What should I get? AA Elite or OnePass Elite?

[Ariel]

Hello!
Here i'm posting something to hear your opinions.
I use to travel by work from EZE (Buenos Aires, Argentina) to different cities, most of them in Central America and the Caribbean.

That flights mean about 50.000 to 80.000 miles a year. Last year, we did about 100.000 each.

The question is WHAT AIRLINE I should prefer?
My work mates prefer to travel trough AA, because thier coach is good enough, but I preferef to flight by CO partner COPA.
Flights are in some 737-700 brand new (they were changing their planes during these last years). Is small plane, OK, but since the time I got my Silver status (I'm Platinum now) I did only one segmernt in coach, all the other flights were in Bussiness (Clase Ejecutiva). I agree that a Bussiness class in a 737 is far from the service in AA Bussiness, but the point is I ALWAYS TRAVEL IN BUSSINESS, they (with similar mileage like me) only a few times.
I ALWAYS have a V.I.P. lounge. They only in some places.
Finally, COPA has a connection schema that leaves you at your final destination at night (leaving from EZE at noon) so you can go the hotel, have some rest, and be ready to go to the company early in the morning next day. With AA they arrive to MIA at 5:00 am, and after two or three hours they have the connection flight, so they are arriving to the company they are visiting just from the plane, w/o a real rest.
Well, that's all. I would like to hear your opinion about what would be the best choice.
Thank you all!

[NWgoldelite]

Well, from the way you describe it, it sounds that COPA fits your agenda better. It also sounds like you would rather fly COPA. I was a gold elite on AA for 2 years and i didn't like. The benefits, even for the highest level (Executive Platinum), aren't that great. Since i've joined NW (Almost exact same elite as CO) i've really enjoyed the benefits much better. I say stay with COPA

[dalbert]

From my standpoint, it would seem that you should stay with COPA airlines since you prefer their schedule and their affinity program. I have not and will probably never make elite status with any airline; because I fly different airlines depending on the deal my company has that week. I can sympathize with the problem of arriving early in the morning and then having to fly more to finally reach your destination and feeling very tired when it is time to go to work. So, stay with COPA if for no other reason it best fits your needs.

[JAXpax]

While AA has a great program, looks like CO is best for you.

[Decibel]

Originally Posted by JAXpax

While AA has a great program, looks like CO is best for you.

Does it? I'm Silver on both COA and AAL, and from what I've seen COA is the way to go:

• COA will upgrade Elite PAX for free, AAL won't (as I was told by the last gate agent)
• First on COA seems to have better food than AAL. The service also seems better (though I've only flown first on both a couple times)

Unfortunately, the seat pitch in coach on COA is really small - small enough that anyone unlucky enough to sit in front of me loses about 1/2 their recline, because at that point my knees are embedded in the back of the seat. Of course this makes me really popular with that person, but there's nowhere for my knees to go. This means that (for me), coach on COA truely sucks. But generaly if I'm careful with my travel plans, I should be able to stick with aircraft that are more likely to have room for me to get upgraded.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Ariel

Hello!
Here i'm posting something to hear your opinions.
I use to travel by work from EZE (Buenos Aires, Argentina) to different cities, most of them in Central America and the Caribbean.

That flights mean about 50.000 to 80.000 miles a year. Last year, we did about 100.000 each.

The question is WHAT AIRLINE I should prefer?
My work mates prefer to travel trough AA, because thier coach is good enough, but I preferef to flight by CO partner COPA.
Flights are in some 737-700 brand new (they were changing their planes during these last years). Is small plane, OK, but since the time I got my Silver status (I'm Platinum now) I did only one segmernt in coach, all the other flights were in Bussiness (Clase Ejecutiva). I agree that a Bussiness class in a 737 is far from the service in AA Bussiness, but the point is I ALWAYS TRAVEL IN BUSSINESS, they (with similar mileage like me) only a few times.
I ALWAYS have a V.I.P. lounge. They only in some places.
Finally, COPA has a connection schema that leaves you at your final destination at night (leaving from EZE at noon) so you can go the hotel, have some rest, and be ready to go to the company early in the morning next day. With AA they arrive to MIA at 5:00 am, and after two or three hours they have the connection flight, so they are arriving to the company they are visiting just from the plane, w/o a real rest.
Well, that's all. I would like to hear your opinion about what would be the best choice.
Thank you all!

Go with what makes you happiest! Personally I go for the elite program that gives me the most goodies! Does using your CO card give you bonus or double miles or more with Copa? Some cards do not give you bonus miles when you use their card on a partner airline.

I have had several gold cards and now I usually stick with NWA like one of the previous posters said. I get more freebies with NWA than I got with other airlines with the equivalent card.

I have a platinum card now, but with the gold card flying to Asia (NWA) I have gotten free upgrades often, once 5 out of 6 segments were free upgrades with NWA! For me 3 paid economy class trips to Asia gives me enough miles (with 125% bonus miles) to fly two more times for free! That's 5 trips for the price of 3! And the Platinum card gives me free VIP lounge use.