Delta
Best: Add the new (limited cities)elite security gates.This may eventually be the biggest benefit.
Worst:LUser fare restrictions.

United:

Best - great alliance. Economy Plus seating for Premiers and above. Transferrable upgrades.

Worst - no double upgrades policy. Nothing like watching the F cabin filled with employees, is there? Probably the worst policy UA has going for it right now. Painful requirements to get mileage credit for flights changed/canceled by UA. All it takes is a phone call on other airlines, sometimes not even that. Too many seats under "airport control". A few I can understand, over half the plane is not acceptable. Thank God the Sh*ttle has died the death it so richly deserved. No free booze in the RCC, despite insanely high membership costs.

My UA ridership has fallen off sharply, mostly because it was easier to get treated well by DL out of DEN. I still would consider flying UA, but the no double upgrades/frequent reports of "Employee Class" incidents makes UA not my first or second choice.

------------------
"Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither." - Ben Franklin

American:

Best - MRTC when you don't get the C/J/F cabin. Upgrade Any Fare. By far and away the best thing about AA. Good alliance partners. Ability to sidestep no double upgrade policy by paying fare difference from C/J to F. Access to other OW members' clubs for Plat/EXP/Admiral's Club members.

Worst - No double upgrades (for the most part). No free drinks in the Admiral's Club, despite insanely high membership fees. Difficulty in puting together multi-segment (3+ segments) flights. Having to plead for mileage credit when reaccommodated.

In my opinion, the AAdavantage program is the strongest in the nation at the moment as far as what's important to me. I am going to shift my travel accordingly.

------------------
"Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither." - Ben Franklin

[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 12-07-2001).]

For Continental:

Best Feature: Unlimited space available domestic upgrades.

Worst Feature: Int'l BusinessFirst upgrade policies - which include HoKeY fares, the 30 day rule, and the 72 hour rule that allows BF seats to go empty or filled with non-revs when revenue pax still want to upgrade with miles. This stinks, CO!

Continental

Best: Domestic Upgrade policy

Worst: HoKeY international upgrade

Like others:

CO -

Best: domestic upgrade policy, also, I like the platinum no award redeposit fee rule

Worst: HoKeY international upgrade fiasco, and, 72 hour businessfirst lockdown, 30 day roulette on international upgrades even when HoKeY complied with

Is there any way for me to put it in 72 pt type:

HoKeY!

------------------
EWR CO Gold

Continental:
Best= Unlimited domestic upgrades

Worst= HoKeY fares. Worse still, you are not spending miles and 3 times the cost of the cheapest coach seat for an upgraded Int'l seat. You are paying for a CHANCE. Continental is really running a national lottery for these seats, and keeps your money if the upgrade doesn't come through.

I think I'm repeating what everybody else is saying. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

For Continental:

Best: Unlimited domestic upgrades
Worst: HoKeY fares 'enhancement' on BF product.

Second as to both best and worst

CO
Best is unlimited domestic upgrades.

Worst is the HOKeY fare thing and the 30 day international (and Hawaii) award rule. I left CO because of the 30 day rule and look forward to the day (hopefully this year) that CO does NOT win the Freddie.

NW WorldPerks

Best: Dedicated service staff for Gold and Platinum Elites; ability to use multiple FF partners on a single reward ticket (e.g., NW, KLM, and CO on one WP tkt to Europe); affordable mileage levels (80,000 biz. to Asia); consistent info. from WP staff.

Worst: Lack of segment qualification; Consistent glitches when using CO (upgrades AND reward tickets)

DL SkyMiles

Best -- Waived blackout dates for all elites for award travel

Worst -- partnership agreements (both earning and using miles)

NW WordPerks

Best - Unlimited elite upgrades for all tiers

Worst - Lowest tier elites aren't allowed to use the dedicated elite phone line

NW WorldPerks may be better to some parts of Asia but to others they are not. For travel to India on business class:
AA (Cathay) - 90K miles
BA - 100K miles
DL - 100K miles
UA - 110K miles (when they had service to India)
NW - 120K miles

And they have a month blacked out right now, whereas BA has no blackout dates.

United Strong Point:
Ability to REQUEST an upgrade at any time. (Available upgrades then automatically GRANTED at 100, 72, or 24 hours based on status, fare basis, etc. No need to call in or log in at or after the appointed time.)

United Weak Point:
After booking, you can only input requests for upgrades using United.com for reservations that were made on United.com. I want to be able to request upgrades using United.com regardless of how the reservation was made (agent, phone, ... whatever).

Delta Weak Point:
Not being able to request upgrades until EXACTLY 100, 72, or 24 hours based on status, fare basis, etc. (It is frequently not possible to be at a phone or the computer at the appointed time. United provides for "advance" requests.)

Delta Weak Point:
No upgrades for L or U fares.