<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Flying Buccaneer:
I've pretty much narrowed it down to AA and UA. The E+ seating in UA would be a major advantage, but MRTC on AA would make my qualification period less "painful."
Thanks again!</font>
Since everybody seems in favor of AA so far, I'll offer a different point of view. Not because it's necessarily better, but because it speaks to some of your concerns.
Try UA, in conjunction with US. If your typical destinations are DEN and LAX, UA is a natural. There are three nonstops a day to Dulles which will connect to transcon service (not to mention the service to ORD).
And for East Coast trips where Dulles isn't convenient, US through CLT is a good possibility.
Qualification may or may not be less painful than AA, but in my experience I have never missed out on an E+ seat (while qualifying) on anything less than a totally full plane. Usually if you ask with a smile, there will be somebody getting upgraded at the gate, or misconnecting, which will leave an E+ seat open.
Also, UA serves Australia directly, which may be valuable when trying to redeem an award (I believe AA members have less Qantas availability than Qantas members do for award travel). And almost every fare earns full miles, unlike some of oneworld's Asian partners.
Also, IFE is better on United, if that matters to you (all mainline planes have audio, all except 737 with video as well).
Good luck with your decision!