FF Elite program opinions
Dec 25, 2001 | 7:50 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,963
FF Elite program opinions
Just thought I would pass on my experiences with the various FF programs as it applies to me. Interested in comments and observations from others.
The evaluation is very dependent on one's flying habits and what one looks for from the program and in the service from the airline.
First Continental OnePass. I am a Platinum Elite on CO acquired over the year and hence went through the Silver and Gold phases and can compare.
CO is clearly unmatched for domestic upgrades especially if you fly bargain fares. The upgrades are free and automatic. However, you really need to be at Platinum level to get upgrades most of the time. Silver is pretty much useless for upgrades unless you fly an almost empty flight. Even at platinum level it is not 100% guaranteed for some routes unless you pay full fare in which case it is automatic.
CO uses some rules on when they release the first class seats. For most routes, you get upgrades on the published schedule for different elite levels. On some routes, the last two or four first class seats are not released until the last day. To their credit, they almost always fill up the first class seats by the time the flight leaves.
Within each level, your upgrade chances appear to be based on fare paid and not on how early you booked so if you fly on cheap fares, upgrades are not guaranteed for the last one or two seats available even at Platinum levels. CO flies a lot of 737s on their routes and so do not have too many first class seats on some routes.
When you get to international travel, however, CO elite levels are pretty much useless for anything other than priority checking-in and boarding and there it does not matter which level you are at, of course. There are no complementary upgrades for trans-atlantic flights. Even mileage upgrades are closely guarded and almost impossible to get except for full fares. I have been denied an upgraded seat on the day of the flight even though mileage had been deducted from my account for the upgrade and there were empty seats. They will rather fly with empty seats than have the "riff-raff" occupying them with miles. Mileage upgrades are not available for most fares and the lowest upradeable fare if you were to find a flight with upgradeable seats (very rare except for a few weeks in late fall and early autumn) is rather high. Award seats are also extremely difficult to come by. The result is that it is very easy to acquire miles on CO but very difficult to actually use them for anything (except perhaps charities). CO does have arguably the best business class section for overseas travel amongst the US carriers.
CO has no useful alliances internationally and provides no free business lounge privileges for international flights on coach class at any Elite level. This alone is enough to take them out of contention for frequent international travellers.
The service from CO has been consistently better than other airlines. One shortfall in their program design is that there is very little incentive to acquire more miles and fly CO after reaching Platinum level (given that CO miles are pretty much useless) unless the travel is for free upgrades on domestic flights.
Elite status on CO allows use of those privileges on NW but the less said about NW the better. It is not an airline I would choose to fly.
Next United. I am at Premier Executive level. Just Premier is good enough for the priority boarding and check-in, however the Premier Executive level has an important benefit for international travel. It puts you in the Star Alliance Gold level which brings with it unlimited business lounge privileges at most airports (honored by any of the star alliance partners regardless of which star alliance partner you are flying with). This benefit is particulary useful in these days of mandated early check-ins and also if you do a number of connecting flights. There is also extra baggage allowance (useful with European carrier travel where baggage limits are more strictly enforced otherwise). In addition, currently any paid miles on any of the Star Alliance partner counts towards your United Elite status!
Domestic complementary upgrades are not as easy or frequent as with CO and there are no complementary upgrades for overseas travel like most airlines. However, getting mileage upgrades even on international travel is much easier than with CO and at a much lower cost. For example, I got a round trip business class mileage upgrade for EWR-HKG trip on a $925 fare on United for travel in February. The lowest upgradeable fare on CO was $1400+. I have also obtained domestic awards on United without having to book months in advance unlike CO. The service on United can be rather unpredictable and the airline has gone through some really bad times but it has become a bit tolerable at the moment. The overseas business class is not as good as CO.
Finally American. I was comped a Platinum level based on my United level. I had zero miles on American before this. In the 9000 actual miles of trips I did as a result of this, the service was so uniformly and consistently bad on AA that I sent back the platinum membership and asked to be removed from the AAadvantage program. I cannot believe anyone that has flown other airlines continue to fly AA unless they have no choice (e.g., South American routes). I have no experience with upgrades because of this short experience. The upgrade rules do not appear to be as convenient as CO for domestic travel.
