• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  American Airlines • Status Match • United Airlines  >  American Airlines Here I Come!
American AirlinesStatus MatchUnited Airlines

American Airlines Here I Come!

Matthew Klint Posted onMay 16, 2012December 9, 2016 19 Comments

I consider myself a savvy traveler and have turned much of the lemons created by United Airlines’ 03 March system integration debacle with Continental Airlines into lemonade. I’ve run into a fair number of problems and a great deal of frustration, but my record is good–I cannot recall the last time I’ve been stuck behind the curtain on a flight against my will.

Still, things are not working as they should on United and there are many policies and practices I find downright aggravating:

  • Prioritizing transactional loyalty over long-term loyalty, particularly regarding domestic upgrades
  • Ex-Continental pilots and flight attendants continuing to say flights are operated by “Continental” crews (a longer rant on this is coming in a future post)
  • Inefficient and unmotivated reservation agents, typically Ex-Cons, who are argumentative and inept

In came American Airlines, who offered gimmick-free status matches to UA elites in order to steal away business. I took advantage of the match and after waiting 12 days, was finally matched to Executive Platinum Status.

american-airlines-executive-platinum-status-01

With Executive Platinum status comes a number of nice perks including:

  • Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades
  • 100% Award Mileage Bonus
  • Complimentary access to exclusive Preferred Plus Seats and Preferred Seats
  • Preferred seating on Alaska Airlines
  • Guaranteed Economy Class Availability
  • Waived Ticketing Service Charge
  • FlagshipSM Check-In at London Heathrow
  • Waived AAdvantage Award Change and Reinstatement Charges

That was all fine, but AA sweetened the deal even more for some of those who were matched to top-tier status by throwing in eight systemwide upgrades (expiring in Feb 2013).

 american-airlines-executive-platinum-status-02

Unlike United SWUs, AA’s do not have any fare class restrictions, meaning I can buy a $700 fare to London and upgrade, whereas on United the cheapest fare might be $700 as well, but the cheapest upgradeable fare would be closer to $1200. That ultimately does not matter if I do not clear, but from what I have heard, Executive Platinum members have a pretty good upgrade track record on AA flights.

If you remember my comparison of first class dinners on US carriers, you will recall that American was not included. I have never flown in a premium cabin on American Airlines and have not flown American Airlines (other than American Eagle) since 2004. Therefore, I am quite looking forward to giving them a try.

My 1K re-qualification on United is already in the bag, so I am going to go out of my way to fly American when I resume my travel between Philadelphia and Los Angeles this fall. I will not re-qualify for ExPlat status, but if I like it, I may well pursue American next year.

United, you have been warned: I am not even overly disgruntled, but I am very open to switching allegiances if American can offer better service for a similar price. I’m not the most “valuable” United customer, but I have spend thousands of dollars on airfare this year and there are many in my boat. One vote changes nothing, but many votes bring about change, and many long-time frequent and valuable United flyers are giving the airline a vote of no confidence.

I look forward to the new adventure and also look forward to sharing my experience with you.

Previous Article Star Alliance Celebrates 15 Years
Next Article An Open Letter to Ex-Continental Flight Attendants and Pilots

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Color Blind Pilot Sues United Airlines For Firing Him

    March 20, 2023
  • United Airlines Japanese Meal

    Japanese Meal In United Airlines Business Class

    March 18, 2023
  • Catering Improvements Move Forward On United Airlines, Despite Quarterly Loss

    March 16, 2023

19 Comments

  1. Nick Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 3:08 am

    Welcome to the dAArkside

  2. Jimgotkp Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 3:31 am

    AA’s domestic F > UA’s domestic F…

  3. Brad Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 3:32 am

    Congrats Matthew. I’m not bold enough to jump yet for several reasons, but I’m interested to hear your experiences.

  4. Matthew Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 4:16 am

    @Brad: I doubt I would have taken advantage of this if I had I not already re-qualified for 1K status. I am disappointed, angry really, at so many of the CO folks, but I’ll get through it and I am not about to jump the Star Alliance ship.

    But if AA totally blows me away, I’ll finish up my last ~120K miles and hit MMer status on UA, then move on to MMer status on AA (much more difficult now, sadly, than it has been in the past).

  5. Gary Leff Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 9:57 am

    I made the jump over to the dAArkside. I’m loving it. (But with YCA government faces counting as full fare for upgrades, and with full fare now trumping status for complimentary upgrades and ‘paid for’ upgrades with miles or other instruments trumping free, a DC-based non-gov’t employee has a hard time with upgrades these days.) Even when my upgrades don’t clear, I’ve got an exit row seat with wifi and they comp a cocktail and buy on board snack. The lounges are nicer albeit with less free food. I like the inflight meals marginally better, there are more flights with actual food. And EXP is ACTUALLY top tier with AA, vs UA where top tier is GS…

  6. Andy Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    No question AA is way better. The food alone blows UA away. But I worry that it I jump ship, they’re just going to ditch all the good parts when they merge or come out of bankrupsy anyway.

  7. Michael Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    I still cannot figure out the “operated by a Continental crew/aircraft” announcements – what do they really think they get out of it? It’s like listening to a stubborn 2-year-old have a temper tantrum. (And this is coming from a former CO Plat.)

  8. Johnb300m Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 1:26 pm

    Matt good for you.
    I’ve never had an issue with AA, but chose UA back in 2005. They’ve been awesome. But it’s clear this org is NOT the dear friend I allied with so many years ago. Maybe things will get better when Smisek leaves and/or the CO staff that invaded 77 Whacker Drive turn over….

    I want to go to AA too. But from BDL-ORD (80% of my travel) AA is always 25% more expensive and it’s all Eagle flying.
    If AA ever brings mainline to Hartford, I’m gone.
    In the meantime, enjoy AA! Can’t wait to hear about it.

