FF in DC area? Is it worth it to be with AA?
 

Hi -- Been following the forum for a while and recently started posting. I've nearly achieved Plat status for the first time with AA this year. I've been a bit frustrated with lack of upgrades (none) and understand it likely won't change as the flights are getting more full these days. It has helped me a few times from DFW getting back to DC with my standby priority being high.

I do most travel to TX/CA and hence used AA enough to hit Plat.

My question is mainly for folks in the DC area. What routes do you fly most often and have you considered switching to US Airways or Delta? It seems they service DCA much better with more non-stops and better fares. (I use IAD to fly cross country but would prefer DCA otherwise -- forced to fly BWI to keep price below other carriers). Also -- I hear that USAirways almost gives out first class seats for someone with similar status.

Any feedback would be great -- thanks in advance!

It seems to me that you are going to have many connecting flights and few point-to-point nonstops. If you're flying to Dallas from DCA, AA has by far the most flights (US has only a 3 daily, all in E170's which don't have a First Class section. If you're going to the West Coast, on AA you'll end up changing in either DFW or ORD (maybe JFK - but that's a Jungle Jet connection). Most flights I've seen ex-DCA are pretty full, so I am not sure the odds of an upgrade on US or DL are that much greater than on AA.

Also, DL and US just did a route/slot swap deal and over the next year you'll see fewer Delta flights and more US flights at DCA, so I don't think Delta would ba any improvement; also, on US, it depends where they go, and if they fly mainline or regional jets. Connections to the West Coast would mean a change in PHL or maybe PHX instead of ORD or DFW on AA, and PHL is not a particularly nice airport to connect in IMHO.

If you're generally happy with AA and occasionally do get an upgrade, stay with AA. If you want to try US (which is, again IMHO only, an inferior service level most of the time, an inferior product to AA), then maybe ask for a status match to see what happens on a trip or two.

Jeff

Jeffhacker -- Thanks for the quick reply. Let me give some more context too if it would help.

I fly to HPN/NYC area (parents still live there), BOS (friends), and TPA/MIA (work) every now and then too (5-7 times total per year). With all of those routes being US Airways ones mainly (besides MIA which is AA) it has been a bit frustrating to never find a good fare on AA. I feel like USAirways is ALWAYS undercutting them on price and at the end of the day -- the free upgrades to First are a perk I like. I have never gotten a AA upgrade unfortunately and to be honest, have flown 33 segments this year on AA and gotten 2 flights that weren't full booked, every last seat.

I fly once a year overseas on personal travel I'd say and otherwise I hit the Pacific Northwest (Portland/Seattle) 2-3 times a year, Chicago/Michigan (2-3 times a year). Otherwise it's mainly TX/CA as I mentioned. I'm willing to go to IAD and I know that USAirways can get me to LAX that way. I think the biggest gap I'd face would be good TX service as AA owns that market. Problem is, I hit Austin/SA/Dallas just as equally, making the DFW-DCA route that I love to fly only half effective, always end up with a layover at DFW on route to SA/Austin.

I'd certainly call USAirways and hope for a status match as I worked hard to make AA Plat this year (flying at weird hrs to keep lowest possible fare in play due to company travel). Jeff -- Were you ever a USAirways members? Thanks for your help!

I have relocated relatively recently to the DC area for work and have noticed that being an AA FFer based in the area basically means being based at JFK or ORD. There are tons of DCA-JFK-DCA flights on Eagle every day, so it is very easy to hop up to JFK and catch flights wherever you need to go. JFK is generally better than ORD for WX delays, although I hear that ATC delays are getting better at ORD thanks to the opening of the new runway.

So, again, I think it's entirely doable to be an AA FFer based out of DCA, but you should expect to add another hour to travel days so that you can be "based" out of JFK (to allow for the Eagle segments).

How far are you from IAD? I take the nonstops to LAX from there often, and only once have I not gotten an upgrade. In regards to DFW from DCA, it's like CO from DCA to IAH--it depends on which flight your booked on. There's basically a flight each hour to DFW in the morning, and it seems that the 6am flight has a more often full F cabin than the 7am flight. Also, the 9am flight seems to be a better choice for upgrades than the 8am flight. Now this isn't an exact science, and much depends upon the day of the week you're flying. But I love being a PLT on AA (NoVa based) and wouldn't give it up. Plus, if you do mileage runs, AA lets you connect via DFW when travelling DC-Europe. In fact, one mileage run left to Europe and I'll be EXP! That's how much I love AA. And aside from the free upgrades, US's FF program sucks compared to AA. Lots of processing fees; bad elite bonus mileage. And AA allows OW travel for half the mileage.

I'm based in Chevy Chase,MD. Not too far from IAD or DCA. About 35 mins to IAD, 25 to DCA.