AA platinum gives you Saphire status in One World which is not as useful an alliance as Star Alliance but does give free business lounge privileges on international travel if you can find a One World business lounge (e.g., BA). Transatlantic flights on BA do not accrue miles on AAdvantage(!) let alone count towards Elite status. I fully support the "AA/BA, no way" campaign. The reduction in competition for a carrier with that bad a service is not good. BA while not one of the best airlines is a cut above AA in service.
Unfortunately, AA is using the current situation (i.e., enhanced security) to justify and continue its bad service. I have seen ground personnel threatening to call security ("you will be escorted off the flight") to shut up people complaining at the poor service to start with. They are justifying "denied boarding" for heavy over booking on security procedures. I was denied boarding although I was two hours early for "security restrictions that require 3 hour prior to boarding to check in". Nonsense. While FAA profiling appears random for extra security checks, the discretionary selection by ground crew appear to be quite biased against colored skin. On one of the flights, it was rather obvious to everyone that all blacks, hispanics and other non-whites were selected for additional baggage check while almost all of the whites went through without additional checks. One black gentleman that observed this loudly was admonished with "you are welcome not to fly on this flight"! To think us taxpayers are bailing out this airline!
I don't have elite level experience with any other airline.
Cheers and happy flying in the coming year...
The evaluation is very dependent on one's flying habits and what one looks for from the program and in the service from the airline.
First Continental OnePass. I am a Platinum Elite on CO acquired over the year and hence went through the Silver and Gold phases and can compare.
CO is clearly unmatched for domestic upgrades especially if you fly bargain fares. The upgrades are free and automatic. However, you really need to be at Platinum level to get upgrades most of the time. Silver is pretty much useless for upgrades unless you fly an almost empty flight. Even at platinum level it is not 100% guaranteed for some routes unless you pay full fare in which case it is automatic.
CO uses some rules on when they release the first class seats. For most routes, you get upgrades on the published schedule for different elite levels. On some routes, the last two or four first class seats are not released until the last day. To their credit, they almost always fill up the first class seats by the time the flight leaves.
Within each level, your upgrade chances appear to be based on fare paid and not on how early you booked so if you fly on cheap fares, upgrades are not guaranteed for the last one or two seats available even at Platinum levels. CO flies a lot of 737s on their routes and so do not have too many first class seats on some routes.
When you get to international travel, however, CO elite levels are pretty much useless for anything other than priority checking-in and boarding and there it does not matter which level you are at, of course. There are no complementary upgrades for trans-atlantic flights. Even mileage upgrades are closely guarded and almost impossible to get except for full fares. I have been denied an upgraded seat on the day of the flight even though mileage had been deducted from my account for the upgrade and there were empty seats. They will rather fly with empty seats than have the "riff-raff" occupying them with miles. Mileage upgrades are not available for most fares and the lowest upradeable fare if you were to find a flight with upgradeable seats (very rare except for a few weeks in late fall and early autumn) is rather high. Award seats are also extremely difficult to come by. The result is that it is very easy to acquire miles on CO but very difficult to actually use them for anything (except perhaps charities). CO does have arguably the best business class section for overseas travel amongst the US carriers.
CO has no useful alliances internationally and provides no free business lounge privileges for international flights on coach class at any Elite level. This alone is enough to take them out of contention for frequent international travellers.
The service from CO has been consistently better than other airlines. One shortfall in their program design is that there is very little incentive to acquire more miles and fly CO after reaching Platinum level (given that CO miles are pretty much useless) unless the travel is for free upgrades on domestic flights.
Elite status on CO allows use of those privileges on NW but the less said about NW the better. It is not an airline I would choose to fly.
Next United. I am at Premier Executive level. Just Premier is good enough for the priority boarding and check-in, however the Premier Executive level has an important benefit for international travel. It puts you in the Star Alliance Gold level which brings with it unlimited business lounge privileges at most airports (honored by any of the star alliance partners regardless of which star alliance partner you are flying with). This benefit is particulary useful in these days of mandated early check-ins and also if you do a number of connecting flights. There is also extra baggage allowance (useful with European carrier travel where baggage limits are more strictly enforced otherwise). In addition, currently any paid miles on any of the Star Alliance partner counts towards your United Elite status!
