Switch to AA?
Dec 9, 2018 | 9:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 68
Switch to AA?
Im currently gold with United and might Hit platinum if I do one short mileage run. But i Just found out where I’ll be located next year and after some digging saw that AA offers better itineraries.
Should I make the switch and start over? I don’t think a status match challenge is worth the cost but if I do switch to aa, i would hit each level every 2 months.
Also making gold was a huge deal for me since I wouldn’t have to worry about room on the overhead.
I also noticed that AA doesn’t offer hot food for purchase , don’t know if this makes a difference since I am tired of the burger and pizza but it is always nice to have! I don’t know much else about AA to know if it’s worth the switch.
Seeking advisement from the experts !
Should I make the switch and start over? I don’t think a status match challenge is worth the cost but if I do switch to aa, i would hit each level every 2 months.
Also making gold was a huge deal for me since I wouldn’t have to worry about room on the overhead.
I also noticed that AA doesn’t offer hot food for purchase , don’t know if this makes a difference since I am tired of the burger and pizza but it is always nice to have! I don’t know much else about AA to know if it’s worth the switch.
Seeking advisement from the experts !
Dec 9, 2018 | 9:43 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: WAS-ish
Programs: UA 1K-MM + UC, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,343
Not an expert, but I'm a multi-year 1K and AA gave me a free (and unrequested) status challenge this fall, so I've just finished doing a few AA flights to secure Gold for next year.
I think United is a better airline right now -- DL is clearly the best, but UA seems to be ahead of AA right now. But AA seems to be less elite-heavy, which means as a lower-tier elite you do better. It seems to me that being Gold on AA is actually meaningful. I've been able to get great MCE seats every flight at T-24, and even got an op-up today. Whereas on United, anything short of Platinum is basically dirt, and even as a 1K there's a real sense of being a second-class citizen behind GS.
If you're hovering around the 50K/year level, then I think there's no clear objective winner. In your shoes I'd lean toward AA, but it probably comes down to which criteria mean more to you -- I could easily see two folks who care more about different things (e.g., upgrades vs. connection time) choosing differently.
I think United is a better airline right now -- DL is clearly the best, but UA seems to be ahead of AA right now. But AA seems to be less elite-heavy, which means as a lower-tier elite you do better. It seems to me that being Gold on AA is actually meaningful. I've been able to get great MCE seats every flight at T-24, and even got an op-up today. Whereas on United, anything short of Platinum is basically dirt, and even as a 1K there's a real sense of being a second-class citizen behind GS.
If you're hovering around the 50K/year level, then I think there's no clear objective winner. In your shoes I'd lean toward AA, but it probably comes down to which criteria mean more to you -- I could easily see two folks who care more about different things (e.g., upgrades vs. connection time) choosing differently.
Dec 9, 2018 | 10:04 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 2MM 1K
Posts: 16,586
Not sure why you can’t try an AA status match/challenge.
Dec 9, 2018 | 10:16 pm
#4
Flyertalk Evangelist, Moderator: United Airlines MileagePlus
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, UA Nostalgist, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 16,127
I feel like the one thing that matters is how much better are these AA itineraries?
Dec 9, 2018 | 10:38 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP; UA 1MM & PP; Marriott AMB; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 62,274
Even Lucky is dumping AA. How I Almost Missed My Flight to Tahiti Thanks American Airlines
Dec 9, 2018 | 10:46 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NBO/ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 188
Consistency is an underrated aspect of UA IMO. You might hate the slimlines but at least you know what you are going to get. Always (almost always?) power, PDE. AA still has a ton of HP/US birds flying around with who knows what. That would drive me nuts.
Dec 10, 2018 | 9:02 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,529
I think it all depends on where you're moving from and to.
I wouldn't want to be an AA mid-tier elite in DFW, CLT, or PHX, nor a UA mid-tier elite in EWR, IAD, DEN, or SFO (where even 1Ks are sitting in middles).
Many have opined being a mid-tier elite in a non-hub city is always helpful, so being a UA Platinum where AA is huge (PHL is a good example) is nice.
I wouldn't want to be an AA mid-tier elite in DFW, CLT, or PHX, nor a UA mid-tier elite in EWR, IAD, DEN, or SFO (where even 1Ks are sitting in middles).
Many have opined being a mid-tier elite in a non-hub city is always helpful, so being a UA Platinum where AA is huge (PHL is a good example) is nice.
Dec 10, 2018 | 2:06 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
AA is in the project of making their 738's more like the 737 MAX (aka Project Oasis), so expect that you'll see more of those over time as the S80s disappear. I end up on more 738s on AA than I do any of the Airbus planes. And with the Airbus triplets, you can get a pmUS config that doesn't have power.
I'd check the itineraries and see how much better they are, but also the frequencies. At least for my travel patterns, AA's gotten progressively worse over the last few years with 3 segment itineraries becoming more common going to the smaller (i.e. BWI-SMF used to have a ton of options for connections in CLT, ORD, DFW, or PHX. Now I'm seeing more hub-to-hub segments put in between which is annoying). The other thing I've noticed is that connections are either tight or really long due to flight banking. I'm often offered either < 45 minute connections or > 2.5 hour connections. Given AA's less than stellar reliability as of late, I've been opting for the longer connections.
In the end, it's a crapshoot on what you're going to get. I'm not sure that AA treats their < 75k elites any better than UA does, and anything you see DL or UA do first will come to AA as well. I'd suggest going with the flights and schedules that work best for you. If that's on AA, go for it. If UA can still work, stay there.
I'd check the itineraries and see how much better they are, but also the frequencies. At least for my travel patterns, AA's gotten progressively worse over the last few years with 3 segment itineraries becoming more common going to the smaller (i.e. BWI-SMF used to have a ton of options for connections in CLT, ORD, DFW, or PHX. Now I'm seeing more hub-to-hub segments put in between which is annoying). The other thing I've noticed is that connections are either tight or really long due to flight banking. I'm often offered either < 45 minute connections or > 2.5 hour connections. Given AA's less than stellar reliability as of late, I've been opting for the longer connections.
In the end, it's a crapshoot on what you're going to get. I'm not sure that AA treats their < 75k elites any better than UA does, and anything you see DL or UA do first will come to AA as well. I'd suggest going with the flights and schedules that work best for you. If that's on AA, go for it. If UA can still work, stay there.