Having flown both AA and UA, they both have their pros and cons. I do think AA airplanes are in need of a more thorough cleaning. However, I think AA staff and customer service has a higher average standard than UA. The pros and cons have been blathered on and on and on in many thread in both forums.
If you don't like "boarder line criminals," do indeed fly someone else.
Programs: BMI Gold, AA PLT 2MM, UA 1K, DL Silver, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,682
As both a Star and Oneworld guy, posts like this OP can be rather entertaining.
I have flown enough to see horendous service on both alliances and to know that isn't the norm. I have flown enough to know that while AA MD 80s are dirtier than the average UA plane, the F section is more comfortable than most UA aircraft. The F section is also one of the quietest rides in the sky and the snacks AA serves on long domestic flights are IMO higher quality than what UA serves on these. I know that AA is more likely to clear my upgrade (95% - AA top tier) than UA (70% - UA top tier) and that on both carriers the F cabin gets good service more often than not.
I much prefer a middle seat in the far back on UA to the same on AA but also know it to be very rare I would get stuck in either. (The last rows of coach on the MD 80 are indeed almost as bad as it gets when it comes to noise - just remember the other end of the plane is about as good as it gets for quiet.) I know if I want a free movie, the AA MD 80 will dissapoint but also know how irritating it is to see the same movie 8 times in a month flying UA (bringing your own laptop with movies is highly recommended - and AA even has power for your laptop in economy, UA does not).
Based on my handful of AC flights, I would say AC service is a little better than either AA or UA. However the average AC revenue per seat mile is also more and I like to keep my money. Also, for the person who flies a TON of USA/Canada on cheap fares, the AA and UA loyalty will put you in front for free far more often than AC. And for the 100K miles/year level flyer in search of consistent domestic upgrades from the lowest fare, AA wins hands down.
Does AA have some bad apples? You bet!
Welcome to the world of airlines!
It's a tough situation that they're placed in sometimes.
Clearly the folks sitting there were pigs. I don't blame the airline for that- pigs are pigs. Having had a number of delays because they're "cleaning the plan," I've found myself wondering if they really didn't need to clean so well. This is particularly true with a late inbound and a tight turn. They're not good at turns to begin with (I actually really like WN for this- very, very efficient).
So, would I want to take a delay so that the area can be cleaned more completely from the result of the pig passengers, or would I prefer to be closer to ontime, and deal with some mess? If I have a connection, I want to leave, If not, maybe 20 minutes are OK.
It does make the airline ook bad, but sometimes they're in a tough situation not of their making. It's easy to say "I want to be ontime AND I want the plane to be clean." But that combination is not always possible.
Cheers.
I agree with everything you've said. The caveat is the level of cleanliness expected. While I don't expect them to scrub shoe-sole scuffs off the walls, I do expect a basic level of cleanliness--a level that would spot and remove a massive amount of crumbs and goat-debris from seats and the floor--even on quick turns. This mess wasn't tucked away back in 23F. It was right there in front, in plain view of everyone.
Someone working that flight should have taken the initiative, and the 90 seconds, to give it a once over. It shouldn't fall on the pax in F to clean off their own seats before sitting.
Programs: F9 Ascent, UA, AA, AS, ICH PA, Hertz PC.....
Posts: 170
Last year (while actually still employed ) I made a number of DFW-PDX cycles. I usually flew F9, due to status there, and the fact that with AA being the only nonstop carrier between those 2 cities, they are always expensive.. I'm a true F9 fan... Anyway, occasionally the AA nonstop would drop to a reasonable cost and I'd take it.
The run uses an MD-80, which is most emphatically NOT my favorite airframe. The flight was usually reasonably on time, mostly clean and all in all, not memorable. Flight sked times were not really good, but not bad. The seats were OK, with reasonable pitch etc. MD-80 bins can be real small, and I have a lot I must take into the cabin, so that can be a challenge.
Given that F9 was usually clean, had new A320's with seat-back vid (comped due to status), and decent seat pitch I would still favor F9 whenever I could.
So, my impression as an occasional AA flyer with no status was...average. Better than my last UA flight in "steerage"
Programs: BMI Gold, AA PLT 2MM, UA 1K, DL Silver, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,682
Quote:
Originally Posted by technique
Meh... All domestic US airlines are basically the same... Only differences I see are some don't have seat assignments (Southwest) and others charge for standby (Delta)... But really, they are all hit and miss, none of them stand out above the rest...
There are many differences.
All have service issues.
WHERE these service flaws are and their frequency is not the same accross the board!
While the only differences you see are seat assigments and standby, anyone who frequents the NYC-SFO/LAX route will find that DL does not provide the same service as AA at all on those routes (in the front cabins). Those who want IFE flying ORD-SEA will find UA is a better option than AA. Those who want to plug in their laptop seated in coach domestically will find AA wins. If you want a free bite to eat flying coach domestically, CO wins hands down. If you want the lowest load factor (and thus the highest chance of empty seats) WN may be a good bet. If you want superior phone service (for non elites/everyone), WN wins. If you want no change fees, WN wins. If you want upgrades.....I could go on and on.
A million flown miles in only a few years tells me they are not all the same and different carriers stand out for different features and flaws. Perhaps you don't care, a view shared by the majority of the flying public (an attitude that helps airlines offer nothing).
Last edited by wanaflyforless; Jan 6, 09 at 11:45 am.
Programs: AC*E, UA Milage Plus, Delta Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 400
Quote:
Originally Posted by SAN-man
Given that UA has a DEN-DFW flight about 15 minutes before the last AA flight (not exactly possible to connect to in DIA, especially if you were too late to make the UA flight), and another UA flight to DFW about 2 hours after that, I'm surprised that UA would put the OP on AA. Sounds to me like both airlines were having a lot of troubles in DEN late at night. In the middle of winter. Go figure.
