ito717

That's exactly what I did. The initial reply said I "may" be eligible for EXP match, and to send in specific documentation to include a scan of my 1K card and most recent account statement.

AA's second reply was, "Unfortunately, we aren't able to offer you a direct match to Executive Platinum status at this time. Instead, we are pleased to inform you about a special opportunity to achieve AAdvantage Platinum® status in a designated 3-month period by earning 10,000 elite-qualifying points on American Airlines ... The cost to register for this challenge varies from $180 to $240."

FriendlySkies

Try calling AAdvantage CS (1-800-882-8880) between 9:00am-5:30pm CST. They may be able to help you get the EXP challenge.

enviroian

My job scope is about to change with more travel to tx and the east coast. AA is my company's preferred airline. I contacted AA yes they have a status challenge available. I have a chase presidential plus card so basically I'm totally captive. If I leave smisek would it be that hard to do? Does chase offer a similar card with AA that has club access?

Baze

American Airlines partners with Citi Bank and yes, one of them does give Admirals Club access.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/ea...le=creditcards

You would probably do better going to the AA forum for questions pertaining to American Airlines.

bigwings8

GPUs on flights like SFO-FRA, SFO-LHR almost never clear (you see at most one successful upgrade on the list usually). I bought a B fare class as a 1K recently and almost didn't get that one last seat.

How does this compare to using a SWU on AA?

FriendlySkies

I've been successful with 100% of the SWUs I have used over the last few years. Before US came along, they usually cleared a month or two before the flight or C (Y>C SWU space) was usually available at booking. These days, they clear much closer in (last couple have been a week~ out), though the key is that they still clear (unlike my UA SWUs )

Have cleared DFK-HKG (our hardest route) and expect to clear again once I ticket my trip for next week.

Tchiowa

If you're going to use Flyertalk as you benchmark, then you have to accept that no one flies AA. Right now on FT there are 8 members on the AA forum and 14 guests. At the same time there are 39 members and 114 guests on the UA forum.

What does that mean? Nothing. Which is exactly what the thread that doesn't exist means. Read the posts on AA. They are trashing Dave as much as the UA FTers are trashing Jeff.

StingWest

I'm not sure about SFO->FRA, but I "almost" always can clear SFO->LHR with waitlisted SWUs or miles+$$ upgrades. What day of the week are you traveling typically?

SFO->LHR becomes tighter, upgrade-wise, in the winter when UA goes to one flight per day.

Also, AA doesn't fly this route non-stop - they use their partner BA.

Col Ronson

"Nobody flies AA" lmao that is the most pathetic thing i've ever read. The reason the UA thread on FT has more people is because there are more things to complain about for UA. See threads for airlines like CX, SQ, EK. Those aren't as active as UA either, i guess nobody flies those airlines either.

People may be thrashing doug, but at least AA still has many things UA does not. People might be upset with AA right now, but nobody wants to defect to UA because its much worse here. You still have UA crews referring to themselves in Contiental. Hell, the entire company is named United Continental. UA is stuck hanging onto the Continental "glory days." Noticed when Delta/NW merged its just Delta? AA/US is just American?

Also i find it too hilarious after 3 years of merger UA finally has posted profits while it took AA/US did it within their first year of merger.

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On a side note, the free snack/drinks for Executive Platnium members and international first class lounge access is the best thing ever. Does UA give its 1Ks free food in coach? nope. Not even global services lol, although i guess its rare to see a GS in coach. And well theres no star alliance benefit to access member first class lounges.

100% RDM bonus for Platniums on AA? Yes!
If you're a gold or platnium on UA, 50% or 75% have fun with that.

Admirals Clubs have more food offerings and are never as crowded as United Clubs, who love handing out access to basically anyone.

Gogo wifi > UA wifi (Hello yearly subscriptions)

8 SWUs for EXPs vs 6 "GPUs" for 1Ks? Also SWUs work on any fare class. on UA, you are paying for the upfare lottery.

AA New Business Product > UA "Businessfirst" All aisle access doesn't exist on UA unless you fly GF and that's only on a handful of pmUA planes. Eventually all AA business products (except for Flagship) will have aisle access.

