Sally French

Okay, so gold status with American is pretty good. It gets you free upgrades when available, of course. Priority check-in, slightly better boarding if you care about that.

Okay, so gold status with American is pretty good. It gets you free upgrades when available, of course. Priority check-in, slightly better boarding if you care about that.

Okay, I'm rarely a checked bag person, but I know there are many people who are. And it's perks like that where the free checked bags really do add up. You look at American Airlines, checked bag fees for flights within the U.S. are $40 at the counter, $35 if you pay online in advance. So at least there is some money savings there.

Okay, I'm rarely a checked bag person, but I know there are many people who are. And it's perks like that where the free checked bags really do add up. You look at American Airlines, checked bag fees for flights within the U.S. are $40 at the counter, $35 if you pay online in advance. So at least there is some money savings there.

Okay, I'm rarely a checked bag person, but I know there are many people who are. And it's perks like that where the free checked bags really do add up. You look at American Airlines, checked bag fees for flights within the U.S. are $40 at the counter, $35 if you pay online in advance. So at least there is some money savings there.

Megan, the lowest of the low. Yeah, I know.

Megan, the lowest of the low. Yeah, I know.

Megan, the lowest of the low. Yeah, I know.

Totally, totally. The upgrades go first to the people with the highest amount of status. So even if you're gold, it's not guaranteed. You're an upgrade, especially if you have all the platinums, the executive platinums in front of you.

Totally, totally. The upgrades go first to the people with the highest amount of status. So even if you're gold, it's not guaranteed. You're an upgrade, especially if you have all the platinums, the executive platinums in front of you.

Totally, totally. The upgrades go first to the people with the highest amount of status. So even if you're gold, it's not guaranteed. You're an upgrade, especially if you have all the platinums, the executive platinums in front of you.

They can't even pass out the champagne because they're like, the flight is too short. We can't even do in-flight service. Yeah, exactly. Basically, the TLDR is if you have a lower status, like on American, that could be something like gold.

They can't even pass out the champagne because they're like, the flight is too short. We can't even do in-flight service. Yeah, exactly. Basically, the TLDR is if you have a lower status, like on American, that could be something like gold.

They can't even pass out the champagne because they're like, the flight is too short. We can't even do in-flight service. Yeah, exactly. Basically, the TLDR is if you have a lower status, like on American, that could be something like gold.

It does technically come with free upgrades, but since Platinum and above get the priority, just keep in mind, even upgrades are quite rare, even if you have that lower status here.

It does technically come with free upgrades, but since Platinum and above get the priority, just keep in mind, even upgrades are quite rare, even if you have that lower status here.

It does technically come with free upgrades, but since Platinum and above get the priority, just keep in mind, even upgrades are quite rare, even if you have that lower status here.

Right, I think you are proving my point, Megan. This is why I don't try that hard to even chase elite status anyway, because sometimes elite status gives you nice perks, early boarding, check bag fees, if you know that's something that you do is check bags. But the real perks like that first class upgrade are doled out to the people with the highest elite status levels first.

Right, I think you are proving my point, Megan. This is why I don't try that hard to even chase elite status anyway, because sometimes elite status gives you nice perks, early boarding, check bag fees, if you know that's something that you do is check bags. But the real perks like that first class upgrade are doled out to the people with the highest elite status levels first.

Right, I think you are proving my point, Megan. This is why I don't try that hard to even chase elite status anyway, because sometimes elite status gives you nice perks, early boarding, check bag fees, if you know that's something that you do is check bags. But the real perks like that first class upgrade are doled out to the people with the highest elite status levels first.