Domestic complementary upgrades are not as easy or frequent as with CO and there are no complementary upgrades for overseas travel like most airlines. However, getting mileage upgrades even on international travel is much easier than with CO and at a much lower cost. For example, I got a round trip business class mileage upgrade for EWR-HKG trip on a $925 fare on United for travel in February. The lowest upgradeable fare on CO was $1400+. I have also obtained domestic awards on United without having to book months in advance unlike CO. The service on United can be rather unpredictable and the airline has gone through some really bad times but it has become a bit tolerable at the moment. The overseas business class is not as good as CO.
Finally American. I was comped a Platinum level based on my United level. I had zero miles on American before this. In the 9000 actual miles of trips I did as a result of this, the service was so uniformly and consistently bad on AA that I sent back the platinum membership and asked to be removed from the AAadvantage program. I cannot believe anyone that has flown other airlines continue to fly AA unless they have no choice (e.g., South American routes). I have no experience with upgrades because of this short experience. The upgrade rules do not appear to be as convenient as CO for domestic travel.
AA platinum gives you Saphire status in One World which is not as useful an alliance as Star Alliance but does give free business lounge privileges on international travel if you can find a One World business lounge (e.g., BA). Transatlantic flights on BA do not accrue miles on AAdvantage(!) let alone count towards Elite status. I fully support the "AA/BA, no way" campaign. The reduction in competition for a carrier with that bad a service is not good. BA while not one of the best airlines is a cut above AA in service.
Unfortunately, AA is using the current situation (i.e., enhanced security) to justify and continue its bad service. I have seen ground personnel threatening to call security ("you will be escorted off the flight") to shut up people complaining at the poor service to start with. They are justifying "denied boarding" for heavy over booking on security procedures. I was denied boarding although I was two hours early for "security restrictions that require 3 hour prior to boarding to check in". Nonsense. While FAA profiling appears random for extra security checks, the discretionary selection by ground crew appear to be quite biased against colored skin. On one of the flights, it was rather obvious to everyone that all blacks, hispanics and other non-whites were selected for additional baggage check while almost all of the whites went through without additional checks. One black gentleman that observed this loudly was admonished with "you are welcome not to fly on this flight"! To think us taxpayers are bailing out this airline!
I don't have elite level experience with any other airline.
Cheers and happy flying in the coming year...
Dec 25, 2001 | 8:12 am
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: is everything...but...
Programs: dont matter anymore...
Posts: 3,019
Interesting first post...
Looks like someone got bumped and is p.o.'d at AA.
Well Mr. CO/UA, you can upgrade any published fare (including web specials), domestic or international with with miles, e-upgrades or VIP's with AA.
Flip
Looks like someone got bumped and is p.o.'d at AA.
Well Mr. CO/UA, you can upgrade any published fare (including web specials), domestic or international with with miles, e-upgrades or VIP's with AA.
Flip
Dec 25, 2001 | 8:39 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Spring Lake,NJ
Posts: 1,219
CO has no useful alliances internationally?? What about KLM???
CO has great South American routes too...out of EWR.
Agree that someone sounds upset with AA and very biased for their first post.
This first post by VENK is gonna get picked apart....watch!!
[This message has been edited by IM4Travel (edited 12-25-2001).]
CO has great South American routes too...out of EWR.
Agree that someone sounds upset with AA and very biased for their first post.
This first post by VENK is gonna get picked apart....watch!!
[This message has been edited by IM4Travel (edited 12-25-2001).]
Dec 25, 2001 | 8:53 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,190
Have you ever tried to find a STAR lounge a Bradley Terminal LAX that is actually open most hours? Lots of oneworld lounges, but not a single STAR have been open whenever I've needed one on my MX flights ex-LAX.
I have had no problems with AA as a Plat. 100% in upgrades, priority boarding. And as a "whitebread" Caucasian, let alone first class passenger and elite status AAdvantage member, I have been given the old secondary at the gate search several times.
Also, seems to me that UA and CO fly to South America, as well as a half dozen flag carriers of SAmerican countries who are members of either oneworld or STAR.
But thanks for adding your thoughts to FT and let's hope you'll contribute further in the new year ahead.
I have had no problems with AA as a Plat. 100% in upgrades, priority boarding. And as a "whitebread" Caucasian, let alone first class passenger and elite status AAdvantage member, I have been given the old secondary at the gate search several times.
Also, seems to me that UA and CO fly to South America, as well as a half dozen flag carriers of SAmerican countries who are members of either oneworld or STAR.
