Aug 14, 2019, 2:51 pm
Should I switch to UA from AA? What differences to expect?
May 30, 2018, 7:59 pm
#76
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,426
My next flight in early July is on Copa PDX-DEN-PTY-UIO. Now I just need to figure out how to reserve seats on Copa with UA ticket stock. I'm flying business. Oh and after my last trip I'm only 1,300 PQM from completing the status match. Probably should have tried for a 1K match...
May 30, 2018, 10:59 pm
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,592
I'm sort of half switching to AS because I'm flying at least once a month to PDX for the foreseeable future. I'm stuck with some time on UA because they're a preferred airline for work so they often come up cheapest, though not always. I managed to fly an LAX-BOS RT last week with UA out and AS back. The difference is pretty dramatic - I managed to get a premium seat on the AS flight (and had E+ out) so got whats left of the VX MCS service before they discontinue it. I also got upgraded both flights of LAX-PDX RT this weekend as an MVP. As a perpetual silver I have low expectations, and haven't ever really had bad experiences on UA so much as there's nothing exceptionally good most of the time either. Consistent E+ at T-24 is about as positive as it gets. The only place they really stand out is IRROPS, as long as you have any status at all. I fly Delta infrequently and my experiences with them are consistently bad - if you don't have status, IRROPS is about what I'd expect from the worst of the old NWA.
May 31, 2018, 8:28 am
#78
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: AS 75K, UA Plt
Posts: 226
I'm sort of half switching to AS because I'm flying at least once a month to PDX for the foreseeable future. I'm stuck with some time on UA because they're a preferred airline for work so they often come up cheapest, though not always. I managed to fly an LAX-BOS RT last week with UA out and AS back. The difference is pretty dramatic - I managed to get a premium seat on the AS flight (and had E+ out) so got whats left of the VX MCS service before they discontinue it. I also got upgraded both flights of LAX-PDX RT this weekend as an MVP. As a perpetual silver I have low expectations, and haven't ever really had bad experiences on UA so much as there's nothing exceptionally good most of the time either. Consistent E+ at T-24 is about as positive as it gets. The only place they really stand out is IRROPS, as long as you have any status at all. I fly Delta infrequently and my experiences with them are consistently bad - if you don't have status, IRROPS is about what I'd expect from the worst of the old NWA.
Jun 27, 2018, 11:19 am
#79
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New to DEN
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 46
I would like to stick with AA but now living near DEN, I feel compelled to switch to UA for more direct flights. Any one have success with US matching their million miler amounts?
As AA EXP, I get upgraded 90+% of the time. It sounds like 1K doesn't. True?
As AA EXP, I get upgraded 90+% of the time. It sounds like 1K doesn't. True?
Jun 27, 2018, 11:31 am
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,393
*I've done 3 segments in 3 years in UA Y: missed an RPU, flew an E45, and declined a GUM-TKK upgrade to keep the window. Also, if I expect to be in Y (for shorter trips on the West Coast), I'll fly WN instead.
Jun 27, 2018, 12:04 pm
#82
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
I fly a decent amount with UA and am consistently pleased with the onetime performance of the airline (have had a couple of hiccups out of SFO and ORD but that's part for the course). I find that when IRROPs do happen they treat their VIPs well - as a lowly UA Gold when a flight I was on went MX, UA put me up in a hotel gave me around $80 USD in meal vouchers, rebooked me on the J flight I want (I was upgraded to from Y using the CPU lottery) and covered all ground transportation costs. I doubt AA would treat their Gold or mid-tier Platinum members as good as that.
Do I have gripes with UA? You bet! For one thing their domestic lounges don't have showers, something that AA and DL seem to be adding to their lounges. Their food spread in the lounges also ins't that great albeit at least you don't have to pay for food as in AA. As others have pointed upgrades on UA are going the way of the dodo bird. As a lowly Gold I've only received 2 CPUs so far (ORD -> YYZ and BQN -> EWR) out of around 15 UA flights that qualified for upgrades. Also we've heard reports of people who hit Platinum/1K not being able to have their upgrades clear using certificates (i.e. SWUs, called GPUs in UA speak) due to full J cabins and/or the countless ToD offers non-elites get. One other benefit to UA is sometimes you get decent buy up offers (i.e. I recently received a $1024 USD offer to upgrade EWR to NRT from Y to J which would also include bonus mileage - I declined cause I'm a cheapskate).
To summarize : AA is likely the better option if you prefer upgrades over direct flights and on-time performance. UA is better if you want to attain status on another alliance and find the perks tied to Premier Plat/1K compelling enough to forgo certainty in upgrades.
