Switch from UA to a different Star Alliance member?
Sep 15, 2007 | 12:21 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Thai Royal Orchid Plus
I am currently a Premier Executive UA Mileage Plus member, but will probably only make it to Premier this year. I live in Australia now, and frequently fly to Europe, usually Sweden. My last few trips have been with Thai.
Since I can no longer use my Mileage Plus miles to upgrade (a notice on the homepage reads "we will no longer accept Star Alliance Upgrade Award requests at this time") I am wondering if I should perhaps switch to a different FF program.
I would think that Thai would be the obvious choice, especially since applying at the right time of year will provide extended time to achieve elevated status, and once reached, that status will be held for two years, instead of one.
The only drawback I can think of is that I won't be enjoying my Mileage Plus status while collecting miles for Royal Orchid Plus status.
Am I missing anything? Are there any good reasons to stay with UA? Would possibly a program other than Thai's suit me better? (Singapore has been recommended several times.) Any gotchas I should be aware of?
I have spent the last four hours trying to make sense of the wealth of (often conflicting) information I have found. Any comments or links to relevant information would be greatly appreciated.
Since I can no longer use my Mileage Plus miles to upgrade (a notice on the homepage reads "we will no longer accept Star Alliance Upgrade Award requests at this time") I am wondering if I should perhaps switch to a different FF program.
I would think that Thai would be the obvious choice, especially since applying at the right time of year will provide extended time to achieve elevated status, and once reached, that status will be held for two years, instead of one.
The only drawback I can think of is that I won't be enjoying my Mileage Plus status while collecting miles for Royal Orchid Plus status.
Am I missing anything? Are there any good reasons to stay with UA? Would possibly a program other than Thai's suit me better? (Singapore has been recommended several times.) Any gotchas I should be aware of?
I have spent the last four hours trying to make sense of the wealth of (often conflicting) information I have found. Any comments or links to relevant information would be greatly appreciated.
Thai is a good choice. You can redeem award ticket any class any distance for 50% less miles during 3-month around your birth month (1 month prior / after your birth month included). Every 50,000 miles, they also give you an upgrade voucher to be used on discount economy ticket (not deep discount).
Sep 15, 2007 | 12:24 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
See above link.
ANA, Thai, Asiana, Austrian, LOT, Lufthansa, Singapore, TAP, UA
Sep 19, 2007 | 11:04 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SJC/SFO/OAK
Programs: BD Gold (and future SEN), 0.2MM AA EXP, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,107
I am currently a 1K on United, and also challenged to Plat on AA earlier this year just to try it out. I have grown increasingly disenchanted with UA: dirty planes, craploads of elites competing for E+ because of 2P and 3P comps for 1Ks and E+ Pass, shabby RCCs, disgusting RCC bathrooms, surly CS at the airport, and so-so 1K agents. On AA, I've had good CS, decent upgrades and a decent F product. I have not had time to really try out ACs, but if I switch its a given I would become a member. I am buying more last minute, so E+ has become less of a perk. I also have Silver status on BD from crediting a few QUPs.
I have two thoughts for next year:
1) I can stay with UA because of the familiarity. I have to commute SAN, BUR or LAX to SFO or SJC almost every week to visit my girlfriend, and UA's frequency beats the pants off of AA/AS. However, no one offers a 730pm flight-its either 7pm or after 8, so frequency isn't helping me here. I would park any miles above 100K into BD, plus any shorthaul paid F runs like SAN-SFO and OAK-PDX.
2) Earn EXP on AA, where CS is better and I'm happy so far as Plat. Purchase enough QUPs on UA and US to maintain BD *G, or throw in some intra-EU C flying. OW seems weaker than *A, and having BD to park *A miles into seems like a big plus, especially for non-ex-LHR intra-EU flying, which is one of the main weaknesses of OW.
3) If my flying drops off dramatically, or I start only flying C and F internationally, earn and then maintain BD *G. Purchase an E+ pass on UA (thus becoming one of those people that I am currently competing with for E+), but the money saved from RCC essentially buys the E+ Pass. I would fly more on VX also. BD Gold can be renewed for as little as one weekend a year with a little planning ahead.
I'm extremely torn, as UA is familiar, but AA seems like a better airline and program at the moment. Both seem viable. To the non-FTer, this has got to be one of the more ridiculous reasons to lose sleep, but I've spent several sleepless nights the last few weeks considering this. I think in the next few weeks something will emerge as the better of the two.
I have two thoughts for next year:
1) I can stay with UA because of the familiarity. I have to commute SAN, BUR or LAX to SFO or SJC almost every week to visit my girlfriend, and UA's frequency beats the pants off of AA/AS. However, no one offers a 730pm flight-its either 7pm or after 8, so frequency isn't helping me here. I would park any miles above 100K into BD, plus any shorthaul paid F runs like SAN-SFO and OAK-PDX.
2) Earn EXP on AA, where CS is better and I'm happy so far as Plat. Purchase enough QUPs on UA and US to maintain BD *G, or throw in some intra-EU C flying. OW seems weaker than *A, and having BD to park *A miles into seems like a big plus, especially for non-ex-LHR intra-EU flying, which is one of the main weaknesses of OW.
3) If my flying drops off dramatically, or I start only flying C and F internationally, earn and then maintain BD *G. Purchase an E+ pass on UA (thus becoming one of those people that I am currently competing with for E+), but the money saved from RCC essentially buys the E+ Pass. I would fly more on VX also. BD Gold can be renewed for as little as one weekend a year with a little planning ahead.
I'm extremely torn, as UA is familiar, but AA seems like a better airline and program at the moment. Both seem viable. To the non-FTer, this has got to be one of the more ridiculous reasons to lose sleep, but I've spent several sleepless nights the last few weeks considering this. I think in the next few weeks something will emerge as the better of the two.
Last edited by cstead; Sep 20, 2007 at 12:31 am
Sep 19, 2007 | 11:53 pm
#20
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 210
Sq
I was in the same boat at the OP. Also, like the immediately preceeding poster, I was dissatisfied with UA, particularly the poor state of my hometown LAX RCC.
It came down to switching to either Thai or Singapore, and I decided to go with Singapore, where I now accrue most of my miles. I still fly UA in the US and don't necessarily obtain an upgrade, but I don't care. I'm far more interested in using miles to upgrade when flying over the oceans, which the *A program should let me use my Singapore miles for.
It came down to switching to either Thai or Singapore, and I decided to go with Singapore, where I now accrue most of my miles. I still fly UA in the US and don't necessarily obtain an upgrade, but I don't care. I'm far more interested in using miles to upgrade when flying over the oceans, which the *A program should let me use my Singapore miles for.
Sep 20, 2007 | 6:54 am
#21
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: UA
Posts: 216
That is correct - any *G members can use any *A lounges worldwide. The only exception is for US-based *G's, who can not access UA and US lounges, but can access lounges of other member airlines. I believe this is because UA and US are the only airlines that require a seperate lounge membership - all others are complimentary when you are *G. When I was in based in Canada, and was a *G through Aeroplan, I used the UA and US lounges several times for US domestic and US - Canada flights.
Any benefit of having UK versus US address with UA?
Sep 20, 2007 | 8:13 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: 99654
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,450
Sep 28, 2007 | 7:27 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 8
Thanks for the tips, everyone. What I'm going to do is fly the rest of this year with UA, so that I have enough miles for a trip from Australia to Hawaii collected there. Starting January I'll collect miles with TG. BD was tempting because of the small number of miles required for status elevation, but the possibility to get upgrades on other airlines is more attractive to me, which TG offers, at least for some airlines.