But thanks for adding your thoughts to FT and let's hope you'll contribute further in the new year ahead.
Dec 25, 2001 | 9:01 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,963
Hmmmm... didn't mean to provoke flag-waving for your favorite airline :-) I have no desire to push airlines here like a favorite football team. As a consumer I demand good service and patronize those that provide it and only as long as they keep providing it.
On occasion, I have written to the respective airlines about problems that I have faced with both CO and UA. If they don't hear of the problems how will they improve? I was a regular on UA in the 80s but as they became awful in the early-mid 90s, simply dropped them like I did with AA now. It is only this year that I gave them a serious try.
Yes, I am PO'd at AA. The bumping was just the last straw in a string of bad service problems over 9000 miles of trips not an isolated incidence. As a frequent flier I am not naive about being bumped but to phrase it as a security issue is dishonest. I have written a lengthy letter calmly documenting the problems I faced to AA. I will post that here after (and if) I get a reply from them. I canceled my FF card because of the bad service in general not because of the bumping.
The upgrades may very well be better on AA than UA both of which provide certificates based on miles flown although the unlimited domestic complementary upgrades on CO is hard to beat. As I mentioned I never got a chance to try the upgrades on AA. The service on AA, I am sorry to say in my experience, was just consistently bad on AA and this is based on flying over 140k actual miles this year alone on various carriers.
CO has some flights to South America but they are not as convenient as AA in connections and routes and costs. This is what made me try out AA in the first place recently and I used AA for Europe as well.
Cheers
On occasion, I have written to the respective airlines about problems that I have faced with both CO and UA. If they don't hear of the problems how will they improve? I was a regular on UA in the 80s but as they became awful in the early-mid 90s, simply dropped them like I did with AA now. It is only this year that I gave them a serious try.
Yes, I am PO'd at AA. The bumping was just the last straw in a string of bad service problems over 9000 miles of trips not an isolated incidence. As a frequent flier I am not naive about being bumped but to phrase it as a security issue is dishonest. I have written a lengthy letter calmly documenting the problems I faced to AA. I will post that here after (and if) I get a reply from them. I canceled my FF card because of the bad service in general not because of the bumping.
The upgrades may very well be better on AA than UA both of which provide certificates based on miles flown although the unlimited domestic complementary upgrades on CO is hard to beat. As I mentioned I never got a chance to try the upgrades on AA. The service on AA, I am sorry to say in my experience, was just consistently bad on AA and this is based on flying over 140k actual miles this year alone on various carriers.
CO has some flights to South America but they are not as convenient as AA in connections and routes and costs. This is what made me try out AA in the first place recently and I used AA for Europe as well.
Cheers
Dec 25, 2001 | 9:27 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: EU rotating
Posts: 2,926
I have no complaints about AA even though I've mainly flown on their codeshare flights lately. It is hardly enough to justify one 'bagging' an airline for a single bad experience. IMO, AA is a lot better than Qantas, Finnair and BA as far as biz class goes on international and domestic 1st class flights and who else offers you More Room Throughout Coach?? First impressions may be lasting but they do not necessarly give grounds for jumping into conclusions.
Dec 25, 2001 | 10:04 am
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 63,783
In what way is *Gold better than oneWorld Sapphire/Emerald?
We both get expedited check-in and priority luggage handling.
We both get access to lounges at the aiport, as well as top priority on waitlisting.
Except in oneWorld, we get our elite bonus miles when we fly partner airlines. UA doesn't allow it for anything except UA metal and UA codeshares operated by LH.
We both get expedited check-in and priority luggage handling.
We both get access to lounges at the aiport, as well as top priority on waitlisting.
Except in oneWorld, we get our elite bonus miles when we fly partner airlines. UA doesn't allow it for anything except UA metal and UA codeshares operated by LH.
Dec 25, 2001 | 10:10 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
Finally American. I was comped a Platinum level based on my United level. I had zero miles on American before this. In the 9000 actual miles of trips I did as a result of this, the service was so uniformly and consistently bad on AA that I sent back the platinum membership and asked to be removed from the AAadvantage program. I cannot believe anyone that has flown other airlines continue to fly AA unless they have no choice (e.g., South American routes). I have no experience with upgrades because of this short experience. The upgrade rules do not appear to be as convenient as CO for domestic travel
Well...I guess you are really POd....