Safe Travels,
James
Jun 27, 2018, 1:12 pm
#83
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: New to DEN
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 46
There's an argument to be made that now is the perfect time to gain status and earn lifetime miles with UA since you have nothing to lose with AA (i.e. you'll still have VIP status with the airline). I'd try getting UA to status match you which based on the AA level you have you'll at least get Premier Platinum off the bat which entitles you to play the upgrade lottery, lounge access (when travelling outside the 50 states), Economy+ seating and complimentary Marriott/SPG Gold (if you don't have that already) via the RewardsPlus program. You'll also get many of these priority benefits when travelling on *A partner airlines like Air Canada, Lufthansa and ANA. Once you hit 1K, you get a free snack & beverage for every UA flight you take which when combined with exit row seating in Economy+ can very closely mimic a domestic F experience. To keep Platinum you then need to rack up 18,000 PQM which I suspect you'll pull off in a month
I fly a decent amount with UA and am consistently pleased with the onetime performance of the airline (have had a couple of hiccups out of SFO and ORD but that's part for the course). I find that when IRROPs do happen they treat their VIPs well - as a lowly UA Gold when a flight I was on went MX, UA put me up in a hotel gave me around $80 USD in meal vouchers, rebooked me on the J flight I want (I was upgraded to from Y using the CPU lottery) and covered all ground transportation costs. I doubt AA would treat their Gold or mid-tier Platinum members as good as that.
Do I have gripes with UA? You bet! For one thing their domestic lounges don't have showers, something that AA and DL seem to be adding to their lounges. Their food spread in the lounges also ins't that great albeit at least you don't have to pay for food as in AA. As others have pointed upgrades on UA are going the way of the dodo bird. As a lowly Gold I've only received 2 CPUs so far (ORD -> YYZ and BQN -> EWR) out of around 15 UA flights that qualified for upgrades. Also we've heard reports of people who hit Platinum/1K not being able to have their upgrades clear using certificates (i.e. SWUs, called GPUs in UA speak) due to full J cabins and/or the countless ToD offers non-elites get. One other benefit to UA is sometimes you get decent buy up offers (i.e. I recently received a $1024 USD offer to upgrade EWR to NRT from Y to J which would also include bonus mileage - I declined cause I'm a cheapskate).
To summarize : AA is likely the better option if you prefer upgrades over direct flights and on-time performance. UA is better if you want to attain status on another alliance and find the perks tied to Premier Plat/1K compelling enough to forgo certainty in upgrades.
Safe Travels,
James
I fly a decent amount with UA and am consistently pleased with the onetime performance of the airline (have had a couple of hiccups out of SFO and ORD but that's part for the course). I find that when IRROPs do happen they treat their VIPs well - as a lowly UA Gold when a flight I was on went MX, UA put me up in a hotel gave me around $80 USD in meal vouchers, rebooked me on the J flight I want (I was upgraded to from Y using the CPU lottery) and covered all ground transportation costs. I doubt AA would treat their Gold or mid-tier Platinum members as good as that.
Do I have gripes with UA? You bet! For one thing their domestic lounges don't have showers, something that AA and DL seem to be adding to their lounges. Their food spread in the lounges also ins't that great albeit at least you don't have to pay for food as in AA. As others have pointed upgrades on UA are going the way of the dodo bird. As a lowly Gold I've only received 2 CPUs so far (ORD -> YYZ and BQN -> EWR) out of around 15 UA flights that qualified for upgrades. Also we've heard reports of people who hit Platinum/1K not being able to have their upgrades clear using certificates (i.e. SWUs, called GPUs in UA speak) due to full J cabins and/or the countless ToD offers non-elites get. One other benefit to UA is sometimes you get decent buy up offers (i.e. I recently received a $1024 USD offer to upgrade EWR to NRT from Y to J which would also include bonus mileage - I declined cause I'm a cheapskate).
To summarize : AA is likely the better option if you prefer upgrades over direct flights and on-time performance. UA is better if you want to attain status on another alliance and find the perks tied to Premier Plat/1K compelling enough to forgo certainty in upgrades.
Safe Travels,
James
I have never heard of such a thing.
It really, really depends on your travel patterns. I happen to be a "mythical" 1K with a 100% CPU percentage*, but that's because I have an excellent knowledge of upgrade odds and I don't tend to cut it close. So yes, I get upgraded "always", but I also buy F much more than half the time. If you're going to be flying DEN to another UA hub during peak times, you can count on missing the upgrade as a 1K. I don't really know how that compares to AA EXP.
*I've done 3 segments in 3 years in UA Y: missed an RPU, flew an E45, and declined a GUM-TKK upgrade to keep the window. Also, if I expect to be in Y (for shorter trips on the West Coast), I'll fly WN instead.
It really, really depends on your travel patterns. I happen to be a "mythical" 1K with a 100% CPU percentage*, but that's because I have an excellent knowledge of upgrade odds and I don't tend to cut it close. So yes, I get upgraded "always", but I also buy F much more than half the time. If you're going to be flying DEN to another UA hub during peak times, you can count on missing the upgrade as a 1K. I don't really know how that compares to AA EXP.
