I agree with others' posts that each airline and their respective alliances have their own advantages, but for my particular flying patterns this one is a huge advantage for AA and OW. The fact that AA has very few Pacific routes means nothing to me since I can and do fly CX in C and earn the same elite qualifying and redemption bonus miles as if I were on AA itself. Plus CX is a better airline than UA and has, by virtue of its schedule, better connections (no forced overnight involved) to many Asian destinations.

BA and QF and LAN and FinnAir and Iberia and....(starting next year, JL and Malev and RJ). AerLingus is leaving OW but will remain AA partner (I believe).

and OW awards......(hint: look 2 or so posts above)

Uh. As an Air Canada Aeroplan Elite (*A Gold), I get 125% in J on BD and LH, and 150% in F on LH...

If I fly LH, I also get bonus non-status miles above and beyond.

And award tickets also allow stop-overs and open-jaws. What's so special?

Please correct me if I'm wrong but ... AA only allows stop-overs only on AA awards (all AA metal) and oneworld awards (all oneworld metal, with at least TWO oneworld carriers other than AA). AA does not allow stop-overs in any other case, i.e., if the award is on a non-oneworld carrier, or on only a single oneworld carrier (other than AA itself), or on a mix of oneworld and non-oneworld. For example, I wanted several stop-overs on a LAN award and was told I couldn't have any stop-overs unless I somehow worked another oneworld carrier into the routing. As there are not very many oneworld flights other than LA in South America, this turned out to be impractical.

BA - GRU-EZE - very much bookable as part of either OW revenue or award ticket. Helps in satisfying the 2 partner rule for OW award when one wants to just fly around the continent.


btw, a great sticky with all the award rules posted and discussed...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440733

Over the course of years, I've figured out that you have to learn to play both of these 2 programs well. Between them, they provide maximum global coverage. I typically find AA easier to redeem domestically (incl. Hawaii) and UA easier to redeem internationally including on partner airlines. There have been monthlong trips I've taken in the past where I had awards from both of them interlinked with stopovers, open jaws, etc. I couldn't have done the trips without both.

For me, the main kicker for my day-to-day travel is the fact that UA has a passable coach product and AA doesn't. As low-elite in both, I know I have to spend a lot of time in the back of the bus, although for long int'l segments I do always shoot for J awards. I like the fact that on UA, haven't to fly E+ isn't a dealbreaker - I can tolerate it. AA coach is just plain brutal.

I believe you can have a stopover on any AA award type. I've certainly used then on AA partner awards (not all AA metal and not all OW metal).

in your opinion, what is the big difference between AA coach and UA coach, other than schedule?

In addition to the BA one mentioned above by another poster, there's also at least EZE-MVD (or reverse) on AA.

And you see the pattern? In both cases, these are "extension flights", in which a way-outside-South-America carrier wants to fly to two destinations, but there's not enough traffic to fly to each separately, so they stop at one first and then fly on to the other, then return in the same way. And if they allow that "extension" leg to be bookable on its own, there you have it, a OW flight in South America by a OW carrier from another continent!

(I'm not familiar with any others of these. I just happened to know of this one because I was researching some trips from the US to EZE and/or MVD and happened upon this. But I wouldn't be suprrised if there are some others both on AA and on BA, and maybe even on IB too? They're just heavily adverstised, so you have to hunt them down one by one, by experimenting with "where we fly" maps and booking engines, or by perusing direct flights from South American cities in the timetable for each airline, unless someone on FT has a list of them already.)

I recognize that smile, and that itinerary.

The oneworld awards are great. I don't have a use for them, like other UA posters here, but that is probably because they are not available in Mileage Plus.

I knew about the OW awards and don't think that is a small deal. But I didn't know until just now that AAdvantage gives bonus miles for all OW flights. I think that is a big deal. JAL joining OW is a big plus, to me.

A big benefit of Mileage Plus in the last few years has been the ability to earn bonus EQMs. MP didn't have the Great Offer this year and if they don't have the double-EQM offer this year then I may make a change.

One can certainly include AA in a OW award, but it would not help in any way, to satisfy the OW award rule of using 2 OW partners. (AA is not needed nor does it count). So if one wants to fly around South America on a OW award ticket, the BA flight must be included somewhere, and LAN would be the 2nd OW partner.

To those who posted above, thank you. As it happens, I knew about the BA - GRU-EZE flight, but I didn't want to go to either GRU or EZE and neither one is reachable via a direct OW flight from GIG, my starting point. The only solution would have been to buy a GIG-GRU ticket, but that would require staying overnight in São Paulo because the BA flight leaves GRU at 7am. As for AA partner awards, the old awards on individual carriers don't exist anymore. There are only all-partner awards and these do not allow any stop-overs, or so AA phone representatives have told me repeatedly.

AA does not serve MHT, and I will not go to BOS, so short of AA giving away free rides for every year's travel needs it doesn't matter how much of a plus Advantage has over MileagePlus, AA is out of reach and therefore irrelevant.

other comments on and off topic
 

I have to agree with the OP that the American program has a considerable Advantage over Mileage Plus.
I am a former 1k/Premeir Executive for many years prior to climbing on board
My reasons for defecting to AA include

• Superior Award Availability (#1 reason)
• No pressure to earn elite status already Lifetime Platinum
I am currently cruising my way to the 3 million mile mark
• Access to British Airways Int First and Business Class seats (non Trans Atlantic)
• Non expiring electronic upgrades for those who remain elite
• Nicer Club Rooms/ Free Computer usage
• No Outsourced/Overseas call centers
• More competitive pricing on tickets
• Excellent Program more exceptional ways to earn miles
Less hassles understanding the majority of their simple less conditional promos
• Vastly improved pro active account customer service posting partner miles within 24 to 48 hours that was not their responsibility
• Superior response when the need for consumer relations arises
Sadly United ruled in years past in this area.
• No worries when booking award tickets for friends and family members that I have to go the airport and sign before they travel.
American for the most part makes doing business a pleasure
• And yes flexibility with award stopovers rock as does the 17,500 mileage round trip awards to select markets through the citibank AA matercard partnership

The biggest negative on average with AA is in flight staff crews IMO
Not to happy or friendly :(
United's flight attendants were in the years I flew them on as good as it gets within the Domestic US.
That said AA does have some fair performers on board too.
The friendly more interesting UA folks are missed along with the 767s I preferred on the Transcons.
I flew PS in first once didn’t like it and never booked again. I would like to try business class one day as it looks more comfortable....

Wow! Stopover doesn't have to be a connecting city?
 

I just assumed it has to be a connecting city, since Chicago is the city I like to stopover in on Domestic awards and my Chicago'in nonstop needs kept me close to UA and AA. But I never imagined that you can have stopovers in any city AA offers? Are you sure? Wouldnt there be a limit to zigzagging cross country?

I was hoping with this post to goose the hidebound oldthink legacy carriers to at least keep up with the competition. I knew that these rules are pretty outmoded, but never as much so as when I was recently told that the $100 penalty charge on United for changing connecting cities is due to the fact that they once had to tear coupons which had to be re-printed if there was a connection change. Hello? And what year was this?

Fining a customer for making minor changes on such a gift is like handing out a beautiful holiday present and then kicking the recipient in the groin. Can you imagine how happy the most important fliers would be overnight if they would make these truly gifts for customer loyalty instead of a counterproductive revenue source?