  9. Tim RC. Anderson Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    Matthew

    I hear ya. United has been a nightmare. But for me it is the attitude problem the entire airline and staff seem to have that is really pissing me off. They are arrogant, smug, lazy, rude and don’t seem to care or realize that their airline is fast becoming a third world carrier, and they offer nothing like European or Asian service levels.

    But 2 things stop me jumping to AA for now:

    • I fly to Sydney a lot. On AA I only earn .5 miles and status miles on a light of discounted coach tickets.
    • Can’t use AA SWU to upgrade Qantas flights to Sydney
    • Not sure if I can use AA miles to upgrade Qantas flights? (If I can – I’m sure it is WAY more than UA requires)
    • AA has terrible business class product. It’s angled, cramped, tiny, and terrile. I hate it. UA I own;t find nearly as tight, it is 100% flat and newer and looks and feels nicer. CO style BusinessFirst is even better.
    • AA won’t have new Biz Class for 2-3 more years.

    Maybe then I jump.

  10. robert Reply
    May 16, 2012 at 7:15 pm

    AA’s domestic first class consistently has more legroom than UA’s … the food seems to be similar but the legroom is consistently better …

  11. AS Reply
    May 17, 2012 at 5:38 am

    If you aren’t a top tier member, AA royally sucks. No more than 20% of your travel is in premium cabins unless you buy upgrade certificates. You’d do materially better as a mid-tier on DL or UA.

  12. Matthew Reply
    May 17, 2012 at 6:04 am

    @AS: I think this is an excellent point. With the old e500 “sticker” system on AA, being a mid-tier elite is not all that special. It is nice for the golds who don’t mind paying for the stickers, but truly the ExPlats have an added advantage over the others.

    I think one thing I am going to love about AA is the wi-fi. United really needs to work on that.

    @Robert: I’m looking forward to trying on of AA’s ghetto 757s!

    @Tim R.C. Anderson: All good points. You are making the right decision now, IMO.

    @Johnb300m: That’s really odd to me. Is AA consistently 25% more expensive? You just don’t see that too often anymore, at least on the routes I fly!

    @Michael: The jejune “This is a CO crew” announcements will be the subject of a post today!

    @Andy: That is a concern I have as well, which is why I have hedged my bets by already re-qualifying for 1K.

    @Gary: Sounds like the grass is greener on the other side. I look forward to AA–hopefully I won’t wind up behind the curtain, but if I do I’ll know I’ll be taken care of. Do you think there is any chance UA will start treating YCAs like AA does? As someone who used to fly on YCAs, I sure appreciated them, but I do consider them “unfair” to someone who pays a lot more for a regular M or B class ticket.

    @Brad: We’ll see how this experiment goes.

    @Jimgotkp: I look forward to testing your hypothesis!

    @Nick: Thanks!

  13. Bryan Reply
    May 17, 2012 at 9:06 am

    Sadly I must agree with that the odd announcements about the crew being CO are a bit on the childish side. I recently flew DFW-IAH-HNL-GUM-MNL due to a last minute business trip and the cheapness of the fare…yeah my company is cheap. On IAH-HNL-GUM every announcement was Continental this or that. They were even still using Continental pins on their uniforms, right next to the UA one’s of course. Agreed with Michael’s post above that its “like listening to a stubborn 2-year-old have a temper tantrum”. For an annual *G like myself it comes off as childish and unprofessional. Given the extremely shotty and poor service that they offer anyway I fail to understand what ground they think they have to stand on. I will be interested to read how the AA switch goes as I am DFW based.

  14. Johnb300m Reply
    May 17, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    @ Matthew:
    Yes, up until the past few months out of BDL, AA used to be much more expensive, with all Eagle flights.
    My routes are very ORD-centric, so UA used have that cornered.
    After march, AA, UA, even Southwest are all around the same price now. (I think it’s a BDL issue)
    With that difference, if I’m going to be gouged by everyone, I’d rather my money now go to AA with the whole UA mess.

  15. John777 Reply
    May 18, 2012 at 2:51 am

    @Gary — Do Gold and Plats on YCA fares trump ExPlats not on full fare, or do you mean they put them at front within their status?

  16. Matthew Reply
    May 18, 2012 at 5:23 am

    @John777: I’ll answer your question: on AA, my understanding is that YCAs do not get upgrades. Gary–please correct me if I am wrong.

  17. John777 Reply
    May 19, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    From Gary’s latest blog post it seems the government YCA fare situation is now the case at UA, not AA.

  18. Matthew Reply
    May 19, 2012 at 11:17 pm

    @John777: That is correct–AA does not treat YCAs as full fares, while UA does.

  19. Dimitri Reply
    April 5, 2013 at 6:57 pm

    Good luck, looking forward to your blog posts.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Avianca 787-8 Business Class Review
    Review: Avianca 787-8 Business Class March 20, 2023
  • Color Blind Pilot Sues United Airlines For Firing Him March 20, 2023
  • Ryanair Twitter
    Ryanair Savagely Trolls Passenger On Twitter March 20, 2023
  • hyatt all-inclusive hyatt zilara rose hall
    Hyatt Acquisition Provides Hints About All-Inclusive Future March 19, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • American Airlines unaccompanied Minor Predator
    American Airlines Flight Attendant Freaks Out After Man Offers His First Class Seat To Child February 25, 2023
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) February 21, 2023
  • Bankman-Fried Alaska Airlines
    Poor Sam Bankman-Fried “Downgrades” From American Airlines Business Class To Alaska Airlines First Class February 20, 2023
  • There’s A Pilot In My Seat! February 21, 2023

Archives

March 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Feb    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.