I pay for the deep discount tickets -- is this why I'm not getting the upgrades? I figure that the DFW-DCA routes will be tough because it is their most popular route and I fly Monday/Thursday's most times. With that being said -- I figured I'd work my way into a First class upgrade 20% of the time or so..... (without using my upgrade stickers or anything)

No, on AA the fare class is not supposed to matter. What matters is status and the timestamp on the upgrade request. As a result, those with higher status who book farther in advance get the upgrades.

Also, Monday outbounds to hubs, and Thursday/Friday afternoon/evening returns, tend to have more high-status people on board, and those people will get the upgrades before you. I'm generalizing, of course, but you asked...

As far as upgrade stickers....Golds do have to burn them to upgrade, so I'm not sure how you think you would get upgraded 20% of the time without using stickers.

You're still Gold right? I'd venture that you are not getting upgrades because you are Gold, the lowest of AA's elite tiers. Basically, all the EXPs and PLATs are in-line before you.

The cost of your tix on AA, unlike on other carriers, has nothing to do with whether you get your upgrade. Upgrades on AA are based on status and time of booking, when upgrade was requested. So, besides being the last in line among elite levels for upgrades, you will also be behind any Gold who has purchased and requested an upgrade before you. Are you requesting your upgrade at the time of your booking? If you are buying via your corp travel site, you will probably have to access your tix via AA, after purchase, to request your upgrade.

Both Gold and Plat have to use stickers/500 milers to upgrade. As a Gold, you wouldn't (shouldn't) get a "free" upgrade unless econ is oversold and all EXPs and PLATs have already been op-up'ed into F. I was only Gold for a blink of the eye, but in the 2 or 3? years I was PLAT, I only got one op-up -- Sunday after T-day, LAX-SFO.

As a previously PHL based US flyer, I would tell you to go ahead and try US. You will find their service to be sub-par, the planes to be sub-par, and their hub at PHL be a black hole for your time...

The pros of US are as you mentioned, more directs, and free upgrades, but it all depends on what you value. F on US is not worth much, IMHO.

Also another point AA vs US, and a major reason I stay will AA, is the value of the miles. AA miles for international travel, esp using oneworld awards is a great value. US redemption level on the other hand leave a lot to be desired....

As far as upgrades on AA, when are you requesting them? As gold on the routes you mention I would not expect much, but as a PLT as long as your requesting at purchase you should see some results. If you are waiting for an OP up, keep holding your breath, I have been op-uped a good number of times but almost exclusivly on the same weekly flight(s) and always because Y was oversold.

Basically you need to decide what you value most....

This is all good advice. To survive at IAD, you need to be Plat or higher. DCA.. I don't use that airport too often, but I suspect you need to be Plat as well.. maybe even EXP to survive.

I'm still Gold (will be higher by year's end). I tried to upgrade on the IAD-LAX flight on Friday morning. I was number one on the list two hours out and then I found out someone jumped ahead of me between two hours and door close. There was only one seat left.

I was keeping an eye on the seat chart and noticed around 100 hours out.. a lot of seats got taken up. So, there were a lot of EXPs on that flight. I wasn't disappointed, but I can imagine Golds don't have a large amount of upgrade success out of IAD, probably less so out of DCA.

I turned Gold a couple of weeks ago. The priority boarding alone is COMPLETELY WORTH IT. Got to throw my bag in the overhead bin and sit down and not have to worry about finding bin space. ^ :D

*Edit: On the LAX-IAD flight, it was even more crowded. First Class was completely full and the waiting list had six people; no one cleared. This was a Monday night flight; 10:25pm arrival to IAD.

Thanks to everyone who replied. ESpen36/SocietyFlyGirl -- thanks for explaining the upgrade game -- for some reason I was mistaken. I thought I would still be able to get first class upgrades for free (as US Airways offers). I don't know why, but I had believed I read AA did that as well. I will make sure to use my upgrades if I really want First Class then in the future and apply for them upon buying my tix.

Pedler -- I will PM you with some more questions if you don't mind as it sounds like you've been in my position before.

Any other advice out there from DC based folks? Thanks in advance!

DC based EXP flyer here. Use DCA 99% of the time and rarely go to IAD if I can help it. Granted I'm EXP, but in my experience upgrades aren't that difficult to get. Of course, YMMV and this varies entirely depending on the route and day. I fly DCA-ORD often and several times I've set next to people who had no status and who upgraded for a fee at kiosk check-in.

As for the flight options, I agree with the rest of the posters -- very few cities you can fly nonstop to out of DCA on AA. Although, I like JFK for connections as there are some good times (especially the late night JFK-DCA AE flight for west coast and int'l connections) I've come way too close to misconnecting given that JFK can get pretty bad delays. I find the AE flights from DCA are often impacted much more than AA flights.

Of course, given the perimeter rule no matter what airline you choose your long haul options out of DCA are limited.

Lastly, something else to consider that no one else has mentioned, the AC staff in DCA are terrific. Definitely a plus for AA.