*I've done 3 segments in 3 years in UA Y: missed an RPU, flew an E45, and declined a GUM-TKK upgrade to keep the window. Also, if I expect to be in Y (for shorter trips on the West Coast), I'll fly WN instead.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 27, 2018 at 3:00 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Jun 27, 2018, 3:11 pm
#84
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,769
Based on the most recent BTS report (April 2018 -- issued June 2018), Mainline AA's 12 month trailing on-time arrival is 80.9% and UA's is 83.2%. AA has consistent been behind UA and sometimes behind WN (78.7%). HA (88.5%), DL (86.4%) and AS (84.7%) have been the leaders. Individual airports and routes may vary.
Jun 27, 2018, 4:43 pm
#85
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,426
While not disagreeing with the first part, I think the on-time data disagrees with the second part.
Based on the most recent BTS report (April 2018 -- issued June 2018), Mainline AA's 12 month trailing on-time arrival is 80.9% and UA's is 83.2%. AA has consistent been behind UA and sometimes behind WN (78.7%). HA (88.5%), DL (86.4%) and AS (84.7%) have been the leaders. Individual airports and routes may vary.
Based on the most recent BTS report (April 2018 -- issued June 2018), Mainline AA's 12 month trailing on-time arrival is 80.9% and UA's is 83.2%. AA has consistent been behind UA and sometimes behind WN (78.7%). HA (88.5%), DL (86.4%) and AS (84.7%) have been the leaders. Individual airports and routes may vary.
Nov 11, 2018, 6:36 pm
#86
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 901
Leaving AA for United, crazy?
Will be EXP with AA but I’ve really soured to AA lately. Too many mechanical issues, poor customer service, and they’ve messed with the times of the ideal routes I take too much. Maybe United will be no different but I feel I may need to try.
I fly SBA to SLC about 40 times per year. I have liked AAs schedule until now and had found far fewer delays due to weather using that routing. Unfortunately mechanical delays have got in the way lately. When I compare pricing, United seems it would save me some bucks. My problem is having top tier status on any airline is hard to just throw away.
Ive got a few questions for now:
1. I did some kind of promo status challenge few years ago before deciding to go with AA. Would United do a status match for me? Or a challenge at least? I was thinking summer or early fall, would this timing potentially get me status through 2020? Could I match to 1K?
2. For maintaining status I’ve got a PQD question. I do have the United Club Card. I understand there is a PQD waiver with $25k spend. What status level does that work for? If not the higher levels, does it credit a certain PQD amount towards the higher levels(like AAs Silver Aviator Card does)?
thanks in advance
I fly SBA to SLC about 40 times per year. I have liked AAs schedule until now and had found far fewer delays due to weather using that routing. Unfortunately mechanical delays have got in the way lately. When I compare pricing, United seems it would save me some bucks. My problem is having top tier status on any airline is hard to just throw away.
Ive got a few questions for now:
1. I did some kind of promo status challenge few years ago before deciding to go with AA. Would United do a status match for me? Or a challenge at least? I was thinking summer or early fall, would this timing potentially get me status through 2020? Could I match to 1K?
2. For maintaining status I’ve got a PQD question. I do have the United Club Card. I understand there is a PQD waiver with $25k spend. What status level does that work for? If not the higher levels, does it credit a certain PQD amount towards the higher levels(like AAs Silver Aviator Card does)?
thanks in advance
Nov 11, 2018, 6:44 pm
#87
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,418
I don't think it's crazy at all to leave AA for UA. AA is clearly leading the charge to the bottom right now, in pretty much every respect.
Yes, there's a status match/challenge. You get status for 90 days during which you have to meet the challenge requirements. The challenge to 1K exists, but it is not published, so discretionary whether UA offers it or not.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ssion-etc.html
Platinum. For 1K, you need to meet the PQD requirement.
Yes, there's a status match/challenge. You get status for 90 days during which you have to meet the challenge requirements. The challenge to 1K exists, but it is not published, so discretionary whether UA offers it or not.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ssion-etc.html
Nov 11, 2018, 8:49 pm
#90
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Portland OR
Programs: United 1K 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 560
I switched AA to UA (from AA Plat) 15 years ago for exactly the reasons you’ve indicated. At the time UA has the best route coverage for me ex-PDX so that’s who I went to. I didn’t bother with a status match, but my flying increased significantly and I had PremExec quickly and 1K by end October.
And UA has improved significantly in the last 2 years. Their operational performance is close to DL and on some metrics neck and neck. While I don’t think they’ll overtake DL (DL is also improving) I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with UA.
And UA has improved significantly in the last 2 years. Their operational performance is close to DL and on some metrics neck and neck. While I don’t think they’ll overtake DL (DL is also improving) I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with UA.