I checked fares from BOS-NBO in J on AF/KL and LH and AF/KL generally seems to be cheaper to me. Don't understand comment about MQM's and MQD's?? Are you talking about redeemable miles (which are different)?? MQD's are earned based on distance flown on DL partners (like new UA program). MQM's earn on JV partners is generally reasonable (150% miles flown in J). Although AA is somewhat better (200%) for EQM's, they are worse for EQD's (25% miles). A roundtrip for BOS-NBO in J on partners would earn about 6K MQD's.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1a14a253b3.png

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7e0ae8afe4.png

I'm stuck in SA for longer than I hoped for.
I've been booking & cancelling award business one-way tickets JNB-NYC (83.5k miles for J) for the last week, and again am reminded just how benefitial the no charge to change/cancel award tickets on UA really is.
I have two award J tickets booked right now; one for Sat and one for Mon. I now hope to make the Monday one, and will be canceling the Sat one probably tomorrow.

1K, you are so tempting, I might reconsider abandoning UA in 2020....although I have to somehow justify an extra $6K yearly spend....

Need to be in SNA in two weeks, just booked AS F for $78 less than UA Y.

That incentive appears to have been short-lived. Delta’s status challenge page once again shows Silver for Silver and Gold for Gold.

DL status challenge page is down?

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...challenge.html

Where did you see UA Silver matching DL Silver?

Yeah, what is this?
Now that I am using "The Matrix" for every flight search, I find this all the time, i.e. F on another carrier cheaper than UA Y. It doesn't seem logical but must mean that UA has many city pair corporate contract monopolies, no?

Not down for me. Screenshot from a few minutes ago...

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...926d752d6d.png

Don't know the explanation, but this is why you don't encourage your good customers to look at the competing alternatives.

It's certainly working well for me. Flew DL F SEA-PHX on Monday for $239. Nice experience including shower in the SkyClub on arrival from NRT plus meal pre-select. Too bad DL has gone to 36" pitch in F on their 320s. It was noticeably tight.

after 2MM with United its goodbye. No being based in USA means you cannot realistically stay with the program.

And probably with a lower risk of delays. When a butterfly flaps its wings in China and SFO turns on flow control, the first thing to go is UA's RJ flights.

I'm in the same boat as you, I agree much harder for international members, but as a 2MMF there are some benefits so I will travel as I see fit and if I am on *A I will use my UA status, but my TPACs are now up for grabs between QF & UA

apologies for not knowing this-but do other airlines offer anything like the global systemwide upgrades(obv now changed) for their equivalent of 1k?

Yes upon reaching top tier
AA issues 4 SWU
DL issues 4 GUC (and other alternative choices)
AC issues eupgrades
LH issues 2 eVouchers upon reaching SEN
BA issues upgrade vouchers
etc.

Usually significantly fewer than UA though. As noted in the list above, AA and DL are effectively half as many, and almost no foreign carrier is even as generous as that.

I would say that AA/DL/UA are all the same in terms of quantity, since using UA 320 PlusPoints without fare restrictions equates to 4 one-way Y to J, equivalent to 4 AA SWU or DL GUC.

UA just offers more flexibility in its use, depending on what type of fares the flyer books, which is I suppose an added benefit (until they devalue PlusPoints).