But with my brother's most recent nightmare with NW i don't think AA could do what is NW did to my brother...and also at the time my cousin was traveling with my brother but he arrived at IAH ontime with AA...can you tell me why??
------------------
Regards,
Al
[This message has been edited by afang (edited 12-25-2001).]
Well...I guess you are really POd....
But with my brother's most recent nightmare with NW i don't think AA could do what is NW did to my brother...and also at the time my cousin was traveling with my brother but he arrived at IAH ontime with AA...can you tell me why??
------------------
Regards,
Al
[This message has been edited by afang (edited 12-25-2001).]
Dec 25, 2001 | 10:17 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,963
I gave AA several chances in 7 flights in a 3-week period. It would have been 8 flights and 12k miles if they hadn't bumped me making me take another airline back (as a business traveller I cannot afford to "come back tomorrow" most times). There wasn't a single one of those flights where I didn't see endemic problems with AA. The ground staff is a mixed bag like most airlines but organizational structure to make it work despite the incompetencies and inefficiencies is very poor compared to most major airlines.
Examples of good/bad service practices:
EWR 5AM: AA counters for London flight. Four desks open two for first class, two for coach when I came in. Two of them yawn and leave within 5 minutes (the airport only opened at 4:30Am!). The remaining two stop processing any coach and only process first class passengers leaving the people in coach line left wondering for 20 minutes. No supervisors or helpers near the queue in sight.
UA (or most other airlines for that matter): At least two desks each open for coach and first class. Helpers near the queue answering questions directing people, checking paperwork and passports, etc.
Example #2:
AA extra security check: The 20 or so passengers selected for secondary screening near the gate are made to wait in the jetway standing (no chairs) after screening for 15-20 minutes or so before the plane is ready for boarding. Not allowed to go back to lounge, of course. Remaining passengers sitting and sipping coffee in the lounge in clear view of the "specially chosen". Checked-in baggage search: Check in after standing in line for 30 or more minutes like all other passengers. Accompany to-be-checked in baggage to a special area after this. Wait for the processing in another line (20 minutes) and the go to boarding.
UA extra security check before the check-in: Selected passengers searched before check-in are led to a special counter for expedited check-in processing (faster than the Elite/Business class line). Two approaches to the same requirement. One smart and another dumb.
Just some of the bad examples I saw of AA.
This is not meant to be a "tastes great, less filling" debate between AA and UA (or CO or any other airline). Just my observation that AA as a big airline has a serious structural and management problem that does not promote consistent good service. Saw many things like this during the UA decline of the early 90s.
Cheers
Examples of good/bad service practices:
EWR 5AM: AA counters for London flight. Four desks open two for first class, two for coach when I came in. Two of them yawn and leave within 5 minutes (the airport only opened at 4:30Am!). The remaining two stop processing any coach and only process first class passengers leaving the people in coach line left wondering for 20 minutes. No supervisors or helpers near the queue in sight.
UA (or most other airlines for that matter): At least two desks each open for coach and first class. Helpers near the queue answering questions directing people, checking paperwork and passports, etc.
Example #2:
AA extra security check: The 20 or so passengers selected for secondary screening near the gate are made to wait in the jetway standing (no chairs) after screening for 15-20 minutes or so before the plane is ready for boarding. Not allowed to go back to lounge, of course. Remaining passengers sitting and sipping coffee in the lounge in clear view of the "specially chosen". Checked-in baggage search: Check in after standing in line for 30 or more minutes like all other passengers. Accompany to-be-checked in baggage to a special area after this. Wait for the processing in another line (20 minutes) and the go to boarding.
UA extra security check before the check-in: Selected passengers searched before check-in are led to a special counter for expedited check-in processing (faster than the Elite/Business class line). Two approaches to the same requirement. One smart and another dumb.
Just some of the bad examples I saw of AA.
This is not meant to be a "tastes great, less filling" debate between AA and UA (or CO or any other airline). Just my observation that AA as a big airline has a serious structural and management problem that does not promote consistent good service. Saw many things like this during the UA decline of the early 90s.
Cheers
Dec 25, 2001 | 11:40 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA EXP/5MM; DL DM; HHonors DIAM; Marriott GLD
Posts: 4,132
Although I fly AA much more often than CO, I don't recall having much trouble redeeming miles for free travel. Indeed, my CO unredeemed miles constitute only about 1/4 of total lifetime miles.
