I'm getting ready to fly DL on my return to JFK from LAS next week but will be leaving via the dreaded other airline. Is there a way to figure out if I should expect a T2 versus T4 return to determine best strategic place to park?
Thanks in advance.
Jul 4, 2019, 7:02 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,015
Sky Clubs lounge rebranding happened in 2008 at the time of NW merger when the NW World Clubs and DL Crown Rooms were combined. The new top tier Diamond Medallion status was created a couple years later for the 2010 program year.
Jul 4, 2019, 7:13 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
Welcome back. My occasional trip on AA persuades me that I did well to stick with DL after the DL/NW merger. I was living in DC at the time and US status-matched me to Chairman for a year and I kept gold on US for the year following, but ended up sticking with DL.
Maybe some of the JFK flyers can help out with your T2/T4 question. Or you might follow the LAS-JFK flights on flight status for a few days and see if there is a pattern.
Maybe some of the JFK flyers can help out with your T2/T4 question. Or you might follow the LAS-JFK flights on flight status for a few days and see if there is a pattern.
Jul 4, 2019, 7:28 am
#4
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
At JFK T2 is much smaller = less walking than T4. At one time intl departed (and due to CBP) also arrived in T4--I had a JFK-CPH (a month ago) which departed from T2.
I've had flts scheduled to depart T2 and just a few hours before T-0 were switched to T4 and vv. There is an airside shuttle between T2 and T4.
T4 is MUCH larger than JFK (AA) T8. CLEAR (which doesn't exist in T8) + pre-check covers all bases at T4. Precheck in T2 closes early.
I've had flts scheduled to depart T2 and just a few hours before T-0 were switched to T4 and vv. There is an airside shuttle between T2 and T4.
T4 is MUCH larger than JFK (AA) T8. CLEAR (which doesn't exist in T8) + pre-check covers all bases at T4. Precheck in T2 closes early.
Jul 4, 2019, 9:26 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
So I finally had it with "going for (not so) great" AA after 18 years of flying nearly exclusively with them (achieving EXP status in all but 3 of those years). I left DL in 2002 as we moved to Buenos Aires and AA was the best option for me out of EZE.
My profile is that we now live in southern Connecticut and I am almost equidistant from LGA and BDL (with HPN being much closer of course). Mix of travel for me, domestic business trips to ORD several times a year (I know), but also a lot of personal trips (say 10 a year) to MCO and MYR primarily. 4 international trips a year on average with 3 to Europe (typically multi countries including UK, France Italy and the Netherlands) as well as one Japan trip a year.
So wanted to say hello and get others opinions/tips/what to watch out for--how many of you will tell me the grass is not greener :-).
Also, assuming its relevant, DL has status matched me for the short term to Plat medallion. BTW, I swear that used to be the highest level when I had it in 2001 --is my memory correct? Also sky club as opposed to crown room club? What's up with that--I like the name crown room better.
I did have a specific question--I'm getting ready to fly DL on my return to JFK from LAS next week but will be leaving via the dreaded other airline. Is there a way to figure out if I should expect a T2 versus T4 return to determine best strategic place to park?
Thanks in advance.
My profile is that we now live in southern Connecticut and I am almost equidistant from LGA and BDL (with HPN being much closer of course). Mix of travel for me, domestic business trips to ORD several times a year (I know), but also a lot of personal trips (say 10 a year) to MCO and MYR primarily. 4 international trips a year on average with 3 to Europe (typically multi countries including UK, France Italy and the Netherlands) as well as one Japan trip a year.
So wanted to say hello and get others opinions/tips/what to watch out for--how many of you will tell me the grass is not greener :-).
Also, assuming its relevant, DL has status matched me for the short term to Plat medallion. BTW, I swear that used to be the highest level when I had it in 2001 --is my memory correct? Also sky club as opposed to crown room club? What's up with that--I like the name crown room better.
I did have a specific question--I'm getting ready to fly DL on my return to JFK from LAS next week but will be leaving via the dreaded other airline. Is there a way to figure out if I should expect a T2 versus T4 return to determine best strategic place to park?
Thanks in advance.
The grass is a bit greener. AA is particularly terrible now that it's being run by a drunken clown. Cabin crews tend to be considerably better on DL. The customer service experience is also considerably better. DL is operationally more consistent and on time than AA is.
Oh, and there's no 737MAX aircraft in the DL fleet so that's another bonus.
Jul 4, 2019, 10:20 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,357
I’ll likely get slammed for this, but AA is years ahead of DL in retiring their long-in-the-tooth MD80 fleet
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
Jul 4, 2019, 10:59 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
I’ll likely get slammed for this, but AA is years ahead of DL in retiring their long-in-the-tooth MD80 fleet
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
Jul 4, 2019, 11:20 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,221
Good chance LAS may come into T2 but I’d check flight stats for at least a few days to a week before to judge the odds of a T4 arrival.
DL is operationally more consistent for sure (the stats don’t lie). I believe better employee morale leads to generally better soft service, but to be sure I’ve had very good service on AA in the past and even some lackluster/crabby service on Delta, recently.
Skyclubs are pretty good though guests will cost extra $$.
DL is operationally more consistent for sure (the stats don’t lie). I believe better employee morale leads to generally better soft service, but to be sure I’ve had very good service on AA in the past and even some lackluster/crabby service on Delta, recently.
Skyclubs are pretty good though guests will cost extra $$.
Jul 4, 2019, 12:26 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,277
Yes retiring them in favor of the Oasis version of their 738's & Max's which one look through the AA forum, or as OP is likely painfully aware, is far worse than their MD80 fleet..
Jul 4, 2019, 12:46 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM/2MM, Flying Blue Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 1,934
I did have a specific question--I'm getting ready to fly DL on my return to JFK from LAS next week but will be leaving via the dreaded other airline. Is there a way to figure out if I should expect a T2 versus T4 return to determine best strategic place to park?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Yes, Platinum (PM) used to be the highest tier but now there's Diamond (DM). If you travel a lot of international, DM is great because of global upgrade certificates that aren't available to PM. But I have had fantastic IRROP handling and general soft service as a PM.
As for JFK arrivals, if you find yourself on an internationally-equipped 752 (coded 75S), it's likely to arrive at T4. Otherwise it's sort of hard to tell. For a while flight numbers starting with a 4 flew in/out of T4 and starting with a 2 in/out of T2, but that wasn't really a sustainable policy as these things are highly variable on the best of days.
Jul 4, 2019, 12:50 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,334
I’ll likely get slammed for this, but AA is years ahead of DL in retiring their long-in-the-tooth MD80 fleet
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
I have two AA MD-80 flights coming up, including being on one of the final flights on Sept 4.
Funny how when I lived in the Southeast where it wasn’t uncommon for me to get itineraries with all 4 legs on MD-88s, I tried to find variety by finding anything but an MD-88. Now, I rarely get to fly the MD-88s and get excited when an itinerary has one (which sadly hasn’t been for a while).
Jul 4, 2019, 1:03 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,015
I’ll likely get slammed for this, but AA is years ahead of DL in retiring their long-in-the-tooth MD80 fleet
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
I don’t have any AA flight experience in the last couple years since they no longer credit to AS, but I don’t recall they were in any way remarkable in either domestic F (738, 788, E75) or Y (321, CR7, E90) compared to DL
Jul 5, 2019, 4:07 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
BDL now has an Escape lounge. It's not PP but an AmEx regular Plat/Centurion charge card gets you and two guests in for free. It's conveniently located between TSA airport security and the DL gates, on the right just as you enter the concourse.
