I am thinking of changing my Elite Status from American to Continental.
Do you think its worth changing or are the perks better at AA?

What Elite level are you at AA?

If you're not Ex. Platinum on AA than CO is a better deal because of domestic upgrades on CO and NW.

I am AA Plat and they CO said with proof I would be the equiv. ( I guess gold).
On AA, I buy the cheapest tix (deep discount) and use the stickers for upgrades. Can i get the comp. upgrades on CO with deep discounted tix?

Yes.

I thought about making the same jump last year. I am AA Plat and CO comp'd me to Gold. I have to admit that it was nice being bumped to first class the few times I actually flew CO (I was 6 for 6 on CO and 2 for 2 on NW), however when it came down to it I decided to stay with AA. I just have way too many miles with AA 400k+ compared to 35k on CO and I have heard of many issues with people trying to redeem CO miles. For example I flew to Cancun from LAX this past Nov using 30k miles round trip. My parents did the same flight using CO (though from EWR) and due to lack of availability used 70K each. Same thing with a trip to Puerto Rico this upcoming March.

I personally do not have an issue with either airline and have nothing really bad to say about either. I guess a biggest thing also depends on where you are going to be traveling from and where your home airport is. Too me this is more important in regards to schedule times than being up in 1st. Just my 2 cents for what it is worth.

So check this out - Gold with CO, just a regular shlep with AA. Wanted to go to Hawaii next summer (2005) purchasing coach tickets and using points to upgrade to Firsct Class. Proposed date was July 29. Called CO in early July (my elite line), told them what I wanted to do and the dates and asked what exact date I should call to get what I wanted. They said:

1. Tickets available 330 days out, but I could not get an upgrade then as they are not released that early. So when are they released? We don't know.

2. Okay, how about using points just to fly FC? She told me I could do that, but it would cost 2x as much (150,000 each) as Standard Rewards weren't released that early. So when are they released? We don't know!

3. So you're telling me I have to book Coach and just hope it works out? This time I finally got it right.

Called a number of airlines and both UA and AA said there would be no problem. Indeed, called on the day the told me and the only question is which connections I wanted!

CO definintely has more coverage where I live, but they are not even near the top of the heap when it cdmes to being able to redeem those miles. The bulk of my mileage is acquired through the Starwood AMEX card which allows me to redeem anywhere with a bonus. The rest are pretty much on AMEX and Membership Rewards - much more limiting. But if I had a choice of carriers that would be point-redemption-friendly, I'd go with AA.

This is a complicated question.

(1) What is your home airport?
(2) Mostly domestic, mostly international, or a mix?
(3) What do you look for as your #1 perk? Upgrades, free tix, both?

I am AA PLT and just got comped NW GLD. I fly ONLY domestic and my number one perk is the complimentary upgrade. NW flies big planes out of MSN and I get upgraded about 100% of the time. Requalification mid- or top-tier is easier on NW.

That's just my situation. Yours is different. Let us know and we can be more specific.

--Rich

I was (still am for two more months) CO plat and switched to AA after my last flight in Nov 2003. I took the plat challenge, and never looked back.. AA coach is so much better than CO.. I flew an award ticket this year in CO Y and it was miserable.. I'm only 5'7" and it sucks.. i would hate to see what a six foot guy does in CO Y..

As a CO gold, (as always depending on your routes, days of travel etc) don't expect lots of upgrades.. especially transcons.. as a CO plat it was tough enough

you need to decide, are you going to spend more time in Y or F, if its Y.. then stay away from CO.. if its F then go for CO..

i'm assuming all domestic here

Unless you're one of the rare individuals whose travel patterns are met equally well by both airlines, you're putting the cart before the horse. Absent FF programs, considering such mundane things as where they fly to, when, how often, and for how many $$, which would you tend to fly more? Unless that's a coin-toss or the FF programs are worlds apart, which they're not, base your decision on that. Then, that airline's FF program is what it is. Use FT and other resources to figure out how to use it to best advantage (though not necessarily AAdvantage).

I moved to MSN from BOS, where I was a CO PLAT. CO only flies to CLE and EWR (1 RJ/day) from MSN. Being a CO PLAT did nothing for me without NW here, to be honest.

Then I took about 18 months off from flying entirely.

When I started up again, I found that the AA PLT challenge was the best way to get status quickly. I stayed with them through 2004 and decided I was tired of ERJs and ORD. MSP and DTW are much better for my sanity, although now that winter is here....

Find an airline that best meets your travel patterns and cost, etc., and focus on that program.

--Rich

Key strategy for all affinity programs (be they air, hotel, car, credit cards, etc.)

Home airport is LaGuardia but EWR and JFK also work.
Mostly domestic.
Would like to get upgrades and free tix.
Is AA the only airline to charge for upgrades at mid tier elite status? Seems likeNW and CO offer comp. upgrades.

AA offers comp upgrades on full (Y) and near-full (B) economy fares, credits to upgrade 2,000 flight miles (statistically a bit less in practice since they round more segments up than down to the next multiple of 500) for every 10,000 miles flown, and the ability to buy more credits fairly inexpensively. Not quite comp upgrades across the board, but something.

I am elite on both CO and AA. AA does have better program if you are EXP, but CO beats AA if you are mid tier.
Several changes on AA make its Platinum less attractive. The unlimited EXP upgrades make lower tier elites upgrade more difficult. Even though CO's trans-con (I am Gold) are difficult to get upgrade, I sit in front more often on CO's trans-con compared to AA.
With MRTC gone and no food on AA, I am thinking traveling more on CO after I achieve my lifetime Gold on AA. AA is easier to get upgrade internationally, but their J is embarrassing compared to CO's J.