Dec 25, 2001 | 12:34 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 63,783
For example 1, I wonder what you are upset about. As an AA PLT, you can use the first-class check-in line, even while flying in coach. So there you were, getting preferential treatment, but you're still not happy with AA?
As for your second example, that hardly seems like my experience. People who get pulled for secondary screening don't get on the jetway until the plane is ready for boarding, and in general are allowed to jump to the head of the line as soon as they are cleared.
And if you're not happy with the extra security, I suggest you contact the FAA to let them know you are annoyed. AA is merely carrying out the appropriate security provisions.
As for your second example, that hardly seems like my experience. People who get pulled for secondary screening don't get on the jetway until the plane is ready for boarding, and in general are allowed to jump to the head of the line as soon as they are cleared.
And if you're not happy with the extra security, I suggest you contact the FAA to let them know you are annoyed. AA is merely carrying out the appropriate security provisions.
Dec 25, 2001 | 1:02 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K/*G
Posts: 2,397
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by venk:
CO is clearly unmatched for domestic upgrades especially if you fly bargain fares. The upgrades are free and automatic. However, you really need to be at Platinum level to get upgrades most of the time. Silver is pretty much useless for upgrades unless you fly an almost empty flight. Even at platinum level it is not 100% guaranteed for some routes unless you pay full fare in which case it is automatic.
CO uses some rules on when they release the first class seats. For most routes, you get upgrades on the published schedule for different elite levels. On some routes, the last two or four first class seats are not released until the last day. To their credit, they almost always fill up the first class seats by the time the flight leaves.
</font>
CO is clearly unmatched for domestic upgrades especially if you fly bargain fares. The upgrades are free and automatic. However, you really need to be at Platinum level to get upgrades most of the time. Silver is pretty much useless for upgrades unless you fly an almost empty flight. Even at platinum level it is not 100% guaranteed for some routes unless you pay full fare in which case it is automatic.
CO uses some rules on when they release the first class seats. For most routes, you get upgrades on the published schedule for different elite levels. On some routes, the last two or four first class seats are not released until the last day. To their credit, they almost always fill up the first class seats by the time the flight leaves.
</font>
FWIW, Golds also receive automatic upgrades for full-fare coach tickets.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
Within each level, your upgrade chances appear to be based on fare paid and not on how early you booked so if you fly on cheap fares, upgrades are not guaranteed for the last one or two seats available even at Platinum levels. CO flies a lot of 737s on their routes and so do not have too many first class seats on some routes.
Within each level, your upgrade chances appear to be based on fare paid and not on how early you booked so if you fly on cheap fares, upgrades are not guaranteed for the last one or two seats available even at Platinum levels. CO flies a lot of 737s on their routes and so do not have too many first class seats on some routes.
</font>
See: ITYT | Library : Airlines : Continental Airlines (CO) : All about EUA
------------------
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Dec 25, 2001 | 4:56 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,963
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Plato90s:
[B]In what way is *Gold better than oneWorld Sapphire/Emerald?
</font>
[B]In what way is *Gold better than oneWorld Sapphire/Emerald?
</font>
Which brings me to the second comparison -business lounges. Normally, you get good lounge service in airports where the participating airport has a major presence. In other airports where a participating carrier has an arrangement an airline not part of the alliance, you will not get the lounge privileges.
For example, although British Midland (part of Star Alliance) flies to Nice, France, it only has an arrangement with Air France for its FF members and does not have a Star Alliance lounge. I don't get lounge privileges there. In general, an alliance that has more major carriers with its own lounges in airports (and hence can accommodate alliance members) is better than an alliance which has fewer major airlines even if they happen to fly to all the airports. *Alliance has an advantage here over One World because of their more extensive partnership with major carriers. This is particularly noticeable in Europe and Asia. Of course, if you fly only from airports that has a major presence of AA, then it wouldn't matter.
Cheers
Dec 25, 2001 | 5:05 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,963
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by afang:
i don't think AA could do what is NW did to my brother</font>
i don't think AA could do what is NW did to my brother</font>
For those comparing AA to NW, Qantas, Finnair, etc., those are hardly high standards to evaluate AA. I do enjoy the current Finnair practice of switching the video monitors to a front-facing camera on short final though!