Sorry to hear of your troubles, OP. Could have been worse - they could have given you 32F.
Actually the first leg YEG-DEN was delayed due to a staffing issue (Sick staff member).. I couldn't get on DEN-DFW with UA because they were sold out.
There were no weather delays and the AA flight left on time on schedule.. I was just surprised how rude the staff were and how poor of condition the plane was in..
Programs: AA EXP / .5MM, UA 1P, MR PLT, HHonors Diamond, Avist First, Hertz #1 GLD
Posts: 685
Quote:
Originally Posted by slashd0t
I'm a die hard Star Alliance guy...
I've recently started a new position with a company which requires me to regularly travel to DFW.. I've been making this trip on United YEG-DEN-DFW, but, due to a missed connection, United purchased me a trip on American..
I won't elaborate too much on my experience, but, just wanted to say that, the grass is very much greener on our side of the fence.. The staff were the rudest I've ever experienced on an airline, and the aircraft (MD-80) was in embarrassing condition.
I honestly don't think I'll ever talk poorly about AC ever again.
American... If you're reading this, this was my first ever flight on your airline. I highly suggest you talk to your CSA's about acknowledging that people are actually standing in your lines and a simple "Can I help you" instead of "What's your last name, oh wait, I have to go to another gate" goes a long way!
I could not believe how many PAX on my flight were discussing the condition of this aircraft. First off, there was garbage in every seat pocket I could see. The floor appeared to have never been vacuumed. The staff looked absolutely exhausted and boarder line criminal..
Sorry for this rant, just wanted everyone to know how great AC/United is compared to my experience on AA
hmmm...you've just described the preponderance of my experiences on UA/US aircraft...
sorry for the rant, just wanted you to know how out-to-lunch i think you are on this
cheers!
__________________
- Even a broken clock is right twice a day -
Programs: AS MVP Gold (83K), AS BR [3 year renewal], Maika`i Card, CO
Posts: 11,065
AA Virgin
Quote:
Originally Posted by edwin_p_morales
Actually it would be sort of amusing to have consolidated "first impressions" thread for AA composed entirely of frequent fliers (ie who have some context) recounting their first ever experience with the airline. Some major breadth of opinion I suspect. And the best part would be that there'd just be one thread to contain all this vital breaking news.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brp
That would be amusing. We have two just yesterday, one loved, one hated (sort of Siskel-Ebert thing). Practically, it may not work since folkd from other boards might not know it was here to find...even the "I hate it" thread seems to have started elsewhere and been moved. But, I agree that it would be interesting to see all of the first time experiences in one place.
Cheers.
So I am an AS MVPG... Have been one for 3 years... flown many carriers including AS, NW, DL, CO, HA, HP, etc... but have never (that I can recall) flown AA...
I have scheduled in a week and a half a run from ANC-NYC... and it turns out adding on a couple AA legs sharply reduced the cost to under $500...
My AS routing is a little crazy ANC-PDX-SEA-ORD <snip>AA</snip> BOS-PDX-ANC... but get to sample AA's coach product from ORD-LGA and JFK-BOS (American Eagle)...
So I'll get to give my full fledged report soon... At least I'll be earning AS EQM's (if nothing else )
Having flown both AA and UA to ORD and AA a lot to DFW, AA edges out UA. It is usually coldly efficient while UA can range from OK to horrid. CO puts them both to shame.
Grass is greener at AA for me. Hence the allegiance to that airline on my part.
July 2008: AA flight STL-ORD with a connection from ORD to ALB is cancelled. AC calls me on the way to the airport (STL AC gets a huge thumbs up - they are fantastic) and informs me my flight's cancelled, but not to worry because I've been rebooked and to just go to the United check in desk upon arrival. Get to STL, go to United desk, attempt check in and they go 'we can't possibly accommodate you on this flight, you'll have to go back to the American check in'. Ooookay. Thankfully STL isn't too big, so I go back to American counter agent who types away, prints something out and tells me to give it to United ticket agent and if they have any trouble they should just call her and she'll set them straight. Back to United. United agent scowls when she sees me again and loudly informs me that SHE CANNOT ACCOMODATE ME ON THIS FLIGHT. I hand her printed information, she glares at it, glares at me, then gets on the phone and continues to glare at everything around her. Eventually hangs up, prints out a boarding pass, slams it down on the desk. I put up my bag to be checked (downgrade from F to Y, by the way, but I was later compensated for it), agent angrily informs me that it's $15 (or 25 or whatever United charges, I can't remember) to check bag. I thought about arguing that point but decided it probably wasn't worth it. Pull out credit card, she says 'no credit cards' and since I don't carry cash, a check it had to be. Finally I went on my way....
I don't remember much of the flight, but since AA booked me on United all the way through to ALB I do remember the HORRIBLE experience of being on a Dash-88 (that name might be off, it had a propeller and about two and a half seats and no a/c - UGH) from ORD to ALB. Yuck. Longest flight ever, dirty, cramped, and SO HOT. Plus our flight attendant looked like he was about 12 years old. It was strange.
My experiences with AA and the AC will keep me at AA for long to come. This wasn't my first off-color journey with United, but it does pound another nail in their coffin.
Wow! That brings up an issue I never thought of. Do you really have to pay the bag fee when your ticket is 130.30 endorsed over to another carrier?
) I made a number of DFW-PDX cycles. I usually flew F9, due to status there, and the fact that with AA being the only nonstop carrier between those 2 cities, they are always expensive.. I'm a true F9 fan... Anyway, occasionally the AA nonstop would drop to a reasonable cost and I'd take it.
