LAX to England - Delta or US Airways?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 4
LAX to England - Delta or US Airways?
I am heading to England, and I currently have the choice of flying between DL or US. I will probably be heading there twice a year in the future.
Currently I have 11k miles with DL, from a previous trip. If I take this trip with them, I will qualify for Medallion Silver status.
I have 7k miles with US, but I can get a flight for $200 less. If I take this trip with them, I will still be thousands away from qualifying for anything.
Any experiences with this dilemma for semi-frequent transatlantic flights? I am torn between the $200, or making my way to qualifying for Delta Medallion and possibly being more comfortable in a future flight.
Currently I have 11k miles with DL, from a previous trip. If I take this trip with them, I will qualify for Medallion Silver status.
I have 7k miles with US, but I can get a flight for $200 less. If I take this trip with them, I will still be thousands away from qualifying for anything.
Any experiences with this dilemma for semi-frequent transatlantic flights? I am torn between the $200, or making my way to qualifying for Delta Medallion and possibly being more comfortable in a future flight.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
If you fly LAX-LHR roundtrip twice in one year on US, but credit the miles to Aegean rather than to US, you will have Star Alliance Gold status after your second trip. This will at least get you lounge access (even on your domestic Coach flights on US, UA, or CO). Aegean credits 100% of US flown miles to Aegean's FFP, and 20,000 miles in one year gets you Star Gold. (Not sure if Star Gold gets you any preferred seating on US flights, however.)
If you fly LAX-LHR roundtrip twice in one year on US, but credit the miles to Aegean rather than to US, you will have Star Alliance Gold status after your second trip. This will at least get you lounge access (even on your domestic Coach flights on US, UA, or CO). Aegean credits 100% of US flown miles to Aegean's FFP, and 20,000 miles in one year gets you Star Gold. (Not sure if Star Gold gets you any preferred seating on US flights, however.)
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2004
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Posts: 14,497
You cannot buy MQMs - you can only earn them through flying or select credit card spend thresholds using an American Express.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 4
If it means calendar year as in Jan-Dec rather than 12 months since July ... I guess I'll not bother and just go with the cheapest for now, since it won't make a difference.
I've figured out (I think...) that if I'm doing this trip regularly, it's only a 1 trip difference in hitting a significant threshold for both DL/SkyTeam and US/Star Alliance.
I've figured out (I think...) that if I'm doing this trip regularly, it's only a 1 trip difference in hitting a significant threshold for both DL/SkyTeam and US/Star Alliance.
#9
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA, UA, Marriot
Posts: 2,196
you should also consider future trips. whilst DL and US might have the best pricing for this trip, that may not be the case in future. you don't say where in the UK/England you're going, but assuming it is London, then US might be the better FFP option as perhaps next time UA/CO or NZ might be more attractively priced for LAX-LHR and those flights would count towards US status.