AA Intl First > UA Intl First

AA Flagship > UA p.s. (you dont even get a first class option)

The list why AA > UA goes on and on. Sure UA has a stronger asian route network, but your flying experience will be better on CX or JL anyways than UA.

What do i miss about UA the most? the boarding process. That's pretty much it. Oh and the star alliance. ANA and SQ were quite nice, although SQ has been cutting back on perks for *G members anyways. UA might have more lie-flat seats at the moment, but when AA upgrades all their planes, they will negate UA's advantage and have newer and better lie flat seats that will be superior to what will then be 10+ year old seat designs.

Bonehead

It may be called "American", but if you spend time on the AA forum it seems that a lot of posters are thinking that the new airline will resemble US more than AA...

mre5765

Btw it is Doug not Dave, and most of the FTers who trash him are US elites.

Top five reasons why there are more FTers on the UA forum than the AA forum.

5. Most of the FTers on the UA forum are actually AA elites here to gloat.

4. The AA FTers spend all their miles on CX F awards and so there is nothing for AA FTers to discuss: no miles left to spend. Whereas the UA FTers spend all their time reading the United forum's tea leaves on when LH might release F award space.

3. The EXP FTers are all drunk and passed out drinking champagne and single malt in the oneworld F lounge.

2. The AA FTers spend more time in business class than UA FTers spend on flyertalk.com

1. The UA FTers were sitting on the tarmac for the past seven hours, posting their joy at being aboard one of the few planes with wifi.

Thanks. I am here all week. Try the crab.

I am not yet brave enough to try SWU roulette on AA. When I was looking for flights with upgrade space for a trip in March, I found plenty of such flights DFW/LHR. As my final destination was BLR, I instead easily found SWU-avle flights to Shanghai. While overall united.com is a better website than aa.com (actually, united.com is better than all other airline websites), aa.com has United beat when it comes to finding SWU-able segments. Bonus: you can apply an SWU before you pay for the flight and pay only when you clear (if you don't clear in 24 hours the held itin vanishes).

That I can always find SWU space to China, Japan, and LHR means that AA is superior to UA. And not having to coax a website into presenting the cheapest upgradeable fare is a god send. COS/DFW/Shanghai in business class for AI $1050. Incredible.

tom911

Right now AA has $712 fares SFO-Seoul. Even a better value for systemwide upgrades.

StingWest

You're right about some of the things you mention, however:

I was in an Admirals club at DFW twice in the last 2 weeks. The food offerings were minimal - equivalent to UA, in my opinion.

True only when comparing AAs new(ish) 77W. UA has 100% lie-flat internationally in business - AA has a way to go.

Not true on the 777s I was on last month to/from EZE. UA F seat is Much better than AA's. Food was great on AA. IME was a joke though.

What surprised me the most was the poor condition of the AA 767 I took from SFO to DFW.

Just 4 AA data points in January, but they put me off AA a bit.

mre5765

What is ironic that the exp coach snack is superior to the snacks served in F class.

I disagree on the boarding process. If one is an exp one has a superior upgrade rate. AA boards F ahead of elites. I detest that UA boards GS ahead of F.

AA has QR as a full partner. The gulf airlines have superior business class and they have inexpensive fares. Getting 1.5x EQPs for fares that are thousands of dollars less? Where do I sign?


But Shanghai is closer to HKG hence closer to BLR. Still something to think about in the future, leaving aside the small detail that AA's route from COS to SFO is through DFW.

bigwings8

Are you talking Y->C or C->F? I'm always going for the former. I flew SFO-LHR twice last year: once in Oct and once in Dec. Both times there was at most one upgrade granted with a ton of people left on the list. Hard to know who were the ones with GPUs and who were with miles since I hadn't made 1K yet.

I usually pick day of week that has the best BF seat availability if there aren't any other restrictions on my dates.

Except that AA doesn't fly SFO-LHR, the benefit to AA in general is that your SWU will clear much sooner (a week or more before the flight, rather than after the boarding door closes...).