AC AP vs UA MP
May 21, 2019, 7:18 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: BA Silver, SPG Gold, UA Platinum, AS MVP75K, Marriott Gold
Posts: 46
AC AP vs UA MP
Just wanted to get the pro’s thoughts here 😊. Please pardon my ignorance.
I generally take 1-2 long haul J flights on UA or *A a year (US/CAN to DEL) and 1-2 North American flights in J. Currently I’m accruing to UA and then do a quick mileage run on UA to hit the flight requirement(no spend cause of CAN address)
Is this the best approach to getting *A? Or should I look at accruing to AC? I feel like I won’t hit the spend amount.
Thanks in in advance for everyone’s comments.
I generally take 1-2 long haul J flights on UA or *A a year (US/CAN to DEL) and 1-2 North American flights in J. Currently I’m accruing to UA and then do a quick mileage run on UA to hit the flight requirement(no spend cause of CAN address)
Is this the best approach to getting *A? Or should I look at accruing to AC? I feel like I won’t hit the spend amount.
Thanks in in advance for everyone’s comments.
May 21, 2019, 8:17 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K MM, BA-S HH-D, MB-G LT Sil, IHG-Plt, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 3,801
May 21, 2019, 8:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CHI
Programs: UA 1K, MR Titanium, IHG Gold, National Exec
Posts: 3,841
AC is generally less generous than UA for COS AQM/PQM bonuses, so I'm not sure if 2 long-hauls and 2 NA flights in J would even get you to even 75K on AC, let alone SE. (~43.5k for 2x YYZ-DEL r/t in Z/P, ~13.5k for 2x YYZ-SFO r/t in Z/P... AQD should be fine for 75k, but that still leaves at least 15k of flying, and the cheapest fares don't earn 100% AQM)
I'm an AC flyer who credits to UA, and I actually fly about 50%-60% of my annual segments on AC on Latitude and Flex passes, but virtually all my AC flying is between YYZ/YOW/YUL/YHZ/NYC/BOS, so I get very little AQM accrual. So while I could be a marginal qualifier for SE, it's not really worth it for me, especially not with the perennially cheap UA flights to HNL, PHX, MEX, LIM, etc. ex-YYZ.
I'm an AC flyer who credits to UA, and I actually fly about 50%-60% of my annual segments on AC on Latitude and Flex passes, but virtually all my AC flying is between YYZ/YOW/YUL/YHZ/NYC/BOS, so I get very little AQM accrual. So while I could be a marginal qualifier for SE, it's not really worth it for me, especially not with the perennially cheap UA flights to HNL, PHX, MEX, LIM, etc. ex-YYZ.
May 21, 2019, 9:33 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,925
You’re flying 4 times per year. Twice overseas, twice within NA. All flights in J.
If I were you I wouldn’t even bother concerning myself with status. Sure, you might get a boost on your redeemable miles, but if you’re always flying paid J you pretty much get the status perks anyways.
I’d focus on getting the best bang for my J buck, regardless of airline.
Look at the status benefits of each airline and then figure out if there are any benefits you want/need that can’t be provided via paid J, and then figure out if the value of those benefits is worth higher fares (potentially, if dedicating to a single airline going forward) or the added cost of MR’s, etc.
If I were you I wouldn’t even bother concerning myself with status. Sure, you might get a boost on your redeemable miles, but if you’re always flying paid J you pretty much get the status perks anyways.
I’d focus on getting the best bang for my J buck, regardless of airline.
Look at the status benefits of each airline and then figure out if there are any benefits you want/need that can’t be provided via paid J, and then figure out if the value of those benefits is worth higher fares (potentially, if dedicating to a single airline going forward) or the added cost of MR’s, etc.
May 21, 2019, 10:12 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: YYG
Programs: airlines and hotels and rental cars - oh my!
Posts: 2,993
You’re flying 4 times per year. Twice overseas, twice within NA. All flights in J.
If I were you I wouldn’t even bother concerning myself with status. Sure, you might get a boost on your redeemable miles, but if you’re always flying paid J you pretty much get the status perks anyways.
I’d focus on getting the best bang for my J buck, regardless of airline.
Look at the status benefits of each airline and then figure out if there are any benefits you want/need that can’t be provided via paid J, and then figure out if the value of those benefits is worth higher fares (potentially, if dedicating to a single airline going forward) or the added cost of MR’s, etc.
If I were you I wouldn’t even bother concerning myself with status. Sure, you might get a boost on your redeemable miles, but if you’re always flying paid J you pretty much get the status perks anyways.
I’d focus on getting the best bang for my J buck, regardless of airline.
Look at the status benefits of each airline and then figure out if there are any benefits you want/need that can’t be provided via paid J, and then figure out if the value of those benefits is worth higher fares (potentially, if dedicating to a single airline going forward) or the added cost of MR’s, etc.