united 1k flyer

Which invite only status is better?I hear so much about GS but the benefits of CK seem way better than GS benefits.I mean GS doesn’t even get a United club membership.Maybe the soft benefits of GS are better? Feel free to share your experiences with either status or your opinions if you have never had either.

hirohito888

If lounges are important, then AA CK wins, they are allowed access to AA Flagship First lounge, while UA still requires GS to fly J to enter Polaris lounge. To which I don't mind to lessen the crowding. Although AA Flagship First lounges are also designed to handle crowds.

tryathlete

I think it really depends on where you fly and how well you match up to either network. With the wrong choice lounges won’t matter because there won’t be any.

iainmc

...there is the fact that American Airlines is, American Airlines...

(smaller sample set, but i've flown american 12-15 or so times and found it wanting)

mahasamatman

I think it's simple. If you fly United, GS is better. If you fly AA, CK is better.

Hipplewm

GS can basically earn unlimited GPU or now Plus Points, CK it is capped - if that is important
The only other GS benefit I would care about is the one about T class available auto open business class upgrade thingy - but only for personal travel as I have only flown with a co worker twice in 9 years

Repooc17

GS folks not getting a comp membership are not missing out much. With the exception of a few, UCs aren't exactly a perk to elevate one's GS experience.

fotographer

just wondering has either airline sent you an invite yet?

Kannai

Maybe that should be gifted GS but really if you have the spend to get into GS, you can afford an extra couple hundred bucks for the lounge, no?

travelinmanS

Do you think the majority of GS are flying using their own coin?

united 1k flyer

No they have not

fotographer

I think its better for you to wait and see which airline will approach you first.
CK is a somewhat very hard invite... you or the company that you work for needs to spend really big.. and I mean really big...
and that it not just for 1 year,
A while ago I was on $65K spend with AA , as a sole owner of my company, spending that much each year for almost 4 years... no invite.

Remember, its not something you can ask for... AA will ask you

FlyerTalker70

Could you comment on where you are flying from and what destinations you fly to. As others have pointed, UA and AA have quite a different network than each other and have a different geographic focus. There are benefits of being a top-tier elite in a non-hub market for the airline, namely that you are much more likely to get upgrades since there's less competition. On the other hand, the disadvantage is you have less options for rerouting, flight changes, etc when things go sideways which as a frequent flyer can and does happen more often than we like.

I think one thing that is missing from the discussion is what are the things that are most important to you from a passenger experience standpoint. Is having guaranteed access to quality lounges every time you fly important? What about making same day changes or upgrades? Each program has their own pluses and minuses when it comes to these and other factors and making a recommendation will also depend on how important these are to you.

Safe Travels,

James

boolean64

Three or four years ago i was both GS and CK due to a ton of international travel. As an SFO-based flyer ended up doing a fair number of south america trips transiting either IAH or DFW. I'll echo what fotographer said in that i felt CK was much more exclusive. Even in DFW there were max 3 or 4 of us boarding. GS, especially in SFO, feels like a pretty substantial program given not just the large number of people who earn it from their own travel but all the people who get it as part of corporate travel deals. As a result, always felt CK was a higher touch service. always had good ground handling with someone greeting me at connection point to take me to next flight or the lounge, good phone coverage, etc. And free lounge access was nice as something i'd never pay for but would use given it was free.

I also used some of my AA systemwides to upgrade from business to first as that is still a possibility on some routes. AA F is by no means a great F product but still materially better than Polaris.

That being said, the GS ability to open up upgrade or saver business space for companions is a valuable perk that i didn't use at the time, but would use now if i were GS as my spouse is in a spot where she could travel with me a bit.

Otherwise a wash. Pretty much always got upgraded on domestic flights, Irrops was handled well on both. the GS lobby at sfo is nice, but nowadays clear basically has the exact same line cutting capabilities.

Given travel patterns it would be a hard sell to go back to CK on AA. It really only made sense because i had to connect for international legs anyway. At the time i was also glad to diversify miles balances (took a very nice trip with the SO on two F tickets on JAL) but now regret not having those miles count towards getting to 3MM.

wanderingkev

I would not as there quite a few of one and done or intermittent GS er's, I believe it should be reinstated as a MM level benefit- maybe starting at LT 1k (3MM) level
I don't think that would over burden the system