KenInEscazu

In the UC, you aren't bringing in any outside food. They are very strict. Your dining options consist of a never-changing snack variety of cheese, crackers, carrots, yogurt balls, snack mix and cookies. At breakfast, they have some breads, a toaster, butter, jelly and cream cheese.

If I'm forgetting something, I'm sure that someone here will correct it. I assure you, however, that it is nothing substantial. Aside from the cheese, it's carbs, carbs or carbs.

Edit: CHEAP carbs.

mre5765

Welcome to the fold. I rejoined after a 25 year hiatus with maybe 10 segments on AA that entire time.

It's been great.

It would be cool if full fare F domestic always got AC access, at least on TCONs.

Btw your amex plat would have allowed to use the centurion loumge.

Bonehead

I fly both airlines regularly and I really have no idea what people are talking about when they make comparisons like this. Both airlines have their pluses and minuses, and I have found no significant differences between them on my wanderings. Too much hyperbole? Ya think?

JonNYC

Glad to see sensible, thoughtful reports like this in such a thread-- people really go nuts with this "XX Stinks!!!" "would rather walk or swim than fly XX!"

It get's so stupid at a certain point.

pinniped

Right now, I have AA lounge access through the Citi card (the black one) and UA lounge access through *G status. I don't know if I will retain either beyond 2015...both would require commitment (either in dollars or parking frequent-flier miles in a place where it is tough to get them back out). However, if things are remotely close to even, I'd select the AA lounges 100 times out of 100 over UA.

Food/bev are light-years better, the people are friendlier, and the lounges themselves are less crowded.

I've had years as UA 1K and years as AA Plat (never quite EXP...sadly). At the end of the day, I pick one based on where I'm flying that year...don't love or hate either one enough to spend unnecessary time in either of their hubs if the other fits my needs better. But I have to admit, I have always enjoyed flying AA more...in general, feel like the people on the front line are just better all around. It becomes especially noticeable if you end up on a lot of RJ's...the UX operation feels like subcontractor hell whereas the AE operation feels a bit more AA-like.

Bonehead

Agree, although the UA Club at LHR T2 is an exception. Excellent lounge.


I would also give the edge to whatever the AA regional-jet subsidiary is called these days. Mainline is comparable in my experience...and I think UA's revised meal schedule may be better than AA's and the food itself is improving on UA as well.

Eastbay1K

I've never flown an "I'm never flying UA again" tantrum. I probably will (fly UA again, not throw a tantrum). I'm just glad I don't have to, and I've got a lot of options in my area.

pinniped

Oh, I threw the "I'm never flying UA again" tantrum in 2000 during one of their "job actions".

Then I was back as a 1K again in the mid-2000's. If you gotta go west from MCI, you kind of have no choice but to go through Denver for many destinations. By then, I figured whatever union was behind the job action had suffered quite a bit, and spending all eternity connecting through Dallas to get to San Francisco would have been like poking myself in the eye and expecting that union to feel the pain. So I got over it...and UA was mostly okay during those years.

Then 757's turned into CR7's which turned into Dash-8's, and I'm kind of glad I'm not doing all that travel anymore.

buckeyefanflyer

I can relate to this. I flew almost 99 percent CO and UA since the late 1990's but now I fly other airlines. I have AA several times to Miami and Key West recently and have enjoyed everything.

JustAnotherTraveler

I don't have the luxury of throwing a tantrum since my choices out of CLT are... wait for it.... US Air (AA going forward). Yes, Yes I could do hops to ATL and fly Delta but I'd rather not double my exposure to Murphy and the Airlines teaming up to <redacted> the pooch.

KatW

To be blunt, I no longer need to maximize miles with any particular carrier but I will be flying AA when I have a non-stop choice, or when it offers equally convenient or atrocious connections. And, I will be flying biz or first. I might even be willing to fly selected long-hauls (e.g., SFO-CDG) with a single connection on AA. We're currently booked biz on AF non-stop SFO-CDG-SFO in July but considering re-booking on AA.