If I have to switch, should it be UA or DL?
 

I love Northwest, and I hope they will not make any adverse announcements on their elite program. I got Gold Elite for 2006, and with the saber rattling by the pilots and stewards union in reaction to "NewCo"... I'm a bit concerned.

I fly out of Sioux Falls, and my other choices are limited to United (which flies to ORD and DEN) or Delta (to CVG) on even more limited schedule. United and Delta flies CRJ or ERJ (ugh).

If I were to call them to comp me, which one should I call? I'm thinking UA, but what about their elite program compared to DL?

Thanks,
Marvin

I fly out of a pudunk airport, MFR. Both UA & DL provide some service.

It seems to me, that the service of UA has improved quite a bit in the past few yesars, and they have more FF offers then DL. If one of your considerations is using FF miles, you might call each ff program with a route you'd like to fly in the future, and see if they could book it with miles. Just a thought...

I was multi-year Delta Platinum, and switched to UA and made 1K. Very happy with my decision to jump ship, just wish that I have done it much earlier.

I would be careful about counting longterm (or even medium term) on any DL flight to CVG from a smaller market....hasn't DL said that they're downsizing CVG a bit?? If nothing else, it might reduce your one-stop options out of your city even if they don't cut service to your home. On UA you can really get a lot of places from ORD or DEN

I have flown both DL and UA extensively. It's UA HANDS DOWN for me! Better route structure, planes, and IFE.

I prefer UA's program in every regard save one or two:

1. DL allows for more award stopovers en-route than UA
2. DL has unlimited domestic upgrades on its own metal.

But Item 2 has no bearing on my decision and Item 1 relates just to award tickets and not general flying experience.

Maybe I should clarify with my flying patterns and preferences. I will almost never use award tickets for myself (because then I wouldn't earn EQM on that flight), and I'd use it for my kids. My wife, I want her to earn EQM with me as well.

I love NW's unlimited upgrades to FC and I can standby for FC with a companion (my wife or my biz partner, etc) on NW. I understand with UA, I only get 4 500-mile upgrade certificates once I hit 10k actual miles.

I would get -- initially -- from switching over NW Gold Elite is preboarding, Economy Plus seating (oooo!)... right? What else am I missing?

Also, I do some Europe flying... probably 2 to 4 times a year from now on.

Marvin

If free domestic upgrade is most important for you, then UA would not be your choice. You are correct that 10K flown only earn 4-500 mile upgrades, and that it only comes in when you elite status. Otherwise, no 500milers earned at all. NW's free companion upgrades has no equivalent on UA, so if that is also really important to you, that might just made the decision for you.

However, if international upgrades are most important, then top tier on UA makes a lot of sense. You will get 6 SWUs, upgradeable on everything except a couple of lowest of the low buckets. Also 2 CR-1s for each 10K flown per quarter, useable on all domestic published fares.

For my base of SFO:
- 35-50K miles of upgrades by using 6 SWUs, on a mixture of Asian and Europe trips.
- 20K miles of upgrades with the eight CR-1s, on 4 transcon round trips.
- 20K worth of upgrades by the 500-milers. With 100K BIS miles, I get 40 500-miler upgrades.

That covers 75-90K of travel, and if you want to upgrade your wife/companion, then you will have to use some of your own upgrade instruments for them, reducing your own upgrade ability.

Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think DL will comp NW. There's a thread on that somewhere.

Can you explain what CR-1 is? And SWU sounds wonderful, but I'd have to make the top tier on UA first before I get 6 certs, right?

Marvin

The other thing about United (which I'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet), is that with Economy plus, coach is a _lot_ more tolerable than on Delta if an upgrade doesn't clear...

Dan

CR-1 is confirmed upgrade for USA & Carribean & Central America. You get two for each 10,000 miles flown in a quarter. Like the 6 SWU only 1K the top tier gets them. Like a previous poster stated E plus is worth the switch. I comped Premier Exec at UA several years ago from Delta and have never regretted it. 1K on United is a little difficult to make but once you make it is easier to keep. There are usually many promotions year round to help you get EQM to qualify. Many of your questions will be answered by reading the UA forum.

Correct. So you get a maximum of per calendar year after you reached 1K. There are a few exceptions:

- The quarter you qualify for 1K, if you flown > 10K miles, you will get 2 CR-1s
- From time to time, there are promotions for extra CR-1s.

By the way, CR-1s supported upgrades are also confirmable anytime, just like SWUs, assuming inventory for the upgrade is available. The 500-milers are subjected to a particular elite level upgrade window.