I'm not DC-based, but for transcons, it's worth keeping in mind the Alaska nonstops DCA-SEA and DCA-LAX. You get no reciprocal elite benefits except priority boarding on Alaska, but you get full AA miles, including elite qualifying miles. I find flying Alaska as a nobody, I get service about as good as an American Gold (i. e. better than any other legacy airline). I'm on the SEA-DCA flight for the first time in January; anyone else with experience?

When I fly to DC, Dulles is very inconvenient and National is great because I get around by Metro, so I'm happy that option is there.

AA usually matches most US fares in most markets, even though it's in limited numbers. On several routes AA knows they can command a premium over US so they don't bother trying to match their fares.

As stated above, u can take the AE flights to JFK for you Cali flights.

Context: From LA, school in DC, now live in France; trips to DC and CA during the year. I've been GLD or PLT for 5 years; will be PLT at the end of this one.

OP, if you're looking for direct flights at an airport near you, UA has a big hub at IAD, but good luck with that. Also from what I hear, upgrades at US are about as prevalent as water on mars. :D

+1 - I was upgraded every time on DCA-ORD last year. ^
+1 - I get there early for AE flights if only to standby for the prior AA flight if one exists (ORD).
+1 - AC staff is awesome, even to this lowly AA GLD QC member. ^

I've found these flights to be up to $100 more expensive than a connecting AA flight, though YMMV.

As a DC based flyer who tries to avoid IAD like the plague, AA works well for me out of DCA. I fly DCA>STL and DCA>MIA>SAL frequently, have had no problems with upgrades since becoming gold this year. The AC is great. And the FF miles are much more easily redeemed then most airlines.

DCA flyer too. All great feedback above. AA works well for me, whether it's business (via DFW/JFK/ORD), personal or purely mileage runs (segments via RDU/MIA/TPA or MCO). The AC is outstanding to boot. As EXP, upgrades never an issue and I recall it was pretty much the same way as PLT. From time to time, IAD is my choice when I need to get to LA directly, quickly. Good fares throughout the year.

I'm also out of DCA/IAD.

I've been able to maintain AA Plat mostly out of DCA, which may have the mose significant AA presence outside of their hubs. And, oh, is DCA so nice an airport. Often, one does not need status to whisk thru security.

If I were OP, I'd stay with AA, as he already seems confortable with them. As necessary, eqm's can be earned on AS's transcon's from DCA. And AA has some presence at IAD, including IAD-LAX nonstops. THey've even added IAD-MIA (and it would be nice if they might decide to compete with UA on IAD-ORD).

I would say that for international travel, WAS is generally not so great for OneWorld, and OP might care to consider that.

Just wanted to clarify....

When I hit platinum status, I will still need to use upgrade stickers to actually get First Class, correct? I now know that as Gold I must use the stickers

Yes, that is correct. Remember the upgrade window is larger - 72 hours.

I was an IAD PLT for 4 years, going exclusively between IAD and DFW. I regularly cleared upgrades to and from DFW w/ no issues. I knew or recognized many of the IAD staff, as it's a pretty limited number of people. A good friend of mine is an FA for AA out of IAD as well.

That said, when my role changed and I started going nationwide, I switched to UA. I would even take the much more inconvienent (and smaller) flights on UA from IAD to DEN. Funny how brand loyalty works.

So, i guess it's a question of your flying style. If AA works best for your needs, then bend over backwords to maintain status. Otherwise, find someone who does.

I should mention that I preferred AA's program to UA's in many ways....but I just couldn't justify AA for IAD - NYC and other northeast locations.

you mention was-dfw flights. the AA flights are usually packed on fri afternoon and mon am. the prized members are allowed 2 large carryons each, so by the time i get on, i am forced to check my carryon. a lot of the planes used on that route are dc-9's or whatever they are called these days. the back section of that plane is unbelievably loud. i am surprised the FA union does not report the noise level to OSHA. if you book late, that's where you will land.

the US flights are by a contractor. forgot which one. they use rj 170's and 190's. they are fast, quiet, and the seats are nice. no first class. they are usually about 60% full on fri and mon.

I think US or DL will fit you better in DC. I like AA, but if you are doing much north-south travel on the east coast, AA doesn't make much sense for most business travelers. Which is a shame, because I would *like* to fly them more. I frequently fly to FL, SC, NC, NYC, BOS and PVD with ORD and LAX a little less often and other destinations infrequently. DL/US seem to be the best matches for my travel out of DCA. US has more directs, but DL has better service, IMO.

FWIW, the folks who recommend AE to JFK and connecting from there must have a lot of patience. It seems like everytime I have an afternoon/evening flight to or from JFK, we go a lot of sitting around at the gate and in line for take off.

^^

If DCA-LAX is a common route for you, definitely keep Alaska in mind. It is relatively low in the AS MVPG/MVP count, so fewer people requesting upgrades, and paid upgrade opportunities at check-in are pretty regular (only $100 for a transcon.) Plus AA members receive full EQM and early boarding, although checked bag fees would apply. If it was a very frequent route I'd even go so far as to bring up a status match.