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Hrm... but at least UA isn't sinking...as badly :D
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AA's Advantage
I like AAdvantage best because of all the earning partners. BTW, two years ago we snagged 3 free RT tickets to Australia via Qantas and Air Nui, both AAdvantage partners. We are accumulating to use Finnair to get to Europe next year; haven't done it, but way fly to Asia on AA if Cathy Pacific takes your miles?
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Originally Posted by ukguy78
Sorry for the confusion. The OP states "On AA domestic award tickets you can have a stopover of any length in any connecting city, in addition to your roundtrip ticket, at no charge." I'm wondering if this allowable stopover is only permitted on 25k domestic awards, or can someone also include a non-connecting point stopover when redeeming a 30k award to PR or a 35k award to HI.
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Originally Posted by fti
What you might not realize is that, with DL at least, this stopover provision is also allowed on international itineraries. You may stop either in the US or internationally en route to your final destination (stop only in one direction or have an open jaw, but not both). It can be a great benefit, as can redeeming awards for domestic travel. Think last-minute emergency travel, travel from remote airports (often much more expensive because of little or no competition), and travel to places like Alaska from much of the lower 48. As you said, it depends on who you ask.
This is a huge advantage. Just booked RDU to MAD on DL for Mrs. Outoftown and myself. There was no award inventory to return, so booked STO to RDU as return on CO and DL let me pick date to travel between MAD to STO on AF via Paris. Only additional miles was 10,000 more miles for CO metal on return via EWR, so 100K miles each instead of 90K for DL O and CO E class. This increases the odds of getting award travel immensely if you have some flexibility. Outoftown |
Originally Posted by 777 global mile hound
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.... I think this is a fair analysis... I was AA Plat until relocating to SF this year...Where I was comped to Prem Exec at UA. The only advantage for me being in SF is that it is a UA hub, and therefore, there are many more flights available to more destinations. So far my UA experience has been uneventful...Not great...But not bad either. |
Originally Posted by andrzej
I guess you don't know about OW awards?
AMERICAN AIRLINES 1805 TPA Tampa 10/18/2006 08:10 PM MIA Miami 10/18/2006 09:10 PM First Z 3E LAN PERU S.A 511 MIA Miami 10/19/2006 01:20 AM LIM Lima 10/19/2006 05:50 AM Business U 2D LAN PERU S.A 510 LIM Lima 10/23/2006 10:40 AM MIA Miami 10/23/2006 05:25 PM Business U 2D AMERICAN AIRLINES 1562 MIA Miami 03/06/2007 01:35 PM YYZ Toronto 03/06/2007 04:49 PM Business U 3E BRITISH AIRWAYS 92 YYZ Toronto 03/06/2007 06:25 PM LHR London 03/07/2007 06:25 AM Business U 61B BRITISH AIRWAYS 846 LHR London 03/07/2007 08:20 AM WAW Warsaw 03/07/2007 11:40 AM Business U 2A BRITISH AIRWAYS 849 WAW Warsaw 03/21/2007 07:40 AM LHR London 03/21/2007 09:25 AM Business U 2A BRITISH AIRWAYS 1388 LHR London 03/21/2007 11:00 AM MAN Manchester 03/21/2007 11:55 AM Economy V unassigned AMERICAN AIRLINES 55 MAN Manchester 03/27/2007 10:45 AM ORD Chicago 03/27/2007 01:00 PM Business U 3D AMERICAN AIRLINES 781 ORD Chicago 06/13/2007 11:02 AM SFO San Francisco 06/13/2007 01:37 PM First Z 3E AMERICAN AIRLINES 1662 SFO San Francisco 06/17/2007 08:27 AM DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth 06/17/2007 01:52 PM First Z 3E AMERICAN AIRLINES 1316 DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth 06/17/2007 03:10 PM TPA Tampa 06/17/2007 06:30 PM First Z 3E All for 130K AA miles :D, South America in October, Europe in March and US west coast in June.... Can you explain which award allowed this routing and how you were required to characterize the trip to get so many stopovers and city pairs? thanks |
We fly UA, but are earning miles both in Star Alliance and One World, for our retirement.
Our plan is to have a huge hoard of UA miles (to cover us in our old age) for *Alliance, a huge hoard of AS miles to cover us for OneWorld, a few hundred thousand each on NWA and AA (to use for upgrades when they offer cheap domestic flights), a huge hoard of HH points for sleeping around the world, and a medium sized hoard of SPG AMEX points, which are wonderful for cheap $$+ points awards, and pretty easily converted to any airline we might get the inkling to fly. We really ought to be thinking about racking up a bigger hoard of SPG AMEX points as they are really useful. Thank you for making me think about this. @:-) SPG AMEX points are really very, very good. We once were able to convert 100,000 Starwood points, on a 2 for 1+ special (thanks to OzStamps, to 250,000 Qantas miles, which we used for two BA Concorde tickets. :) :) Woo Hoo! They are also very helpful when the Level 4 hotel at a convention we must attend is running somewhere in the 400 Euro range. Nothing like plunking down 4,000 points and $60 US as an alternative. ;) Note to self: Focus on collecting SPG AMEX points. ^ |
Originally Posted by spackman
Hi,
Can you explain which award allowed this routing and how you were required to characterize the trip to get so many stopovers and city pairs? thanks http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=433366 |
Flexibility On Aadvantage Awds
One feature of AAdvantage awards that seems to be potentially a plus vis a vis Mileage Plus is the ability to change dates on a oneworld mixed carrier award without fee. Mileage Plus multi-carrier awards, on the other hand, allow no change whatsoever, and even a change of date will simply invalidate the award. I had a intra-European Mileage Plus award on Austrian and wished to delay my original return by one day - Austrian said it was use it on the original date or lose it. Seems a bit draconian.
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Originally Posted by danmz
Delta also allows stopovers. Just booked a trip From SFO to MIA with 4 day stopover in MEM. Plus booking can be made online.
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I don't think United will charge any fee if you are using multiple carriers with Star ALliance and only need to change the dates. They do however, charge if you change routing in any way.
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I just moved from the East Coast to the West Coast last month, and I used to be a big Southwest fan since I took a lot of short trips.
I will be travelling frequently across the country between Washington, DC and Los Angeles... with a couple trips per year to Honolulu and Phoenix to see family. I think the Southwest credits earned on transcontinental flights don't have good value, so I'm searching for a new airline to frequent. What do you guys recommend for my situation, United or American? |
Originally Posted by goodjls
I don't think United will charge any fee if you are using multiple carriers with Star ALliance and only need to change the dates.
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Unfortunate Feature of UA Star Alliance Awds
Each person's travel patterns, and thus priorities for what is important in an award, may vary. For me, the inability to make any changes whatsover (even a change of time on the same day) once I have departed on a UA Star Alliance reward, at any cost, is really problematic.
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Originally Posted by zenexplorer
For me, the inability to make any changes whatsover (even a change of time on the same day) once I have departed on a UA Star Alliance reward, at any cost, is really problematic.
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