Congrats to the OP on the very quick status match. Sweet!
It is a very good point regarding one time only matchexs - absolutely. I would not do it to save a few bag fees.. at some point in the future it may really come in handy in a different situation (of course assuming UA still offer it). Of course that's an invidual situation and choice.
Regarding SQ/* and QR/OW treatment comments earlier.
Abbsolutely. SQ have followed a very similar path since the 90's with regards to partners and QR is doing a bit of the same IMO. Basically it's not a case of equals.. They see themselves (and in the case of QR and SQ it could be argued to be true) as "better" than their other partners and basically the lliances are for THEIR benefit not the other way around.. so they provide the *bare* of *bare* minimum to qualify as members, but it's all about the feed into them and revenue. They know that, most likely, they can do OK without the alliancess - back in the day SQ had a group of partners that were basically related to feed - IIRC it was like DL/AN/NZ and a couple of others, and they treated their partners like rubbish.. eg as an AN member one could not get FF points for even full Y when flying SQ. They tried that trick when they joined Star in the late 90's(NZ and AN dragged them in and they dumped DL) and Star mandated that they give more recipricol rights but they never wanted ot.(this is very clear).. hence the shoddy lounge in SIN for non SQ *G and I read the other day in HND SQ do not provide fast track security access for *G either.. I mean it's pretty poor at some ports. SQ, and QR, have always been far more concerned about their premium cabinsand they place a high value on maintaining that experience to those that have actually paid for it (for examp-le, SQ's TPR in SIN is only open to those flying SQ F/Suites... *G or others flying partner F out of SIN use the SQ F lounge just outside of there. QR is the same with respect of their F lounge in DOH.. so a OWE can use the QF F lounges and the CX F lounges, but not in DOH unless you're in QR F. Technically OK under the various agreements and alliance requirements but not entirely consistent or fair.
(BA CCR access is another example that comes to mind)
